Abstract: A digital watermarking technique is disclosed, in which image data are converted to frequency components through discrete wavelet transform and quantized into a set of quantized coefficients, which are then divided into a plurality of blocks. A digital watermark is embedded in the quantized coefficients by performing ON/OFF adjustment of bit information, such that the relation between natural number T and the bit information defined by N (N is an even number) significant bits Qnm (x, y) of the m-th bit plane of the n-th block satisfies the ON state represented by equation (1), or the OFF state represented by equation (2), depending on whether the hash value of the n-th block is odd or even. Then the quantized coefficients are encoded to produce a code stream.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a memory which stores a code stream having a wavelet division level, an interface unit which transmits the code stream to another apparatus, and a processing unit which changes the wavelet division level of the code stream before the transmission of the code stream to such another apparatus by acquiring a target division level that is a wavelet division level of such another apparatus, checking a difference between the target division level and the wavelet division level of the code stream, generating data that compensates for the difference, and embedding the generated data into the code stream.

Abstract: An image data input/output apparatus is disclosed that includes a scanner, a printer, and a storage unit. In addition, a check sheet forming unit forms a check sheet by compositing thumbnails corresponding to items of image data stored in the storage unit and causes the printer to print the formed check sheet. Further, a selected image recognition unit causes the scanner to scan the printed check sheet and recognize the selected thumbnails, and a selected image output unit retrieves the items of image data corresponding to the selected thumbnails and outputs the retrieved items of image data. A user can print the check sheet indicating the thumbnails, and can select one or more thumbnails by indicating a check mark. The image data input/output apparatus scans the check sheet and recognizes the scanned check marks. Accordingly, the user can easily output the items of image data corresponding to the selected thumbnails.

Abstract: A code conversion apparatus includes an input section to input compressed and transformed input codes, a header information rewriting section to rewrite only header information within the codes so as to change a decoded state of the input codes, and an output section to output the codes, including rewritten header information, to a target object such as a display unit and an external equipment.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

Abstract: An image processing system which compresses an image including both a binary image and a continuous tone image by a sub-band transform method with a high compression rate. A 2×2 pixel matrix block is extracted from image data. A transform factor having a plurality of frequency components is obtained from the 2×2 pixel matrix block data. The transform factor is quantized by a fixed-length quantizing method by deleting a predetermined number of lower order bits of each of the frequency components.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for compositing multiple component images into a composite image is proposed. The image processing apparatus includes: a separating unit that separates a codestream corresponding to each one of the component images into a header portion and a data portion; a header processing unit that edits the separated header portion; and a codestream generation unit that generates a codestream corresponding to the composite image by combining the edited headers and the separated data portions. Each component codestream is generated by dividing the corresponding one of the component images into one or more rectangular regions, transforming pixel values of the divided one or more rectangular regions with discrete wavelet transform into transform coefficients, and compressing the transform coefficients.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of imaging units each for forming an image on a recording medium, an image carrier provided in each of the plurality of imaging unit, a development unit for visualizing an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by toner in each of the plurality of imaging units, and a supporting device configured to integrate at least two imaging units of the plurality of imaging units into a unit, wherein the supporting device has a plurality of pressing members configured to press upper portions of the at least two imaging units, respectively, and a plurality of supporting members configured to support lower portions of the at least two imagining units, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a unit including image carriers for carrying electrostatic latent images, respectively, and developing devices for developing the electrostatic latent images with toners, respectively, and integrated with the image carriers, and toner feeding devices for feeding the toners to the developing devices, respectively, and provided separately from the unit, wherein the toner feeding devices and developing devices are detachably engaged with each other.

Abstract: An image processing system which compresses an image including both a binary image and a continuous tone image by a sub-band transform method with a high compression rate. A 2×2 pixel matrix block is extracted from image data. A transform factor having a plurality of frequency components is obtained from the 2×2 pixel matrix block data. The transform factor is quantized by a fixed-length quantizing method by deleting a predetermined number of lower order bits of each of the frequency components.

Abstract: A plurality of types of engine units which have nonvolatile storage units and which have different performances, respectively, can be attached to an image formation apparatus main body in a replaceable manner. A control unit which controls the performance of an overall apparatus based on information stored in the storage units provided in the engine units, respectively, which are attached to the image formation apparatus main body, is provided in the image formation apparatus main body. Therefore, even if the image formation apparatus main body is common, the performance of the overall apparatus related to recording speed or resolution can be changed only by replacing the engine units different in performance. It is also possible to easily deal with various types of apparatuses.

Abstract: A dividing portion divides input image data into a plurality of block data, a block expressed by each of said plurality of block data comprising a pixel matrix of the same predetermined size. A transform portion transforms each of the plurality of block data by a frequency transform method so as to produce a transform factor. A quantizing portion, having a plurality of quantization tables, quantizes the transform factor using one of the plurality of quantization tables. An encoding portion encodes an output of the quantizing portion. A reverse transform portion restores image data from the output of the quantizing portion. A measuring portion measures an error between the input image data and the image data restored by the reverse transform portion. The quantizing portion quantizes the transform factor again using another one of the plurality of quantization tables when the error measured by the measuring portion exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A charging device of the present invention includes a charging member and a body to be charged forming a nip therebetween. Charge-promoting conductive grains, frictionally charged to polarity opposite to the polarity of a voltage applied to the charging member, are held at the above nip. The charging device is operable in a cleaning mode for cleaning the body to be charged.

Abstract: An image data encoding apparatus includes a wavelet transform unit which produces a first subband coefficient and a second subband coefficient as an output in response to each of blocks of the input image data, the first and second subband coefficients being produced by performing a multiple decomposition process in which only the first subband coefficient is further decomposed. A first text transform unit produces an intensity coefficient of a first kind as well as a set of coefficients of a second kind as an output in response to each block, the intensity coefficient including significant bits, and only the intensity coefficient being further decomposed in the first text transform unit. A second text transform unit produces a set of coefficients of the second kind as an output in response to each block, one of the coefficients of the second kind including significant bits but not being further decomposed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of components that form image forming means and should be mounted or dismounted in a preselected order. Following one of the components with respect to the preselected order cannot be dismounted from the apparatus until preceding one of the same has been dismounted. The components are mounted to the apparatus in the reverse order. The components unremovable from the apparatus and positioned above the removable components in a preselected dismounting direction are retractable.

Abstract: An image processing system which compresses an image including both a binary image and a continuous tone image by a sub-band transform method with a high compression rate. A 2×2 pixel matrix block is extracted from image data. A transform factor having a plurality of frequency components is obtained from the 2×2 pixel matrix block data. The transform factor is quantized by a fixed-length quantizing method by deleting a predetermined number of lower order bits of each of the frequency components.

Abstract: An image forming device is provides, which comprises a body to be scanned that moves in a sub-scanning direction; a writing means for scanning the body in a main scanning direction with a light beam according to image information to form a reference image on the body and repeating the scanning plural times to form plural images; and a second body on which the plural images are overlaid to form a color image. The writing means starts writing the reference image at a start time ty1 when a main scanning synchronizing signal is firstly generated by the writing means after a time tx1 when a predetermined time has lapsed from detection of an image forming start signal of the sub-scanning direction for the reference image. A start time for an image other than the reference image is changed depending on the start time of the reference image.

Abstract: An image processing system which compresses an image including both a binary image and a continuous tone image by a sub-band transform method with a high compression rate. A 2×2 pixel matrix block is extracted from image data. A transform factor having a plurality of frequency components is obtained from the 2×2 pixel matrix block data. The transform factor is quantized by a fixed-length quantizing method by deleting a predetermined number of lower order bits of each of the frequency components.

Abstract: An image data encoding apparatus includes a wavelet transform unit which produces a first subband coefficient and a second subband coefficient as an output in response to each of blocks of the input image data, the first and second subband coefficients being produced by performing a multiple decomposition process in which only the first subband coefficient is further decomposed. A first text transform unit produces an intensity coefficient of a first kind as well as a set of coefficients of a second kind as an output in response to each block, the intensity coefficient including significant bits, and only the intensity coefficient being further decomposed in the first text transform unit. A second text transform unit produces a set of coefficients of the second kind as an output in response to each block, one of the coefficients of the second kind including significant bits but not being further decomposed.

Abstract: An integration density acquiring unit for a consumption information management apparatus acquires integration density from an image signal sent from an image processing section, and an information converting unit calculates a quantity of consumed toner (consumption information) by multiplying the integration density by a specified coefficient to send the quantity to a cumulative consumption information calculating unit. The cumulative consumption information calculating unit temporarily stores the information for the quantity of toner consumption in a memory, and reads out the information from the memory at predetermined timing. Accordingly, it is possible to determine only the cost for developer used by a user or calculate the quantity of developer remaining within an image formation apparatus based on the cumulative consumption information for the unadjusted developer stored in the memory.