Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yukio Sakano

Takashi Saitoh

Toshiya Hikita

Michiyoshi Tachikawa

Hiromi Okubo

Takeshi Ukai

Yoshio Kaneko

Hiroshi Takahashi

Shigeo Kurotaka

Shinji Yamakawa

Kyoji Omi

Kouji Ishigaki

Kazuo Murai

Midori Aida

Tadato Hashiguchi

Hiroyasu Sumida

Tetsuo Fujisawa

Haruhiko Fukuda

Yasuhiro Tabata

Kounosuke Maruyama

Nobufumi Nomura

An original image comprises a printed region on which a predetermined printed matter is realized and a background region on which no printed matter is realized. The shape of a peripheral zone in the original image comprises the shape of the background region, which shape exists particularly at the peripheral region of said original image. It is determined whether or not the original image comprises the special document by detecting the peripheral zone. Further, the original image has an outer-frame region, having a predetermined shape at the peripheral region of the original image. The determination is carried out using a result of measuring the width of the outer-frame region. Further, the width of the outer-frame region comprises a width along a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction extending along the outline of the original image.

Original-discrimination system for discriminating special document, and image forming apparatus, image processing apparatus and duplicator using the original-discrimination system

An image processing apparatus which can produce improved quality copies by taking into account the effects which normally occur when successive copies of copies are made. When a document is to be copied, image information is input to a processing device relating to certain parameters associated with the image characteristics such as, for example, the toner density, thickness of the image information, type of copier used, amount of toner available at the time of copying, etc. This image information is then stored on the document copy in the form of a bar code which will change as successive copies of copies are made in such a way that the image quality of the copies is not degraded. The image information contained on the document via the bar code is combined with new input image information supplied by an operator, whereby the two sets of information are combined in a central processing unit in order to determine the necessary amount of correction processing required to compensate for the fact that the image has been reproduced a number of times whereby copies are made from previous copies. In this manner, the original document quality can be maintained.

Image processing apparatus

A specific mark adding unit adds a specific mark to a read-in image and a specific mark detecting unit detects the specific mark present in a read-in image. Further, a control unit changes a mode in which a read-in image is duplicated from an ordinary duplicating mode into a specific duplicating mode, the mode changing being made if the specific mark detecting unit has detected the specific mark present in the read-in image. The specific mode comprises a mode in which the read-in image is invalidated in data before being used in the duplicating operation. A unit is further provided causing the specific-mark adding function of the specific mark adding unit either to be activated or not to be activated. A unit is further provided causing the mode changing function of the mode changing unit either to be activated or not to be activated.

Duplicator having function concerning specific mark put on recording

An image processing apparatus includes a reader unit for reading original image data, a converting unit for converting the original image data to digital image data, a first magnification changing unit for magnifying/reducing the digital image data, an image data modification unit for modifying the magnification changed data, a second magnification changing unit for magnifying/reducing the modified data and a visualizing unit for visualizing an image on the basis of the second magnification changed data. According to the apparatus, the first magnifying/reducing is executed, and after the modification process, the second magnifying/reducing is executed. As a result, the function is improved in aspects of degrees of freedom of the modification operations.

Image processing apparatus having function of magnification changing

An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of detecting units each of which detects whether binary signals derived from picture elements of image data match with one of a plurality of patterns of isolated dots, the detecting units generating a plurality of detection signals which are set based on respective results of the detections with respect to the isolated-dot patterns, wherein the isolated-dot patterns are different from each other in the number of isolated dots included in each pattern, the isolated-dot patterns having respective sizes predetermined for isolated-dot removing function levels. A selecting unit selects one of the isolated-dot removing function levels in response to an operation control signal, the selecting unit generating an isolated-dot signal which is set for each picture element based on the detection signals by the selected isolated-dot removing function level. An operation control part inputs the operation control signal to the selecting unit in accordance with a setting by an operator with respect to one of the isolated-dot removing function levels.

Image processing apparatus for providing an isolated-dot removing

An original image comprises a printed region on which a predetermined printed matter is realized and a background region on which no printed matter is realized. The shape of a peripheral zone in the original image comprises the shape of the background region, which shape exists particularly at the peripheral region of said original image. It is determined whether or not the original image comprises the special document by detecting the peripheral zone. Further, the original image has an outer-frame region, having a predetermined shape, at the peripheral region of the original image. The determination is carried out using a result of measuring the width of the outer-frame region. Further, the width of the outer-frame region comprises a width along a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction extending along the outline of the original image.

Original-discrimination system for discriminating special document, and

The present invention relates to a special-document discriminating apparatus used for providing a counterfeit preventing function to a digital copy machine and the like, and to a managing system for an image forming apparatus having a special-document discriminating function. The special-document discriminating apparatus is provided with a ROM for discriminating a special-document such as paper money, which ROM is detachably attached to a controlling circuit board. Data used for determination may be learned from test pattern data input from the image forming apparatus, or the data may be input from an external unit via a communication line. The managing system for an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus. Either the image forming apparatus or the managing apparatus has a special-document discriminating function. Additional information is sent from the image forming apparatus together with determination result information or detected data. Information used as reference for determination may be sent from the managing apparatus to the image forming apparatus.

Special-document discriminating apparatus and managing system for image

A image processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises filters for enhancing or smoothing edges of an image signal, magnifier for magnifying the image signal, and controller for changing an order of the filtering means and the magnifying according to magnification ratio. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a size of a filter is used efficiently and therefore a high quality image is achieved.

An image processing device includes a first unit for detecting a pixel at which a predetermined local variation of image data occurs, a second unit for detecting a density relating to the above pixel within a predetermined scanning area, and a third unit for determining whether or not the image data forms a dotted-image area on the basis of the density detected by the second unit.

Image processing device having function of detecting dotted-image area

Image forming apparatus which adds identification information to

A closed-loop area detecting method includes the steps of: reading a dot matrix from bi-level image data, the dot matrix comprising a target dot and two or more contiguous dots contiguous to the target dot; performing a first pattern matching to detect whether a dot matrix coincides with one of a plurality of first patterns so as to set a first flag for each dot; performing a second pattern matching to detect whether a dot matrix coincides with one of a plurality of second patterns so as to set a second flag for each dot; repeating the above mentioned first and second flag setting so that the second flags for all the dots of the image data are set; and detecting a dot of the image data as lying in the inside of a closed-loop area when the second flag is set to a first value, and detecting a dot of the image data as lying on the outside of the closed-loop area when the second flag is set to a second value. An image processing apparatus utilizing the closed-loop area detecting method is also provided.

Method and apparatus for detecting a closed-loop area of an image

An image processing apparatus includes a scanner for inputting image data indicative of an image with a multilevel tone, a multilevel data part for generating multilevel tone data from the input image data through a prescribed error diffusion process, the multilevel data part outputting image data having pixels to which the multilevel tone data is assigned, a storage part for temporarily storing a value of one of two successive pixels included in the image data, and a two-pixel processing part for converting the value of the one pixel stored in the storage part into a first value, and for generating second values of the two successive pixels using the first value of the one pixel, so that output image data is output to a printer, each pixel of the output image data being described by the second values of the two successive pixels.

Image processing apparatus especially suitable for producing

An image processing apparatus in which a multilevel image signal generated from an original image by a scanner is input and processed so as to produce multilevel image data describing a gray level of each pixel of an output image, includes a detection part for repeatedly detecting a peak of a multilevel image signal generated by a scanner and a valley thereof with respect to pixels of the original image aligned in a scanning direction of the scanner, and for outputting the peak of the multilevel image signal and the valley thereof, and a correction part for correcting a gray level of the multilevel image data with respect to each of the pixels depending on a difference between the peak and the valley, so as to reduce changes in gray level of pixels of the output image.

Image processing apparatus for preventing occurrence of moire in output

An image recorder for converting input bilevel image data to multilevel data, executing various kinds of image processing with the mutlilevel data, and then recording the processed multilevel data. The image recorder converts input bilevel image data to M-level data (M being equal to or greater than 2), then requantized to N-level data, and then fed to a printer capable of recording data in three or more levels. The bilevel-to-multilevel conversion is effected in matching relation to the pattern of the input bilevel data. A plurality of bilevel-to-multilevel conversion means of different kinds are provided. The bilevel-to-multilevel conversion system is changed on the basis of the kind of input bilevel data. The M-level data is subjected to edge enhancement, magnification change, and gamma correction. Color image data produced by color separation are processed color by color and then fed to a printer.

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Fuchu, Japan

Yukio Sakano