Abstract: An image processing apparatus sets a predetermined reading resolution for acquiring image data and a division size for performing a predetermined process on the image data and extract a unique portion from image data resulting from performing the predetermined process. The predetermined process includes an averaging process on the image data for each of division areas obtained by dividing the image data by the predetermined division size, a quantization process for quantizing values obtained by the averaging process, and an addition process for adding values obtained by the quantization process, that are different in the dividing way of the image data in the averaging process. The setting unit sets the predetermined reading resolution so as to make the width of the unique portion in the image correspond to N read pixels (N?2), and sets the division size so as to have a width larger than N pixels.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing a process of detecting a unique portion that occurs periodically in an inspection target image, includes: a dividing unit for dividing a part area of the inspection target image into a plurality of division areas; an averaging unit for changing a phase of the plurality of division areas in the part area and averaging pixel values in each of the plurality of division areas in each of changed phases; an addition unit for adding averaged values in each of the plurality of division areas in each of changed phases; and a setting unit for, with respect to a period ? with which the unique portion of a detection target appears, setting a size S of each of the plurality of division areas in a direction in which the unique portion may appear with the period ?, so as to meet S<?.

Abstract: In low-resolution processing (reduction processing) in which input image data is separated into character print data and image print data to generate print data of lower resolution than that of the input image data, if a plurality of pixels is simply reduction-processed to one pixel, color of a color image surrounding a character may change. In an image processing method, calculation for performing reduction processing so that the plurality of pixels in the input image data corresponds to one pixel in the print data is performed as follows. A ratio of using a pixel value of a character attribute pixel in the calculation is set to 0, or set smaller than a ratio of using a pixel value of an image attribute pixel. As a result, a change in the color of the color image surrounding the character can be prevented.

Abstract: By setting a parameter in accordance with features of a unique portion appearing in a print image, the unique portion in the print image is efficiently determined. The image is printed on a sheet along with a relative movement in a main scanning direction of the sheet and a print head on which multiple printing elements are arrayed in a sub-scanning direction. One division area is set such that a size in the main scanning direction is greater than a size in the sub-scanning direction. A shift amount from one division area to another division area is set such that a shift amount in the main scanning direction greater than a shift amount in the sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus for encoding image data and a method of controlling the same, whether an attribute of each of a plurality of areas in image data corresponds to an edge in an image based on the image data is determined, and one of a plurality of sub-sampling processes is selected according to the determination for each of the plurality of areas. Note that the plurality of sub-sampling processes can sub-sample color difference components of each of the plurality of areas by different processes. By the sub-sampling process selected as that corresponding to each of the plurality of areas, each of the plurality of areas is sub-sampled to encode the image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has: a generating unit configured to generate inspection target image data on the basis of read image data; a setting unit configured to set inspection target areas from the inspection target image data; and an extracting unit configured to extract a unique portion by applying a predetermined process to the set inspection target areas. The setting unit sets the inspection target areas so as to make the ratio of inspection target areas to the entire image area of the inspection target image data in a predetermined direction larger than the ratio of inspection target areas to the entire image area in a direction intersecting with the predetermined direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has: a setting unit configured to set a division way for dividing an image data; a processing unit configured to divide the image data in accordance with the division way, and perform a predetermined process on each of resulting division areas; and an extracting unit configured to extract a unique portion from the image data. The predetermined process includes an averaging process on each of division areas obtained by dividing the image data in accordance with the division way, a quantization process for quantizing values obtained by the averaging process, and an addition process for adding values obtained by differentiating the division way. The setting unit sets a first division way for the predetermined process for a first area that is associated with the device in occurrence position of the unique portion and a second division way for a second area other than the first area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus reads an image on an original and generates lines of data by causing a carriage to perform scanning, then by referring to the data, detects chromatic color pixels that exist between two achromatic color pixels, being first and second achromatic color pixels, from among pixels in the image that has been read in the scanning direction of the carriage, and determines one of the detected chromatic color pixels as a pixel of interest and corrects the pixel of interest to an achromatic color pixel while shifting the position of the pixel of interest pixel-by-pixel N times from a pixel position adjacent to the first achromatic color pixel in a direction toward the second achromatic color pixel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has: a setting unit configured to set a division way for dividing an image data; a processing unit configured to divide the image data in accordance with the division way, and perform a predetermined process on each of resulting division areas; and an extracting unit configured to extract a unique portion from the image data. The predetermined process includes an averaging process on each of division areas obtained by dividing the image data in accordance with the division way, a quantization process for quantizing values obtained by the averaging process, and an addition process for adding values obtained by differentiating the division way. The setting unit sets a first division way for the predetermined process for a first area that is associated with the device in occurrence position of the unique portion and a second division way for a second area other than the first area.

Abstract: An acquisition unit acquires image data resulting from reading an image printed sequentially in a first direction. A setting unit sets a division size in the first direction and a second direction of a division area for dividing the image data, the second direction crossing the first direction, as well as a shift amount in the first direction and the second direction of the division area. A processing unit performs a predetermined process including an averaging process on the image data in accordance with the division size and the shift amount. An extraction unit extracts a unique portion from image data on which the predetermined process has been performed. The setting unit sets (i) the division size greater in the second direction than in the first direction, and/or (ii) the shift amount greater in the second direction than in the first direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing a process of detecting a unique portion that occurs periodically in an inspection target image, includes: a dividing unit for dividing a part area of the inspection target image into a plurality of division areas; an averaging unit for changing a phase of the plurality of division areas in the part area and averaging pixel values in each of the plurality of division areas in each of changed phases; an addition unit for adding averaged values in each of the plurality of division areas in each of changed phases; and a setting unit for, with respect to a period ? with which the unique portion of a detection target appears, setting a size S of each of the plurality of division areas in a direction in which the unique portion may appear with the period ?, so as to meet S<?.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has: a generating unit configured to generate inspection target image data on the basis of read image data; a setting unit configured to set inspection target areas from the inspection target image data; and an extracting unit configured to extract a unique portion by applying a predetermined process to the set inspection target areas. The setting unit sets the inspection target areas so as to make the ratio of inspection target areas to the entire image area of the inspection target image data in a predetermined direction larger than the ratio of inspection target areas to the entire image area in a direction intersecting with the predetermined direction.

Abstract: By setting a parameter in accordance with features of a unique portion appearing in a print image, the unique portion in the print image is efficiently determined. The image is printed on a sheet along with a relative movement in a main scanning direction of the sheet and a print head on which multiple printing elements are arrayed in a sub-scanning direction. One division area is set such that a size in the main scanning direction is greater than a size in the sub-scanning direction. A shift amount from one division area to another division area is set such that a shift amount in the main scanning direction greater than a shift amount in the sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: Parameters are set according to features of a unique portion appearing in a print image, ensuring that the unique portion can be efficiently determined in the print image. In order to do so, information about a form of appearance of the unique portion in the print image is acquired, and the parameters are set in accordance with the form of the appearance.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus sets a predetermined reading resolution for acquiring image data and a division size for performing a predetermined process on the image data and extract a unique portion from image data resulting from performing the predetermined process. The predetermined process includes an averaging process on the image data for each of division areas obtained by dividing the image data by the predetermined division size, a quantization process for quantizing values obtained by the averaging process, and an addition process for adding values obtained by the quantization process, that are different in the dividing way of the image data in the averaging process. The setting unit sets the predetermined reading resolution so as to make the width of the unique portion in the image correspond to N read pixels (N?2), and sets the division size so as to have a width larger than N pixels.

Abstract: Because the ejection state of a printing element in a printing apparatus may vary at all times, an inspection item for inspecting a printed image may be set in consideration of the ejection state of the printing element. An inspection item for inspecting a printed image may be set based on information including a temperature characteristic of a printing head and a state of ink such as an elapsed time from the last ejection. This allows image inspection that matches with variations in the ejection state of the printing element.

Abstract: When the width of a recording head is greater than the width of a recording medium having a maximum conveyable width, a recorded image corresponding to ejecting ports in the entire area of the recording head cannot be corrected. Multiple correction test patterns are recorded using ejecting ports in part of the recording head, and correction data for correcting an image corresponding to ejecting ports in the entire area of the recording head on the basis of the colorimetric result of the test patterns. In this way, image data to be recorded by the ejecting ports in the entire area of the recording head is corrected.

Abstract: Image ink data is generated which represents the absence of ejection of ink corresponding to pixels for which text ink data represents the ejection of ink.

Abstract: Provided is a quantization processing method using dither patterns that make it possible to obtain a dot array having excellent dispersibility even in the case of a single color or mixed color inks. For this purpose, first and second dither patterns are prepared in order to respectively quantize multivalued data for a first ink to different pieces of binary data, respectively. Also, third and fourth dither patterns are prepared in order to respectively quantize multivalued data for a second ink to different pieces of binary data. Further, on the basis of a combination of the multivalued data on the first ink and the multivalued data on the second ink, a quantization unit for the first ink, and a quantization unit for the second ink are determined.

Abstract: In order to print a unit area of a print medium by a first printing scan and a second printing scan, dither patterns are formed which can control the arrangement of dots on the print medium without adverse effects of density unevenness and graininess, that are caused by printing position displacement. Regarding first and second dither patterns, information indicating whether or not a threshold is already set to a reference pixel and one or more pixels around the reference pixel in the first dither pattern is obtained for cases where each pixel in the first dither pattern is the reference pixel. A pixel in the second dither pattern to which a predetermined pixel is to be set is determined based on the obtained information. The first and second dither patterns formed in the above manner are associated with the first printing scan and the second printing scan, respectively.