Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hideo Kumashiro

Yoshikazu Ikenoue

Munehiro Nakatani

Kaoru Tada

Hiroshi Murakami

Akio Nakajima

Atsushi Ishikawa

Koichi Kamon

Shigeru Moriya

Hiroya Sugawa

Sou Hirota

Kazuomi Sakatani

Keiji Nakatani

Hideyuki Hashimoto

Katsuaki Tajima

Tetsuya Itoh

An additional data useful for the management of copies of a document for an image forming apparatus is embedded in a hard copy of the document. The additional data is embedded in an inherent image of a document as discrete dots arranged in a prescribed format. Preferably, the size of each of said discrete dots is not so large as to be recognized easily with naked eyes. The additional data can be embedded in unit of blocks. Further, the density of the discrete dots is different from the density adjacent to the discrete dots. The image data for embedding an additional data can be obtained by reading a document, or by receiving data sent from a computer or read from a floppy disk. An additional data embedded in a hard copy can be extracted from the image data on the hard copy. Further, the production of a copy according to the image data can be controlled according to the extracted additional data. For example, if the additional data means that the source of the hard copy is a secret document, the copying is allowed only for a legitimate user. An additional data is generated for each copy according to the extracted additional data for embedding it in a hard copy to identify each copy. The additional data generated for each copy are compiled and they are used to manage copies of various sources systematically and illegal copies can be traced easily. If the additional data received from a printer is not consistent with the additional data already stored, the printing may be prohibited. A transmitter for transmitting an additional data may be provided in a document such as a book.

Image forming apparatus and copy management system

Additional data useful for the management of copies of a document for an image forming apparatus is embedded in a hard copy of the document. The additional data is embedded in an image of a document as discrete dots arranged in a prescribed format. Preferably, the size of each of said discrete dots is such as not to be recognized easily with the naked eye. The image data for embedding the additional data can be obtained by reading a document, or by receiving data sent from a computer. Additional data embedded in a hard copy can be extracted from the image data on the hard copy. Further, the production of a copy according to the image data, can be controlled according to the extracted additional data. Additional data is generated for each copy according to the extracted additional data for embedding it in a hard copy to identify each copy.

A device having a periodic wiring structure and a test device therefore which can be fabricated at low cost and is capable of instantaneously determining whether the periodic wiring structure has been fabricated in a physically and electrically correct manner and whether particle obstacles are present. The bit lines of the device to be tested are simultaneously connected to a current source by a column decoder and a bit line connection circuit to generate magnetic force lines in a periodic distribution pattern from the currents flowing in all the bit lines. The generated magnetic force lines are sampled and detected by a one-dimensional Hall element array moved by an actuator. A spatial frequency spectrum of the periodic distribution pattern of the magnetic force lines detected by the one-dimensional Hall element array is by obtained and is collated with a spatial frequency spectrum of a reference distribution pattern.

Device having periodic wiring structure and test device therefor

An image processing apparatus capable of reducing a nonuniform pitch in the sub scanning direction of an image, caused such as by unstable paper feed of a printer, for example, is formed as described below. An adder adds the density value of one pixel of an input multi-valued image and a diffused error output from an error weighting filter. A comparator compares an output from the adder and a corresponding threshold of a variable threshold matrix, and outputs the result as a binary image. The variable threshold matrix is formed of two sub matrices with a size of 3&times;3 connected in a main scanning direction, and an average value of thresholds in one sub matrix is larger than another. Accordingly, a line component vertical to the main scanning direction is added in an output image. This line component masks a nonuniform pitch in the sub scanning direction.

Image processing apparatus capable of applying line component to image

In a method of joining image data divided into a plurality of parts each having an overlap region with the other at a border line portion into a single image for output, an image processing apparatus joins the plurality of partial images having overlap regions L at border line portions. The image processing apparatus extracts a joining line connecting pixels with small density difference between partial images from the overlap region, and joins the partial images with each other along the joining line. The image processing apparatus extracts a line connecting pixels with small density difference with adjacent pixels from the overlap region of the partial images as a joining line upon extracting the joining line. The density difference at the joining border is minimized in order to make the joining line look more natural, and make offset of images in the overlap region less recognizable.

Image processing apparatus capable of reproducing large-sized document

Originals are fed onto a platen glass one by one by an automatic original feeder to be read out by a reading system. The originals are converted into digital image data. The image data is transferred to a memory unit. The memory unit is controlled by a CPU. The memory unit is configured of an image memory, a sentence direction recognizing portion, an RAM producing a management table, an original direction (top and bottom direction) recognizing portion, a rotation processing portion, a sign memory and the like. Based on top and bottom directions of original images and directions in which sentences run included in the images, arrangement of images in a 2in1 or 4in1 mode is determined.

Image forming apparatus having editing function

Digital image data read in by an image scanner is added with a binary error calculated by a peripheral error weighting filter in an error adder to correct binary error. The corrected data is compared with a predetermined threshold value T.sub.0 by a comparator provide output as binary data. A binary error calculation unit calculates a binary error according to the output binary data and error correction data, which is fed back to the digital image data. A variable base value calculation unit for providing to the binary error calculation unit a base value to calculate calculation error and a maximum value/minimum value detection unit are provided outside the feedback loop.

Image processing apparatus employing error diffusion type binarizing

The present invention provides an apparatus which separately reads and combines a plurality of partial images of a large document so as to produce simply and accurately produce a composite image of excellent precision at the joint boundary of each partial image without complex positioning operation.

Image reading device

Additional data useful for the management of copies of a document for an image forming apparatus is embedded in a hard copy of the document. The additional data is embedded in an inherent image of a document as pixels arranged in a prescribed format, and, preferably, the size of the pixels is such as to not be easily recognized with the naked eye. The image data for embedding the additional data can be obtained by reading a document, or by receiving data sent from a computer or read from a floppy disk. Additional data embedded in a hard copy can be extracted from the image data on the hard copy, and the production of a copy according to the image data can be controlled according to the extracted additional data. For example, if the additional data means that the source of the hard copy is a secret document, copying thereof is allowed only for a legitimate user. Additional data generated for each copy is compiled and is used to manage copies of various sources systematically.

An input signal represented by values of many levels obtained by reading out an original image is applied to a pixel characteristic extracting unit for extraction of a characteristic of a pixel. Based on the extracted pixel characteristic, a gain calculating process is effected based on the pixel characteristic in a first gain calculating unit. An attribute flag showing an image characteristic extracted by the pixel characteristic extracting unit is added to the gain calculated error data which is stored. An area characteristic is determined in an area characteristic extracting unit based on the flag. Based on the determination result, error correction with high precision is carried out in a second gain calculating unit.

Method of processing image having value of error data controlled based

An 8-bit input image data value has its range adjusted by an image range conversion lookup table and is converted into a 4-bit dither image data value f2 with a multi-value dither circuit. The converted 4-bit dither image data value f2 is error-corrected by an error correction unit, and then binarized with a predetermined binarization threshold value of Th=8. An error between binarized data value g and error-correction image data value f2' is calculated by the error calculation unit to be stored in an error storage line memory. Error data e' is provided with respect to a pixel of interest by a peripheral error weighting filter, whereby error is propagated to peripheral pixels of the pixel of interest. As a result, an image processing apparatus of high picture quality, high speed, and low cost is provided.

Image processing apparatus using error diffusion technique

In reading out an original image divided into a plurality of regions, a scanner reads out image data having each divided region partially repeated for each adjacent divided region. The read out image data of each divided region is stored in a memory in correspondence with the original image and stored in a memory. A controller identifies an overlapping region of the stored image data, and joins each image data according to the identified result to generate an image data corresponding to the original image.

Image reading apparatus improving the joining state of a plurality of

Image data of an original image in a prescribed pixel matrix is subjected to edge emphasis. On the other hand, a maximum and a minimum of the image data are detected. Then, values of the image data subjected to edge emphasis are limited between the maximum and the minimum to provide output data. Thus, edge emphasis can be performed without increasing noises even for hand-written characters of low densities.

Image processor with edge emphasis of image data

In a shadow process mode, a scanner reads out an original with a first exposure lamp in a first scanning operation. The readout image data is stored in an image memory via an I/O control unit. In the second scanning operation, the scanner reads out the original with a second exposure lamp having an illumination direction different from that of the first exposure lamp. The image data read out in the second scanning operation and the data stored in the image memory are subtracted for each pixel by a subtractor. The difference thereof is compared with a predetermined value in a comparator. The compared result is output to a selector, whereby a desired image data is provided to a printer processing unit via the I/O control unit.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Hideo Kumashiro