Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Tomoo Iizumi

Masahiko Murata

If Y, M, C, and K color component images are serially generated by one color component image generating device in four steps, it takes much time to perform image processing for printing a one-page full-color image. This makes it impossible to increase the printing speed. In addition, since conversion to Y, M, C, and K data is performed before rendering, rendering logic cannot be faithfully implemented, resulting in poor color reproducibility. In order to solve these problems, image generating devices () respectively render R, G, and B color component images in bitmap memoriesto, which are divided into areas in units of predetermined bands obtained by dividing a page, on the basis of a display list which is common to R, G, and B data and stored in a memory (). The rendered color component images on a band basis are converted into C, M, Y, and K color component images by a color space converter () in synchronism with the operation of a printer engine.

Image processing apparatus and method and computer program product

An image processing apparatus which is set to receive data in the RGB format cannot directly receive image data in the YMCK format although a print process is finally done in the YMCK format. In this embodiment, when RGB data is input from a host computer, renderers respectively render the R, G, and B data, the rendered R, G, and B data are converted into YMCK data by a color space converter, and the YMCK data is output to an engine. On the other hand, when YMCK data is input, renderers respectively render Y, M, C, and K image data, and directly output them to the engine.

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Omiya, Japan

Tomoo Iizumi