Abstract: In an image-data managing apparatus for a work-flow system, wherein image data transmitted from a server are updated sequentially by a plurality of clients, a temporary storage for temporarily storing data being updated is provided in each client, and an image database, an image-data storage device, a work-flow managing unit, and a recovery-state managing unit are provided in the server.

Abstract: Monochrome multi-color, and full-color documents are automatically discriminated from each other, and character and photograph regions are also determined in an automatic manner, thereby producing appropriate binary image data according to the operation results. An image data transformation apparatus includes a binarizing section for converting image data inputted thereto into binary image data associated with a plurality of different colors, binary image data buffers for temporarily storing therein the binary image data, a decision section for deciding based on the input image data whether the monochrome, color, or multi-color output is to be produced and whether an intermediate-tone or particular color pixel is to be processed, and a binary image data selection/output section for selecting as output therefrom binary image data according to the decision results.

Abstract: An image processing system wherein for an inputted composite image composed of a line image and a dither image, both a line image processing and a dither image processing are carried out in parallel, and one of the processed results as selected in accordance with the image region discrimination result. The dither image processing is carried out through data conversion for calculating multivalued gray scale image from the inputted image data, gray scale data conversion for adjusting the gray scale image data so as to match an output device and obtaining such adjusted gray scale image data, and re-binarization for re-binarizing the gray scale image data after subjected to the gray scale conversion. The image region discrimination for discriminating if an image region is of a line image of a dither image is carried out based on a ratio of the number of black or white pixels within the region to the contour line length within the range.

Abstract: A data processor and a data transfer method for efficiently transferring data between a plurality of information processing devices as in a client server system. In case non-coded data such as image data are transmitted, it is necessary to make the transmission management requirements such as protocol, data structure, coding scheme, and coding default condition coincide between the transmitting side and the receiving side. In order to satisfy this requirement, a data processor lying between a plurality of information processing devices and having a data transfer intermediary function records beforehand transmission management information including identification information concerning a plurality of clients, discriminates a client by using the identification information, and recognizes transmission management information concerning the discriminated client.

Abstract: Color image processing method and apparatus for suppressing side effects of a chrominance emphasizing process are provided. A chrominance C of an original color image is detected by a chrominance detector. A luminousness V of the original color image is detected by a luminousness detector. A parameter selector selects chrominance conversion parameters on the basis of the chrominance C and luminousness V to generate a selected parameter. A chrominance converter executes the chrominance conversion by chrominance conversion parameters a to i. It is possible to suppress a side effect such that the color deviation becomes conspicuous in a portion of small chrominance and luminousness due to the execution of the chrominance emphasizing process. Thus, image data of a high quality can be obtained.

Abstract: A file document image input can have shading removed to produce a deshaded image that is useful for highly efficient compression encoding, to be thereafter stored and transmitted in such efficient encoded form. When the image is retrieved or received, the decoded and deshaded image may have shading returned to it by combining with a shaded template image stored in the template image memory or by synthesizing shading in specified regions. By removing shading from regions, optical character recognition, shading identification or other processing such as smear prevention can be enhanced.

Abstract: An image processing system which has functions for inputting, storing or receiving, as a binary image data, an image as a document including a photograph having a varying brightness density and of outputting a multi-valued, half-tone image data to a display, a printer or the like, and an image processing method. The system includes a restoration processor. The restoration processor includes a storage for storing therein the binary image data scanningly inputted with use of a window of a predetermined size of m.times.n pixels, a white pixel number detector for detecting the number of white pixels in the binary image data within the window, a plurality of calculators for performing multiplication/accumulations operation over the binary image data within the window and a predetermined coefficient matrix to provide a plurality of multi-valued image data, and a selector for selecting one of the plurality of multi-valued image data found by the plurality of calculators.

Abstract: An image filing apparatus and method for receiving as multivalue data an image corresponding to a document, converting the data to binary image data and storing the binary image data. According to the features of the present invention, pixels of that portion of an input image corresponding to a particular color are extracted, and luminance data expressing monochromatic binary image data and binary image data designating colored portions are stored in different planes. Not only black pixels but also pixels expressed in a particular color such as red are described in the plane for the luminance data. Pixels having a particular color to be expressed in "red" such as red characters are extracted and recorded as "1" in another particular color plane, for example, in R-plane different from the luminance plane. The R-plane is recorded with binary image data; only pixels written in "red" are expressed as "1" there and other pixels as "0".

Abstract: A color document image processing apparatus comprising an image input means for inputting document image data including multivalue color image, a binarizing means for binarizing input document image data by a simple binarization or artificial binary-halftone process, an image memory means for temporarily storing image data binarized by said binarizing means, a codec means for executing predetermined coding for storing image data stored in the image memory means and executing decoding to the stored document image data, an image storing means for storing document image data encoded by the codec means, a binary-halftone transducing means for transducing binary image data decoded by the codec means into multivalue image data, and an image output means for outputting multivalue image data transduced by the binary-halftone transducing means.

Abstract: This invention relates to a document image registration system which adds a code which is referred to as "connection data" and inherent to each document to each of image data and indexing data, registrates the connection data added to the image data by use of a header sheet, and automatically associates the image data with the indexing data through the connection data in order to improve efficiency of registration.

Abstract: An image processing system wherein for an inputted composite image composed of a line image and a dither image, both a line image processing and a dither image processing are carried out in parallel, and one of the processed results is selected in accordance with the image region discrimination result. The dither image processing is carried out through data conversion for calculating multivalued gray scale image from the inputted image data, grey scale data conversion for adjusting the gray scale image data so as to match an output device and obtaining such adjusted gray scale image data, and re-binarization for re-binarizing the gray scale image data after subjected to the grey scale conversion. The image region discrimination for discriminating if an image region is of a line image or a dither image is carried out based on a ratio of the number of black or white pixels within the region to the contour line length within the range.

Abstract: A method of superimposing and displaying a color image expressed by color code data and a color image expressed by three primary color dot data comprises the steps of converting the color code data into three primary color density data while converting the three primary color dot data into density data which are in the same form as the three primary color density data, and selectively displaying one of the two density data for each pixel on a display screen. Thus, two types of color image data, i.e., color code data and three primary color dot data are allowed to be handled in the same way and to be superimposed on a color display. This is useful in a color image filing system based on a workstation. In transferring the two types of color image data to a printer, the two image data are combined in memories and transferred to the printer as dot data through the existing printer interface.

Abstract: A picture coding system for a document image data in which a plurality of picture coding methods are subjected to a selection such that document image data is converted so as to obtain an identification code representing the selected coding method and signals obtained by coding the data. The system includes units for detecting and for accumulating code lengths of the codes converted in the respective coding methods, units for detecting and for accumulating a difference between the lengths of the respective codes obtained by the conversion achieved in the coding methods, a storage for storing therein a history of a result of the selection of the preceding coding method, and a change-over judge unit for selecting one of the plural coding methods based on information obtained from the three kinds of units.

Abstract: For halftone digital image data, an edge portion of the image is extracted for each pixel, and based on a density of each pixel or an average density of each group of a plurality of adjacent or neighboring pixels, there are extracted pixels of a background other than the edge portion of the image. Thereafter, the image data is subdivided into a plurality of blocks each including a predetermined number of pixels. Based on distribution states of the pixels of the block judged to belong to the edge and those of the block judged to belong to the background, a domain recognition is conducted to determine whether the block is a binary block or a halftone block. In addition, for each block, a state of areas in blocks encircling the block is examined such that depending on the state, an expansion/contraction processing is repeatedly achieved a predetermined times for the halftone domain, thereby separating the image data into a binary domain and a halftone domain in a real-time fashion.