Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Katsutoshi Ushida

Nobuyuki Shigeeda

Yoshiaki Katahira

Koichi Morishita

Yuichi Naoi

Yasuyuki Nakamura

Yasuo Komada

Teruya Hara

Makoto Fukuo

Kunihiro Yamamoto

Shigeo Miura

Yasuji Hirabayashi

Hidefumi Ohsawa

Masahiro Sakamoto

Yuichi Bannai

Atsushi Otani

Sadasuke Kurahayashi

Ikuo Sobue

Akitoshi Kikuchi

Norio Sugiyama

Image data communication equivalent to facsimile communication using a public network is realized on e-mail communication. When a communication apparatus for transmitting/receiving e-mail data by connecting to the Internet is to communicate e-mail data having facsimile-format image data attached, communication concerning functional information is performed in addition to the communication of the e-mail data. The functional information can be exchanged by an optimum method matching the form of connection to the Internet. This allows maximum utilization of the capability of each apparatus function in facsimile image communication using e-mail.

Communication apparatus, communication method, communication system, and storage medium

To provide an image processing technique compatible with both a CCD and a CIS, which controls storage of image data read by each device in a memory and the read of the stored data for each rectangular area to obtain a high memory efficiency, an image processing apparatus includes an input section which executes input processing of image data read by an image reading device in accordance with the data output format of the device, an output data control section which distributes the image data that has undergone the input processing by the input section in accordance with the output format of the image reading device, an address generation section which generates address information corresponding to the output format to store the distributed image data in a memory, and a memory control section which DMA-transfers the distributed image data to the memory and stores the image data on the basis of the generated address information.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method

To provide an image processing technique compatible with both a CCD and a CIS, which controls storage of image data read by each device in a memory and the read of the stored data for each rectangular area to obtain a high memory efficiency, an image processing apparatus includes a memory area control section which sets, for image data bitmapped on a first memory, a rectangular area divided in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction, an address generation section which generates address information to read out image data corresponding to the rectangular area in correspondence with the set rectangular area, a memory control section which reads out the image data corresponding to the rectangular area and DMA-transfers the image data to a second memory in accordance with the generated address information, and an image processing section which executes image processing for each rectangular area of the DMA-transferred data by using the second memory.

This invention relates to a coding method, code converting method and apparatus, and image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to a coding method, code converting method and apparatus, and image forming apparatus capable of high-speed conversion data coded by different coding method. When data is converted between different coding methods, e.g., when data encoded by a run-length coding method is re-encoded by a coding method using typical prediction, the data is conventionally temporarily decoded into original data before encoding and then re-encoded. In this invention, data subjected to coding such as MH, MR, or MMR as run-length coding is decoded into run-length information as intermediate data, and typical prediction is performed in this state. This increases the speed of conversion from run-length coded data to coded data using typical prediction.

Coding method, code converting method, code converting apparatus, and image forming apparatus

Disclosed are an image processing method and apparatus for applying spatial filtering processing to n-bit multilevel image data, converting the processing image data to two-level or multilevel image data and converting the resulting image data to data capable of being expressed using high-resolution dots. The filtered image data is subjected to a luminance-to-density conversion and is further converted to two or four levels by a four-level/two-level conversion circuit which makes common use of circuitry for executing both two-level error diffusion processing and four-level error diffusion processing. The four-level/two-level conversion circuit clamps the error produced in four-level conversion processing to the number of significant bits of the error produced at execution of the two-level conversion processing. As a result, a common circuit can be used for both the two-level conversion processing and the four-level conversion processing.

Image processing utilizing luminance-density conversion

An image processing apparatus or a facsimile apparatus or the like is constructed by an input unit for inputting image data, a data conversion unit for converting density characteristics of image data inputted by the input unit, and an output unit such as ink jet printer, laser beam printer, or the like for outputting the image data at a predetermined resolution. The data conversion unit converts density characteristics so as to almost equalize densities even when a resolution of the image data that is outputted by the output unit differs. The data conversion unit converts the density characteristics of the input image data on the basis of a luminance/density conversion table formed every resolution of the image data that is outputted by the output unit. The resolution of the output image data is higher than the resolution of the input image data.

Image processing apparatus and method

Disclosed are an image processing method and apparatus for converting the processed block of bi-level image data to a block having a size conforming to the magnification of zoom processing and deciding, based upon the pixel pattern of the bi-level image data, output values within the converted processed block. The output values are decided in such a manner that pixel density of the bi-level image data is preserved within the converted processed block.

Image processing method and apparatus

In a system using a clock synchronous type synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), when a power supply voltage monitoring circuit informs a timing circuit of a decrease in voltage from a main power supply, the timing circuit outputs a self refresh request signal to a CPU. In response to the self refresh request signal, the CPU outputs a clock enable signal synchronous with the system clock, and a self refresh transfer command signal, which is expressed by a combination of states of memory access control signals, to the SDRAM, so as to start up self refresh of the SDRAM. After the self refresh has been started up, the CPU outputs a clock enable mask signal that masks the clock enable signal to switch a clock enable signal to be supplied to the SDRAM from the clock enable signal output from the CPU to a voltage detection signal of a backup power supply. A reset signal then outputs a reset signal to transfer to backup operation.

Apparatus and method for controlling memory backup using main power

A buffer memory control device has a plurality of generating units which generate image data of differing formats one line at a time. A storage unit temporarily stores at least one line of image data generated by one of the generating units. A plurality of processing units perform differing image processing of at least one line of image data read from the storage unit. A control unit controls the number of lines of image data to be temporarily stored in the storage unit and the amount of data per line, based on the generating unit which generates the image data stored in the storage unit and the processing unit which performs image processing of the image data read from the storage unit.

Buffer memory control device and control method, and an image processing

At the encoding side, a sum of code lengths of a block is calculated and stored in a memory for each of block lines (stripes); and at the decoding side, when decoding of one block is completed, a head address of a code in the next block is calculated utilizing a sum of an amount of codes utilized for the decoding operation and code lengths for each of the stripes. The rotation process of an image utilizing encoded data is performed in accordance with the head address. Further, at the encoding side, colors of pixels in a predetermined block is determined, and encoding operation is performed block by block for only those blocks including pixels of different colors. At the decoding side, an address of block data for sequentially constructing a rotated image is controlled to decode the pixels in the block, and finally the rotation process is performed on the pixels in the block in accordance with the color of the pixels.

Image encoding and decoding apparatus

A printer which records an image on a cut paper sheet must normally assure a margin region at the trailing end side of a record paper sheet in terms of the mechanism of the printer. Conventionally, the margin has a considerably large size. However, this invention aims at reducing the margin size as much as possible and increasing the image record region as much as possible. When a printer of this invention is used in a facsimile apparatus, a problem experienced with a conventional printer, which has a narrow image record region on a record paper sheet, can be prevented. Conventionally, when an image is recorded on a record paper sheet having the same size as that of a received original, the received image is determined as an elongated original image and is divisionally recorded on two record paper sheets, or is recorded on a record paper sheet larger than the received original. This invention prevents this problem.

Image record apparatus

An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of immediately performing a recording operation in the case where the apparatus is restored to the operation state from the waiting state. The image forming apparatus has an MPU for performing switching between a normal operation mode, in which the apparatus is operated with normal electric power, and a low power consumption operation mode, in which the apparatus is operated with a low power consumption which is smaller than the normal electric power, so as to reduce electric power consumption. When the MPU switches the mode of the apparatus from the low power consumption operation mode to the normal operation mode, an initial-rotation inhibition signal for inhibiting initial rotation of a motor is generated. In response to the initial-rotation inhibition signal, the initial rotation of the motor is inhibited.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Katsutoshi Ushida