Abstract: An information acquiring unit acquires information indicating whether a color material used at least for image formation is saved. An image-information generating unit creates, when the information acquiring unit acquires the information for saving the color material, image information using the color material of which consumption is saved.

Abstract: An image processing device including an image signal reception unit configured to receive an image signal of an image to be processed; a density reduction area detector configured to detect a density reduction area satisfying predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; a specific image area detector configured to detect a specific image area satisfying predetermined specific image requirements different from the predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; and a density controller configured to reduce density of the density reduction area detected by the density reduction area detector in a non-specific image area other than the specific image area detected by the specific image area detector, and to not reduce density of the density reduction area in the specific image area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a converting unit, and a transmitting unit. The setting unit sets a save-mode for image data to be output to reduce color of image data. When the save-mode is set for image data, the converting unit converts reduces color of the image data to convert the image data into save-mode image data. The transmitting unit transmits the save-mode image data to an external device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus carries, an image apparatus management apparatus or a client apparatus carries out authentication of a user based on user information input by an operator, the user information is then used by the image apparatus management apparatus to obtain a toner save rate of the user, which is then transmitted to the image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus which then carries out an image forming process based on the toner save rate.

Abstract: An information acquiring unit acquires information indicating whether a color material used at least for image formation is saved. An image-information generating unit creates, when the information acquiring unit acquires the information for saving the color material, image information using the color material of which consumption is saved.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to exchange data with an external device, an attribute determination unit, an embedding unit, and a storage unit. The attribute determination unit determines an image attribute of a first image signal to generate an attribute signal indicating the image attribute. The embedding unit embeds the attribute signal in the first image signal in a predetermined format to obtain a second image signal. The storage unit stores the attribute signal and one of the first image signal and the second image signal. The second image signal is transmitted to the external device through the communication unit.

Abstract: An image processing device including an image signal reception unit configured to receive an image signal of an image to be processed; a density reduction area detector configured to detect a density reduction area satisfying predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; a specific image area detector configured to detect a specific image area satisfying predetermined specific image requirements different from the predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; and a density controller configured to reduce density of the density reduction area detected by the density reduction area detector in a non-specific image area other than the specific image area detected by the specific image area detector, and to not reduce density of the density reduction area in the specific image area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus creates attribute information that indicates characteristics of an image from an image data, stores the attribute information created, determines, when a new image data is input from outside, whether the attribute information created from the new image data exists in the attribute information stored. If the attribute information created from the new image data is in the attribute information stored, the image processing apparatus specifies the attribute information, and processes the image data based on the attribute information specified.

Abstract: A filtering processing unit of an image processor includes a component extraction unit, a character edge quantity calculation unit, and a correction unit corresponding to each of a plurality of frequency bands and direction components, and an adder. The component extraction unit extracts signals from a corresponding one of the frequency bands and direction components. The character edge quantity calculation unit calculates a character edge quantity from an output of a corresponding one of the component extraction units. The correction unit performs correction control to the output of a corresponding one of the component extraction units based on a character edge quantity calculated by a corresponding one of the character edge quantity calculation units. The adder adds outputs of all the correction units.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a converting unit, and a transmitting unit. The setting unit sets a save-mode for image data to be output to reduce color of image data. When the save-mode is set for image data, the converting unit converts reduces color of the image data to convert the image data into save-mode image data. The transmitting unit transmits the save-mode image data to an external device.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus embeds decision information that is information about a specific parameter, such as degree of alteration, of an image, into an image signal, and sends the image signal to an external device, such as personal computer, for storage etc. When the image processing apparatus receives the image signal with the decision information embedded in it, the image processing apparatus extracts the decision information from the image signal, determines degree of alteration of the image based on the decision information extracted, sets an image processing parameter based on the degree of alteration determined, and subjects the image signal received to image processing based on the image processing parameter set.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an edge amount calculating device configured to calculate edge amounts of an image in a plurality of directions for each of a plurality of frequency bands of the image. A character edge area determination device determines, based on the calculated edge amounts, whether or not a selected picture element of the image is of a character edge area. A sharpness control device corrects a frequency characteristic of the image by performing a first correction to the edge amounts when the selected picture element is determined to be of a character edge area by the character edge area determining device, and by performing a second correction to the edge amounts when the selected picture element is determined not to be of a character edge area by the character edge area determining device.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first calculating unit that calculates a first feature amount from a color image signal, a first processing unit that processes the color image signal based on the first feature amount to generate a processed signal, a compressing unit that compresses the processed signal to generate a compressed signal, a storage unit that stores the compressed signal, a decompressing unit that decompresses the compressed signal to generate a decompressed signal, a second calculating unit that calculates a second feature amount from the decompressed signal, and a second processing unit that processes the decompressed signal based on the second feature amount. The second feature amount is multinary.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first filtering process device configured to perform a predetermined space frequency characteristic conversion process to input image data having multiple-level gradation. A conversion process device performs a gradation characteristic conversion process to an output result of the first filtering process device. A second filtering process device performs a predetermined space frequency characteristic conversion process to an output result of the conversion process device. A halftone processing device performs a quasi-gradation processing to an output result of the second filtering process device.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed that includes a color separating apparatus for converting input image data into C,M,Y data; generating K data from the C, M, Y data; separating the K data into Bk data and Lk data; and generating C?,M?,Y? data by conducting color conversion on any two of the C,M,Y data. Also included is a dither processing apparatus for selectively applying one of two dither matrices to one of the C?,M?,Y? data in accordance with the color of an output image, and applying a predetermined dither matrix having a periodic structure that matches the periodic structure of one of the selectively applied dither matrices to the other two of the C?,M?,Y? data.

Abstract: A novel image forming system which includes an image input apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and an image output apparatus. The image input apparatus has an input property profile, reads an image, and converts the image into image data using the input property profile. The image processing apparatus executes an image processing operation relative to the image data. The image output apparatus has an output property profile, outputs an image using the output property profile in accordance with the image data processed through the image processing operation. The above-mentioned image processing apparatus includes a property recognizer, a memory, and a property calculator. The property recognizer reads and recognizes the input property profile and the output property profile. The memory prestores a reference property profile.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an input unit that inputs an image signal created by optically scanning a document, a first filtering unit that performs a first filtering process on the image signal input to reduce degradation of image quality caused by optical scanning of the document, a compressing unit that irreversibly compresses the image signal filtered, a storage unit that stores the image signal compressed, an expanding unit that expands compressed image signal stored in the storage unit; and a second filtering unit that performs a second filtering process on the image signal expanded to reduce degradation image quality caused by compression of the image signal.