Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Tamura

Hirokazu Tamura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220021779
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having a reading device to read an image from a sheet includes one or more controllers to perform operations. One image is read from one sheet by using the reading device. Edge detection processing is executed on the one image. At least one pair of edges is determined from among a plurality of edges based on information of the plurality of edges detected in the edge detection processing and size information of the one sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tamura, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11172096
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a processing unit. The detection unit detects an isolated pixel included in an image. The determination unit determines whether the isolated pixel detected by the detection unit changes brighter or darker by edge enhancement processing. The decision unit decides an edge enhancement amount of the isolated pixel based on a determination result of the determination unit. The processing unit performs the edge enhancement processing on the isolated pixel, based on the edge enhancement amount decided by the decision unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20200288039
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a processing unit. The detection unit detects an isolated pixel included in an image. The determination unit determines whether the isolated pixel detected by the detection unit changes brighter or darker by edge enhancement processing. The decision unit decides an edge enhancement amount of the isolated pixel based on a determination result of the determination unit. The processing unit performs the edge enhancement processing on the isolated pixel, based on the edge enhancement amount decided by the decision unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 10701241
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a processing unit. The detection unit detects an isolated pixel included in an image. The determination unit determines whether the isolated pixel detected by the detection unit changes brighter or darker by edge enhancement processing. The decision unit decides an edge enhancement amount of the isolated pixel based on a determination result of the determination unit. The processing unit performs the edge enhancement processing on the isolated pixel, based on the edge enhancement amount decided by the decision unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 10692190
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a memory device and at least one processor to calculate, in a pixel block including a pixel of interest and a plurality of surrounding pixels, an absolute value of a difference in pixel value between the pixel of interest and a surrounding pixel, the calculating being performed for each of the surrounding pixels, to convert a pixel value of the surrounding pixel in accordance with the calculated absolute value, the converting being performed for each of the plurality of surrounding pixels, and to perform smoothing processing for the pixel of interest by using the plurality of surrounding pixels including the surrounding pixel whose pixel value is converted. The converting performs a combination of a pixel value of the pixel of interest and the pixel value of the surrounding pixel, so that as the calculated absolute value increases, a weight of the pixel of interest increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 10455118
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, in accordance with rising density in an extreme density range, determines a threshold for setting each pixel of a threshold matrix so as to consecutively grow an isolated dot corresponding to a halftone dot in a low density range to a first dot size for each submatrix, sets, when the size of isolated dots in a predetermined number of submatrices is grown to the first dot size, an intermediate position between the isolated dots in the predetermined number of submatrices; and determines, for each of one or more submatrices including a set intermediate position, a threshold to set for each pixel of the threshold matrix so that an isolated dot is consecutively grown until a second dot size smaller than the first dot size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 10375271
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which performs image processing for print processing, including: a pseudo halftone processing unit configured to perform pseudo halftone processing by dithering with respect to an input image, and generate a halftone image constituted by plural dots, and a threshold matrix holding unit configured to hold a threshold matrix used for the pseudo halftone processing, wherein in the threshold matrix, thresholds are arranged such that the halftone image has a density region in which dots to be formed depending on a density of the input image are not rotational symmetric on a 90° basis, and orientations of the dots differ from each other in the density region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20190208082
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, in accordance with rising density in an extreme density range, determines a threshold for setting each pixel of the threshold matrix so as to consecutively grow an isolated dot corresponding to a halftone dot in a low density range to a first dot size for each submatrix; sets, when the size of isolated dots in a predetermined number of submatrices is grown to the first dot size, an intermediate position between the isolated dots in the predetermined number of submatrices; and determines, for each of one or more submatrices including a set intermediate position, a threshold to set for each pixel of the threshold matrix so that an isolated dot is consecutively grown until a second dot size smaller than the first dot size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20190050967
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising: a memory device that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes the set of instructions to: calculate, in a pixel block including a pixel of interest and a plurality of surrounding pixels, an absolute value of a difference in pixel value between the pixel of interest and each surrounding pixel; calculate a weighted average of pixel values of the pixel of interest and each surrounding pixel in accordance with the calculated absolute value; and perform smoothing processing for a pixel value calculated by the weighted average.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20180103178
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which performs image processing for print processing, including: a pseudo halftone processing unit configured to perform pseudo halftone processing by dithering with respect to an input image, and generate a halftone image constituted by plural dots, and a threshold matrix holding unit configured to hold a threshold matrix used for the pseudo halftone processing, wherein in the threshold matrix, thresholds are arranged such that the halftone image has a density region in which dots to be formed depending on a density of the input image are not rotational symmetric on a 90° basis, and orientations of the dots differ from each other in the density region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20180103179
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a processing unit. The detection unit detects an isolated pixel included in an image. The determination unit determines whether the isolated pixel detected by the detection unit changes brighter or darker by edge enhancement processing. The decision unit decides an edge enhancement amount of the isolated pixel based on a determination result of the determination unit. The processing unit performs the edge enhancement processing on the isolated pixel, based on the edge enhancement amount decided by the decision unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9871949
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which performs image processing for print processing, including: a pseudo halftone processing unit configured to perform pseudo halftone processing by dithering with respect to an input image, and generate a halftone image constituted by plural dots, and a threshold matrix holding unit configured to hold a threshold matrix used for the pseudo halftone processing, wherein in the threshold matrix, thresholds are arranged such that the halftone image has a density region in which dots to be formed depending on a density of the input image are not rotational symmetric on a 90° basis, and orientations of the dots differ from each other in the density region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20170150009
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which performs image processing for print processing, including: a pseudo halftone processing unit configured to perform pseudo halftone processing by dithering with respect to an input image, and generate a halftone image constituted by plural dots, and a threshold matrix holding unit configured to hold a threshold matrix used for the pseudo halftone processing, wherein in the threshold matrix, thresholds are arranged such that the halftone image has a density region in which dots to be formed depending on a density of the input image are not rotational symmetric on a 90° basis, and orientations of the dots differ from each other in the density region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9646367
    Abstract: Edge enhancement processing is executed by obtaining a sum of whiteness degrees around a target pixel, to which edge enhancement is to be applied, and by adjusting the amount of edge enhancement such that the degree of edge enhancement decreases as the sum of whiteness degrees increases, and the degree of edge enhancement increases as the sum of whiteness degrees decreases. A whiteness degree is a value indicating the extent to which a pixel is close to white, and a sum of whiteness degrees indicates the extent to which the color around the target pixel is whitish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9531912
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus specifies pixels other than a white pixel which are included in a window, the window including a target pixel and pixels in the vicinity of the target pixel in a scanned image. Thereafter, the image processing apparatus averages color values of the specified pixels other than the white pixel, and then determines whether the target pixel is a color pixel based on a color value obtained by the averaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9383706
    Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire, based on the results of reading a test pattern output by a printing unit, tone level correction data for bringing the reproduction characteristics of an image that is output by the printing unit close to a target value; a unit configured to generate adjusted tone level correction data obtained by adjusting the tone level correction data so that a predetermined density area increases in density; and a unit configured to generate color material amount correction data adjusted so that the amount of color material that is used for image formation becomes small in accordance with the degree of the adjustment in the adjusted tone level correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9349161
    Abstract: Edge enhancement processing is performed for the luminance of each pixel of an image, and the correction value of the pixel after the edge enhancement processing is decided according to the saturation of each pixel of the image. The value of the pixel after the edge enhancement processing is corrected using the decided correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20150365562
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus specifies pixels other than a white pixel which are included in a window, the window including a target pixel and pixels in the vicinity of the target pixel in a scanned image. Thereafter, the image processing apparatus averages color values of the specified pixels other than the white pixel, and then determines whether the target pixel is a color pixel based on a color value obtained by the averaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9201371
    Abstract: A limit value of a recording material is determined based on a difference between a maximum density value of an image formed by an image forming unit and a maximum density value to be targeted by an image processing apparatus, and the amount of the recording material corresponding to the image data is controlled so as to be the determined limit value or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura
  • Patent number: 9146514
    Abstract: There exists a problem that, for registration correction, carrying out less-than-one-pixel-basis correction and one-pixel-basis correction for an image after half toning using screen processing causes unevenness in density when it is hard for linearity of image density against a PWM to come out. Processing of interpolation is carried out so that the way how a halfdot is formed may always becomes the same after the interpolation processing. By applying a matrix in consideration of a dot direction which may be broken by the interpolation processing at the time of the screen processing, conversion in which a way of locating the half dot maintains relation of vertical inversion in a subscanning direction is carried out, and less-than-one-pixel-basis correction is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tamura