Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Documents Solutions Inc.

Toshiaki Mutsuo

Takayuki Mashimo

Hiroki Tanaka

Masaki Baba

Seiki Satomi

Toshihiko Tanaka

Tsuyoshi Nitta

Ryosuke Kato

An image scanning device scans one or plural document images of one or plural predetermined head pages, and a preview processing unit performs preview display of the document image(s) of the head page(s). After detecting a user operation to accept the document image on the preview display, the image scanning device scans a document image of a subsequent page to the head page(s), and the image processing unit performs the image process for the document image of the subsequent page. Further, the image processing unit performs a part or whole of the image process for the document image(s) of the head page(s) before the preview display. If a part of the image process is displayed before the preview display, the image processing unit performs a remaining part of the image process after detecting a user operation to accept the document image on the preview display.

Image forming apparatus scans a document to execute an image processing process and to perform preview process to display the processed document for further performing the image processing process by user on the previewed display document

An image processing apparatus includes a filtering processing unit that executes a filtering process to suppress background noise of input image data; a threshold setting unit that sets a binarization threshold for the input image data; a background noise determination threshold setting unit that determines that a tone value at which the number of pixels of background noise of the input image data reaches a peak is a background peak tone value and that sets, as a background noise determination threshold, a tone value having a density higher than a density of the background peak tone value and having a number of pixels within a specific range of percentages, of the number of pixels at the peak; a background noise reduction processing unit that executes a background noise reduction process on the input image data and a binarization processing unit that executes a binarization process on the input image data.

Image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus generates and outputs a binarized output pixel value corresponding to an input pixel value; and includes a filter processing unit, a quantizer, and a buffer. The quantizer is configured to quantize a pixel value after a filter process performed by the filter processing unit and thereby generate the output pixel value. The buffer is configured to store for each pixel a difference between (a) a sum of the pixel value after the filter process and the input pixel value and (b) the output pixel value. Further, the filter processing unit performs a bandpass filter process on the basis of the difference stored by the buffer.

Image processing apparatus and image forming apparatus providing clustering and gradation preservation with reduced memory requirement

An image processing apparatus includes a multi-gradation-level dither processing unit and a screen processing unit. The multi-gradation-level dither processing unit performs a multi-gradation-level dither process for a target image. The screen processing unit performs an FM screen process for the target image for which the multi-gradation-level dither process has been performed. Further, in the multi-gradation-level dither process, the multi-gradation-level dither processing unit selects each pixel in the target image as a target pixel in turn; using a conversion characteristic corresponding to each local pixel position group in a unit matrix, converts a pixel value of the target pixel to one of: a minimum gradation level, a maximum gradation level and an intermediate gradation level corresponding to the pixel value of the target pixel; and sets a pixel value of each pixel in the unit matrix as a pixel value obtained with the conversion characteristic.

Image processing apparatus with an improved dithering processing

A base toner amount determining unit is configured to determine a base toner amount without taking edge effect into account, the base toner amount corresponding to a pixel value of image data for which gradation correction has not been performed. A laser profile applying unit is configured to perform for the base toner amount a first spatial filter process corresponding to a laser profile of an exposure device. An edge emphasis amount determining unit is configured to perform a second spatial filter process for the base toner amount before the first spatial filter process or after the first spatial filter process and thereby determine an edge emphasis amount corresponding to the edge effect. A toner counter is configured to count as a toner consumption amount a sum of the base toner amount after the first spatial filter process and the edge emphasis amount.

Image forming apparatus and toner amount calculating method

An image forming apparatus includes a printing device, an output value converting unit, and a controller. The output value converting unit is configured to (a) change pixel values of pixels alternatively determined in a primary scanning direction and a secondary scanning direction so as to delete a dot on the pixels in a solid part in a target image and (b) change pixel values of pixels that are alternatively not determined in the primary scanning direction and the secondary scanning direction so as to gain a dot size of the pixels in the solid part. The controller is configured to control the printing device so as to print the solid part with dot sizes corresponding to the pixel values.

Image forming apparatus

A base toner amount is determined without taking edge effect into account, and corresponds to a pixel value of image data for which gradation correction has not been performed. For the base toner amount, a first spatial filter process is performed corresponding to a laser profile of the exposure device. A second spatial filter process is performed for the base toner amount before or after the first spatial filter process and thereby an edge emphasis amount is determined corresponding to the edge effect. A limiter processing unit limits the edge emphasis amount to an uppermost value or less, and the uppermost value corresponds to the base toner amount after the first spatial filter process. A toner counter counts as a toner consumption amount a sum of the base toner amount after the first spatial filter process and the edge emphasis amount.

An exposure device irradiates a photoconductor with light on the basis of an exposure signal and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image. A toner amount calculating unit (a) determines a distribution pattern of the electrostatic latent image on the basis of the exposure signal, (b) determines an electric field variation level of a target pixel, (c) determines an electric field intensity of the target pixel on the basis of a value of the target pixel in the distribution pattern and the electric field variation level, and (d) determines a toner consumption amount corresponding to the electric field intensity. Further, using spatial filters independently of each other in a primary scanning direction and in a secondary scanning direction, the toner amount calculating unit determines the electric field variation level on the basis of (a) the distribution pattern or (b) the exposure signal.

A sheet conveyance device includes a shape detecting portion, and a switch control portion. The shape detecting portion detects a shape of a sheet at a detection position located between a first conveyance member and an image forming position in a sheet conveyance path. The switch control portion, when the first conveyance member is determined to be in an accelerated state where it is accelerated from a stopped state to a driven state, switches an detection interval at which the shape of the sheet is detected by the shape detecting portion, to a first interval that corresponds to a rotation speed of the first conveyance member, and when the first conveyance member is determined to be in a decelerated state where it is decelerated from the driven state to the stopped state, switches the detection interval to a predetermined second interval.

Sheet conveyance device capable of detecting shape of sheet, image forming apparatus, sheet shape detecting method

An edge emphasis amount determining unit performs a spatial filter process and thereby determines an edge emphasis amount corresponding to edge effect. A first toner counter (a) counts a toner consumption amount including the edge emphasis amount for a non-block-edge pixel in a block as a unit of image processing, and (b) counts a toner consumption amount not including the edge emphasis amount for a block edge pixel in the block. A second toner counter counts a toner consumption amount not including the edge emphasis amount for the non-block-edge pixel and the block edge pixel. A toner consumption amount calculating unit calculates a toner consumption amount of the block on the basis of a difference between a toner counting value of the first toner counter and a toner counting value of the second toner counter.

A base toner amount is determined without taking edge effect into account. The base toner amount corresponds to a pixel value of image data for which gradation correction has not been performed. For the base toner amount, a first spatial filter process is performed corresponding to a laser profile of the exposure device. A second spatial filter process is performed for the base toner amount before or after the first spatial filter process and thereby an edge emphasis amount is determined corresponding to the edge effect. A toner counter counts as a toner consumption amount a sum of the base toner amount after the first spatial filter process and the edge emphasis amount. Further, a gain control unit multiplies the edge emphasis amount by a coefficient corresponding to the base toner amount after the first spatial filter process and thereby controls a gain of the edge emphasis amount.

In an input image generated as a binary image from a scanned document image, a projection image generating unit (a) tries at each primary-scanning-directional target pixel position to detect a secondary-scanning-directional run along a secondary scanning direction, projects the detected secondary-scanning-directional run at the primary-scanning-directional target pixel position and thereby generates a one-dimensional primary-scanning-directional-projection image, and (b) tries at each secondary-scanning-directional target pixel position to detect a primary-scanning-directional run along the primary scanning direction, projects the detected primary-scanning-directional run at the secondary-scanning-directional target pixel position and thereby generates a one-dimensional secondary-scanning-directional-projection image. A blank sheet determining unit determines that the document is a blank document at least on the basis of the number of runs in the primary-scanning-directional-projection image and the number of runs in the secondary-scanning-directional-projection image.

Image scanning apparatus

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a piezoelectric element, an extraction processing portion, and a drive control portion. The piezoelectric element is provided in correspondence with a nozzle, and upon input of a first drive signal, causes ink to be ejected from the nozzle. The extraction processing portion, when a print process is executed, extracts a non-ejection period during which a non-ejection state continues for more than a reference time period, from an execution period of the print process based on a plurality of pieces of image data printed in the print process, wherein ink is not ejected from the nozzle in the non-ejection state. The drive control portion inputs a second drive signal for causing the piezoelectric element to stir the ink in the nozzle, to the piezoelectric element during a partial period of the non-ejection period extracted by the extraction processing portion.

Inkjet recording apparatus, inkjet recording method

An exposure device irradiates a photoconductor with light on the basis of an exposure signal and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image. A toner amount calculating unit (a) determines a distribution pattern of the electrostatic latent image on the basis of the exposure signal, (b) determines an electric field variation level of a target pixel, (c) determines an electric field intensity of the target pixel on the basis of a value of the target pixel in the distribution pattern and the electric field variation level, and (d) determines a toner consumption amount corresponding to the electric field intensity. Further, the toner amount calculating unit limits the electric field variation level to an uppermost value or less, the uppermost value corresponding to a value of the target pixel in the distribution pattern of the electrostatic latent image.

A sheet conveyance device includes a shape detecting portion, and a switch control portion. The shape detecting portion detects a shape of a sheet at a detection position between a first conveyance member and a second conveyance member. The switch control portion, when a front end of the sheet has passed a arrangement position at which the first conveyance member is arranged, switches an detection interval at which the shape of the sheet is detected by the shape detecting portion, to a first interval that corresponds to a rotation speed of the first conveyance member, and when a rear end of the sheet has passed the arrangement position, switches the detection interval to a second interval that corresponds to the rotation speed of the second conveyance member.

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Osaka, Japan

Toshiaki Mutsuo