Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

Haruko Kawakami

Naofumi Yamamoto

Hidekazu Sekizawa

Tutomu Saito

Kazuhiko Higuchi

Naoko Hamamura

Takayuki Sawada

Gaku Takano

Eiichi Sakaue

Gururaj Rao

According to an embodiment, a ground process unit performs ground addition to input image data, and a pattern generation unit sets positions of components at plural points on a frequency plane including a main scanning axis and a sub scanning axis and converts the additional information into pattern data in which the positions of the components are a base. A pattern embedding unit embeds the pattern data from the pattern generation unit into a ground area of image data from the ground addition unit. A gradation process unit performs an asynchronous gradation process on the pattern embedding unit and output image data of the pattern embedding unit.

Apparatus and method for image process

The main CPU executes Fourier transform to the partial image, then performs strict spectrum analysisfor judging the presence/absence of data at a coordinate position designated in advance on a Fourier transform plane with high resolution for judging the presence/absence of prohibition of duplication, then judges whether duplication-prohibited data exists or not, and clears both the partial image and the document image if it is judged that duplication-prohibited data exists. If it is judged that duplication-prohibited data does not exist, the main CPU executes spectrum analysisfor broadly inspecting the existence of a periodic component instead of lowering the resolution from the spectrum analysisand judges whether a structure other than DC component exists or not. If the existence of a minute quantity of change that could not exist in a normal image is recognized, the main CPU performs partial image processing such as amplifying the quantity of change, then superimposes it onto the document image, and supplies the image on which the superimposing processing has been executed, to an output unit and a liquid crystal display unit, thus outputting or displaying the image.

Image processing method

An image forming apparatus includes a first-image-reading-portion composed of a plurality of line sensors used to read a color image, a second-image-reading-portion composed of at least one line sensor used to read a monochrome image, a first-image-processing-portion which processes a first-image-signal processed and outputted by the first-image-reading-portion, a second-image-processing-portion which processes a second image signal processed and outputted by the second-image-reading-portion, a segmentation portion which outputs a segmentation signal indicative of an attribute of an image in accordance with at least one of the first and second image signals, and a signal switching portion which outputs at least one of a third image signal processed and outputted by the first-image-processing-portion and a fourth image signal processed and outputted by the second-image-processing-portion based on the segmentation signal.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An input section performs a color conversion process, etc. for image data from a color scanner section. A discrimination section generates a discrimination signal representative of 'character', 'non-character', etc. on the basis of an image signal from the input section. A first processing section performs a filtering process, etc. for the image signal from the input section, and switches the method of such a process on the basis of the discrimination signal from the discrimination section. An enlargement/reduction section enlarges or reduces the discrimination signal from the discrimination section and the image signal from the first processing section. A second processing section subjects the enlarged/reduced image signal form the enlargement/reduction section to a black-added printing process, a gamma conversion process, etc., and switches the method of such a process on the basis of the enlarged/reduced discrimination signal from the enlargement/reduction section.

A white background determination section performs a white background determination on the basis of a white threshold calculated by a white threshold calculation section and an area size selected by an area size determination section. A character discrimination section executes character recognition such that a condition for character discrimination is relaxed when the white background determination section determines that a pixel of interest belongs to a white background, and the condition for character discrimination is made stricter in other cases.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method

An image processing apparatus which processes a plurality of supplied color image signals and outputs the processed signals to an image forming apparatus. The image processing apparatus comprises a conversion section which converts the supplied color image signals to a plurality of color signals, a discrimination section which discriminates attributes of the supplied color image signals, a determination section which determines, based on the color signals converted by the conversion section, a plurality of color signals outside a color gamut capable of image formation in the image forming apparatus, a processing section which changes the color signals outside the color gamut determined by the determination section to a plurality of color signals in the color gamut of the image forming apparatus in accordance with a discrimination result of the discrimination section, and an output section which matches the color signals from the conversion section and the color signals from the processing section and delivers the matched result to the image forming apparatus.

Image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus incorporating a field separating section for separating an original image into plural types of fields in response to a first image signal obtained at a rough density of the supplied original image, a characteristic value calculating section for calculating a characteristic value of the original image in response to a second image signal of the original image obtained at a density which is higher than the rough density, and a discrimination section for discriminating an image field of the original image in accordance with the characteristic value to correspond to the type of the field.

Image processing apparatus for discriminating image field of original document plural times and method therefor

An image processing apparatus aiming at enhancing image quality of a character (line image component) includes an image area discrimination section for discriminating an image area (character area). In the image area discrimination section, a color converter section converts an input CMY signal to Y&prime;-, I&prime;- and Q&prime;-signals for discrimination. An LPF section performs a smoothing process for the Y&prime;-signal and an output signal from a line memory, which is a line delay signal of the Y&prime;-signal. A density gradient extraction section generates a density gradient equivalent amount from a smoothed output from the LPF section and output signals from line memories, which are line delay signals of the output form the LPF section. An arithmetic section performs an arithmetic operation based on the density gradient equivalent amount generated by the arithmetic section, the Y&prime;-signal, and a predetermined value from a main CPU.

An image recording system superimposes, on an original image, an additional image which is same as at least any one of visible characters, symbols and numerals recorded on a recorded product and records the superimposed image on the recorded product as an image for certification. The additional image superimpose-recorded on the recorded product cannot visually be recognized and it is permitted to be visible when a universal optical filter is used.

Image recorded product, image recording system, image reproducing

An ink amount correction system is provided in a color image printer system for printing a full color image by mixing yellow, magenta, cyanogen and India ink amount signals. The ink amount correction system includes: a plurality of color ink amount correction circuits which include a quantization section for quantizing a color ink amount indicative signal representative of the amount of an ink of a predetermined color corresponding to each of picture elements of a primary color image; an error calculating section for calculating a quantization error between the input and output of the quantization section, to output as a quantization error signal; and a feedback correction section for adding the quantization error signal derived by the error calculating section, to the corresponding color ink amount indicative signal of the surrounding picture element, for correcting the ink amount indicative signal. The average value of the quantization error signal is added before the quantization of an ink amount indicative signal of a black ink having the maximum influence upon luminance. As a result, it is possible to reduce the dispersion of the degree of overlapping of inks for each of the picture elements to carry out the recording of good quality, in a case where a color image is printed by means of inks of a plurality of colors using error diffusion.

Ink amount indicative signal correcting apparatus for reducing

An image recording apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising first signal conversion section for converting a pixel density value of an current pixel of an input image signal into a first recording control signal for defining a recording amount, second signal conversion section for referring to an adjacent-pixel recording control signal for defining a recording amount of at least one adjacent pixel connected to the current pixel to convert the first recording control signal into a second recording control signal, being closest to the first recording control signal, for defining a recording amount at which pixel formation for the current pixel is stabilized, recording section for recording an image based on the second recording control signal, and error diffusion section for diffusing an error between the pixel density value and a recording density value of the second recording control signal to a pixel density value of each of non-processed pixels located around the current pixel.

Error diffusion method in a multi-level image recording apparatus

In the apparatus for processing a color image, a data signal representing another information differs from the color image is generated by a generating means. The another information is embedded into the color image by varying one of a color difference and a chroma of the color image in accordance with the data signal by an image processing means.

Image processing apparatus using pattern generating circuits to process

An image recording apparatus comprises an unequal interval quatization circuit for quantizing at an unequal interval an input multilevel image signal to prevent at least one signal having a tone level at which a recording density is unstable from being outputted, a circuit for calculating a difference between an unequal-interval-quantized signal and the input image signal, a buffer memory for temporarily storing the difference, a multiplexer for multiplying a recorded signal with a weight coefficient, an adder for adding a resultant signal from the multiplier to the input image signal, and a printer for recording an image, using the quantized signal as a record signal.

Image recording apparatus for representing a halftone by use of a

A color image processing system which reads or receives a color image and outputs corrected color image to a display or printer. The system estimates the brightness of the original image and executes correction on the basis of this estimation. The system uses histograms to determine correction.

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Mishima, Japan

Haruko Kawakami