Abstract: An image forming apparatus for performing at least a copying function includes an engine board, an image reading unit, an image forming unit, a controller board detachably connected to the engine board to add at least one application function to the copying function of the image forming apparatus, an operation unit, and a parallel bus that connects the controller board to the engine board. When the controller board is connected to the engine board, the operation unit displays information of the copying function and the at least one application function, and when the controller board is detached from the engine board, the operation unit displays the information of the copying function. Each of display layouts of the operation unit for the copying function is substantially identical between when the controller board is connected to the engine board and when the controller board is detached from the engine board.

Abstract: The support center inputs the data for updating the processing functions of the image processing apparatus to the apparatus via the LAN. The first non-volatile memory for system control temporarily stores the updating data via the image memory access controller. The second non-volatile memory for system control temporarily stores the updating data via the image memory access controller and the image data controller. The process controller stores the program and the data into the program RAM and the data RAM of the image processor via the image data controller, and updates the processing functions.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image scanning apparatus detect a position of an abnormal pixel caused by obstruction to reflected light from a manuscript due to dust and others and correct the abnormal pixel by using data of normal pixels surrounding the abnormal pixel on the basis of a result of the detection. Based on image data read from a null-image prior to optical reading of a manuscript, an abnormal pixel detecting part detects the position of the abnormal pixel caused by the dust and others lying on a contact glass equipped between the manuscript and a CCD. An abnormal pixel correcting part uses pixel information at the position of the abnormal pixel detected by the abnormal pixel detecting part to correct image data read from the manuscript.

Abstract: The image processing incorporates a regional difference such as an outline/edge area vs. a non-outline area in determining an appropriate correction coefficient. The image processing additionally includes any combination of an intensity level, a sharpness level and predetermined user input values. The input values include a user specified intensity level, a user specified document type, a user specified background removal level and other customized values.

Abstract: In an image-processing apparatus, a digital image signal is stored in a memory, and a memory access control part entirely manages all accesses to the memory with respect to the digital image signal. An image processing part converts the digital image signal stored in the memory into an output image signal to be supplied to an imaging unit outputting a visible image based on the output image signal so that a pixel density of the output image signal is higher than a pixel density of the digital image signal read from the memory and an amount of the output image signal is less than an amount of the digital image signal stored in the memory. Accordingly, the central controlled memory is shared by a plurality of functions so as to effectively use the memory, and a high-quality image can be produced by carrying out a density conversion so as to match the pixel density.

Abstract: An image processor has a controller unit connected to at least one of functional units such as an image reading unit, detects a source of input of image data according to a network I/F or a parallel bus I/F. An image-memory access control section transmits the image data input from each of the functional units to a memory group and also transmits the image data stored in the memory group to the functional unit. A system controller controls the overall apparatus and also controls the image-memory access control section according to the input source of the image data to determine an order of transmitting the image data to the memory group.

Abstract: The image processor comprises a switch that divides image data into m×n pixels, having n lines with m pixels per one line; a group of line memories that store the divided image; a compression device which batch compresses the image data of m×n pixels. Further, a command control unit provides control so as to send the (n−1) lines of image data among m×n pixels of image data to the group of line memories, and the remaining one line of image data directly to the compression device 902, and to send the m×(n−1) pixels of image data stored in the line memories to the compression device.

Abstract: A SIMD type processor includes a SIMD type arithmetic processing section which performs parallel processing by using a plurality of ALUs; and a global processor 102 that provides data to be arithmetically processed to a register and a data register group and provides the same instruction to each of the ALUs. Upon input of an interruption request for carrying out other parallel processing by interrupting a parallel processing currently carried out by the SIMD type arithmetic processing section, the global processor decides if the other parallel processing requested by the interruption request is to be carried out. The global processor suspends the parallel processing currently being carried out, when necessary. Then, the global processor provides data to be arithmetically processed by the interruption processing to the register and the data register group, and provides the same instruction necessary for carrying out the interruption processing to each of the ALUs.

Abstract: To solve problems associated with undesirable duplication of see-through back image in a double-sided input document, a method of and a system for substantially eliminating the undesirable see-through back images initially scanns a front side image and a back side image from the double-sided document and store the scanned images. The front side image has portions, and some of the portions include an original front image as well as a see-through back image from the back side image. An edge amount for each of the portions is determined in the front side image. The see-through back images are separated from the original front images based upon the edge amount. To further improve the correct removal of the undesired see-through back image, the above processed portions having a certain edge are smoothed. Character portions and dot pattern portions are further separated from background portions in the smoothed data.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus is provided with a plural memory controllers, each of which controls a RAM. The memory controllers are connected to an SIMD type arithmetic processing section. A control register is connected to the memory controllers. The control register controls transfer of image data between the RAMs and the SIMD type arithmetic processing section.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus comprises a reading unit which simultaneously reads image data from two, an obverse and a reverse, surfaces of a document, and a compressing unit which compresses received image data. The apparatus further comprises a controlling unit which orchestrates a flow of image data from the reading unit to the compressing unit in such a manner that the image data corresponding to the obverse surface and the reverse surface is input into the compressing unit at different timing.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus comprises an image data control section and a system controller. The image data control section is connected to any one or more of a sensor board unit, an image-memory access control section, an image processor, a video data control section, and a facsimile control unit. The system controller switches, when the image data to be transmitted to the image data control section conflicts with one another, a transmission mode of the image data in conflict with one another. Further, the image-memory access control section and the image processor share jobs of performing image processing on the image data.

Abstract: In the image processing apparatus a matrix selector selects a position matrix for determining the gradation direction. The gradation direction is the direction of a contrast of a gradation at a position of a target pixel and a dispersion matrix for determining a spatial frequency at the position of the target pixel. Further, a pixel interpolator divides the target pixel into still smaller pixels. A table selector selects a conversion table for determining a gradation level of the smaller pixels based on the gradation level of the target pixel, the position matrix and the dispersion matrix.

Abstract: A programmable image processor capable of realizing a plurality of image formation operations is comprised of an SIMD type data operation processing section, RAMs, memory controllers, and memory switches. The memory controller and the memory switches selectively connect the plurality of RAMs to the data operation processing section thereby changing the memory capacity allotted to each image formation operation among a plurality of image formation operations.

Abstract: An image processing device capable of writing two lines at the same time and applicable to an apparatus using digital image data is disclosed. A data bus width control section controls the bus width of input data. A temporary storage temporarily stores data input thereto. A data control section controls the reading and writing of data out of the temporary storage. A two line section produces two lines for writing two lines of input data at the same time. A data converting section converts parallel data to serial data. A multilevel section transforms an input bilevel image to a multilevel image. A rate varying section varies the rate of multilevel data input thereto. A data selecting section selects processed multilevel image data. A register control section executes register control with at least data stored in a storage included in the multilevel section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a converter for reading out a manuscript image signal and converting the read-out signal to an electric signal. A signal processor executes signal processing for the electric signal, and an image generator generates an image in accordance with the processed signal. An outputting unit separates a character area and a photograph area of the manuscript from the read-out signal and outputs an area signal. A changing-over circuit changes over a filtering process in accordance with the area signal. A halftone processor executes in parallel a halftone process for the character area image and a halftone process for the photograph area image, and the changing-over circuit selectively changes over the halftone processing result for the character and the halftone processing result in accordance with the area signal.

Abstract: With the present invention, an inputted color image is separated to image signals for three colors of Red, Green and Blue, determination is made as to whether a remarked pixel is for a specified color or not according to the image signals for the separated three colors, brightness data for the inputted color image is detected, determination is made as to whether a remarked pixel is for a white color or a black color depending on the detected brightness data, a pixel determined as for a specified color is converted to a specified color, and a pixel determined as not for a specified color is converted to a white color or a black color according to a result of determination as to whether the remarked pixel is for a white color or a black color, so that a separation area for a specified color can clearly be defined.

Abstract: A freely configurable image processing apparatus comprises a plurality of processing sections each executing a specified processing to a digital image signal; namely a scanner section, a shading section, a filter section, an image size changing section, a .gamma.-conversion section, a tone processing section, an editorial section, a storage section, an external interface section, a printing section, and a plot section, wherein a sequence of processing by these processing section can freely be changed by a selector control section according to an instruction from a main control section by switching a mains elector and an out selector connected to each processing section.

Abstract: In order to realize reduction of product cost without deteriorating quality of a regenerated image, there is provided by the present invention an image regenerating apparatus comprising an emphasizing unit for filtering an image for emphasis, a smoothing unit for filtering image for smoothing, an area determinator for determining a character area and a photograph area of an image, selecting said emphasizing unit for said character area and also selecting said smoothing unit for said photograph area, an image size changing unit for changing size of an image according to a set image size changing ratio, and a controller for providing control so that said area determinator executes specified selection when an image size changing ratio set by said image size changing unit is equal to or larger than a specified magnification ratio.

Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus includes an input part for inputting digital signals indicating an image and for inputting supplementary digital signals, a composition part for coding the digital signals through a prescribed coding process so as to generate a matrix of blocks in which coded data described by coefficients produced through the coding process is contained, the blocks being arranged in two-dimensional coordinates depending on a level of a frequency corresponding to each of coded digital signals, a first control part for determining a first region of low-frequency blocks in which the coded data corresponding to the digital signals are substantially located within the matrix, and a second control part for placing allocation data defining a location of the first region within the matrix into a maximum-frequency block of the matrix, and for placing data corresponding to the supplementary digital signals into a second region of high-frequency blocks of the matrix.