Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Masahiro Nishihara

Masashi Ueda

Masashi Kuno

Masaki Kondo

Naoki Hagai

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device and a communication device configured to perform data communication with at least one external image forming apparatus. A first mode is a mode in which a speed of image forming is a first speed, and the second mode is a mode in which the speed of the image forming is a second speed less than the first speed. When image forming is to be performed in a second mode, the image forming apparatus determines an image forming apparatus to be used to perform first image forming to at least one first external image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus transmits image data relating to the first image forming to the at least one first external image forming apparatus and controls the image forming device to form an image relating to second image forming.

Image forming apparatus and image formation in a low noise mode

In recording on a back side of a sheet in duplex recording, an overlapping pixel where both a pixel in back-side image data and a pixel opposed thereto in front-side image data has a gray level value larger than zero is retrieved from the front-side and back-side image data. A block area containing at least a predetermined number of overlapping pixels is extracted as an overlap area from block areas arranged in a matrix in the back-side image data. The area drying time in a block area other than the overlap area is determined from the volume of droplets to be ejected to the back side. The area drying time in the overlap area is determined from the total volume of droplets to be ejected to the front and back sides. The maximum area drying time is determined to be the drying time for the back side.

Droplet ejecting apparatus and computer-readable medium

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a controller, control program, and control method for an inkjet recording device, and an inkjet recording device capable of forming a high-quality image by making positional shift of a landing ink droplet inconspicuous through simple control. A high-quality image can be formed by controlling nozzles ejecting an ink droplet landing at a position where the pitch of adjacent landing droplets is larger than a predetermined pitch such that the area of a landing droplet formed by the nozzles is larger, thereby reducing the gap between landing droplet trains by the landing droplet train for ink droplets corresponding to print data.

Inkjet recording device and controller, control program and control method for inkjet recording device for gap reduction of ink droplets

An information processing apparatus capable of executing at least one information processing operation is provided. The information processing apparatus includes a process control system to execute one of the at least one information processing operation to a piece of data stored in a first data storage, which is indicated by a first storage name, when the piece of data in the first data storage is recognized. The information processing apparatus further includes the first storage name including a character string to specify the information processing operation to be performed, and a data relocating system to relocate the piece of data from the first data storage when the data processing operation is completed.

Information processing apparatus and computer usable medium therefor

An error utilization factor line, indicative of a relationship between the amount of the error utilization factor K and input data for a present pixel, is determined dependently on characteristics of the image, on the value of the threshold, on the size of the distribution matrix, or on the condition of the recording operation. The amount of the error utilization factor K is determined dependently on the input data of the present pixel and based on the error utilization factor line. The correction amount F, collected from the already-processed nearby pixel, is multiplied by the error utilization factor K, before being added to the input data of the present pixel for the halftone process.

Image processing device

A method for updating profiles is provided. The method involves storing a plurality of successive profiles for an image recording device, and changing at least two of the successive profiles when characteristics of the image recording device change. The profiles are successively used to process image data that is used for recording images on a recording medium by the image recording device.

Method for preparing profiles

In order for the user to set new file transfer data, the image file transfer setting unitacquires authentication data from a file transfer data table and displays a list of connections on the display unit. Next, the user uses the input unitto select a desired connection from the list and also to input or select a folderto be the transfer source and a hot folderto be the transfer destination. The image file transfer setting unitcombines this data as new file transfer data and adds the data to the file transfer data table. In this way, the user can set new file transfer data using authentication data included in preset file transfer data, thereby facilitating the setting of file transfer data and the management of server authentication data.

File transfer data setting device

When forming a test chart for investigating output characteristic relating to yellow color agent, a printer outputs yellow color agent in a plurality of densities that correspond to various density levels and also outputs cyan color agent in a fixed and maximum density. Patches in gradations from cyan to green are formed by overlapping the yellow color agent and the cyan color agent. The patches are formed with respect to a surrounding area that is formed by outputting the cyan color agent in the fixed and maximum density. Accordingly, the colors of the patches are easier to distinguish than when the patches are formed from yellow only. Visual calibration can be easily performed even with the yellow color agent that has a low visual sensitivity.

Patch forming device

In a halftone module, it is judged whether or not the value 'rate' for each pixel is greater than zero (0). In other words, it is judged whether or not the eight-bit input data Iin of each pixel is around a half of the relative density value for a small dot of a corresponding color. If the eight-bit input data Iin of the subject pixel is near to a half of the relative density value for a small dot, noise is added to the threshold values Ta, Tb, and Tc. The noise-added threshold values Ta', Tb&#x2032;, and Tc&#x2032; are used in the comparing process.

Image processing device and image processing program for processing a plurality of color signals formed of a plurality of color components

For each paper type, a plurality of two-dimensional excitation characteristics tables Ti are provided in one to one correspondence with a plurality of colors i. The excitation characteristics table Ti for each color i contains a plurality of sets of excitation-reflectance data Bi (&#x3bb;, &#x3bb;) in a two-dimensional matrix form, for a plurality of combinations of incident light wavelengths &#x3bb; and reflected light wavelengths &#x3bb;. The excitation-reflectance data Bi (&#x3bb;, &#x3bb;) indicates the ratio of the amount of the reflected light wavelength &#x3bb;generated in response to incidence of the incident light wavelength &#x3bb;, with respect to the amount of the incident light wavelength &#x3bb;. Using the two-dimensional excitation characteristics table Ti corresponding to the user's selected paper type and using the spectral radiation characteristics S(&#x3bb;) of the user's selected light source type, Equations (9)-(11) are calculated to create an output profile, and color conversion is performed by using the output profile.

Color converting apparatus and color converting method for converting input image data into converted image data

A plurality of color signals indicative of a plurality of color patterns are processed based on a first distribution curve to distribute the original color signals into color signals for normal ink and color signals for light ink. Then, the plurality of color patterns are printed by the color signals for normal ink and color signals for light ink. Then, the density of each color pattern is detected to produce a density curve. A second distribution curve is produced based on the detected density, the original color signals, and the first distribution curve so that the second distribution curve can attain a properly linearly-changing density curve. By preparing beforehand a plurality of first distribution curves dependently on a variety of usage conditions of the printer, it is possible to use a second distribution curve that is in conformity to the usage condition, under which the printer is desired to be driven, by selecting a distribution curve that corresponds to the usage condition.

Distribution curve generating device

After determining a CMYK-to-Lab relationship, a Lab lattice-to-CMYK relationship is determined. The Lab lattice-to-CMYK relationship defines, for each Lab lattice point, a plurality of allowable CMYK data sets. Then, for each Lab lattice point, several allowable CMYK data sets with the largest K value are first selected among the plurality of CMYK data sets. Then, one CMYK data set with the smallest color distance from the subject Lab lattice point is selected among the several allowable CMYK data sets. If the subject Lab lattice point falls within the color reproducible range for the value of K of the selected CMYK data set, the selected CMYK data set is finally determined for the subject Lab lattice point. It is possible to create a lookup table, in which each Lab lattice point falls within the color range of the K value in the corresponding CMYK data set.

Method of creating lookup table for color conversion

A profile storing process (S), a downstream profile preparation process (Sto S), a downstream profile judgment process (Sto S), an upstream profile preparation process (S, S, S), and a profile judgment process (Sto S) are performed. When it is judged in the downstream profile judgment process that the downstream profile has been improperly prepared, or when it is judged in the profile judgment process that at least one of the upstream and downstream profiles has been improperly prepared, then the prepared profile(s) are returned to the initial state of when stored in the profile storing process (S). Afterward, the series of processes from preparing the downstream profile are again executed.

Input image data Ki for the black color component is divided into distribution data Tc, Tn, Ty, and Tk for the four color components C, M, Y, and K. The distribution data Tc, Tm, and Ty for the three color components C, M, and Y is combined to the input image data Ci, Mi, and Yi of the three color components C, M, and Y.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Masahiro Nishihara