Abstract: An edge pixel is extracted from an input image by an edge determination section, an object image section is extracted by an object-image extraction section, and a first characteristic amount of the object image section in a first local pixel block containing a first target pixel is calculated by a first-characteristic-amount calculation section. A classification is made as to whether the first target pixel is a character edge pixel or a dot edge pixel by an edge-class determination section on the basis of the result of extraction for the edge pixel and the first characteristic amount. A second characteristic amount of a second local pixel block containing a second target pixel is calculated by a second-characteristic-amount calculation section on the basis of the edge classification result. The image of the second target pixel is classified by an image-class determination section on the basis of the second characteristic amount.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a halftone frequency determining section for determining a halftone frequency of an input image data including a plurality of color components. The halftone frequency determining section includes: a threshold value setting section for setting a threshold value for a segment block that is consisting of a plurality of pixels, the threshold value being for use in binarization; a threshold value adjusting section for adjusting the threshold value according to input image data in order to remove an influence of an unnecessary color component; a maximum transition number averaging section for averaging maximum transition numbers of the binary data according to the adjusted threshold value in order to obtain a maximum transition number average; and a halftone frequency estimating section for estimating the halftone frequency from the maximum transition number average.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a halftone frequency determining section for determining a halftone frequency of an image data consisting of plural color components.

Abstract: The halftone frequency determining section is provided with a flat halftone discriminating section for extracting information of density distribution per segment block, and discriminating, based on the information of density distribution, whether the segment block is a flat halftone region in which density transition is low or of a non-flat halftone region in which the density transition is high; a threshold value setting section for setting a threshold value for use in binarization; a binarization section for performing the binarization in order to generate binary data of each pixel in the segment block according to the threshold value; a transition number calculating section for calculating out transition numbers of the binary data; and a maximum transition number averaging section for averaging the transition numbers which are of the segment block discriminated as the flat halftone region by the flat halftone discriminating section, and which are calculated out by a maximum transition number calculating se

Abstract: The invention provides a technology which utilizes donor lymphocyte infusion and by which malignant tumor can be treated without causing such an adverse effect as graft versus host disease. Thus, a method for the treatment of malignant tumor is provided which comprises performing, in a patient requiring such treatment, donor lymphocyte infusion for the graft versus tumor reaction-based treatment of tumor and then performing radiation treatment, infusion of lymphocytes derived from the host or a third party identical in HLA type to the host, and intra bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation using bone marrow cells derived from the host or a third party identical in HLA type to the host, for the prevention and treatment of the graft versus host disease induced by the donor lymphocyte infusion.

Abstract: In a signal detection circuit for an optical disk, a comparator converts an analog HF signal into a digital HF signal by using a slice level. A dropout detection circuit detects a dropout of the digital HF signal. A charge-pump circuit feeds back a slice-level control voltage to the comparator based on a result of the detection by the dropout detection circuit. A voltage follower holds and outputs a voltage stored in the capacitor. A switch is turned OFF when a dropout signal has been detected, and outputs to the voltage follower the voltage that has been stored in the capacitor during an ON state of the switch. A second switch is turned ON when a dropout signal has been detected, and applies an output of the voltage follower to the comparator.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the provision of an image processing apparatus which enables the characteristic of an image region to be discriminated accurately, even in the presence of pixel displacements, noise, etc. Within masks for three colors, each mask consisting of m×n pixel including an object pixel, sub-region masks of u×v are set, and the sum of pixel densities is calculated by a sum calculation circuit. Based on the thus calculated sum, a parameter calculation circuit calculates a parameter based on which a multi-valued signal generation circuit generates a multi-valued signal. A characteristic signal represented by multi-valued data is generated by a characteristic signal generation circuit from the distribution of data within a region discriminating mask represented by the multi-valued signal, and a segmentation signal representing the result of region characteristic discrimination is output from a segmentation signal generation circuit.

Abstract: A parameter representing whether an effective density pixel exists in an objective image is calculated. As to each interest pixel in the objective image having one pixel neighboring a downstream side in a first direction, the interest pixel is defined as an effective density pixel when a first condition and a second condition is an effective density pixel are satisfied, and in other case, the interest pixel is defined as an ineffective density pixel. The objective image is converted to an update image on one-line reduced lines in the first direction. A parameter representing whether an effective density pixel exists in the update image is calculated. The conversion and the calculation are repeated about the update image as the objective image. When the objective image converts one line in the first direction, the number of continuous pixels of the effective density pixels spatially continuing is calculated based on each parameter.

Abstract: An edge pixel is extracted from an input image by an edge determination section, an object image section is extracted by an object-image extraction section, and a first characteristic amount of the object image section in a first local pixel block containing a first target pixel is calculated by a first-characteristic-amount calculation section. A classification is made as to whether the first target pixel is a character edge pixel or a dot edge pixel by an edge-class determination section on the basis of the result of extraction for the edge pixel and the first characteristic amount. A second characteristic amount of a second local pixel block containing a second target pixel is calculated by a second-characteristic-amount calculation section on the basis of the edge classification result. The image of the second target pixel is classified by an image-class determination section on the basis of the second characteristic amount.

Abstract: An area-separation processing section, installed in an image-processing apparatus of the present invention, is provided with a block memory A for storing image signals, a maximum/minimum pixel detection section, a maximum/minimum pixel feature-amount calculation section and a maximum/minimum pixel classifying section that make a judgment as to what kind of maximum pixel or minimum pixel a target pixel A within the block memory A forms, a block memory B for storing classifying signals outputted from the maximum/minimum pixel classifying section, and a mesh feature-amount calculation section and a mesh judgment section that make a judgment as to whether or not a target pixel B within the block memory B belongs to a mesh area

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a parameter computing means which computes the maximum density value, the summation of density differences, the average density and the maximum density difference for each pixel in a mask containing a target pixel; and a color determination counting circuit which makes appropriate, selective threshold comparisons based on the computed result from the parameter computing circuit to determine an area in a mask as being chromatic, achromatic or ‘the other’ area.

Abstract: The present invention is an image processing apparatus comprising: dividing means for dividing an image signal obtained by scanning an original document into predetermined local blocks and output a predetermined including a target pixel; a binary coding processing section which converts the image signal in the predetermined block into binary code information; means for calculating each area (dimension) of the binary values; means for calculating number of times that the binary values are changed; a threshold processing section for performing threshold processing by properly and selectively using a threshold of the maximum density difference in the predetermined area, each area (dimension) value after binary coding and number of counts as a parameter; and a judgement processing section for judging the image signal in the predetermined area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a region separating section and an automatic adjusting section. The region separating section, upon receiving a reference document having a specified ratio of a character region, a photographic region, and a spot region, recognizes and separates the each region of the received document from one another. The automatic adjusting section (1) counts the number of pixels in each of the separated regions and (2) uses the number of pixels thus counted to change a density conversion table, a filter, or a region separation table so as to adjust the separated state of each region such that the number of pixels thus counted is substantially equal to the number of pixels of the region separation state, thereby improving the accuracy of region separation of the image processing apparatus and the image quality of a final image after it is processed with image processing.

Abstract: A first feature parameter calculating circuit outputs, as a variable of a first feature parameter, a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of signal levels of pixels calculated in a local block having a target pixel at a center. A second feature parameter calculating circuit determines sums of differences in signal level in the local block, along a direction in which the pixels are arranged, and outputs, as a variable of a second feature parameter, a minimum value of the sums. A third feature parameter calculating circuit binarizes the pixels in the local block, and counts the number of succeedingly arranged pixels having equal density, for example, along a main scanning direction, and calculates a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the numbers counted. In the same manner, a difference is also calculated along a sub scanning direction, and larger of two differences is outputted as a variable of a third feature parameter.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a feature data extracting circuit for detecting feature data indicative of density characteristics of a document based on image signals inputted from an input terminal, a density correction table selecting circuit composed of a neural circuit network which is learned beforehand so as to recognize image characteristics based on the feature data, and a density correcting circuit for selecting a density correction table in accordance with image characteristics based on a selection signal from the density correction table selecting circuit so that the density of image signals is corrected based on the density correction table. As a result, characteristics of the document are extracted, so that the density of the image signals can be corrected based thereon.

Abstract: A signal processor sends clock and data signals from a microcomputer via two lines to two ICs of the same configuration. The ICs each have a built-in circuit for discriminating between the clock and data signals. This avoids the necessity of fabricating two kinds of ICs of different addresses, and hence obviates the need for forming extra masks in their manufacturing process, cutting their production costs.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus inputs an image signal obtained by scanning a document in which a character region, a photographic region and a dot region are mixed and stores image data in a local block composed of a target picture element and plural picture elements surrounding the target picture element. The image processing apparatus computes first and second feature parameters P.sub.0 and P.sub.1 representing the features of each region based on the image data in the local block, and inputs the resulting first and second feature parameters P.sub.0 and P.sub.1 to an identification circuit adopting a neural network. The identification circuit outputs the region identification information O.sub.0 and O.sub.1 of the target picture element, and the filter processing circuit performs a spatial filtering process according to the region identification information O.sub.0 and O.sub.1.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor which compresses compressed gas, comprising a sealing container, a compression mechanism which is housed in the sealing container and introduces the compressed gas into its inside to compress the compressed gas, and a frame for fixedly supporting the compression mechanism. A portion where the compression mechanism and the frame are abutted against each other, is provided with a solid propagation wave damping portion which damps a vibratory propagation by suddenly changing a cross section of a abutting portion.

Abstract: A gradation control method in a color thermal transfer printer is adapted to express one pixel by a dot matrix with two rows and two coles, control a density value of one dot with a time for energizing a heating element of a thermal head, and carry out mask patterning for plotting only one of four dots when the gradation of each color for one pixel is not more than a prescribed value while plotting only two of the four dots when the gradation is in excess of the prescribed value. At this time, employed is a mask pattern of necessarily plotting cyan and magenta on dots which are different from each other. A picture quality improving method in a staggered printing system is adapted to plot a noted dot when at least one of such conditions that density data of the noted dot is in excess of a prescribed density value and that density data of any of four dots most approximate to the noted dot is not more than a prescribed low density value is satisfied, even if the noted dot corresponds to that to be masked.

Abstract: The invention provides an automatic level control circuit which restricts and outputs a large input voice level received from microphone without causing the large input voice level to saturate when a microphone is used in a sound generating device such as a ka-ra-o-ke set. An automatic level control circuit includes a first potential divider comprising an automatic level control circuit for restricting sound level. The first potential divider includes a first resistor and a first transistor, where one end terminal of the first resistor is connected to an input terminal. An amplifier is connected to a connection point of the first resistor and the first transistor of said first potential divider and a second potential divider is provided. The second potential divider includes a second resistor and a second transistor connected to an output terminal of said amplifier.