Multi-level Image Reproduction (e.g., Gray Level Reproduction) Patents (Class 358/3.01)
  • Patent number: 11651476
    Abstract: A noise removing circuit includes an image combiner suitable for generating a high dynamic range (HDR) image by combining images having different exposure times; a detailed image generator suitable for generating a detailed image from the HDR image; an image strength evaluator suitable for evaluating strength of the detailed image; and a noise coring component suitable for performing a noise coring operation for removing noise from a region of the detailed image in which a signal to noise ratio (SNR) has decreased using a low threshold and a saturation threshold when the strength of the detailed image is less than a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Ik Kim, Jin Su Kim, Chang Ki Min, Seong Hee Park
  • Patent number: 11593924
    Abstract: If a scene change is not detected by a scene change detector, in each frame until a count value of a frame counter reaches a predetermined value, a tone curve pattern updater sets a representative point group of a tone curve pattern selected in the most recent frame in which a count value is reset to an initial value as a representative point group for updating. By assuming that k is a number less than 1, the tone curve pattern updater generates a first multiplication value obtained by multiplying the set representative point group for updating by a coefficient (1?k) and a second multiplication value obtained by multiplying the representative point group output by the tone curve pattern updater in an immediately preceding frame of each frame by a coefficient k, and outputs a combined representative point group obtained by adding the first multiplication value and the second multiplication value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Dairiki, Ryosuke Nakagoshi
  • Patent number: 11493987
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a user interface device, an image forming operation unit, a detection sensor having a two-dimensional structure including a plurality of sensor columns of sensors, a power supply to supply power to the user interface device and the image forming operation unit according to power modes including a sleep mode and a standby mode, in which the power supply is to supply more power in the standby mode than in the sleep mode, and a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Suwhan Kim, SaeJin Park
  • Patent number: 11322088
    Abstract: A display device includes a display region including display pixels, a control circuit, a first power line pattern, and a second power line pattern. The display region includes a first region and a second region having a lower display pixel density than the first region. The control circuit is configured to supply pixel circuits in the first region with a first power supply potential through the first power line pattern, supply pixel circuits in the second region with a second power supply potential higher than the first power supply potential through the second power line pattern, and supply light-emitting elements of the display pixels in the second region with driving current higher than driving current for the display pixels in the first region for a same grayscale level specified in image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: WUHAN TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yojiro Matsueda, Masamichi Shimoda
  • Patent number: 11303912
    Abstract: The disclosure describes example of performing an inverse dynamic range adjustment (DRA) to a picture as part of outputting the picture from memory. A device for decoding video data includes a memory configured to store a picture in a DRA domain and a processor configured to determine that the picture in the dynamic range adjustment (DRA) domain stored in the memory is to be output from the memory, subsequent to determining that the picture in the DRA domain is to be output, perform a process of outputting the picture in the DRA domain, and at the process of outputting the picture in the DRA domain from the memory, apply inverse DRA to the picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Adarsh Krishnan Ramasubramonian, Dmytro Rusanovskyy, Marta Karczewicz
  • Patent number: 11140282
    Abstract: The character line division apparatus has character line contact determination unit configured to determine whether a character line of interest comes into contact with another character line in the height direction, count value derivation unit configured to derive a count value of the number of black pixels in the width direction in the character line of interest in the character line of interest determined to come into contact with another character line, and character line division unit configured to perform character line division for the character line of interest determined to come into contact with another character line on the periphery of a reference point derived from the character line information and the character height information by taking a first position at which the count value becomes a minimum in the height direction of the character line of interest as a character line division position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10999463
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a first detecting section, a second detecting section, a display section, and a control section. The first detecting section detects a person present within a predetermined range from the image forming apparatus. The second detecting section detects an eye gaze of the person detected by the first detecting section. When, during a power saving state of the image forming apparatus, the first detecting section detects a person and the second detecting section detects an eye gaze of the person directed in a predetermined direction, the control section wakes up the image forming apparatus from the power saving state and allows the display section to display a predetermined screen according to the direction of the person's eye gaze detected by the second detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shuntaro Tsuji, Akihiko Ikazaki
  • Patent number: 10944889
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a converting unit configured to convert a color of input image data based on information representing a correspondence between a brightness level and a color, and generate converted image data; and a setting unit configured to set a gradation characteristic of the input image data, wherein the converting unit converts the color of the input image data based on information representing a first correspondence in a case where the gradation characteristic set by the setting unit is a first gradation characteristic, and converts the color of the input image data based on information representing a second correspondence in a case where the gradation characteristic set by the setting unit is a second gradation characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Sato, Hirofumi Urabe
  • Patent number: 10839771
    Abstract: In one example, a system for driving current includes a digital pulse density modulation circuit to provide an output in response to pixel data. The system also includes an analog circuit to drive current to increase a brightness in one or more light-emitting diodes in response to the output from the digital pulse density modulation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Prakash K. Radhakrishnan, Khaled Ahmed
  • Patent number: 10803594
    Abstract: Methods and systems of annotation densification for semantic segmentation are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, such a method includes obtaining image information, obtaining coarse annotation information, performing an image matting operation based upon the image information and based at least indirectly upon the coarse annotation information, and applying an already-trained Convolutional Neural Network (ConvNet) semantic segmentation model in relation to the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Beijing Didi Infinity Technology And Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xun Xu, Ruxiao Bao
  • Patent number: 10671897
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image processing part that creates bitmap data based on print data input from outside, a density correction part that performs pre-determined density correction such that a density of a print image, which is formed on a print medium, is maintained within a regulated range, and a determination part that determines whether or not it is necessary to re-create the bitmap data based on the print data according to a comparison result between a first density value which is created at a timing when the bitmap data is created and a second density value which is created at a timing when the density correction is performed by the density correction part. Wherein the image processing part re-creates the bitmap data based on the print data when the determination part determines that it is necessary to re-create the bitmap data, and does not re-create the bitmap data when the determination part determines that it is not necessary to re-create the bitmap data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 10511740
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes at least one memory storing instructions and at least one processor executing the instructions to provide an input unit configured to input image data representing a color of an image, and information identifying high gloss and low gloss areas in the image, a first determination unit configured to determine, based on the image data, a recording amount of a printing material for forming the image on a recording medium, and a second determination unit configured to determine a dot arrangement of the printing material by halftone processing for the recording amount according to the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Oya
  • Patent number: 10500790
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to substructures for 3D objects are described. In an example, a method for providing a three-dimensional halftone threshold matrix is described. The method may comprise receiving a substructure model representing a three-dimensional material structure and populating each location in the substructure model at which the structure exists with a halftone threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Morovic, Jan Morovic, Jay S Gondek, Juan Manuel Garcia Reyero Vinas
  • Patent number: 10488395
    Abstract: A test sensor (100) for determining an analyte concentration in a biological fluid comprises a strip including a fluid receiving area (128) and a port-insertion region (126). A first row of optically transparent (132) and non-transparent positions forms a calibration code pattern (130) disposed within a first area of the port-insertion region (126). A second row of optically transparent (142) and non-transparent positions forms a synchronization code pattern (140) disposed within a second area of the port-insertion region (126). The second area is different from the first area. The synchronization code pattern (140) corresponds to the calibration code pattern (130) such that the synchronization code pattern (140) provides synchronization of the serial calibration code pattern (130) during insertion of the port-insertion region (126) into the receiving port of the analyte meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG
    Inventor: Igor Gofman
  • Patent number: 10380936
    Abstract: A display panel driver includes: a correction calculation section which performs correction calculations on input image data to generate saturation-enhanced output image data and a drive circuitry driving the display panel in response to the output image data and a starting point control section. The correction calculation section generates red (R) data, green (G) data and blue (B) data of the output image data by performing the correction calculations on R data, G data and B data of the input image data, respectively. The starting point control section controls the positions of starting points of the input-output curves of the correction calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Synaptics Japan GK
    Inventors: Takashi Nose, Hirobumi Furihata, Akio Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10291819
    Abstract: An image reading device (1) includes a light emission control portion (84), an image scanning portion (11), and a difference data sequence generating portion (852, 853, 855). The difference data sequence generating portion (852, 853, 855) sequentially obtains image data sequences of a linear area both when a light emitting portion is in a light-on state and when the light emitting portion is in a light-off state. In addition, the difference data sequence generating portion (852, 853, 855) sequentially generates difference data sequences (Ys) that are results of subtracting an image data sequence (X2) obtained in a light-off state of the light emitting portion from an image data sequence (X1) obtained in a light-on state of the light emitting portion, among a pair of image data sequences (X1, X2) obtained at each blinking cycle of the light emitting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masaya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10267828
    Abstract: A device such as a laser diode is provided with a monitoring arrangement. The monitoring arrangement has voltage to current converters arranged to provide respectively currents which are proportional to the respective voltages on an anode and on a cathode of the laser diode. The monitoring arrangement provides a first output signal when the laser diode is on too long. That output signal is used to cause the laser diode to be switched off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventor: Shatabda Saha
  • Patent number: 10214038
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a digital printing system and method for depositing ink droplets onto a target surface in dependence upon a received electrical printing signal containing data indicating the desired image to be printed while improving the uniformity of intended tone reproduction of the printed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: LANDA CORPORATION LTD.
    Inventors: Shahar Klinger, David Tal, Alon Siman-Tov
  • Patent number: 10211848
    Abstract: Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for improving noise performance in a delta sigma modulator comprising an adder, quantizer and nth order filter. The adder is operable to receive an input signal and a feedback signal, and output a modified input signal. The quantizer is operable to receive the modified input signal and output a quantized output signal, the quantized output signal having a corresponding quantization error. The nth order filter is operable to receive a quantization error value and generate the feedback signal, the nth order filter comprising a first memory element having a first error value, a second memory element having a second error value, and a gravity component operable to converge the first error value and the second error value when the input signal is approximately zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Dan Shen, Lorenzo Crespi
  • Patent number: 10186232
    Abstract: Techniques are described in which pixel intensity values of a display of a computing device may be nonlinearly scaled down to reduce the power consumption of the display. The computing device may determine a compressed pixel brightness range for the display. The computing device may determine a set of initial scaled pixel intensity levels based at least in part on the compressed pixel intensity range. The computing device may determine a set of scaled pixel intensity values based at least in part on an estimated power consumption value associated with the set of initial scaled pixel intensity levels. The computing device may scale the pixel brightness of pixels of the display from one of a plurality of pixel intensity levels to a corresponding scaled pixel intensity level of the set of scaled pixel intensity levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Ai-Mei Huang, Min Dai
  • Patent number: 10156695
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of images having different depths of field for an object; a designation unit configured to instruct a user to designate an area of the object; a presentation unit configured to present at least two candidate images from the plurality of images based on the depths of field and an object distance of the area; and a selection unit configured to instruct the user to select an image from the candidate images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shota Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10116811
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a sheet feeding apparatus, an image forming apparatus and a sheet delivering apparatus so as to perform image formation based on image data while conveying a long sheet at a constant speed, and at the time of executing image formation of another image based on another image data other than the image data in the middle of image formation based on the image data, the control apparatus controls to stop conveying of the long sheet temporarily, and controls to cut out a region where the another image is formed in the state of stopping conveying of the long sheet temporarily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10102439
    Abstract: A method of and system for verifying a document, the method comprising generating verification information for the document, comparing the verification information with authentic verification information, and identifying differences between the document and an authentic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Ramani, Badri Narayanan Ranganathan, Srinivasu Godavari, Anjaneyulu Seetha Rama Kuchibhotla, Nagabhushana Ayyanahalli Matad
  • Patent number: 10097843
    Abstract: A method of encoding a video data signal (15) is provided, together with a method for decoding. The encoding comprises providing color information (51) for pixels in an image, providing a depth map with depth information (52) for the pixels, providing transition information (56, 57, 60, 70, 71) being representative of a width (63, 73) of a transition region (61, 72) in the image, the transition region (61, 72) comprising a depth transition (62) and blended pixels in which colors of a foreground object and a background object are blended, and generating (24) the video data signal (15) comprising encoded data representing the color information (51), the depth map (52) and the transition information (56, 57, 60, 70, 71). The decoding comprises using the transition information (56, 57, 60, 70, 71) for determining the width (63, 73) of the transition regions (61, 72) and for determining alpha values (53) for pixels inside the transition regions (61, 72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Hendrikus Alfonsus Bruls, Christiaan Varekamp, Reinier Bernardus Maria Klein Gunnewiek
  • Patent number: 9779514
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel including a display region and a driver driving each pixel of the display region in response to input image data. The driver calculates area characterization data indicating feature quantities of an image displayed in each of areas defined in the display region for each of the areas, based on the input image data and generates pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel by applying filtering to the area characterization data associated with the area in which each pixel is located and with areas adjacent to the area in which each pixel is located. The driver generates output image data associated with each pixel by performing a correction on the input image data associated with each pixel in response to the pixel-specific characterization data associated with each pixel and drives each pixel in response to the output image data associated with each pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Synaptics Japan GK
    Inventors: Takashi Nose, Hirobumi Furihata, Akio Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9648198
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for embedding additional information in an image having a plurality of pixels and image information. A generating unit generates (a) the additional information to be embedded and (b) a bookbinding type of a medium containing the image. A holding unit holds a plurality of quantization conditions for embedding the additional information, including a quantization threshold. A selection unit segments the image into a plurality of embedding regions, and selects a condition to use in quantization based on the image information. A quantization condition control unit controls at least one of the plurality of quantization conditions for a predetermined region of the image based on the bookbinding type generated. An error diffusion processing unit distributes an error to peripheral pixels of a target pixel. A separating unit separates the embedded additional information from the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Ishida, Ryosuke Iguchi, Wei Song, Nobutaka Miyake
  • Patent number: 9602691
    Abstract: Upon capturing a digital watermark-embedded print product by an image capturing device held by the hand of a user and extracting embedded information, the relative speed between the hand-held image capturing device and the print product changes, failing in extracting the embedded additional information. In an embodiment, the image capturing device performs continuous shooting for every small area to read the print product. A shoot image is analyzed to calculate the feature amount of the image. Information about an image capturing quality characteristic generated at the time of capturing the print product is estimated, and a change of the feature amount accompanying the image capturing quality characteristic is predicted based on the estimation result. A code indicated by the watermark is determined based on the calculation result and the prediction result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutaka Miyake, Yuki Ishida, Wei Song, Ryosuke Iguchi
  • Patent number: 9432551
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus acquires scan data and information about a color specified by a user; executes first correction on the scan data such that brightness of a pixel subject to the first correction increases, the pixel subject to the first correction having a color that falls within a specified range of color, an achromatic color brighter than the specified color falling within the specified range of color, first corrected scan data being generated resulting from execution of the first correction; executes second correction on at least a part of the first-corrected scan data such that a color of a pixel subject to the second correction is changed to a predetermined color if the pixel subject to the second correction is a specified color pixel specified based on the information, second corrected scan data being generated resulting from execution of the second correction; and outputs the second corrected scan data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhide Sawada
  • Patent number: 9311524
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method may accurately separate only humans among moving objects, and also accurately separate even humans who have no motion via human segmentation using a depth data and face detection technology. The apparatus includes a face detecting unit to detect a human face in an input color image, a background model producing/updating unit to produce a background model using a depth data of an input first frame and face detection results, a candidate region extracting unit to produce a candidate region as a human body region by comparing the background model with a depth data of an input second or subsequent frame, and to extract a final candidate region by removing a region containing a moving object other than a human from the candidate region, and a human body region extracting unit to extract the human body region from the candidate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won Jun Hwang, Dong Soo Kim, Kyung Shik Roh, Young Bo Shim, Xiangsheng Huang
  • Patent number: 9307115
    Abstract: An image processing device performs: generating intermediate image data representing an intermediate image in which a first image is combined with a second image; and generating rectangular image data representing a rectangular image by executing at least one of addition of at least one pixel to the intermediate image and deletion of at least one pixel from the intermediate image such that number of pixels aligned in the first direction of the rectangular image is brought into coincidence with a third pixel number and number of pixels aligned in the second direction of the rectangular image is brought into coincidence with a fourth pixel number. A ratio of the third pixel number to the fourth pixel number is equal to a ratio of the first pixel number to the second pixel number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Hasegawa, Takuya Shimahashi
  • Patent number: 9202151
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided with a CPU. The CPU generates dot data where dots are regularly distributed and arranged in a case where gradation values which are represented by image data are a predetermined value or less by using a dither mask where thresholds are set for each printing pixel and comparing the gradation values of each of the pixels which configure the original image and the thresholds for each of the printing pixels which are set in the dither mask, and generates the dot data such that the degree of regularity of the dots which are distributed and arranged is reduced as the gradation values are increased in a case where the gradation values which are represented by the image data exceed the predetermined value through execution of a dot data generating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Kakutani
  • Patent number: 9172870
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and a device of real-time image processing. The method comprises capturing three images, enhancing a resolution of the images to obtain for each image a high-resolution image (HRI), obtaining two displacement vectors using the HRIs, obtaining a superimposed HRI based on the HRIs and the displacement vectors, obtaining a compensatory vector based on the displacement vectors, and generating a super-resolution image based on the superimposed HRI and the compensatory vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: VIVOTEK INC.
    Inventor: Jen-Chih Wu
  • Patent number: 9132632
    Abstract: When dot data indicating whether or not a dot is to be formed is formed based on the gradation value for each pixel forming an image, dots belonging to a plurality of pixel groups are printed in a common region in an overlapping manner, and the distribution of dots formed in the common region has a noise characteristic possessing a peak in the spatial frequency region on the high-frequency side. In a case where first and second pixels belonging, respectively, to two pixel groups are proximal pixels in the common region in a predetermined gradation range in which probabilities k1 and k2 at which a dot is formed in the first and second pixels are such that k1<0.5 and k2<0.5, a probability K of a dot being formed in both of the proximal pixels is set to be close to k1·k2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kakutani, Takuma Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9036213
    Abstract: A method for image processing a digital color image uses a single array of threshold values in a halftoning process if a total density value, which is found adding up the color density value for each of the process colors of a pixel, is lower than a predetermined density threshold. However, when the total density value exceeds the density threshold, the individual color density values are split in a basic part and an excess part, the basic parts adding up to the predetermined density threshold. In the halftoning process the basic parts still use the single array of threshold values, but the excess parts use uncorrelated arrays of threshold values that are associated with each individual process color. This provides for a balance between graininess at low color density and registration independent color rendering at high color density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventor: Carolus E. P. Gerrits
  • Patent number: 9036212
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) with all pixel values same as the first gray level and an initial Half Tone Image (HTI) with all pixel values equal to minimum absorptance level, computing a change in pixel error by toggling with all the possible output states and swapping with all neighbor pixels only if the stacking constraint is satisfied, updating the HTI with the maximum error decrease operation and continue to next pixel location till the end criteria is met. Once the end criteria is met, the updated HTI is saved as a final halftone screen for that gray level and copied as the initial HTI for the next gray level along with CTI pixel values updated to the next gray level till the final gray value is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Mikel Stanich, Chai Wah Wu, Barry M. Trager
  • Patent number: 9036211
    Abstract: A light emitting apparatus including: a plurality of light emitting elements; a drive circuit including a transistor and a capacitor having one end connected to a gate of the transistor; and a signal supply circuit for receiving a digital gradation signal and outputting an analog voltage signal to the drive circuit, including a computation circuit configured to correct the input digital gradation signal to generate a corrected digital gradation signal, in which the drive circuit is configured to conduct an auto-zero operation which reduce the gate-source voltage of the transistor to a threshold voltage by flowing the drain current to the capacitor, and the computation circuit is configured to generate the corrected digital gradation signal by multiplying a correction coefficient to the input digital gradation signal subtracted by a particular signal common to the plurality of light emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Yamashita, Masami Iseki, Kouji Ikeda, Shuhei Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9025209
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a control unit configured to: after an image is formed in a color mode, if an integrated supply amount is larger than or equal to a reference supply amount, cause a supply image with a first amount of developer, otherwise, cause a supply image with a second amount of developer larger that the first amount; and, after an image is formed in the monochrome mode, cause a supply image with a third amount of developer smaller than the first amount, and, to make an interval between recording materials when the supply image with the third amount is formed shorter than an interval between recording materials when the supply image with the first amount or larger is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kimitaka Ichinose, Kazuhiro Funatani, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9025198
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a base value setting unit and a correction value calculating unit. The base value setting unit sets a base value of an image process condition on the basis of the area ratio of an image to be formed. The correction value calculating unit calculates a correction value obtained by correcting the base value set by the base value setting unit on the basis of at least the pattern of the image. The image is formed based on the correction value calculated by the correction value calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yuji Wada
  • Patent number: 9001379
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an input part for receiving image data; an image processor for image-processing the input image data; an output part for outputting data processed at the image processor; and a controller for controlling the image processor to process the image using one of a plurality of image processing modes having a toner consumption lower than a toner density to use when the toner density to use for outputting the input image data exceeds a preset reference density. The plurality of the image processing modes includes a boundary image processing mode which outputs only boundaries of objects in the image data. Thus, the toner used for the image forming can be saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ho-Keun Lee
  • Patent number: 8995019
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extracting unit extracting custom color identification data that identifies each of one or more custom colors different from multiple predetermined basic colors from drawing data for every page; a separation data generating unit generating separation data that indicates an object to be drawn for each color in accordance with the drawing data for one page without waiting for the completion of the extraction of the custom color identification data for the pages other than the one page; a raster data generating unit generating raster data concerning each color in accordance with the separation data; an acquiring unit acquiring mixing ratio data; and a combining unit combining the raster data concerning the custom color with the respective pieces of raster data concerning the basic colors in accordance with the mixing ratio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nishide
  • Publication number: 20150085321
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a luminance information acquiring unit, a hue information substituting unit, and a color conversion unit. The luminance information acquiring unit is configured to acquire input luminance information of inputted multi-gradation monochromatic image data. The hue information substituting unit is configured to substitute the acquired input luminance information with hue information to generate hue data. The color conversion unit is configured to convert the hue data into a color space for printing to generate multi-gradation color image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Masaru Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8988730
    Abstract: When a recording agent amount limiting process is carried out, a color reproduction range is narrowed, and therefore gradation properties of dark areas are deteriorated and information originally held by an image is sometimes undesirably lost. By obtaining (401) a colorant amount for each target pixel of input color image data, calculating (402) a colorant amount of a peripheral area of the target pixel, and correcting (400) a density range of the input color image data based on the colorant amount of the target pixel and the colorant amount of the peripheral area of the target pixel, amounts of recording agent are limited and reductions in image quality are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20150077806
    Abstract: A gloss effect image pattern is created on a recording medium having a first color by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a second color and including holes, the holes representing areas in the first electronic pattern ink wherein the second color is absent; electronically creating a second electronic pattern ink using the second color and including filled holes, the filled holes of the second electronic pattern ink representing areas in the second electronic pattern ink filled with a third color, the third color matching the first color of the recording medium; electronically creating an electronic image region; electronically painting, using the first electronic pattern ink, a background of the electronic image region; electronically painting, using the second electronic pattern ink, a foreground of the electronic image region; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on the recording medium such that the electronic im
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Miller, Edward N. Chapman
  • Publication number: 20150077807
    Abstract: An ultraviolet image pattern is created on a recording medium having florescence properties and being a first color by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a second color and including holes, the holes representing areas in the first electronic pattern ink wherein the second color is absent; electronically creating an electronic image region having a pattern; electronically painting, using the first electronic pattern ink, a background of the electronic image region and the pattern of the electronic image region; electronically painting a predetermined portion of the holes with a third color, the third color matching the first color of the recording medium; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on the recording medium such that the florescence properties of the recording medium are only visible through the holes not painted with the third color when viewing the recording medium using ultraviolet illumination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edward N. Chapman, Kenneth R. Miller
  • Publication number: 20150077803
    Abstract: A double layer micro gloss image pattern is created on a recording medium by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a first color pair and a first pattern, the first color pair including a first high color and a first low color; electronically creating a second electronic pattern ink, the second electronic pattern ink including a second color pair and the first pattern, the second color pair including a second high color and a second low color, the second color pair being visibly different from the first color pair; electronically creating a first layer in an electronic image region by electronically painting the electronic image region using the first electronic pattern ink; electronically creating a second layer in the electronic image region by electronically painting, using the second electronic pattern ink, a second pattern; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on a recording medium such that the when the first pat
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Edward N. Chapman
  • Publication number: 20150077805
    Abstract: A gloss effect image pattern is created on a recording medium having a first color by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a second color and including holes, the holes representing areas in the first electronic pattern ink wherein the second color is absent; electronically creating an electronic image region having a pattern; electronically painting, using the first electronic pattern ink, a background of electronic image region and the pattern of the electronic image region; electronically painting a predetermined portion of the holes within the electronic image region with a third color, the third color matching the first color of the recording medium; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Miller, Edward N. Chapman
  • Publication number: 20150077804
    Abstract: A gloss effect image pattern is created on a recording medium by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a first color and including holes, the holes representing areas in the first electronic pattern ink wherein the first color is absent; electronically creating a second electronic pattern ink using the first color and including filled holes, the filled holes of the second electronic pattern ink representing areas in the second electronic pattern ink filled with a second color, the second color being different than the first color; electronically creating an electronic image region; electronically painting, using the first electronic pattern ink, a background of the electronic image region; electronically painting, using the second electronic pattern ink, a foreground of the electronic image region; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Edward N. Chapman
  • Patent number: 8982418
    Abstract: A printing system includes a host computer with an application and an image forming apparatus. The host computer includes a color space setting unit and print data creating unit. The color space setting unit sets a color space that can create grayscale images. The print data creating unit performs color conversion on a print object created by the application to create print data, the color conversion being appropriate for the color space. The image forming apparatus includes a grayscale image creating unit and printing unit. The grayscale image creating unit performs color conversion on the print object, which is included in the print data, to create a grayscale image, the color conversion being appropriate for the color space of the print object. The printing unit performs printing according to the grayscale image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8976416
    Abstract: In a case in which image data used to form an image on a recording medium in a plurality of scans performed across a recording area of the recording medium is generated, a coefficient determination unit determines assignments of output density for the scans on the basis of density characteristics corresponding to the type of recording medium indicated by a recording-medium signal. Multipliers and binary conversion units generate image data for the scans from input image data on the basis of the assignments of the output density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Horii, Hisashi Ishikawa, Koji Moriya
  • Publication number: 20150062657
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a data generation unit configured to generate image data based on image formation data giving an instruction to print an image including image regions, the image data indicating pixel values of the image regions; and an image formation unit configured to form the image on a recording medium based on the image data generated by the data generation unit. The data generation unit generates the image data such that a boundary between one of the image regions and an image region adjacent to the one image region is highlighted, if the pixel value of the one image region and the pixel value of the adjacent image region are approximate to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi OKUBO