Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kouichi Kamon

Hiroyuki Kawamoto

Takeharu Tone

Yoshiyuki Namizuka

Masaaki Ito

Anki Yoh

Norifumi Ito

Wataru Nara

Takanobu Fujioka

AnQi Ye

A digital copying apparatus provides high quality copy images suitable for an original document image while reducing a necessary capacity of a memory for storing image data. An image signal read by an image reading unit is binarized by a binary gradation processing unit in a gradation processing unit and is stored in a memory unit. Then, binary image data read from the memory unit is applied to a multi-value processing unit, wherein a pattern recognition unit determines whether or not the binary image data includes a pixel which requires a jagged line correction, and a halftone detector detects a halftone region in the binary image data. A determination unit and a selector select jagged line correction data output from a pattern memory and multi-valued image data converted from the binary image data by a multi-value filter. The selected data is output to an image forming unit.

Digital copying apparatus capable of forming a superior quality image

An image processing apparatus includes a converter for reading out a manuscript image signal and converting the read-out signal to an electric signal. A signal processor executes signal processing for the electric signal, and an image generator generates an image in accordance with the processed signal. An outputting unit separates a character area and a photograph area of the manuscript from the read-out signal and outputs an area signal. A changing-over circuit changes over a filtering process in accordance with the area signal. A halftone processor executes in parallel a halftone process for the character area image and a halftone process for the photograph area image, and the changing-over circuit selectively changes over the halftone processing result for the character and the halftone processing result in accordance with the area signal.

Image processing apparatus

With the present invention, an inputted color image is separated to image signals for three colors of Red, Green and Blue, determination is made as to whether a remarked pixel is for a specified color or not according to the image signals for the separated three colors, brightness data for the inputted color image is detected, determination is made as to whether a remarked pixel is for a white color or a black color depending on the detected brightness data, a pixel determined as for a specified color is converted to a specified color, and a pixel determined as not for a specified color is converted to a white color or a black color according to a result of determination as to whether the remarked pixel is for a white color or a black color, so that a separation area for a specified color can clearly be defined.

Image processing method and image processing apparatus for converting an

A freely configurable image processing apparatus comprises a plurality of processing sections each executing a specified processing to a digital image signal; namely a scanner section, a shading section, a filter section, an image size changing section, a .gamma.-conversion section, a tone processing section, an editorial section, a storage section, an external interface section, a printing section, and a plot section, wherein a sequence of processing by these processing section can freely be changed by a selector control section according to an instruction from a main control section by switching a mains elector and an out selector connected to each processing section.

Freely configurable image processing apparatus

In order to realize reduction of product cost without deteriorating quality of a regenerated image, there is provided by the present invention an image regenerating apparatus comprising an emphasizing unit for filtering an image for emphasis, a smoothing unit for filtering image for smoothing, an area determinator for determining a character area and a photograph area of an image, selecting said emphasizing unit for said character area and also selecting said smoothing unit for said photograph area, an image size changing unit for changing size of an image according to a set image size changing ratio, and a controller for providing control so that said area determinator executes specified selection when an image size changing ratio set by said image size changing unit is equal to or larger than a specified magnification ratio.

Image regenerating apparatus having improved character resolution and

An image reading device has a photoelectric transducer for scanning an image to read it line by line and converting the resulting optical data to an electric signal. A driver drives the photoelectric transducer in response to a synchronizing signal. An internal period signal generating circuit generates an internal period signal having a predetermined period. A period setting circuit sets the predetermined period of the internal period signal. A synchronization switching circuit selects and outputs either of the internal period signal or an external period signal sent from the outside of the image reading device as the synchronizing signal. Even when an external period signal from an image recorder including a polygon motor or similar external apparatus is not available or when the external apparatus is not operated, the device can surely read a document. When the device is used as a terminal unit of an external apparatus, it can flexibly match itself to the external apparatus with respect to the synchronizing signal.

Image reading device having variable internal synronization setting

In a folding-order image forming apparatus, image data provided by reading an original image are stored to a page memory. When a copy is made in an electrostatic photographic process in accordance with the image data, the read image data are processed to divide the original image into a plurality of divisional images. Required images with respect to the divisional images are rotated, rearranged and outputted by the operation of a page memory control circuit in accordance with a divisional number of a recording image, etc. Thus, the images are formed in an opening shape by folding or cutting a sheet of recording paper along a divisional boundary of images thereon. The image forming apparatus generally has an image signal memory for storing a digital image signal, a memory region controller for controlling an operation of the image signal memory in a memory region thereof and an image rotational processor for rotating an image by judging the necessity of rotational processing of an image every memory region of the image signal memory.

Folding-order image forming apparatus

A document sheet position detecting device adapted to for image forming apparatus, such as digital copiers and facsimile. Apparatus image information on an original document are optically detected using a CCD or other type line sensor and the detected optical signals are converted into electric signals which are fed to a printer or like recording apparatus to reproduce the images. The device detects positional data of the document sheet in a separate operation from the detection of the image read out operation. An optical filter may be inserted during the position detecting operation. The sensor is adjusted for the difference in intensity caused by the filter.

Document sheet position detecting device for image forming apparatus

A processing device for changing magnification of image data applicable to a digital copier, a facsimile transceiver and other image processing apparatuses changes a magnification electrically, i.e., produces magnification-changed image data by estimating data with a changed magnification from data which are read with a 1 magnification. Nearby ones of original image data are sampled at a predetermined pitch and in synchronism with a data clock DCLK on the basis of a magnification R, which is specified on a 1% basis, so that magnification-changed image data Oij are computed and outputted in synchronism with the data clock. This realizes real-time processing, i.e., produces magnification-changed image data timed to the reading of an original image. Computations for MTF compensation are performed in matching relation to magnifications Rx and Ry, which respectively are specified in the main scanning and subscanning directions, so as to suppress deterioration of an image due to the change of magnification. Moreover, the computation of magnification-charged image data and that of MTF compensation in the main scanning direction are executed in a pair, and so are done the computation of magnification-changed image data and that of MTF (modulation transfer function) compensation in the subscanning direction. This ensures optimum MTF compensation in both of the main scanning and subscanning directions even if the magnifications Rx and Ry are different from each other, allowing a minimum of degradation of image quality with regard to the whole image.

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Yokohama, Japan

Kouichi Kamon