Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Kaburagi

Yoichi Kashibuchi

Naoki Ito

Shigeo Yamagata

Hiroyuki Ichikawa

Reiji Misawa

Yoshinori Abe

Hiroyuki Yaguchi

Hiroyoshi Yoshida

Hiroyasu Morita

Takeshi Namikata

Junya Arakawa

Osamu Iinuma

Hideaki Shimizu

Tsutomu Sakaue

Naohiro Isshiki

Yasuhiro Takiyama

Shinji Sano

Toshihiko Ikeno

Isao Migishima

Manabu Takebayashi

Masao Watanabe

Teruya Inoue

Hiroyuki Kimura

Atsushi Matsumoto

Yoichi Takaragi

Akio Ito

Masanori Matsuzaki

Masatoshi Yaginuma

Kentaro Saito

Shizuo Hasegawa

Hirokazu Kodama

Seita Shono

Mitsuru Uzawa

Masao Hayashi

Toshikazu Sekizawa

Osamu Linuma

An image processing apparatus includes a search unit configured to search for an object, a selection unit configured to select a plurality of objects from among objects searched for by the search unit based on an instruction by a user, a creation unit configured to create a new document using the plurality of objects selected by the selection unit, and a storage unit configured to store the plurality of objects used in creating the new document by the creation unit as a group, associated with information about the group. The search unit searches for an object related to an object searched for based on a keyword, using information about the group.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable storage medium

The image forming apparatus comprises a resolution converting unit configured to convert a high-resolution image data into a low-resolution image data, an edge judgment unit configured to judge a shape of an edge in the high-resolution image data, and a density correcting unit configured to make a density correction in the low-resolution image data in accordance with the shape of the edge judged by the edge judgment unit.

Image forming apparatus and method for making density correction in a low resolution image based on edge determination

For reducing jaggies in second image data based on first image data, the second image data obtained by performing digital halftoning on each image signal of the first image data, and attribute data indicating the attribute of each pixel in the first image data, a determination signal indicating whether or not to perform smoothing processing is output based on the first image data, edge correction data for the smoothing processing is generated from the first image data, and whether or not to perform edge correction processing that uses the edge correction data is selected according to the determination signal and the attribute data. Moreover, the second image data and the edge correction data are compared for each image signal so as to output either one thereof according to the comparison result.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method

An image processing apparatus extracts an area for each color from an illustration area, specifies an area that is in contact with the boundary of the illustration area, extracts a color around the illustration area, determines whether or not the extracted color around the illustration area is the same as the color of the specified area, and processes vector data that represents an area that has been determined as having the same color.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and medium storing program thereof

An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a divisor matrix including at least two kinds of divisor values, and a changing unit configured to change M (M&#x3e;N) gradation image data into N (N&#x3e;3) gradation image data, wherein the changing unit is configured to divide a pixel value of a target pixel of the M gradation image data by a divisor value corresponding to a pixel position of the target pixel to change the M gradation image data into the N-gradation image data.

Image forming method and apparatus for reducing input image gradation

An input image is segmented into regions based on attributes of the input image. It is determined whether each segmented region is an illustration region. When it is determined that the segmented region is an illustration region, the color of the determined illustration region is compared with that of a region around the illustration region. When these colors coincide with each other as a result of the comparison, attribute information of the illustration region is changed to that of the region around the illustration region. Print data is generated based on the changed attribute information.

Generating print data based on attributes of segmented regions of an input image

In a system that performs object division of a manuscript and adds metadata, a method is provided which can edit the metadata by an intuitive operation when no appropriate metadata is added or when it is desired that the metadata be increased by adding. An image processing device, which divides an manuscript acquired through an input component into a plurality of objects and adds the metadata, has a user interface for editing the metadata of the objects, and switches, after selecting first and second objects, a retouching method of the metadata in accordance with the contents of the respective metadata of the first object and second object.

Device for editing metadata of divided object

A device capable of providing an image quality that is close to a high resolution printing engine unit by low resolution printing engine unit. It includes a processing unit for comparing thresholds included in a high resolution dithering matrix with a pixel value included in each pixel of a low resolution input image and for outputting multi-level gray scale signal values. In addition, the processing unit includes a comparing unit for comparing a pixel value of each pixel of the low resolution input image with a plurality of thresholds included in the high resolution dithering matrix; an integrating unit for obtaining for each pixel the multi-level gray scale signal value by integrating a plurality of comparison results obtained for each pixel; and an output unit for outputting the multi-level gray scale signal values obtained by the integrating unit.

Image processing device that retains a high resolution dithering matrix and image processing method therefor

To suppress jaggies in second image data on the basis of first image data, the second image data obtained by executing halftoning processing for the first image data, and attribute data representing an attribute of each pixel contained in the first image data, a judgment signal indicating whether to execute smoothing processing is output on the basis of the attribute data. Edge correction data is generated from the first image data by executing smoothing processing in accordance with the judgment signal. The pixel data of the second image data is compared with the pixel data of the edge correction data. The pixel data having a higher density is output. Jaggies generated by halftoning processing can be suppressed with a simple arrangement at a low cost.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method for suppressing jaggies in the edge portions of image

When there is a possibility where an undesirable printing result may be caused, a preview image useful for the check of the printing result is displayed, prior to an actual printing, to a user. Prior to the printing an image based on data after an image processing of an image data, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility in which an undesirable printing result may be caused based on the image data and, when it is determined that there is the possibility, a warning message is issued. When it is determined that there is a possibility in which an undesirable printing result may be caused, a printer driver simulates the image processing by the printing apparatus to prepare the data after the image processing. A display apparatus displays, prior to the printing of the image, a preview image based on the data after the image processing.

Warning system and warning method

An image processing system and method for copying an original document while maintaining the security of the document and for providing a high quality copy each time a copy is required. The system and method include inputting image information, generating output limitation information corresponding to the inputted image information, storing the inputted image information and the corresponding output limitation information, reading a document containing specifying information for specifying the stored image information, outputting the stored specified image information in accordance with reading of the specifying information, determining whether the image information specified by reading the specifying information is to be output based on the output limitation information corresponding to the image information, controlling the outputting of the image information in accordance with the determination, and varying the output limitation information corresponding to the image information in accordance with outputting of the image information.

Image processing system

A smoothing process is performed on image data to obtain improved image quality. Output image data is switched among image data subjected to smoothing, image data subjected to second bit conversion, and image data subjected to pseudo halftone representation process. In this manner, jaggies at edges can be smoothed even in multilevel image data subjected to image forming process such as screen processing. Smoothing for image data with degraded image quality due to, for example, lossy compression such as JPEG compression can also be achieved. Furthermore, degradation in image quality that occurs when a conventional smoothing process is applied to image data subjected to particular image processing can be avoided.

An image processing apparatus converts first image data of a first resolution N to second image data of a second resolution M, which is lower than the first resolution N, so as to output the second image data. The apparatus includes a processing unit for determining the position of a target pixel in the first image data in accordance with the ratio of the second resolution M to the first resolution N. The position of the target pixel is then used to define an area in which pixel values in the defined area are used to generate pixel values. The image processing apparatus also includes a selection signal generating unit for generating a selection signal in accordance with the target pixel value and an attribute signal representing the attribute of the target pixel. Also included in the image processing apparatus is an output unit for selecting one of the pixel values generated by the processing unit by using the selection signal so as to output the selected value as the second image data.

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Yokohama, Japan

Hiroshi Kaburagi