Xerox Corporation

Peter D McCandlish

Xing Li

Clara Cuciurean-Zapan

Ryan David Metcalfe

Barbara Lynn Farrell

Ramesh Nagarajan

Zhenhuan Wen

Theresa Michelle Marconi

David Jon Metcalfe

Yingjun Bai

Aron Nacman

Stephen F Linder

John Adam Handwork

Fritz Ebner

Gregory B Marshall

An image processing device and method are provided for adjusting background pixels of an image. The device includes memory which stores a background adjustment component which for each of a plurality of pixels of an input image: computes a background strength of the pixel; computes a luminance strength of the pixel; and computes adjusted luminance and adjusted chrominance values for the pixel, as a function of the background strength and luminance strength of the pixel. An image output component outputs an output image derived from the adjusted luminance and adjusted chrominance values for the plurality of pixels, A processor implements the background adjustment component and image output component.

System and method to detect and adjust image background

A system and method for tile type based color space transformation improves the performance and image quality of multifunction devices. The disclosed embodiments transform an input image on a tile by tile basis. If a tile is detected as neutral, simple 1D L* to CMYK Tone Reproduction Curves or Look-Up-Tables are used to convert the input pixels of the tile in L*a*b* to output pixels in CMYK. If a tile is detected as containing color content, then the input pixels are chrominance adjusted and subsequently converted to CMYK using regular tetrahedral interpolation.

Tile based color space transformation

A method and system for an auto-color detection and color transformation is provided including with at least one image signal processor, splitting an input image into a plurality of strips on a page. Each strip is composed of a plurality of pixels. The presence of color data within a strip is determined. Based on a determination that no color data is present within the strip both a monochrome rendering and a simple color rendering of this neutral strip are generated. Based on a determination that color data is present within a strip, the entire page is declared a color page and either one of a simple color rendering (via 1D look up tables) or a complex color rendering (via tetrahedral interpolation) of the strip is generated. Thereafter, only color renderings of subsequent strips is performed for the corresponding page.

Auto-color copy in software based image path

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for dynamic sharpness control in system using binary to continuous tone conversion. Image data can be processed in the image path of a copier, printer, or other device to enhance sharpness based on user settings. The image can originate in a high-resolution and/or high-color format. The user can select sharpness values to provide better rendered detail. A front-end high-pass 2D filter can be adjusted in response to the settings. A binarized version of the image data is produced in the downstream path. At the back of the image path, the image would conventionally be sent through a binary data to extended contone (BDEC) low-pass filter, set to a fixed level, to produce contone output, counteracting the user's sharpness settings. Instead of applying a fixed back-end filter, that stage can be dynamically adjusted to correspond to the user's sharpness settings, reducing the low-pass effect proportionately.

Systems and methods for dynamic sharpness control in system using binary to continuous tone conversion

A method and system are provided for reducing the bit depth of grayscale imagery using multi-bit halftoning. The halftoned image data may be lossy or losslessly compressed and stored in memory or transmitted over a communication channel. At the time of printing, the images are decompressed and reconstructed to a grayscale image data using Sigma filtering to preserve edges. Preferably, different Sigma filters may be applied based on contrast information within a local neighborhood region. Fuzzy edge detection may also be used to preserve edge features and prevent smearing.

Compression of grayscale image data using multi-bit halftoning

A method for producing an electronic annotated document including embedding annotation information into an electronic annotation object having image data including an annotation, and producing the electronic annotated document using pixel information from the electronic document and the electronic annotation object. The annotation embedded information may be used to select corresponding pixel information from one of the electronic annotated object and electronic document to be provided in the electronic annotated document. A system and tangible storage medium having machine-readable instructions for producing an electronic annotated document are also disclosed.

Method and system for document annotation

Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes thresholding a window of pixels established in the contone domain to generate a binary window of image data, and then determining characteristics associated with on pixels or runs of the binary data. The characteristics (start and end locations, length of on runs) are then thresholded. The processing in the contone and binary domain are used to determine if a thin line exists in the window of image data. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.

Thin line detection in scanned image data

Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes thresholding a window of pixels using a first set of thresholds established in the contone domain, and then counting and thresholding the binary pixels using a second set of thresholds. The processing in the contone and binary domain are used to determine if a thin line exists and if a pixel of interest in the window is an edge pixel that is part of a thin line. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.

Fuzzy method to detect thin lines in scanned image

A system and method are provided for digital correction of a plurality of color channels and color image data. In color reproduction, a color image may be composed of a plurality of superimposed color channels in a color space. In order to assure the proper alignment of color channels and exemplary applications such as color printing, one or more of the plurality of color channels which compose a complete color image may be scaled to an output resolution, and corrected in order to ensure proper alignment and authentic reproduction of a color image. In place of a plurality of independent clocks, one for each channel, a single clock is provided for every channel, and additional unit is supplied to scale each channel according to independent characteristics.

Digital correction for alignment of a plurality of color channels of a color image forming device

Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes combining a first result of thin line detection using a first method and a second result of thin line detection using a second method to produce an improved thin line determination in the image data. The methods include processing and thresholding in the contone and binary domain to determine if a thin line exists in the window of image data. The thin line determination may also be merged with the image data as processed using other image segmentation techniques. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.

Image segmentation system and method with improved thin line detection

A method and system converts a binary image into an analog image by first tagging pixels that are part of edges in the digital image and using this tagging information to eliminate such tagged pixels from the digital filtering process. The elimination of such tagged pixels from the digital filtering process substantially eliminates artifacts near the edges, thereby reducing any distraction from the perceived quality of the output image.

Method and system for extending binary image data to contone image data

A multifunction apparatus and method for enhancing store binary image data, is disclosed. The method includes retrieving the stored binary image data, converting the binary image data into higher-resolution image data, determining image enhancement processes, and applying the image enhancement processes to the higher-resolution image data to produce an enhanced image. The method further includes determining output format of the enhanced image and outputting the enhanced image.

System and method for enhancing stored binary images

A method is described to match an original binary image with the dynamic range of a desired target document. The original binary image is restored first to contone and a histogram of the contone image is processed to generate a Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) for the contone image with improved dynamic range. The histogram processing includes determining a histogram of the contone image, and generating the TRC based on matching the determined histogram with a target histogram profile. This helps in matching outputs from legacy devices to a desired quality.

Systems and methods for adaptive dynamic range adjustment for images

A method permitting an end user to recalibrate a color reproduction device. The color reproduction device includes a device for converting the native color values of the scanner into a device independent color space, a test target, and the desired values of each patch of the test target. The method includes printing the test target and scanning it with a scanner that forms a part of the color reproduction device. The device compares the desired values with the values obtained from scanning the printed test target to obtain a set of adjustment values to compensate for drift in the output of the color reproduction device. The compensation emphasizes restoration of the overall gray balance of the color reproduction device and can be implemented by modifying the tone reproduction curves or the halftone process used in the color reproduction device.

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Penfield, NY, United States of America

Peter D McCandlish