Abstract: A print system for performing image processing on an original image and outputting a print in which the original image is reproduced. The system includes image processing unit to process the original image or image data thereof; setting unit for setting the image processing in the image processing unit with the original image as image data, in accordance with the image data or an instruction input from outside; storing unit for storing image processing information of the original image processed by the image processing unit and retrieval information for retrieving the original image; and retrieval unit for retrieving image processing information of a corresponding original image corresponding to the supplied retrieval information, wherein when reprocessing the original image the setting unit sets an image processing by the processing unit in this reprocessing by adding image information retrieved by retrieval unit.

Abstract: The image reading method and apparatus read photoelectrically an original image by an image sensor and convert an output signal of the image sensor into a digital signal. At least one of an adjusting step of a quantity of light incident upon the image sensor by a light transmittance adjusting operation in an optical path, a sensing condition control step in the image sensor, and an intensity adjusting step of the output signal from the image sensor is used and a maximum value of a signal upon being converted into the digital signal is set to be constant without recourse to the original image. The method and apparatus can attain following effects that a variable aperture is unnecessary, a shading fluctuation occurred in a light quantity adjusting operation is eliminated, and an image reading operation with a maximum use of a dynamic range of a scanner by an apparatus at low costs and at high precision can be executed, in an operation for photoelectircally reading an image.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus has nonlinear processing device that performs nonlinear processing on a digital color signal. The nonlinear processing device comprises gray region discriminating device which discriminates whether the digital color signals are present in a gray proximate region including gray signals and region correspondence nonlinear processing device which performs the nonlinear processing differently in accordance with cases where the digital color signals are discriminated as signals inside the gray proximate region being present in the vicinity of the gray signals or as signals outside the gray proximate region being not present in the vicinity of the gray signals by the gray region discriminating device.

Abstract: The color correcting method and the image reading apparatus estimate a spectral sensitivity characteristic of an image reading apparatus using a measured value obtained by measuring a reference original with a preset measuring instrument or a characteristic value of the reference original and a statistic calculated by analyzing an image signal value obtained by reading the reference original with the image reading apparatus, create an input color correction parameter from the estimated spectral sensitivity characteristic and correct an image signal of an original image read with the image reading apparatus using the input color correction parameter. As a result, according to the method and the apparatus, when the original image is photoelectrically read, the dispersion of the spectral sensitivities of scanners (image reading apparatus) can be preferably corrected, whereby images of high quality in which appropriate colors are reproduced can be stably reproduced in a digital photoprinter and the like.

Abstract: The image reader comprises n(integer of 2 or more) pieces of line sensors arranged in parallel disposed at an equal pitch and shifted at a 1/n pitch in a sensor arranging direction (main scanning direction) with respect to other line sensors, first compensating unit for compensating spatial positions of the line sensors, second compensating unit for compensating a train of signals of each of the line sensors so that a predetermined moving average of a target pixel of the signal train in one line sensor among the line sensors is, in a signal train of another line sensor among them, coincident with a predetermined moving average of a target pixel corresponding to the target pixel in the one line sensor, and interleaving unit for interleaving the signals which have been compensated by the second compensating unit. The image reader is capable of increasing a resolution while simply keeping an area of light receiving elements of a sensor to some extent at a low cost.

Abstract: These methods for correcting density characteristic and color store previously a reference measured value obtained by measuring a reference original with a reference measuring instrument, read the same reference original with an image reading apparatus which is a target to be corrected, compare an statistic obtained by analyzing the thus read value with the stored reference measured value and calculate at least one of an input density characteristic correction parameter and an input color correction parameter, based on the obtained result. As a result, these methods can suitably correct the unevenness of the various characteristics, the unevenness of the spectral sensitivity or both of the image reading apparatus (scanner) caused by light sources, optical filters, image sensors or the like and perform the correction of the density characteristic which is a basis of an appropriate color reproduction in accordance with the original image, the color correction for obtaining a constant color reproduction or both.

Abstract: In an auto set up process for performing auto setup operations to automatically determine conditions for processing an image on the basis of captured images, not only is a histogram process for constructing histograms performed, but also regional processing is performed using the captured images. Both the constructed histograms and the result of the regional processing are used to calculate the conditions used for processing the image. The precision of the auto setup procedure is enhanced by using captured images, for example, prescanned images that are suitable for the respective auto setup operations. The process also permits the use of an image of medium or low resolution in the regional processing. As a result, the capacity of the image memory and the amount of calculations can be sufficiently reduced to increase the processing speed and, hence, shorten the processing time. In other words, the overall cost of the image processor that performs the auto setup procedure can be reduced.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a K histogram calculating device for calculating a histogram of the density of a color image, after conversion to a monochrome image, and for converting it to a digital signal. Further, the apparatus includes a first reference density level calculating device for calculating a first reference density level corresponding to the density of white regions of the color image; a second reference density level calculating device for calculating a second higher reference density level; a third reference density level calculating device for calculating a third reference density level corresponding to the density of black regions of the color image; and a fourth reference density level calculating device for calculating, based on the second and third reference density levels, a fourth reference density level corresponding to an intermediate density of the color image.