Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Dainippon Screen Seizo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Makoto Hirosawa

Takashi Sakamoto

Shigeru Sasada

Seiya Sakamoto

Isao Saito

Masahiro Yamamoto

Mitsuhiko Yamada

Itaru Furukawa

Hidetoshi Nakanishi

Fumihiro Hatayama

Yoshihiro Kishida

Koichi Isono

Shinichi Nagata

Tetsuo Hohki

Shinji Asada

Masami Aragaki

Katsuhiko Furusawa

Susumu Yamada

Ichiro Watanabe

A plate fixed to a recording drum is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from an objective lens of a recording head, to generate gas. The recording head has a gas diffusion/suction unit forming an air stream in front of the objective lens. Further, a second suction unit elongated along the rotational axis of the recording drum is arranged between a transport unit supplying the plate to the recording drum and the recording head. Thus, it is possible to prevent the gas not only from contaminating the objective lens but also from diffusing in a housing following rotation of the recording drum. Consequently, an image recorder employing a photosensitive material generating gas in reaction to heat resulting from the laser beam emitted from the recording head can minimize contamination of the recording head, the transport unit etc. arranged in the housing of the apparatus with the gas.

Image recorder

An integrated image recorder (100) receives first pictorial image data from an input scanner (300) and stores the same in an image disk (150). The pixels of the picture are skipped at a predetermined rate to obtain second pictorial image data having a lower resolution. The second pictorial image data is transmitted to a front end processor (201, 202) and employed in editing/designing of a page as an integrated image. The integrated image is represented in a page description language and is delivered to the integrated image recorder. The integrated image recorder is operable to read out the first pictorial image data from the image disk and to convert the integrated image into a bit map using the first pictorial image. The integrated image is then delivered to an output scanner (190) and is recorded on a recording medium.

Method and system for integrating in a single image, character and

Layout editor 5 stores a set of compressed image data d1, reference image data d2 corresponding to a skipped image, and management data d3 for each picture element read by reading scanner 1. The editor displays an image of the picture element based on the reference image data d2 on a terminal device 13, obtain layout data d4 specified by an operator together with cutout data d5, and stores the data d4 and d5 in the magnetic disk unit for each picture element. An output processing unit 7 lays out picture elements according to the layout data and the cutout data in a one-page-image, and outputs the laid-out page data to a recording scanner 9. Compressed data and skipped data, but not original image data, are used in laying out picture elements in a one-page-image; this reduces the data volume handled in the layout operation.

Method of and apparatus for forming a one-page-image

A halftone image is formed from a contone image with one of a hardware dot generator and a software dot generator. Halftone dots in simpler shapes used in usual reproduction or printing are formed with the hardware dot generator; thus high-speed dot generation is accomplished. Halftone dots in special shapes or of special conditions are formed with the software dot generator; thus flexible dot generation is accomplished. A dot shape, a screen ruling, and a screen angle are input as halftone dot information. When the halftone dot information corresponds to a basic pattern stored in a screen pattern memory in the hardware dot generator, the hardware dot generator is activated to produce binary halftone-dot image data. When the halftone dot information corresponds to a basic pattern stored in a memory in the software dot generator, the software dot generator is activated to produce binary halftone-dot image data according to a dot generation program.

Method of and apparatus for producing halftone dot image

In order to construct an image processing system which can automatically expand compressed image signals before times when the same are actually required for edition processing, a system control unit (10) produces a schedule chart for expansion processing on the basis of designation of file names storing image signals to be expanded and edition processing times, being inputted through a keyboard or the like, so that image signals stored in the respective files are completely expanded before the edition processing times and the as-expanded image signals occupy an image signals base (30) for the minimum times. An image signals compression/expansion unit (20) executes expansion processing in accordance with the schedule chart. Thus, it is possible to improve workability of the image processing system.

System and method of image processing

An image reader utilizing a CCD line sensor (8) which involves no possibility of any stripe pattern (output irregularity) being produced with respect to dots output from the CCD line sensor (8) even if there is any characteristic error between outputs of odd n-th and even n-th elements of the CCD line sensor (8). Data of the odd n-th elements and data of the even n-th elements are supplied to an averaging circuit (52). Where the absolute value of the difference in data between odd n-th and even n-th elements is greater than a predetermined threshold value, a decision circuit outputs a select signal of H level. Where the absolute value of the difference is smaller than the threshold value, the decision circuit (56) outputs a select signal of L level. A selector (58) selects the output of each odd n-th element or even n-th element as a read output in case that the select signal is of H level. If the select signal is of L level, a mean value of the outputs of the two elements is selected as a read output. Thus, it is possible to prevent any stripe pattern occurrence due to output irregularity without detriment to the sharpness of original reading.

Image reader and method for image reading

An image plane (IP) is divided into a plurality of strip regions (R.sub.1 -R.sub.11). Inputted are image data of image elements to be integrated on the image plane, i.e., images of characters, diagrams and pictures. The strip regions are serially selected and it is determined what image elements are included in the selected strip region. When the selected region includes characters and/or diagrams only, these image elements are integrated in a high resolution and in 1 bit for each pixel. When the selected region includes pictures only, on the other hand, the images of pictures are integrated in a low resolution and in 8 bits for each pixel. Further, if the region includes all the types of the image elements, the integration of the image elements are conducted at a high resolution and in 8 bits for each pixel.

Method of and apparatus for generating image data representing

The present invention relates to a method for enhancing the outline of shapes that occur in an original image which has been obtained by the use of an electro-optical scanner or similar device for the purposes of preparation for printing. The apparatus for reading images comprises the RAM 12 where plural sets of data having the relationships between the difference signal S-U and the enhancement signal K.multidot.(S-U) are stored. By selecting a proper set, the outline enhancement or graininess sublimation threshold setting can be set according color values and other photo aspects of the original, or according to the design of the original image and it's intended use.

Apparatus for reading images and method for enhancing the outlines of

A contour of an image is corrected to prevent a dropout in a multicolor print due to registration mismatch. Vector data of two supplemental contours C2a and C2b are obtained from vector data of a contour subjected to the contour correction. The supplemental contours are distanced by a length W from the contour C2. Densities of image parts R1and R2 within the contour correction region R2m that is defined by the supplemental contours are compared with each other, and the higher density (or the lower density) is selected as a correction density for the contour correction region. The contour correction region is filled with the correction density; this is equivalent to shifting the contour C2 to either of the two supplemental contours.

Method of and apparatus for correcting contour of image

Image data of an original read by an image reader is analyzed by analyzer means to be supplied to a neural network. An operator inputs scene information and desired finish information to the neural network with data input means. The neural network calculates setup parameter values in compliance with a conversion rule specified by predetermined weighting values and functional forms, and sets these values in an image data converter. Then, the operator corrects the setup parameter values on the basis of finish condition of the produced color separation films. The corrected setup parameter values are inputted to leaning means. The leaning means computes proper weighting values with which the neural network calculates setup parameter values equal to or approximate to the corrected setup parameter values. Such proper weighting values are supplied to the neural network as new weighting values.

Method of correcting setup parameter decision characteristics and

A gradation converting circuit for converting digital input data to output data, in accordance with a predetermined input/output relationship. The input and output data is provided as data words having a predetermined number of bits 'm'. Since the resolution provided in the output by the 'm' bits is insufficient for accurately expressing the aforementioned input/output relationship and to satisfy a demand to keep the number of bits at 'm', an improved output resolution is obtained by varying the value outputted for any given input data over time such that the average of the outputs is closer to a desired output demanded by the input/output relationship. This is accomplished either by storing, for each input data, a plurality of outputs whose average is equal to the desired predetermined, input/output relationship, or, by outputting for each digital input data a so-called 'decimal' value which is indicative of how often a fixed predetermined output value should be increased by one such that the average of the output should approximate the desired output value.

Gradation converting circuit employing lookup table

Smoothing in a tangential direction of a contour and detail enhancement in its perpendicular direction are simultaneously achieved with spatial filters having prescribed weighing factor distribution. An area including a contour is first designated, and a direction of the contour is detected. A weighted mean value of an image signal is computed with weighing factors distributed in the spatial filter. The weighing factors have an effect of smoothing in the tangential direction of the contour and an effect of detail enhancement in the perpendicular direction.

Method of and apparatus for image smoothing along a tangential direction

Detail enhancement is achieved by producing an enhanced image signal (ES) on the basis of a sharp signal (S), a middle signal (M) and an unsharp signal (U). The sharp signal represents density of a pixel, the middle signal represents weighted mean density of a first area larger than a pixel, and the unsharp signal represents weighted mean density of a second area larger than the first area. Three differential signals (S-M, S-U, M-U) are obtained and multiplied by respective coefficients to become three enhancements signals. The enhanced image signal is obtained by adding the sharp signal and at least one of the three enhancement signals so that the detail enhancement is achieved at a middle range of spatial frequency.

Method of and apparatus for performing detail enhancement

An original (1) to be reproduced is held in holder (11) and then the holder (11) is loaded into a projector (10). An image of the original (1) is projected on a layout sheet (18) which is placed on a digitizer (17). Data representative of the position of a desired region of the original (1) is then obtained. The holder (11) is then set in an image scanner (19) and photoelectric scanning is performed in accordance with the data.

Method of and apparatus for setting original in image

An original image is read with an image reader for each pixel, whereby color component signals (Yi, Mi, Ci, Ki) expressing the original image are obtained. A sharp signal generator extracts the gray component from the combination of the color component signals, to output the gray component as a sharp signal (S.sub.O). The difference between the sharp signal (S.sub.O) and an unsharp signal (U) is linearly combined with the color component signals, to thereby give sharpness-enhanced signals (ES.sub.Y, ES.sub.M, ES.sub.C, ES.sub.K).

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Kyoto, Japan

Makoto Hirosawa