Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Takahiro Daido

Hitoshi Hirohata

Yohsuke Konishi

Katsumi Amakawa

Seiji Kohashikawa

Hiroshi Kawamura

Takayuki Amagai

Setsuya Kobayashi

Takeshi Mutoh

Masakazu Ohyama

The present printing system comprises a host computer ()that orders scanners (), digital cameras () and printers () to execute image processing, the host computer () setting up items of image processing to be performed by the printer () depending on the model of scanner () or digital camera () being used. The host computer () can set up the most suitable image processing items according to what kind of scanner () or digital camera () is used. Of the scanner (), digital camera () and printer (), the device having better processing ability can be assigned to more processes so that the time required for printing is shortened efficiently.

Printing system for allocating a plurality of image processing items between an image input device and an image output device

An image-processing apparatus, as well as an image-processing method, is provided with a first inspection circuit which, with respect to density values of pixels within a specific area consisting of a target pixel and pixels in a vicinity thereof in image data for each color component, calculates an average density value, the sum of density differences, that is, the sum of absolute values of differences between the target pixel and the peripheral pixels, and the number the peripheral pixels having the same density value as the target pixel, so that a judgement is made as to whether the target pixel is a maximum value or a minimum value, and also calculates a run-length and the degree of busy from the pixel forming the maximum value or the minimum value. Moreover, based on the run-length and the degree of busy, the second inspection circuit extracts a pixel weight switching signal for each of the color components, and detects the periodicity of meshes of image data by counting pixels not less than the standard value or not more than the standard value based on the pixel weight switching signal within a predetermined counting area. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to carry out the discrimination between character areas and mesh areas as well as the discrimination between black character areas and white character ares with high precision.

Image-processing apparatus and image-processing method

Growing community of inventors

Hirakata, Japan

Takahiro Daido