Abstract: A system and method for halftoning multi-level pixels preferably uses a threshold array divided into two or more classes. The classes are ordered in a visitation order. Each class contains at least one element. A halftone cell comprised of a plurality of pixels corresponds to the threshold array. As the intensity level for the halftone cell increases, the pixels corresponding to the elements in the first class are halftoned by fractional values of pixels until all of the pixels in that class reach saturation. As the intensity of the halftone cell increases, none of the pixels corresponding to the elements in any other class change state. Once the pixels corresponding to the elements in the first class are saturated, the pixels corresponding to the elements in the second class are halftoned by fractional values of pixels. In more general terms, the next class in the class visitation order is not addressed until the pixels corresponding to all of the elements in the previous class are saturated.

Abstract: In a facsimile machine, when a received image data having resolution of standard mode is stored in a reception data memory, the image data is decoded and then converted to image data of two fine or four super fine lines and stored in a first recording data memory. The image data stored in the first recording data memory is subjected to a thin-out processing at a set reduction ratio, then stored in a second recording data memory and finally recorded on a recording sheet.

Abstract: Each image area in a total image is assigned with a screen angle mode Ms indicating whether screen angles of magenta and cyan separations are to be adjusted or not. Screen angle data representing screen angles of magenta and cyan are produced according to the screen angle modes Ms. A dot signal for recording a halftone image of each of the magenta and the cyan separations is generated by comparing screen pattern data of a certain screen angle specified by the screen angle data with image data for each color separation. Accordingly, the present invention effectively prevents a moire in any image area included in a printing image.

Abstract: A neck attachment structure of a cathode ray tube comprising a retainer mounted on one side of a shield case assembly for inserting and fixing a circuit board; and a locking band rotatably coupled to the retainer for preventing the loosening of the neck enables the neck to be fixed to the circuit board by applying an incremental tightening force by rotating the locking band. The neck is fixed to the circuit board by soldering and then attached to the shield case assembly. The locking band ensures that the neck is firmly fixed on the circuit board and eliminates the occurrence of cracks at the soldered junction experienced in the prior art, thereby enhancing product reliability.

Abstract: A digital halftoning device for converting digitized contoned image data representing an input image into a halftoned image to be displayed in a visually discernible manner comprising: dividing a digitized contoned image data into a plurality of contoned macrocells at predetermined, integrally spaced locations; determining the optical density of each of the macrocells; converting the contoned macropixels to their halftoned representation, including: comparing the optical density of the macrocells against a predetermined threshold; and suppressing chosen macropixels on integer centers in regions of the image where the threshold code value is exceeded; converting the macropixel pattern into a micropixel image pattern; and outputting the micropixel image pattern to be displayed in a visually discernible manner. The result is the creation of a superpixel in areas of high optical density to create a greater number of gray levels at the expense of spatial resolution.

Abstract: A printer control device which operates via a cordless link to control a dedicated printer in a shared access mode, allowing access by an alternate computer. In the preferred embodiment, the cordless printer control device operates in an environment in which a host computer is directly connected to a dedicated printer which operates in a normal printing mode. The device is provided as a pair of compact add-on units, a transmitter unit connected to a portable computer and a receiver/switch unit connected to the dedicated printer. The pair of units operate to provide an infrared transmission link by which an alternate/portable computer can detect a break in the normal printing mode and temporarily access the dedicated printer for printing tasks. The receiver/switch unit is provided with a time-out switch which operates to allow the alternate computer to gain access to the printer only if during a predetermined interval, the dedicated printer is not busy with a printing task already assigned to it.

Abstract: A document image processing system includes a menu display part determining the layout of menu data on the basis of the height Ha and the width Wa of the displayable area of the display unit when the display unit is rotated to its vertical position, the height Hb and the width Wb of the displayable area when the display unit is rotated to its horizontal position and the width Wc and the height Hc of a selection item display area displaying menu data, and displaying the menu on the basis of the layout thus determined, so that the menu can be displayed with a maximum size on the displayable area of the display unit regardless of the height and width of the displayable area changing depending on the direction of rotation of the display unit and without changing the size and arrangement of the menu data in the menu display area.

Abstract: Drawing processes and print processes for respective pages are performed in accordance with print commands by a plurality of processors. The print commands over the plurality of pages are stored in a command buffer. While successively allotting the drawing processes for different pages to different processors, a chain of the print commands ranging over the plurality of pages is fetched from the command buffer, and imaginary drawing operations for setting drawing attribute parameters of respective pages are executed sequentially without executing real drawing operation for printing actual drawings. The real drawing operations are executed for pages having completed the imaginary drawing operations by the allotted based in parallel on the print command chain and in accordance with the drawing attribute parameters set during in the imaginary operations.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus having parallel line conversion circuits for inputting, in parallel, image data for plural lines, line selection circuits for selecting plural sets of image data consisting of image data for at least one line from supplied image data for the plural lines, and sub-scanning interpolation circuits for interpolating each of the selected plural sets of image data.

Abstract: Prior to printing a plurality of measuring points are specified from the digital presentation of the page original on the basis of given initial data. The initial data for the measuring points are set so that at least two measuring points are locating points on the basis of which the other measuring points can be located. The other initial data are set according to what one desires to measure on the printed page. Thereafter, the locating points and other specified measuring points are sought in the digital presentation of the page original; and the measuring point data are entered in the printing quality measuring unit. The results of measurement from the measuring points are compared with the measuring point data from the digital presentation of the page original, or the objective values, and the results of comparison are used to adjust the printing machine.

Abstract: In reproducing an input RGB (red, green, and blue) color defined by particular tristimulus values by CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) ink, color samples having a plurality of colors at controlled amounts of CMY (cyan, magenta, and yellow) with respect to a plurality of different amounts of K (black) ink are measured to be used as an original CMYK color reproduction zone. The original CMYK color reproduction zone is divided into individual CMYK color reproduction zones for each respective amount of the K ink. The individual CMYK color reproduction zones are memorized. All of the individual CMYK color reproduction zones are searched in response to the input RGB color defined by the particular tristimulus values to obtain at least one set of the amounts of the CMYK ink corresponding to the input RGB color. When a plurality of sets of the amounts of the CMYK ink are obtained, there sets are memorized as memorized sets of the amounts of the CMYK ink.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for compositional modeling of print engines. The system automatically derives a complete list of all of the capabilities of a described print engine. The method includes providing compositional models of components forming the print engine. The models describe local capabilities of each component including part transformation abilities as well as timing constraints. Using the component models, configurations are created by connecting the components. Once the component models are connected, the capabilities of the configurations are directly derived. A capability is a part that can be produced by the configuration, together with the itinerary required to produce the part, the inputs from which the output is assembled, and the timing constraints to be observed when executing the itinerary. Capabilities are the fundamental connection between the description of a job to be printed by a print engine and the print engine scheduling and control software.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus arranged to form and output a plurality of images of a plurality of original documents onto a plurality of sheets in an electronic sorting mode and having a control unit for controlling an image forming mechanism in such a manner that standby is performed during an operation for printing for each unit of groups of the sheets even if an instruction to perform interruption printing is issued, and the interruption printing process is performed after the group unit printing has been completed.

Abstract: An image processor is provided which emphasis-processes an image to be copied with attention to the detection of black edges so that clear color copy outputs are obtained. R, G and B data read out from an original by a scanner are converted into C, M and Y complementary color data by a complementary color reversing circuit. The complementary color data are transmitted to a black edge processing circuit and to a black edge detecting circuit. The black edge detecting circuit detects the inside or the outside of a black edge, and in accordance therewith, the black edge processing circuit, for example, changes the coefficient of a spatial filter. The output of the black edge processing circuit is outputted to a printer through a black generating circuit, a tone correcting circuit and a half tone processing circuit.

Abstract: An illumination device for a film image scanning device is provided. The illumination device is small in size compared to a size of the image to be scanned. Light emitted by a point light source at one end of the image scanning device is reflected back toward the point light source by first and second mirrors at an opposite end of the image scanning device. A third mirror reflects the light to a pair of condenser lenses that evenly transmit the light toward a film slide to be scanned. The light passes through one of the condenser lenses perpendicular to an optical axis of the condenser lens, thereby making the image scanning device compact. Fresnel lenses are also provided as condenser lenses.

Abstract: A mixing circuit for synthesizing plural .DELTA..SIGMA. modulated data generated simultaneously with a bit rate F to single mixed data includes a slot determining section for dividing time length corresponding to 1-bit period of the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulated data into a number N which is of the same number as the plural .DELTA..SIGMA. modulated data, and a time division multiplex section for assigning in order the plural .DELTA..SIGMA. modulated data to the 1-bit period at a bit rate N*F on a time shared basis. The obtained mixed data can be converted to linear PCM data with a single decimation circuit. By increasing the bit rate of the mixed data by N times the bit rate F of the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulated data, a total gain can be maintained at a constant value irrespective of a change in the number of data to be synthesized.

Abstract: A page placement process for advanced function print systems that is integrated in the datastream presentation architectures utilized for the storage, retrieval, and printing of documents over a wide range of applications and system environments. The process enables user defined placement of pages in an N-up environment in terms of sheet, sheet side, partition, offset and orientation.

Abstract: A printing apparatus capable of printing a mirror image without increasing the apparatus size. Print data for one band image is stored into an image memory 7 in accordance with an address (in an ascending order) generated by an address counter 103. After storing the print data for one scanning by a print head 101 has been completed in the image memory 7, the print data is read out in accordance with an address (in an descending order) generated by an address counter 104 from the image memory 7, and outputted to the print head 101. At this time, since print data which has previously been used for printing is used no longer, the address counter 103 is set to generate an address in the descending order, and storing of the next print data is made in parallel to the printing. When the printing based on the print data in one scanning has been completed, an address counter 106 is set to generate an address in the ascending order for the next image printing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fast and cost-effective digital video decompression is disclosed. The invention implements the inverse quantization, inverse discrete cosine transform and motion compensation functions for an MPEG decoder in a pipelined parallel processor. The IDCT and motion compensation functions are implemented to maximize parallelization by using partitioned arithmetic and logic operations in a superscalar microprocessor. This approach drastically reduces the total number of instruction cycles required to perform the IDCT and motion compensation functions.