Abstract: This inrush current suppression circuit, which suppresses inrush current during pre-charging of a capacitor connected in parallel to the DC-output side of a converter that converts AC power supply voltage to DC voltage, includes: a resistor that is provided between the DC-output side of the converter and the capacitor, or that is provided on the AC-input side of the converter; a switch that is selectively switched between an open state, in which an electric circuit is formed with the resistor interposed, and a closed state, in which a short circuit is formed without the resistor interposed; an AC power supply voltage detection unit that detects whether the AC power supply voltage is inputted to the converter; and a switch control unit that switches the switch from the open state to the closed state after a prescribed time has elapsed from when the AC power supply voltage detection unit detects inputting of the AC power supply voltage to the converter.

Abstract: A data decoding device is provided that can decode, at high speed and with low cost, image data encoded at a high compression rate. Provided are an input unit to be input a first encoded data, a second encoded data, the second encoded data and reference data of the line image data; an acquisition unit to acquire, a first reference data to decode the first encoded data to the higher-end data and a second reference data to decode the second encoded data to the lower-end data; a decoding unit to decode the second encoded data to the lower-end data on the basis of the second reference data while the first encoded data is decoded to the higher-end data on the basis of the first reference data and; and a combining means to combine the higher-end data and the lower-end data that were decoded by the decoding unit.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first transfer unit configured to DMA-transfer input data to a holding unit, a second transfer unit configured to DMA-transfer the input data held by the holding unit to at least one unit, a notification unit configured to notify, in accordance with the DMA transferring of the first transfer unit, that the input data held by the holding unit is updated, and a transfer control unit configured to control so as to operate the second transfer unit in one of a first mode for transferring the input data from the holding unit to the at least one unit in response to the notification and a second mode for transferring the input data independently of the notification, wherein the transfer unit performs the switching to the second mode after the operation in the first mode.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first transfer unit configured to DMA-transfer input data to a holding unit, a second transfer unit configured to DMA-transfer the input data held by the holding unit to at least one unit, a notification unit configured to notify, in accordance with the DMA transferring of the first transfer unit, that the input data held by the holding unit is updated, and a transfer control unit configured to control so as to operate the second transfer unit in one of a first mode for transferring the input data from the holding unit to the at least one unit in response to the notification and a second mode for transferring the input data independently of the notification, wherein the transfer unit performs the switching to the second mode after the operation in the first mode.

Abstract: A channel selection section selects whether the subsequent processing to the image data is executed by image distribution precedence processing or by gradation lowering precedence processing in accordance with channel information of the image data. That is, in regard to the channels of C, M and K with relatively high density among inks, the image distribution precedence processing excellent in robustness is selected. On the other hand, in the ink of the color with high brightness or low density, even if the print position of the dot is shifted, the density change due to this shift is not so much large. It is possible to restrict an increase in the processing load due to executing the gradation lowering processing after the distribution processing to each of the plural divided images by thus not selecting the image distribution precedence processing in consideration of the robustness.

Abstract: An image decoding apparatus which decodes externally received encoded image information includes a storage unit which stores the image information. The image decoding apparatus includes a first decoding unit which receives, from the storage unit, image data to be decoded and reference data, and decodes the target image data. The image decoding apparatus includes a second decoding unit which receives the image data decoded by the first decoding unit, receives, from the storage unit, image data to be decoded based on the decoded image data, and decodes the image data received from the storage unit. The image decoding apparatus includes a decoding control unit which controls the first and second decoding units to repetitively execute decoding of image data in parallel.

Abstract: A data decoding device is provided that can decode, at high speed and with low cost, image data encoded at a high compression rate. Provided are an input unit to be input a first encoded data, a second encoded data, the second encoded data and reference data of the line image data; an acquisition unit to acquire, a first reference data to decode the first encoded data to the higher-end data and a second reference data to decode the second encoded data to the lower-end data; a decoding unit to decode the second encoded data to the lower-end data on the basis of the second reference data while the first encoded data is decoded to the higher-end data on the basis of the first reference data and; and a combining means to combine the higher-end data and the lower-end data that were decoded by the decoding unit.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus processes, for each pixel, multivalued image data for a unit area of a recording medium, so as to form an image on the unit area with a plurality of relative movements between a recording head and the recording medium. The apparatus has a selector that selects a first processing mode for dividing the multivalued image data into a plurality of pieces of multivalued image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements, and then quantizing each of the plurality of pieces of multivalued image data, or a second processing mode for quantizing the multivalued image data into quantized image data, and then dividing the quantized image data into a plurality of pieces of quantized image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements. The selector selects the processing mode based on a content (attribute, grayscale, color, etc.) of the multivalued image data.

Abstract: An electronic watermark embedding apparatus and an electronic watermark embedding method can severally deal with both of the resistance property of an electronic watermark and the prevention of image quality deterioration. Electronic watermark information of a high importance level is embedded in a component having a strong resistance property, and electronic watermark information of a low importance level is embedded in a component exerting little influence on an image quality. As a result, the electronic watermark information to be embedded in the component having a strong resistance property is limited to that of a high importance level. Moreover, the image quality deterioration can be suppressed in comparison with the case of embedding all pieces of information, and the electronic watermark information of low importance level is embedded in the component having a weak resistance property but exerting little influence on an image quality.

Abstract: In a multipass printing that performs a plurality of printing scans over a unit area of a print medium by using a leading head and a follower head, the multivalued image data for the leading head is distributed according to the print volume information for up to the preceding printing scan. Then, the multivalued image data for the leading head is subjected to the grayscale level reduction operation to generate binary data. Based on the binary data, the print volume information is updated, after which the multivalued image data for the follower head is distributed according to the print volume information. This causes a plurality of printing scans or a plurality of print heads, that print the same unit area, to have a correlation among them, with the result that dots on a plurality of planes when overlapped have an excellent scattering characteristic.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, a printing apparatus and an image processing method are provided which can perform quantization processing on image data at high speed based on an error diffusion method while at the same time avoiding degradations in a quality of printed images. When the error value represented by the error data is equal to or less than the reference value, at least a part of the data portion that can represent an error value in excess of the reference value is eliminated to compress the error data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, a printing apparatus and an image processing method are provided which can perform quantization processing on image data at high speed based on an error diffusion method while at the same time avoiding degradations in a quality of printed images. When an error value represented by error data is a particular value, the error data is converted into compressed error data with a data volume less than that of the original error data.

Abstract: The quantity processing is executed to data distributed for each color. Binary data obtained by this quantization processing are selected only in regard to a color generating print quantity information. Filtering processing is executed to the binary data of the selected color to generate the print quantity information. In the quantization processing for a second plane, data found by converting the print quantity information generated in the first plane processing into a minus value are added to the multi-valued data. In the quantization processing in the second plane added, the value of the multi-valued data is made small and in the quantity, probability that the multi-valued data become binary data printing the dots is made small. That is, a ratio where dots in the first plane and dots in the second plane overlap and are formed can be made small.

Abstract: A channel selection section selects whether the subsequent processing to the image data is executed by image distribution precedence processing or by gradation lowering precedence processing in accordance with channel information of the image data. That is, in regard to the channels of C, M and K with relatively high density among inks, the image distribution precedence processing excellent in robustness is selected. On the other hand, in the ink of the color with high brightness or low density, even if the print position of the dot is shifted, the density change due to this shift is not so much large. It is possible to restrict an increase in the processing load due to executing the gradation lowering processing after the distribution processing to each of the plural divided images by thus not selecting the image distribution precedence processing in consideration of the robustness.

Abstract: In a multipass printing that performs a plurality of printing scans over a unit area of a print medium by using a leading head and a follower head, the multivalued image data for the leading head is distributed according to the print volume information for up to the preceding printing scan. Then, the multivalued image data for the leading head is subjected to the grayscale level reduction operation to generate binary data. Based on the binary data, the print volume information is updated, after which the multivalued image data for the follower head is distributed according to the print volume information. This causes a plurality of printing scans or a plurality of print heads, that print the same unit area, to have a correlation among them, with the result that dots on a plurality of planes when overlapped have an excellent scattering characteristic.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided which can produce an image with high robustness that can keep image impairments from becoming noticeable even when there are printing characteristic variations over a range of positions of the print elements, as in the case of an end deflection phenomenon. This is realized by distributing multilevel grayscale values of individual pixels according to distribution coefficients determined for the individual print elements that print the pixels, allocating the distributed grayscale values to the associated planes, and binarizing the allocated grayscale values in each plane. With this process, the grayscale value distribution factors in each scan of multipass printing can be determined according to the positions of individual print elements on the print head.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus processes, for each pixel, multivalued image data for a unit area of a recording medium, so as to form an image on the unit area with a plurality of relative movements between a recording head and the recording medium. The apparatus has a selector that selects a first processing mode for dividing the multivalued image data into a plurality of pieces of multivalued image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements, and then quantizing each of the plurality of pieces of multivalued image data, or a second processing mode for quantizing the multivalued image data into quantized image data, and then dividing the quantized image data into a plurality of pieces of quantized image data corresponding to the plurality of relative movements. The selector selects the processing mode based on a content (attribute, grayscale, color, etc.) of the multivalued image data.

Abstract: An electronic watermark embedding apparatus and an electronic watermark embedding method can severally deal with both of the resistance property of an electronic watermark and the prevention of image quality deterioration. Electronic watermark information of a high importance level is embedded in a component having a strong resistance property, and electronic watermark information of a low importance level is embedded in a component exerting little influence on an image quality. As a result, the electronic watermark information to be embedded in the component having a strong resistance property is limited to that of a high importance level. Moreover, the image quality deterioration can be suppressed in comparison with the case of embedding all pieces of information, and the electronic watermark information of low importance level is embedded in the component having a weak resistance property but exerting little influence on an image quality.

Abstract: An image decoding apparatus which decodes externally received encoded image information includes a storage unit which stores the image information. The image decoding apparatus includes a first decoding unit which receives, from the storage unit, image data to be decoded and reference data, and decodes the target image data. The image decoding apparatus includes a second decoding unit which receives the image data decoded by the first decoding unit, receives, from the storage unit, image data to be decoded based on the decoded image data, and decodes the image data received from the storage unit. The image decoding apparatus includes a decoding control unit which controls the first and second decoding units to repetitively execute decoding of image data in parallel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, a printing apparatus and an image processing method are provided which can perform quantization processing on image data at high speed based on an error diffusion method while at the same time avoiding degradations in a quality of printed images. When an error value represented by error data is a particular value, the error data is converted into compressed error data with a data volume less than that of the original error data.