Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090059303 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND PRINTING APPARATUS - N rasters of multi-valued data indicating a halftone image is input to a buffer and a pixel of interest to be quantized is quantized for the input multi-valued data. Furthermore, error of a quantized pixel is distributed to peripheral pre-quantization pixels including pre-quantization pixels in a raster of pixels quantized before the quantized pixel, and error distributed with respect to the pixel of interest is added to the multi-valued data for which quantization is yet to be processed. And the quantizing and distributing and adding of error are repeated while moving the pixel of interest in a column direction, and, when processing of N pixels has been completed in regard to the column direction, equivalent processing is repeated while moving the pixel of interest in a raster direction, thereby quantizing the multi-valued data of the N rasters. | 03-05-2009 |
20090161165 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An information processing apparatus processes, for each pixel, multivalued image data for a unit area of a recording medium, so as to form an image on the unit area with a plurality of relative movements between a recording head and the recording medium. The apparatus has a selector that selects a first processing mode for dividing the multivalued image data into a plurality of pieces of multivalued image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements, and then quantizing each of the plurality of pieces of multivalued image data, or a second processing mode for quantizing the multivalued image data into quantized image data, and then dividing the quantized image data into a plurality of pieces of quantized image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements. The selector selects the processing mode based on a content (attribute, grayscale, color, etc.) of the multivalued image data. | 06-25-2009 |
20090168087 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided which can produce an image with high robustness that can keep image impairments from becoming noticeable even when there are printing characteristic variations over a range of positions of the print elements, as in the case of an end deflection phenomenon. This is realized by distributing multilevel grayscale values of individual pixels according to distribution coefficients determined for the individual print elements that print the pixels, allocating the distributed grayscale values to the associated planes, and binarizing the allocated grayscale values in each plane. With this process, the grayscale value distribution factors in each scan of multipass printing can be determined according to the positions of individual print elements on the print head. | 07-02-2009 |
20090244580 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Graininess is suppressed while at the same time minimizing grayscale variations caused by inter-plane deviations. For this purpose, when a pixel is printed by M relative scans of a print head over a print medium or by a relative scans of M print heads over the print medium, M pieces of multivalued image data is created according to a division number or distribution ratio determined by a grayscale value of that pixel. The M pieces of multivalued image data are individually quantized and then the printing is performed according to the quantized pixel data. This process prevents dot generation delays and graininess from deteriorating in highlighted areas, thus realizing printed images highly robust against density variations. | 10-01-2009 |
20100026746 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - In a multipass printing that performs a plurality of printing scans over a unit area of a print medium by using a leading head and a follower head, the multivalued image data for the leading head is distributed according to the print volume information for up to the preceding printing scan. Then, the multivalued image data for the leading head is subjected to the grayscale level reduction operation to generate binary data. Based on the binary data, the print volume information is updated, after which the multivalued image data for the follower head is distributed according to the print volume information. This causes a plurality of printing scans or a plurality of print heads, that print the same unit area, to have a correlation among them, with the result that dots on a plurality of planes when overlapped have an excellent scattering characteristic. | 02-04-2010 |
20100165366 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The quantity processing is executed to data distributed for each color. Binary data obtained by this quantization processing are selected only in regard to a color generating print quantity information. Filtering processing is executed to the binary data of the selected color to generate the print quantity information. In the quantization processing for a second plane, data found by converting the print quantity information generated in the first plane processing into a minus value are added to the multi-valued data. In the quantization processing in the second plane added, the value of the multi-valued data is made small and in the quantity, probability that the multi-valued data become binary data printing the dots is made small. That is, a ratio where dots in the first plane and dots in the second plane overlap and are formed can be made small. | 07-01-2010 |
20100165390 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A channel selection section selects whether the subsequent processing to the image data is executed by image distribution precedence processing or by gradation lowering precedence processing in accordance with channel information of the image data. That is, in regard to the channels of C, M and K with relatively high density among inks, the image distribution precedence processing excellent in robustness is selected. On the other hand, in the ink of the color with high brightness or low density, even if the print position of the dot is shifted, the density change due to this shift is not so much large. It is possible to restrict an increase in the processing load due to executing the gradation lowering processing after the distribution processing to each of the plural divided images by thus not selecting the image distribution precedence processing in consideration of the robustness. | 07-01-2010 |
20100171972 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Multi-valued image data stored in an input image buffer are read out for each time of scans, and the color space conversion and image distribution are performed to read multi-valued image data. The binarized result is sent to the print buffer and at the same time, is accumulated as the print information to execute processing of reflecting it to the image distribution processing of the next pass. It is possible to appropriately restrict the density fluctuation due to the print position shift between planes without providing pixels where dots are overlapped and printed more than necessary. With this, by accumulating the multi-valued image data at the stage of RGB in the input image buffer to read out data stored in input image buffer for executing processing, a capacity required for input image buffer does not change even if the number of the ink colors provided on the printing apparatus increases. | 07-08-2010 |
20100188678 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - When executing the gradation lowering processing to a data area in the lower side in multi-valued print data | 07-29-2010 |
20100321743 | CODING METHOD, RECORDING METHOD, AND RECORDING APPARATUS - A method for coding mask data containing information indicating, for each pixel, presence of thinning of image data in order to perform multipass recoding for a predetermined area of a recording medium by N (N: integer of 2 or more) times, includes acquiring a plurality of mask data, assigning a code represented by a number of bits smaller than N based on information contained in the same address of the acquired mask data and use-order of the mask data, and generating coded data containing the assigned code corresponding to an arrangement of the address that the mask data retains information thereof. | 12-23-2010 |
20110116137 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND LOOKUP TABLE GENERATION METHOD - Using a first lookup table used to convert color data on a device-independent color space into color data on a device-dependent color space, and a second lookup table used to convert the color data on the device-dependent color space into color material data corresponding to a plurality of color print materials, the image processing apparatus acquires output values using the first lookup table in accordance with input values the number of which is larger than the number of grid points of the first lookup table, acquires output values using the second lookup table, as input values, the output values acquired, and generates a third lookup table corresponding to the predetermined number of input values which is larger than the number of grid points of the first lookup table in accordance with the output values acquired. | 05-19-2011 |
20120044526 | PRINTING APPARATUS AND PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME - A printing apparatus encodes masks used for thinning out print data when performing multi-pass printing and provided in correspondence with passes, and stores the encoded masks in a memory. The printing apparatus includes an assignment unit that assigns different codes with respect to pixels that indicate dot-on and are held in the masks provided in correspondence with the passes, depending on for which pass of mask processing the masks are used, and an encoding unit that generates, using the different codes, index data indicating pixels that indicate dot-on and are held in the masks corresponding to the passes, and generates encoded data by encoding the index data. Here, the encoding unit determines an assignment relationship in which the different codes are assigned to the passes by the assignment unit such that the encoded data is smaller than the data size of original masks, and generates the encoded data. | 02-23-2012 |
20120195498 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROFILE GENERATION METHOD - When a grid point that is the object to be mapped is present in a first division region a color of which has lightness equal to or higher than the lightness at the maximum chroma point in the color gamut and has chroma higher than the chroma at that point, the intersection of a straight line connecting the grid point to the maximum chroma point and an achromatic axis is calculated and a point having lightness equal to or higher than the lightness of the intersection is set as the focal color. Then, the intersection of a straight line connecting the object grid point to the focal color and the boundary of color gamut is set as an output color for the grid point. The output colors are prevented from being separated into color on the high and on the low lightness sides with respect to the maximum chroma point. | 08-02-2012 |
20120218572 | PROFILE CREATION METHOD, PROFILE CREATION APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING COLOR CONVERSION USING A PROFILE - With an apparatus according to the present invention, when an input color gamut is compressed to an output color gamut, based on the difference value between the lightness of paper white and the lightness at the maximum chroma in the output color gamut of a predetermined hue, if the lightness difference is below a predetermined threshold value, a compression convergence point is set at a position at which lightness is lower than or equal to the lightness at the maximum chroma in the output color gamut. This suppresses reduction of the gradation in the direction of input chroma, and makes it possible to compress the input color gamut to the output color gamut such that excellent color reproduction is achieved while the gradations of lightness and chroma in the input color space are maintained. | 08-30-2012 |
20120314234 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PRINTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus, image printing apparatus and image processing method are provided that can output an image that fulfills both of sharpness and robustness by multi-pass printing regardless of the image. For this purpose, in preforming multi-pass printing, a distribution coefficient for distributing density data of each pixel to multiple printing scans varies depending on attribute information of the each pixel. For a pixel whose attribute information indicates importance on robustness, a bias of distribution coefficients for multiple scans are made small; and for a pixel whose attribute information indicates importance on sharpness, a bias of distribution coefficients for multiple printing scans is made large. | 12-13-2012 |
20130250320 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND GENERATING METHOD - A color gamut for each printing mode is maximally used, a color separation table is used, which includes an area (color reproduction maintaining area) for which an image having a color difference of a predetermined value or less between printing modes in a case where the same input value is input is output and an area (area other than the color reproduction maintaining area) for which an image having a color difference of a predetermined value or more between the printing modes in a case where the same input value is input is output. From this, a color matching table can be shared between the printing modes. | 09-26-2013 |
20140043628 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An apparatus sets a chromaticity point serving as a gray reference in a color gamut of a color space that an output device is able to output, specifies, in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output, a first minimum lightness point on a lightness axis of the set chromaticity point and a second minimum lightness point that is achromatic, and generates a gray line that passes through a black point that is a minimum lightness point on a line connecting the first minimum lightness point and the second minimum lightness point, the first minimum lightness point, and the set chromaticity point and reaches a white point in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output. | 02-13-2014 |
20140092403 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Even in the case where input image data is binary data, dot arrangement appropriate for a printing apparatus is achieved to output a high quality image that suppresses an adverse influence such as density unevenness, stripes, or granular feeling. For this purpose, after the inputted binary data has been converted to multivalued data having lower resolution, a dot arrangement pattern that preliminarily specifies printing or non-printing for each of print pixels is set with being related to the multivalued data, and thereby new binary data is generated. At this time, the dot arrangement pattern is set to the dot arrangement appropriate for the printing apparatus, and therefore the high quality image that suppresses the adverse influence such as the density unevenness, stripes, or granular feeling can be outputted. | 04-03-2014 |