Abstract: The present invention provides for visual enhancement of text. A text area is selected. A plurality of non-identical images of the text area are captured. Background information is removed from these images. The contrast characteristics of text area of the plurality of images are increased. The contrasted images are combined so as to increase their effective resolution. In an alternative embodiment, the text picture is broken up into a plurality of component colors, and these colors are then sharpened and recombined.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a character extraction unit configured to extract a character string from a document including layout information, a character width acquisition unit configured to acquire space character width information, and a spacing amount determination unit configured to determine a spacing amount of each inter-character space based on the character string extracted by the character extraction unit and the layout information. The apparatus further includes an insertion unit configured to determine whether a space character is to be included in each inter-character space based on the spacing amount of each inter-character space determined by the spacing amount determination unit and the space character width information acquired by the character width acquisition unit, and to insert a space character code into an inter-character space in which a space character is determined to be included.

Abstract: An image formation system comprises a color image formation unit of a color image formation apparatus and a black-and-white image formation unit of a black-and-white image formation apparatus. A determining unit determines whether each page in an input job having both color pages and black-and-whites pages is a color page or black-and-white page. A control unit controls the color image formation unit to form the color pages, and the black-and-white image formation unit to form the black-and-white pages, based on results from the determining unit. In the event that both color pages and black-and-white page are to be formed on a single sheet, a selecting unit selects between a first mode wherein all pages are formed with the color image formation unit, and a second mode wherein the color pages are formed with the color image formation unit and the black-and-white pages are formed with the black-and-white image formation unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed which processes a document described in a structured description language to generate an image. The apparatus analyzes the document and recognizes the size of a font contained in the document. The user is allowed to enter a desired font size for output of the document. The apparatus then executes a drawing process with the entered font size.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a printer, by which an image is printed in a raster mode by counting the number of functions that affect the printing speed from the image, and a method thereof are provided. In this printer controlling method, a page area to be printed is classified into image data and font data, when a printing command is received from an application. Next, the image data is divided into objects and processed in units of objects. Then, the number of functions for outputting the processed objects is counted. If the counted value is equal to or greater than a limit value, the page area is converted into a bitmap.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a plurality of image processing sections for performing predetermined image processing on input image data and for outputting the processed image data. A header in which image processing information is described is added to the input image data in order to create packet data, and the created packet data is transferred sequentially to a plurality of image processing sections. A given image processing section inputs the transferred packet data, performs image processing on the image data in accordance with the image processing information described in the header, recreates packet data by adding a header in which the image processing information is rewritten to the image data after processing, and outputs the recreated packet data. Thus, even in a state in which the number of pieces of image data, the amount of the management information thereof, etc., are large, it is possible to easily manage image processing without imposing a large load on a CPU.

Abstract: In a circumstance where an image processing apparatus is connected to and capable of communicating with a plurality of processing servers each performing a specific data processing service, what kind of processing is performed on document image data read out from a document by image reading means is determined in accordance with the document image data. Then an address of a processing server capable of performing the processing thus determined is searched. Then at least a part of the document image data or character-string image extracted therefrom is supplied to the address thus searched, and the data processing service is requested. From this address, a result of the data processing service is obtained, and the obtained result of the data processing service is outputted.

Abstract: One embodiment pertains to analyzing a document that is to be printed on a transparency, determining whether the document formatting is optimized for transparency printing, and alerting a user if the document formatting is not optimized for transparency printing. Another embodiment pertains to analyzing a document to determine whether the document is a transparency document, determining whether the scanning resolution is appropriate for scanning a transparency where the document is determined to be a transparency document, and alerting a user if the scanning resolution is not appropriate for scanning a transparency where the document is a transparency document and the scanning resolution is inappropriate.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus. The apparatus includes an image processing unit to process printing data into image data capable of being outputted; and a controller to control the image processing unit to perform an edge emphasis processing of the font if a size of the font included in the printing data is greater than a predetermined minimum font size.

Abstract: A controller for a four-drum printer eliminates a need for an expensive inter-drum delay memory, which has been conventionally used, to print an RGB image and allows a multifunction machine, printer, and the like to be provided at low cost. An image ring interface reads an image data containing the same tile, which is stored in a tile pattern in a RAM, four times with a delay corresponding to a delay (10 lines of tiles) of image formation between image forming sections, and sequentially transfers the image data to four image output interfaces.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus uses a layout analysis section, a character/background color extraction section, an input image character/background color difference calculation section, an output image character/background color difference estimation section and a color conversion parameter correction section, thereby executing a process (pre-process) for generating a second color conversion parameter, and then uses a first color conversion section, a second color conversion section and a color conversion switching section, thereby executing color conversion (main process) of input color image data.

Abstract: A method operative to automatically exclude unwanted or wasteful portions of a printing system job includes steps for, describing an unwanted portion of the job, and locating instances of the described portion within the job. For example, blank pages are located within a copy job and removed from an output stream, thereby conserving material, time, and reducing equipment wear. A printing system, such as, for example, an electronic document processor, fax machine or copier, operative to perform the method, includes a pattern detector and a portion deleter. The pattern detector searches input data for portions matching an unwanted portion description. When appropriate, the portion deleter removes unwanted portions from the input data.

Abstract: When multiple pages of a document are condensed and printed on a single sheet of printing media, an image data generator condenses the page image data by a prescribed reduction ratio. A sequence information overlayer overlays layout sequence information such as numerals or arrows, or borders or shading of different densities or colors, on the condensed image data. A recording device prints the condensed image data and overlaid sequence information on the single sheet of printing media. The reader of the condensed document recognizes the condensed page sequence from the overlaid sequence information, and can therefore always tell which page to read next. A print sample image of the single sheet preferably includes a sequence line graphically illustrating the page layout sequence.

Abstract: A method and system for printing electronic document information from a wireless device is described. In one aspect, a wireless communication component is configured to receive electronic document information over a wireless connection. A printer interface component is configured to communicate the electronic document information to a printing device for generating a hard copy document that is based on the electronic document information. A payment component controls the printing of documents by requiring the user to provide monetary payment prior to the hard copy documents being generated.

Abstract: 600 dpi binary character shape data is created from 600 dpi character data inputted by a PC and written sequentially to a memory. The 600 dpi character data inputted from the PC and 300 dpi image data are stored as 300 dpi 8-bit graphics data. Next, 600 dpi 8-bit multi-value graphics data is created by dividing each pixel in the 300-dpi 8-bit graphics data into four small pixels. First and second correction processes are performed using a first correction table and the superimposed data is printed at a uniform 600 dpi printing density.

Abstract: There are provided new and improved methods and systems for producing machine-generated handwriting having realistic human appearance. In various embodiments, the handwriting may include characteristics of particular classes and/or characteristics of particular individuals. The handwriting includes an appropriate degree of randomness so as to be realistic in appearance. In a particular embodiment of the invention, at least one sample of a particular individual's handwriting is scanned and analyzed to determine the characteristics thereof. The handwriting characteristics include a degree of randomness representative of the scanned handwriting sample(s). The handwriting may be printed on a conventional printer, for example to generate a communication for a recipient.

Abstract: A print data output device to select a printer language and a method of selecting a printer language are provided. According to the print data output device, a graphics device interface (GDI) unit may be used to divide print data into objects and to call associated calling functions of the objects. A printer driver may be used to collect and count the called associated calling functions collected of the objects in a corresponding count result, to select an optimum printer language among a plurality of printer languages based on the count results, to receive the objects of the print data from the GDI unit, and to convert the objects into the selected optimum printer language.

Abstract: In an image processor for a character image included in an image data to be processed, character codes are recognized, and character sizes of the characters in the character image are recognized. A font data is selected in a plurality of font data of different sizes stored in a storage device, so as to match with the recognized character codes, the recognized font sizes and a magnification of the image data. The selected font data are outputted. Thus, the character image is reproduced by using the recognized character codes. Alternatively, in a saving mode where image data of N pages are outputted in M sheets of recording medium, wherein N is not equal to M, character codes are recognized in a character image included in N pages of image data to be processed. Then, a font data is selected in a plurality of font data, so as to match with the recognized character codes.

Abstract: A method for processing an image containing a picture and character is provided. First, an image containing a picture and a plurality of characters is received. Afterwards, the picture is separated from the characters to respectively produce an image of the picture and at least one character block. Next, the characters of the at least one character block are recognized. Then, the character data corresponding to the characters of the at least one character block are produced.

Abstract: There have thus been provided new and improved methods and systems for producing machine-generated handwriting having realistic human appearance. In various embodiments, the handwriting may include characteristics of particular classes and/or characteristics of particular individuals. The handwriting includes an appropriate degree of randomness so as to be realistic in appearance. The handwriting may be printed on a conventional printer, for example to generate a communication for a recipient.

Abstract: Methods, systems and techniques for in-process font activation are described herein. According to various illustrative aspects, fonts for a job in process may be activated by a plug-in or other adaptive or extensible font module. The font module may be configured to conform to an application programming interface (API) of the document creation system in question (e.g., Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, InCopy; Quark XPress, CopyDesk, etc.). A job jacket is maintained that identifies a document for output along with all fonts necessary to create the desired output. During the print process, all identified fonts are activated in-process (i.e., during the print process). When a font is activated, either globally or in the local process space, the font module overwrites the previously activated font in memory in the local process space.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for embedding a font subset in an electronic document. The method in one form includes analyzing a document having characters of a font set where characters may have different forms depending on the location of the character in a word or one or more ligatures represent a combination of characters. A font subset is created corresponding to only the character forms present in the document and the font subset is associated with the document. Advantageously, the embedded font subset only contains the font characters which are used in the document and not all characters which may be present in a complete font set for all font sets referenced in the document.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus including: an image obtaining section to obtain original images to output original image data thereof; a fixed data generating section to generate fixed additional data of a vector font corresponding to fixed additional information to be commonly added to each page, among additional information to be added to the original image data; a fixed data storage section to store the fixed additional data generated; a variable data generating section to generate variable additional data corresponding to variable additional information which varies by page of the original images, among the additional information; an image combining section to combine the fixed additional data and the variable additional data with the original image data to generate composite image data per page; and an image forming section to form images based on the composite image data generated by the image combining section.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing control apparatus in which a printing instruction is once converted into an intermediate code format and then converted into a printer control command, and which can correctly print an embedded font. In this invention, a spooler for converting a printing instruction into an intermediate code format and storing this intermediate code format detects the presence/absence of an embedded font on the basis of font attributes contained in the printing instruction. If an embedded font is detected, the spooler acquires the embedded font (S3.3) and spools the font by the intermediate code format (S3.4). The despooler registers the spooled embedded font in a graphic engine (D3), and a printer driver generates a control command by using the registered embedded font (Drv3.1).

Abstract: A method for converting image data coded with run lengths to the format of a page description language, such as PostScript or PDF, the run lengths identifying how many image points of one color follow one another in an image row, includes utilizing the run lengths of the same color that overlap in successive image rows to form an object, and describing the object with operators from the page description language. Objects of the same color can be combined to form one object. An object is described in the page description language by the image mask operator and an associated bitmap, or by a polygon train that connects reference points on the edge of the object.

Abstract: A spool file (303) holds intermediate data of a print job to be executed. When a test print process is executed while designating this intermediate data, the intermediate data is converted into a command to be sent to a printer (1500), thus executing the test print process. In this case, the number of sets of copies set in the print job is decremented by 1. When an actual print process is done after the test print process, the number of sets of copies is reset to the designated value, and the print process then starts.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically installing or updating a printer driver on a computer device without requiring a user to initiate the installation or update. In a system that includes a computer device, a printer device and a printer driver source, a print job is initiated and a connection with a printer driver source is established. A request is made for information relating to the performance of an automatic update of a dynamic printer driver. A determination is made as to whether or not an update is available. If the update is available, a determination is optionally obtained relating to whether or not the system may proceed in performing the automatic and dynamic update. The update includes obtaining dynamically linkable object components and linking the object components with a main entry object to form a dynamic printer drive that may be used to execute the print job.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image output unit that outputs an image, wherein the image output unit has its output controlled with output target indication data that indicate a file capable of embedding a font as an output target, auxiliary output target indication data that indicate an attribute value related to the file as an auxiliary output target, and font indication data that indicate the font embedded in the file as a font used for outputting the attribute value.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an extraction unit that extracts a first image and a second image similar to the first image, in a first resolution; and a generation unit that generates an image in a second resolution based on the respective images extracted by the extraction unit and phases of the respective images calculated with precision higher than one pixel in the first resolution.

Abstract: In order to perform optimal character registration and a printing process depending on a language, in an information processing device connected to a printer having a first registration area and a second registration area as font registration areas, registration amounts in the first registration area and the second registration area are determined based on the language which the information processing device uses, and depending on the determined amounts, a first font is registered in the first registration area in the printer and a second font is registered in the second registration area.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a document processing apparatus and method capable of adding headers/footers to a plurality of sections of a document. Check boxes for definitions are checked on a plurality-of-definitions setting window. A document is sectioned into chapters by designating the first and last chapters. Page numbers can be assigned throughout each section, and the format of the page number can be set.

Abstract: Data processing apparatus for controlling operation of a peripheral device, e.g., a printer. The data processing apparatus is adaptable to different operation environments of a peripheral device, e.g., geographic difference. Control means of the peripheral device stores a local ID indicative of environment data e.g., a country where the device is used. The local ID is acquired, and then a resource file corresponding to the local ID is acquired. The resource file stores control data of the peripheral device, which changes in correspondence with environment data. Based on the control data, setting of the peripheral device is performed. The local ID is stored so that the local ID can be used in the subsequent processing.

Abstract: A method for efficient incorporation of additional language fonts in creating panel display data, print image data, and facsimile transmission image data. The method enables MFPs to easily create an image data containing a new font when character font data and symbol codes are added or altered. Input units are for inputting image data. Image control unit is comprised of font control unit, font data read-and-write control unit, and font data memory unit. The font data memory unit stores character font data by associating it with the character. The font data read-and-write control unit controls reading and writing of the font data to the font data memory unit. The font control unit obtains font data used for image data through the font data read-and-write unit, and controls format-conversion and output of the font data depending on the display mode or image forming mode. The display unit displays the display data and the converted font.

Abstract: A method for an image forming device, an electronic medium, and an image processing program, which enables external output of image data and font data for the image data with ease. The image forming device includes an input unit, a font data memory unit, a font data read-and-write control unit, a font control unit, and an output unit. The input unit inputs image data. The font data memory unit stores font data by associating it with a character code. The font data read-and-write control unit controls read-and-write operation on the font data of the font data memory unit. The font control unit acquires the font data to be used for the image data and controls conversion of the acquired font data according to an image forming mode. The output unit controls external output of the image data from the image control unit and the converted font data to be used to for the image data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a font data storing section for storing font data; an input section for inputting image data and font data used for this image data from outside; and a font data addition control section for recognizing the font data used for this image data when this image data is inputted to this input section, and out of the font data thus recognized, controlling to add and store in the font data storing section insufficient font data that is not stored in the font data storing section. As a result, when the image data such as document data is inputted from outside, even if the font data used for this image data is insufficient on the side of input, this insufficient font data can be replenished.

Abstract: In one embodiment there is disclosed an application program in which a document is created containing complex rendering codes which codes identify locations within the document where material other than the basic medium is to be inserted or where special treatment is required. These rendering codes control, for example, the insertion of tabs, special attributes of the tabs, such as color, printing, etc, the type of binding the document is to have, the type of printing, the type of assembly, the downloading of material from other sources, the tailoring of portions of the document to the end user, etc. During the rendering process the rendering codes are used to insure that the finished product is rendered exactly as contemplated by the document creator even when the document is rendered without assistance from the creator and without the need for communicated directions outside of the created document.

Abstract: A method for detecting a specific pattern contained in an image. The pattern-detection method has steps of binarizing the input image data to obtain binary image data, recognizing a partial image that is contained in the binary image data, is part of the specific pattern, and has an empty inside, and determining the specific pattern contained in the image based on the recognition results. In the partial-image recognition step, a pixel-block area of predetermined size containing an target pixel is successively scanned for the binary image data, and a partial image contained in the binary image data is recognized on the condition that at least one OFF-pixel exists within a reference block consisting of the target pixel and predetermined pixels in its neighborhood within the block.

Abstract: A method of controlling usage of fonts stored in a printer includes detecting a request for use of a first one of the fonts by a print job. Printer identification information contained in the first font is compared to a printer identifier stored in the printer. Usage of the first font by the printer is controlled based on the comparison.

Abstract: This invention can provide an information processing apparatus and control method thereof, and a program, which can efficiently execute processing associated with font settings. To accomplish this, font information of a first character and font information of a second character, which are located before and after the position of an input character are acquired. When the acquired font information of the first character and the acquired font information of the second character include the same font type, the font type is set as font type information used for the input character. When the acquired font information of the first character and the acquired font information of the second character include different font types, parsing is executed for the character string including the input character, and font type information used for the input character is set based on the parsing result.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus for forming print data to be print-processed by a printer is constructed by: designation receiving means for receiving designation of a duplex printing, discriminating means for discriminating the number of pages in the case where data to be printed has been arranged on a recording paper, and command adding means for receiving the designation of the duplex printing by the designation receiving means and, in the case where it is determined by the discriminating means that the number of pages of the recording paper on which the data to be printed has been arranged is equal to an odd number, adding a command to urge a forced paper ejection in the printer lest a blank page of the last page is logically counted in the printer. A print data forming method and a print control program for realizing such an apparatus and a memory medium which stores such a program are provided.

Abstract: A printing device, to be connected to a network system including network devices sharing image data in a particular format, comprises: a print instruction receiving unit which receives print data containing font information from a network device; a query transmitting unit which transmits a supply query, inquiring whether each network device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the font information as image data in the particular format, to the network devices; a response receiving unit which receives affirmative responses, indicating that the supply of a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format is possible, from network devices in response to the supply query; and a printing unit which prints out the print data by use of a printer font held by a network device transmitting the affirmative response as image data in the particular format in response to reception of the affirmative response.

Abstract: There are provided an image forming method and apparatus in which character string having one or more characters is registered as a regular character string, regular printing for printing the regular character string is instructed, irrespective of whether or not a character string other than the regular character string is being input or edited, and when regular printing is instructed, a regular character string image corresponding to the regular character string is printed as a print image. Irrespective of whether or not another character string is being edited, this construction enables the regular character string image of a registered regular character string to be printed at a desired time point through simple operations, while saving the capacity of the memory device.

Abstract: When a printing condition is assigned before printing out, a printing condition setting interface part displays a printing condition setting screen including a font processing selecting screen. An operator can select how to process fonts from among predetermined items in the font processing selecting screen, when the fonts that are not held in an output device exist in a document. In addition, the operator assigns a desired size and can thereby set so as to replace the fonts having a size no larger than the assigned size with the fonts held in the output device. A converting part converts a document that has been created in an application part into a print job including a control code and image data and the like for the output device, based on a condition that has been set in the printing condition setting screen.

Abstract: When user specifies a desired minimum font size through a host computer 2, and issues a print instruction to a printer 3, a recommended N-up number operating section 37 of the printer 3 performs an arithmetic operation to obtain a maximum N-up number with which font size not larger than the desired minimum font size are not included. A printing section 35 of the printer 3 prints the obtained N-up number of sheets of original document images on one sheet of paper.

Abstract: Systems and procedures are described for an imaging device to download media parameters from a remote server computer that is connected to the imaging device across a network. Specifically, the imaging device detects a media ID from print media. Responsive to detecting the media ID, the imaging device downloads a set of media parameters that correspond to the Media ID from the server computer. The imaging device uses these downloaded media parameters to automatically configure itself.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, such as a digital color/monochromatic copying machine, for reading a color image or a monochromatic image and producing a copy image thereof, an image process section is composed of an arithmetic section which is programmed and operated by software, or image process programs. The image process programs are input from outside via an external interface and loaded in an external RAM. On the basis of input information from an operation panel, an optimal image process program is read out of the external RAM and loaded in an instruction RAM. The arithmetic section executes the image process program in the instruction RAM.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for compressing data representing a set of symbols such that each symbol of the set can be separately accessed and decompressed. Each symbol of the set of symbols is encoded in the form of a two-part code wherein a first part of the code is common for all encoded symbols and a second part of the code encodes the data representing a symbol. An identifier is given for each symbol for permitting each encoded symbol to be separately accessed and decompressed. The invention is particularly useful for storing large fonts such as a Chinese or Japanese character set.

Abstract: This invention relates to a document processing apparatus which edits document data which can define a desired section using an original page as a unit of definition. Whether a page break is designated at the section break of the section is determined. If the page break is designated, a blank original page is inserted at the end of a section before the section break so as to lay out the first original page of a section after the section break at the start of a new surface of a print sheet when original pages are laid out in accordance with a designated layout.

Abstract: In a method for configuration of a device-specific program system, adjusting values that require different loading operations are input during an input phase. The first adjusting value is then transmitted to the device-specific program system. The device-specific program system carries out a loading operation required for the processing of the first adjusting value. The second adjusting value is transmitted to the device-specific program system and a corresponding load operation is carried out. With the method, a user is allowed to input the second adjusting value already before the first loading operation is completed.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of computers and printers are connected, when a font of a document to be printed does not exist in the printer, the font is downloaded to the printer and a fact that it was downloaded is also notified to the other computers.