Abstract: An image processing apparatus converts multi-valued data into multi-valued quantized data having fewer levels than the multi-valued data. The apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires threshold values, a provisional quantization unit that sets a provisional quantized value with respect to the multi-valued data, and a quantization unit that decides a quantized value with respect to the multi-valued data based on a result of comparing comparative multi-valued data for the multi-valued data to the threshold value. The quantization unit decides the quantized value so that in a case where the multi-valued data is the same intermediate value, pixels having the value larger than provisional quantized value increase, pixels having the provisional quantized value do not change in number, and pixels having the value smaller than the provisional quantized value decrease in a designated pixel area as the value of the multi-valued data rises.

Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus for conveying a print medium and performing printing on the conveyed print medium, the printing apparatus including a print data acquisition unit configured to acquire print data in which digital watermark information is added to image data, the digital watermark information being used to identify a position of an image of the image data on a print medium, a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium based on the print data, a conveyance information acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to conveyance of a print medium, based on information on the position of the image that is obtained by detection of digital watermark information in an image read by a reading unit, and a print control unit configured to control printing by the printing unit, based on the acquired information relating to conveyance.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for applying a color balance correction to input image data, comprises a first highlight color calculation unit which estimates a light source at the time of shooting from pixel values of the image data, converts color values of the image data based on a condition of the estimated light source at the time of shooting, and calculates a first highlight color; a second highlight color calculation unit which calculates a second highlight color from the image data; a third highlight color calculation unit which calculates a third highlight color based on a positional relationship between the first highlight color and the second highlight color on a color space; and a correction unit which attains the color balance correction by converting the pixel values of the image data using the third highlight color.

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: There is provided a printing apparatus for conveying a print medium and performing printing on the conveyed print medium, the printing apparatus including a print data acquisition unit configured to acquire print data in which digital watermark information is added to image data, the digital watermark information being used to identify a position of an image of the image data on a print medium, a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium based on the print data, a conveyance information acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to conveyance of a print medium, based on information on the position of the image that is obtained by detection of digital watermark information in an image read by a reading unit, and a print control unit configured to control printing by the printing unit, based on the acquired information relating to conveyance.

Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus that conveys a print medium and performs printing on the conveyed print medium, the printing apparatus including a print data generation unit configured to generate print data by performing predetermined pseudo halftone processing of image data to be printed for quantizing the image data; a pattern data generation unit configured to generate print data on a detection pattern by performing the same predetermined pseudo halftone processing of data on the detection pattern for quantizing the data on the detection pattern; a pattern printing unit configured to print a detection pattern based on the generated print data on the detection pattern; a measuring unit configured to measure the printed detection pattern; and a print control unit configured to control printing based on the print data generated for the image data, based on a measurement result of the detection pattern.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method are provided by which information printed on a printing medium can be used to appropriately control an image printing while allowing the entire printing apparatus to have a simpler and smaller configuration. An image is printed on a conveyed sheet by yellow, black, cyan, and magenta inks ejected from printing heads. The yellow ink ejected from the printing head is used to print an image in which information for sensing a sheet conveying amount is embedded by an electronic watermark. The information is read by a sensor unit. Based on the reading result, a printing control is performed. The printing head to eject yellow ink is positioned at an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction than the sensor unit. The printing head to eject black ink is positioned at a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction than the sensor unit.

Abstract: An optical receiver includes a light receiving element configured to convert an input light signal into an electric current, a current mirror circuit including a reference current side transistor and a mirror current side transistor, the transistor being connected to the light receiving element, a current-voltage conversion circuit configured to convert an output current from the transistor into a voltage and output the voltage as a light reception level monitor voltage of the light receiving element, and a current sink circuit connected to the transistor and configured to feed an electric current to the transistor.

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.

Abstract: Area information is obtained with respect to a specified color and nozzle position having color unevenness. Then, coordinate information indicating a nozzle position corresponding to the above area information is obtained in a printing head or nozzle array corresponding to an ink color relating to the specified color information. Next, the number of candidate correction values or candidate patches is obtained on the basis of nozzle coordinates obtained corresponding to the area, by referring to a table. In this table, for example, the number of candidate correction values is small at a nozzle position where an effect due to the variations of nozzle ejection characteristics such as a nozzle ejection volume is small and a change direction is constant, and the number of candidate correction values is large at a nozzle position where an effect due to variations of nozzle ejection characteristics is large.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit which acquires first image data indicating a first gray-scale value of an image having a first attribute and a second image data indicating a second gray-scale value of an image having a second attribute that is different from the first attribute, a correcting unit which corrects the first gray-scale value and the second gray-scale value acquired by the acquiring unit on basis of information on an ejection characteristic of a discharge head to different extents, the discharge head ejecting liquid to be used for forming the first image and the second image on a recording medium with dots.

Abstract: An optical receiver includes a light receiving element configured to convert an input light signal into an electric current, a current mirror circuit including a reference current side transistor and a mirror current side transistor, the transistor being connected to the light receiving element, a current-voltage conversion circuit configured to convert an output current from the transistor into a voltage and output the voltage as a light reception level monitor voltage of the light receiving element, and a current sink circuit connected to the transistor and configured to feed an electric current to the transistor.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire first image data representing gradation of a black character image, and second image data having a resolution lower than that of the first image data and representing gradation of a color image; a first generating unit configured to generate first dot data in accordance with a gradation value of each pixel in the first image data acquired by the acquiring unit; and a second generating unit configured to assign a number of dots to each pixel in the second image data, the number being greater than the maximum number of dots to be assigned by the first generating unit to each pixel in the first image data, and generating dot data for forming an image having an image attribute, in accordance with a gradation value of each pixel in the second image data acquired by the acquiring unit.

Abstract: An optical receiver including: a preamplifier capable of changing a conversion gain in accordance with a reception level of a received burst signal; a gain control circuit capable of switching between a fast time constant and a slow time constant; and a convergence determination circuit for outputting a time constant switching signal in accordance with a state of the gain control circuit (transient state or steady state) and a reset signal between the burst signals. This configuration can switch the time constant of the gain control circuit at an appropriate timing.

Abstract: Provided is a dither pattern generation method so that a dot arrangement having excellent dispersibility can be obtained in low-gradation areas for single colors and for mixed colors. The dither pattern generation method generates dot patterns for low-gradation areas having threshold values 1 to S so that high dispersibility is obtained in a cyan dot pattern and a magenta dot pattern, and so that in a combined dot pattern made by combining these dot patterns there are no overlapping pixels. The dither pattern generation method then sets threshold values for a cyan dither pattern and a magenta dither pattern based on these generated dot patterns.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit; wherein a first dither pattern and a second dither pattern have same threshold values that are set for same pixels in a first gradation range, and have different threshold values that are set for same pixels in a second gradation range that exceeds the first gradation range; and the generation unit sets a first threshold value for forming dots of the first dither pattern, and generates a first binary data according to whether or not a threshold value corresponding to a target pixel of the first dither pattern is included in the first threshold value, and sets a second threshold value for forming dots of the second dither pattern, and generates a second binary data according to whether or not a threshold value corresponding to a target pixel of the second dither pattern is included in the second threshold value.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus that can accurately and efficiently reduce color unevenness that occurs in a color image, which is formed by color mixture of a plurality of different types of inks, due to a variation in ejection characteristic among nozzles. The inks are respectively ejected from the nozzle arrays to print patches; regions where color correction for test color images should be performed are specified; a different types of color correction processing for color signals corresponding to the color correction regions are performed to print color correction patches; a color correction patch to be used is selected; on the basis of selected color correction processing, a table parameter corresponding to a nozzle is formed; when the plurality of color correction patches are formed, only correction candidate values having larger color differences than a predetermined threshold value in a uniform color space are generated for color signals.