Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta Ij Technologies, Inc.

Kenichirou Hiramoto

Toshiyuki Mizutani

Kiyoshi Takagi

An image forming apparatus includes: a hardware processor that quantizes each pixel with a dither pattern divided according to a resolution in a predetermined direction, and sets a recording amount of each pixel by adding up processing results of the quantization.

Image forming apparatus, recording amount setting method of image forming apparatus, and recording amount setting program

A color conversion device includes color conversion sections, an obtaining section and a reconversion section. The color conversion sections perform color conversion in parallel to convert colors of pixels contained in image data of a predetermined number of rows. The predetermined number is two or more. For the color conversion, at least one color conversion section uses certain color conversion information, and the other color conversion section uses other color conversion information having an information amount less than that of the certain color conversion information. The obtaining section obtains attribute information indicating an attribute of each of the pixels. When the attribute information is predetermined attribute information, the reconversion section converts a pixel color-converted with the other color conversion information using a pixel color-converted with the certain color conversion information in a predetermined pixel area contained in the image data.

Color conversion device, image forming device, and color conversion method

Provided is an image-forming apparatus that limits reductions in image quality such as streaking even when print element discharge failure occurs in the overlap region of short heads that configure a long head. In the overlap region, among multiple overlap areas configured from rows of consecutive print elements that do not comprise print elements that have been specified as discharge failure print elements, the overlap area with the largest number of overlapping print elements is specified. When the number of print elements in said overlap area is greater than a fixed number, an overlap control for gradually changing the discharge apportionment for the fixed number of print elements in each short head is performed. Since the discharge failure of the print element is present in an area in which the short head print apportionment is 100%, the discharge failure is supplemented by, for example, increasing the discharge amounts of the adjacent print elements. But because the discharge failure of the print element is present in an area in which the short head print apportionment is 0%, supplementation is not performed.

Image-forming apparatus

A color-processing device includes a storage section which stores reference data including reference values set for respective representative color values selected within the range of a predetermined number of gradations of a predetermined color for each of representative output parts selected from a predetermined number of output parts, a first specifying section which specifies an output part corresponding to the input value, a second specifying section which specifies a representative output part corresponding to the specified output part, a third specifying section which specifies a representative color value corresponding to a color value indicated by the input value, an obtaining section which obtains reference values corresponding to combinations of the specified representative output part and representative color value, and a calculating section which calculates an output value corresponding to the input value by interpolation using the obtained reference values.

Color-processing device, image-forming device and color-processing method

A threshold matrix generating method includes: generating q(x, y, g) in which the number of dots in an initial dot pattern is varied; calculating an error matrix (ERR(x, y, g)) of q(x, y, g); calculating AVE(a, b) representing the uniformity of the number of dots in discrete blocks into which the dot pattern has been divided; determining two pixels, of which the dot positions are to be swapped, on the basis of ERR (x, y, g) and AVE(a, b); swapping the dot positions; calculating the evaluation value (MSE(n)) of q(x, y, g) after the positional swapping; and repeating the positional switch of the dots repeating the generation of q(x, y, g) and the positional swapping of the dots with q(x, y, g) functioning as the initial dot pattern until a q(x, y, g) satisfying MSN(n)&#x3c;MSN(n&#x2212;1) is obtained.

Method and device for generating threshold matrix for determining state of formation of dots composing output image, quantizer comprising threshold matrix for generating output image data, and image forming device and storage device comprising threshold matrix

Image forming apparatuscapable of forming dots of types in quantity of &#x3b1; (integer satisfying &#x3b1;&#x2267;2) wherein there are provided, target pixel selection meansthat selects a target pixel, recording rate acquisition meansthat acquires a recording rate total value of dots in two types among dots of types in quantity of &#x3b1; and acquires a recording rate of a dot on one side among dots in two types, first quantization meansthat conducts quantization based on the recording rate total value and determines recording of dots in quantity of i (integer satisfying 0&#x2266;i&#x2266;2) on the target pixel and second quantization meansthat determines types of dots to be recorded on the target pixel based on i representing the number of dots to be recorded on the target pixel determined by the first quantization means and on the recording rate of the dot on one side.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image forming apparatus, for forming an image with using distributions of two or more types of dots having different densities per unit area in a same hue, including: a threshold value matrix; and a dot formation determining section for carrying out comparison between a pixel value at a target pixel in the input image and a threshold value corresponding to the target pixel in the threshold value matrix, and for determining, whether to form or not to form any one of the two or more types of dots, wherein threshold values in the threshold value matrix are configured so that a frequency of dot formation is lower, for gradation regions in which a dot density of any of the two or more types of dots is low and/or high, than that for gradation regions in which the dot density is in average level.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and image forming program

An image recording apparatusfor recording an image on a recording medium using colored ink and clear ink, including: an ink dot arrangement data generatorB for generating colored ink dot arrangement data concerning arrangement of dots of the colored ink on the recording medium; a colored ink amount calculatorC for calculating the amount of colored ink in a predetermined print area composed of pixels from the colored ink dot arrangement data; a clear ink amount calculatorD for calculating the amount of clear ink in the predetermined print area from the amount of colored ink in the predetermined print area calculated by the colored ink amount calculatorC; and a clear ink arrangerE for arranging dots of clear ink in the predetermined print area, wherein, the clear ink arranger has two or more clear ink arrangement order patterns and when a preset condition is realized, selects the clear ink arrangement order pattern according to the condition and arranges dots of clear ink in the predetermined print area.

Image recording apparatus, image recording method, and image recording program

An image forming apparatus, for forming an image with plural types of dots having different densities per unit area in a same hue, including: a section to compare between a pixel value of a target pixel and a value of a prescribed threshold value matrix, and to determine, based on the comparison, whether to form a first type of dot at a position corresponding to the target pixel; a section for calculating a corrected threshold value matrix from the prescribed threshold value matrix; a section for calculating a second determining condition by reflecting the corrected threshold value matrix; and a section for determining whether to form the second type of dot, based on a target pixel value added an error with an error diffusion process and the second determining condition, at the position where the first type of dot has been determined not to be formed.

Image formation using dots of different spatial density determined based on comparison of pixel value to threshold value matrix and error added by error diffusion

An image forming apparatus, for forming an image by using distribution of plural types of dots, including: a first section, for making comparison between a pixel value of a target pixel and a value in a dither matrix stored in advance, and determining, whether a dot having the highest density be formed at a position corresponding to the pixel; a second section for determining whether a second type dot having lower density be formed at the position where the dot having the highest density is determined not to be formed; and a section for instructing, based on results of determination by the first and second sections, whether a dot should be formed at the position, wherein the dither matrix comprises values, each being not less than a predetermined value smaller than the maximum pixel value of the input image.

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Hachioji, Japan

Kenichirou Hiramoto