Abstract: A mask processor sets a mask area based on a shape of a print sheet read by an image sensor, masks an outer peripheral portion of a print image using the mask area, and causes a print engine to form a mask-processed print image. The mask processor (a) identifies a pixel in which the print sheet is detected in a line image obtained from an output of the image sensor, (b) detects a sub-scanning-direction reference position corresponding to an edge of the print sheet based on the number of pixels in which the print sheet is detected, and (c) sets a linear edge of the mask area at a line spaced apart by a specific number of offset lines from a line where the sub-scanning-direction reference position is detected toward a center of the print sheet.

Abstract: A mask processor sets a mask area based on a shape of a print sheet read by an image sensor, masks an outer peripheral portion of a print image using the mask area, and causes a print engine to form a mask-processed print image. The mask processor (a) identifies a pixel in which the print sheet is detected in a line image obtained from an output of the image sensor, (b) detects a sub-scanning-direction reference position corresponding to an edge of the print sheet based on the number of pixels in which the print sheet is detected, and (c) sets a linear edge of the mask area at a line spaced apart by a specific number of offset lines from a line where the sub-scanning-direction reference position is detected toward a center of the print sheet.

Abstract: An input circuit writes image data into a line buffer. An output circuit reads pixel data of a pixel to be sampled among the pixel data, the pixel specified correspondingly to a shrinking ratio. Further, with a throughput obtained by multiplying a throughput of the output circuit by a square of an inverse number of the shrinking ratio, the input circuit skips another pixel than the pixel to be sampled among the pixel data of an input block of a predetermined size that extends over lines of an inverse number of the shrinking ratio, and writes the pixel data into the line buffer. Upon writing pixel data of an adjacent input block of the input block in a secondary scanning direction into the line buffer, the output circuit reads from the line buffer the pixel data of the pixel to be sampled and continuously outputs the pixel data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head that ejects inks of different colors on a recording medium to form an image based on image data, a storage device that stores a plurality of different dot patterns for flushing, and a control device that functions as: a controller that allows the recording head to make flushing; an image area detector that detects an image area in the image data; an overlapping dot counter that counts a number of overlapping dots for each of the plurality of dot patterns according to which flushing is to be made on the image area, the number of overlapping dots being a number of dots in the dot pattern of the ink ejected on the image area; and a dot pattern assignor that assigns, according to the number of overlapping dots, the respective dot patterns for use in flushing with the inks of different colors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a display, an imaging camera, a storage device, and a control device. The imaging camera captures an image of a user around the image forming apparatus. The storage device previously stores face images of users. When an instruction for executing a job is given by a user, the control device causes the image forming apparatus to execute the job instructed. When detecting a face image from the captured image captured by the imaging camera while causing the image forming apparatus to execute a job, the controller determines if the detected face image matches with any of the face images stored in the storage device, approves the face image determined to match, and causes the display to display a status of a waiting-for-execution job that is instructed by the user whom the approved face image indicates and different from the job under execution.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head that ejects inks of different colors on a recording medium to form an image based on image data, a storage device that stores a plurality of different dot patterns for flushing, and a control device that functions as: a controller that allows the recording head to make flushing; an image area detector that detects an image area in the image data; an overlapping dot counter that counts a number of overlapping dots for each of the plurality of dot patterns according to which flushing is to be made on the image area, the number of overlapping dots being a number of dots in the dot pattern of the ink ejected on the image area; and a dot pattern assignor that assigns, according to the number of overlapping dots, the respective dot patterns for use in flushing with the inks of different colors.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a block output unit, an arithmetic processing circuit, a data reading circuit, and a block descriptor generation unit. The block output unit outputs a block image based on an input block descriptor. The data reading circuit reads the block image after image processing from the arithmetic processing circuit based on an output block descriptor and outputs the block image after the image processing. The arithmetic processing circuit executes the image processing on block images for one band in accordance with an input band request. The data reading circuit outputs block images for one band in accordance with an output band request. The block descriptor generation unit stores input block descriptors and output block descriptors for at least one band in the predetermined memory in line with timing of the input band request or the output band request.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a display, an imaging camera, a storage device, and a control device. The imaging camera captures an image of a user around the image forming apparatus. The storage device previously stores face images of users. When an instruction for executing a job is given by a user, the control device causes the image forming apparatus to execute the job instructed. When detecting a face image from the captured image captured by the imaging camera while causing the image forming apparatus to execute a job, the controller determines if the detected face image matches with any of the face images stored in the storage device, approves the face image determined to match, and causes the display to display a status of a waiting-for-execution job that is instructed by the user whom the approved face image indicates and different from the job under execution.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a block output unit, an arithmetic processing circuit, a data reading circuit, and a block descriptor generation unit. The block output unit outputs a block image based on an input block descriptor. The data reading circuit reads the block image after image processing from the arithmetic processing circuit based on an output block descriptor and outputs the block image after the image processing. The arithmetic processing circuit executes the image processing on block images for one band in accordance with an input band request. The data reading circuit outputs block images for one band in accordance with an output band request. The block descriptor generation unit stores input block descriptors and output block descriptors for at least one band in the predetermined memory in line with timing of the input band request or the output band request.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line memory, a block outputting unit, a data writing unit, a data reading unit, and a controller. To the line memory, a memory area is allocated, and the memory area has a width of a constant number of words in a static RAM (Random Access Memory). The block outputting unit is configured to output image data of an image block obtained by dividing a document image. The data writing unit is configured to write the image data of the image block into the line memory. The data reading unit is configured to read the image data from the line memory word by word, and output the image data in an order corresponding to a rotation angle. The controller is configured to set a block size of the image block as a value corresponding to the rotation angle.

Abstract: A read circuit outputs input pixel blocks to a line buffer. An arithmetic processing circuit reads an input pixel block from the line buffer and executes rotation processing to derive an output pixel block. A controller sets an output block height to the largest integer fraction of an output band height so that the output pixel block fits within an input band in an input pixel coordinate system, extends the width of the output pixel block so that the output pixel block fits within a maximum width of the input pixel block in the input pixel coordinate system, reduces the width of the output pixel block according to the size of the output pixel block in the input pixel coordinate system and the number of pixel lines in the line buffer, and sets the size of the input pixel block based on the size of the output pixel block.

Abstract: A read circuit outputs input pixel blocks to a line buffer. An arithmetic processing circuit reads an input pixel block from the line buffer and executes rotation processing to derive an output pixel block. A controller sets an output block height to the largest integer fraction of an output band height so that the output pixel block fits within an input band in an input pixel coordinate system, extends the width of the output pixel block so that the output pixel block fits within a maximum width of the input pixel block in the input pixel coordinate system, reduces the width of the output pixel block according to the size of the output pixel block in the input pixel coordinate system and the number of pixel lines in the line buffer, and sets the size of the input pixel block based on the size of the output pixel block.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line memory, a block outputting unit, a data writing unit, a data reading unit, and a controller. To the line memory, a memory area is allocated, and the memory area has a width of a constant number of words in a static RAM (Random Access Memory). The block outputting unit is configured to output image data of an image block obtained by dividing a document image. The data writing unit is configured to write the image data of the image block into the line memory. The data reading unit is configured to read the image data from the line memory word by word, and output the image data in an order corresponding to a rotation angle. The controller is configured to set a block size of the image block as a value corresponding to the rotation angle.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an imaging unit, an image data analysis unit, and an image combination unit. The imaging unit images the document image multiple times from mutually differing angles to generate a plurality of data images each representing the document image. The image data analysis unit performs matching on the plurality of data images by matching the plurality of data images, on a per-region basis in each of the plurality of images of the document represented by the plurality of data images, so as to obtain per-region brightnesses for the plurality of data images, and comparing the obtained brightnesses among the plurality of data images to select from among the plurality of data images each data image whose region is comparatively brighter. The image compositing unit uses the data images selected on the per-region basis as comparatively bright to generate a composite data image.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an imaging unit, an image data analysis unit, and an image combination unit. The imaging unit images the document image multiple times from mutually differing angles to generate a plurality of data images each representing the document image. The image data analysis unit performs matching on the plurality of data images by matching the plurality of data images, on a per-region basis in each of the plurality of images of the document represented by the plurality of data images, so as to obtain per-region brightnesses for the plurality of data images, and comparing the obtained brightnesses among the plurality of data images to select from among the plurality of data images each data image whose region is comparatively brighter. The image compositing unit uses the data images selected on the per-region basis as comparatively bright to generate a composite data image.

Abstract: A filter processing unit performs a bandpass filter process for a difference between an output pixel value and an input pixel value of an adjacent pixel to a target pixel. An error diffusion unit performs an error diffusion process of a quantization error for output of the filter processing unit. A quantizer performs quantization for a value obtained by the error diffusion process and thereby determines the output pixel value of the target pixel. The bandpass filter process is performed with characteristics different from each other (a) in respective ones of a primary scanning direction and a secondary scanning direction and (b) for respective ones of the component colors of the image. Furthermore, a filter coefficient of the bandpass filter process independently for each component color of an image is corrected for banding reduction with a correction coefficient corresponding to an angle from the primary scanning direction.

Abstract: An offset calculating unit (2) performs an offset process for a luma plane and/or chroma planes where the offset process compresses a pixel value range by a predetermined offset except for a saturation value. A compression processing unit (3) performs a lossy compression process using frequency conversion for the luma plane and the chroma planes after the offset process performed by the offset calculating unit (2). Further, a decompression processing unit (4) decompresses compressed data generated in the compression process performed by the compression processing unit (3) to a luma plane and chroma planes. An inverse offset calculating unit (5) performs an inverse offset process for a plane for which the offset process has been performed among the luma plane and the chroma planes after decompression by the decompression processing unit (4) where the inverse offset process expands a pixel value range by the offset.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet reading portion, an assimilation surveying portion, a color changing portion, and a printing portion. The sheet reading portion reads image data from a transparent sheet tinted with a predetermined color owned by a user. The assimilation surveying portion looks for, out of printable colors, a particular color that assimilates to the color of the read image data. The color changing portion changes, out of the data of a predetermined document accepted from the user, the color of the data of a concealable character, which is a character concealed when overlaid with the transparent sheet, to the found particular color. The printing portion prints, out of the data of the document, the data of the concealable character in the particular color.

Abstract: A filter processing unit performs a bandpass filter process for a difference between an output pixel value and an input pixel value of an adjacent pixel to a target pixel. An error diffusion unit performs an error diffusion process of a quantization error for output of the filter processing unit. A quantizer performs quantization for a value obtained by the error diffusion process and thereby determines the output pixel value of the target pixel. The bandpass filter process is performed with characteristics different from each other (a) in respective ones of a primary scanning direction and a secondary scanning direction and (b) for respective ones of the component colors of the image. Furthermore, a filter coefficient of the bandpass filter process independently for each component color of an image is corrected for banding reduction with a correction coefficient corresponding to an angle from the primary scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a punch hole detection section, a position calculating section, an image adding section, and an image forming section. The punch hole detection section analyzes image data of a scan image obtained through scanning of an original document to detect two punch hole images. The position calculating section calculates a midpoint between the two punch hole images in the scan image when the two punch hole images are detected. The image adding section adds image data of a midpoint indicating image to the image data of the scan image so that the midpoint indicating image is added to the scan image at a position corresponding to the midpoint. The image forming section performs image formation on a sheet based on the image data of the scan image to which the image data of the midpoint indicating image has been added.