Halftoning (e.g., A Pattern Of Print Elements Used To Represent A Gray Level) Patents (Class 358/3.06)
  • Patent number: 9417554
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that performs smoothing in conversion of pseudo high resolution without using a large translation table. A smoothing process part performs smoothing based on a density of a peripheral pixel that adjoins a target pixel on edge. When a density change between both sides of the target pixel in a sub scanning direction is larger than a density change between both sides of the target pixel in a main scanning direction, a density of a plurality of pixels after conversion of pseudo high resolution of a sub scanning direction corresponding to the target pixel is mutually changed. Also, when a density change between both sides of target pixel in the sub scanning direction is not larger than a density change between both sides of the target pixel in the main scanning direction, the density set to the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Okito Ogasahara
  • Patent number: 9417828
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of scanning document includes a scanner to generate document image by scanning document, and a display to display an alarm screen to alert a size change of a recording medium to a user when print magnification ratio of document image is changed and then a print operation is instructed without changing a size of recording medium to be printed with document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaori Sakata
  • Patent number: 9360791
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus outputs a clock signal used for outputting image data, outputs first image data in accordance with the outputted clock signal, outputs second image data in accordance with a clock signal for which the output clock signal is caused to change by a spread spectrum clock oscillator circuit, calculates a logical OR of the two outputs, and outputs image data, which is the calculation result, to an image forming unit. A laser device provided in the image forming unit is controlled in accordance with the outputted image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoki Oyama
  • Patent number: 9338324
    Abstract: Embodiments of a computer-implemented method for thin-line enhancement in electronic images are disclosed. The methods include receiving a halftone image comprising multiple pixels, and associating a predefined kernel with at least a portion of the halftone image. The kernel includes multiple check cells and a processing cell, each capable of being toggled between an active state and an inactive state; detecting a state of each of the pixels in the neighborhood of an inactive pixel associated with the processing cell based on one or more predetermined rules being applied to the kernel, wherein the inactive pixel is in communication with a contiguous set of active pixels; and selectively activating the inactive pixel by activating the processing cell based on the predetermined rules, provided the inactive pixel upon being activated is separated from a neighboring active pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sudhagar Subbaian
  • Patent number: 9286554
    Abstract: A method of forming halftone printed images in a three-dimensional printer includes generating halftone coverage data for a region of an image receiving surface including at least one color marking agent and a color neutral marking agent. The method further includes generating halftone image data with reference to the halftone coverage data and operating a plurality of ejectors to form a printed halftone image having a uniform thickness. A first pixel location receives a first color marking agent and at least a second pixel location receives the color neutral marking agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Martin S. Maltz, Roger L. Triplett
  • Patent number: 9227395
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit, a first calculating unit, a setting unit, a second calculating unit, a first generating unit, and a second generating unit. The acquiring unit acquires image data of an image to be formed by a recording unit using an inkjet system. The first calculating unit calculates a thickness of ejected ink for each pixel based on the image data. The setting unit sets a target thickness of the image. The second calculating unit calculates a difference between the target thickness and the thickness of ink for each pixel. The first generating unit generates complementary data, in which an ejection amount of an additional droplet to realize a thickness corresponding to the difference is defined for each pixel. The second generating unit generates print data containing the image data and the complementary data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Shinichi Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 9113104
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus to perform screen processing for image data, and to form an image based thereon, comprising a screen processing unit to perform the screen processing by using a subcell corresponding to a plurality of pixels, and in which a first and a second threshold values are determined according to each position of the pixels, wherein the screen processing unit obtains threshold values, to output either an invariable value Dmin, an invariable value DMax, or an interpolated value of the two invariable values, and wherein the subcell is determined so that the first threshold value of a given pixel is larger than the first threshold value of a prior pixel and is smaller than the second threshold value thereof, the threshold values of the prior pixel being determined so that a dot is formed in the prior pixel earlier than in the given pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Masanori Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9092719
    Abstract: A color image processing apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a color image using recording materials of plural colors, an image processing unit configured to implement plural image processing methods that achieve plural types of pseudo-halftone representations, a color measurement unit configured to perform color measurement of the color image formed by the image forming unit, and a control unit configured to control execution of multi-color calibration in which the color measurement unit performs color measurement of a pattern image including plural multi-color patch images formed using recording materials of plural colors by using a smaller number of image processing methods than plural image processing methods used in single-color calibration for correcting reproduction characteristics of single-color images formed by the image forming unit and in which reproduction characteristics of a multi-color image formed by the image forming unit are corrected using a result of the color meas
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Asako Hashizume
  • Patent number: 9087291
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit; wherein a first dither pattern and a second dither pattern have same threshold values that are set for same pixels in a first gradation range, and have different threshold values that are set for same pixels in a second gradation range that exceeds the first gradation range; and the generation unit sets a first threshold value for forming dots of the first dither pattern, and generates a first binary data according to whether or not a threshold value corresponding to a target pixel of the first dither pattern is included in the first threshold value, and sets a second threshold value for forming dots of the second dither pattern, and generates a second binary data according to whether or not a threshold value corresponding to a target pixel of the second dither pattern is included in the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinjiro Hori, Nobutaka Miyake, Akitoshi Yamada, Fumitaka Goto, Ryosuke Iguchi, Hidetsugu Kagawa, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Kouta Murasawa, Hiromitsu Akiba, Junichi Nakagawa, Senichi Saito
  • Patent number: 9074032
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of silane-modified polyvinyl alcohols for producing membranes, characterized in that the silane-modified polyvinyl alcohols can be obtained by a) radically initiated copolymerization of one or more vinyl esters from unbranched or branched carboxylic acids having 1 to 15 C-atoms and one or more ethylenically unsaturated silane compounds selected from the group comprising compounds of the general formulae CR2=CR—B—Si(OR?)3-n(R?)n (1), or CR2=CRC(?O)-D-B—Si(OR?)3-n(R?)n (2), wherein B is an aryl, heteroaryl or (CR2) m residue, wherein one or more non-neighboring CR2 groups can be replaced by heteroatoms as applicable, D is a heteroatom, R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or aryl residue or a heteroatom that is substituted as applicable by a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl residue, OR is an alkoxy, alkylcarboxy or arylcarboxy residue, R? is an alkyl or aryl residue and n 0, 1 or 2 and in 0 to 15, and b) subsequent saponification of the silane-modified vinyl ester copolymerizate obtain
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Manfred Hölzl, Martin Bortenschlager, Susanne Hecher, Felicitas Schauer
  • Patent number: 9052624
    Abstract: A fluorescing dry toner particle comprises a polymeric binder phase comprising a non-fluorescing binder polymer and a polymeric fluorescing colorant dispersed within the non-fluorescing binder polymer. The polymeric fluorescing colorant comprises a fluorescing moiety that is covalently attached to a colorant polymer that is the same or different than the non-fluorescing binder polymer, but the polymeric fluorescing colorant is blendable with the non-fluorescing binder polymer to form a homogeneous polymeric binder matrix, and is present in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 40 weight %, based on the total fluorescing dry toner particle weight. These fluorescing dry toner particles can be used in various dry developers to provide fluorescing toner images with or without non-fluorescing color toner images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150146261
    Abstract: Methods and systems receive an input image into a computerized device, create different binary images by applying different threshold measures to the input image using the computerized device, and identify components of a first binary image of the binary images using the computerized device. Such methods and systems also compare pixels of each of the components of the first binary image with corresponding pixels of a second binary image of the binary images to identify pixel differences using the computerized device. This allows these methods and systems to identify halftone areas within the input image based on the pixel differences exceeding a limit using the computerized device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sudhagar Subbaian, Sainarayanan Gopalakrishnan, Vignesh Doss, Xing Li, Clara Cuciurean-Zapan
  • 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: 9036214
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dither matrix generating method in which halftone dots are formed by growing corresponding dots. The dither matrix generating method includes a first generating step of generating first threshold values of a dither matrix, so that the dots are grown until a predetermined halftone dot area ratio is achieved, wherein, when the predetermined halftone dot area ratio is achieved, the halftone dots contact each other; and a second generating step of generating second threshold values of the dither matrix, so that the dots grow beyond the predetermined halftone dot area ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuuki Sagimori
  • Publication number: 20150131128
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a first and a second image processing module including an image processing unit, and a connection module that is connected to the first and second image processing modules, and moves an image data from one image processing module to the other image processing module. At least one of the image processing modules includes a weighted average processing unit that calculates, based on a weighting coefficient included in an attribute value, a weighted average of a pixel value of the input image data and a image processed pixel value, and an output unit which outputs at least one of the image processed pixel value and the weighted-averaged pixel value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Akitoshi Yamada, Mitsuhiro Ono, Fumitaka Goto, Rie Kajihara
  • Patent number: 9030713
    Abstract: Provided is a data processing method that is capable of high-speed processing without using a large cache memory, while correlating 2-dimensional parameters with a plurality of data without damaging the arrangement rule. Therefore, when there is a continuing M-line parameter after a previously read M-line parameter in a 2-dimensional table that is stored in an external memory 406, the contents of the cache memory 404 are updated with this continuing M-line parameter as the new parameter. When there is no continuing M-line parameter after the previously read M-line parameter in the 2-dimensional table, the contents of the cache memory 404 are updated with the continuing M-line parameter after returning to the starting line of the 2-dimensional table as the new parameter. Such an update rule is maintained even when the band, which is the processing unit, is changed, or even in the progress of band processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9025210
    Abstract: A document management apparatus in an embodiment is configured to manage a printer unit which erase image information obtained by printing both characteristic identification information and document information or only the document information with an erasable color material on a printing medium, and a reading unit configured to read the characteristic identification information on the printing medium to be erased by a erasing unit, comprising: an processor unit configured to manage an erasability condition of the document information on the basis of the characteristic identification information and instruct the printer unit to output new document information according to the erasability condition of the document information, the erasability condition being contained in the characteristic identification information read by the reading unit; and an interface unit performs respectively of the transmitting and receiving of information to the reading unit and the printer unit to the processor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Tomizawa, Akihiko Fujiwara, Shunichi Megawa, Masaaki Yasunaga
  • Publication number: 20150116780
    Abstract: A halftone dot addition device for adding halftone dots to halftone dot images includes an empty circle information acquiring unit and a halftone dot addition unit. The empty circle information acquiring unit obtains, in a Voronoi diagram having a generatrix corresponding to a halftone dot in a halftone dot image. The radius of an empty circle is a circle centering on a Voronoi vertex. The empty circle passes through the generatrix but not internally includes the generatrix. The halftone dot addition unit, if the radius of a target circle being the empty circle obtained, as a target, by the empty circle information acquiring unit is larger than a specific value, adds to the halftone dot image a halftone dot corresponding to a new generatrix, by adding the new generatrix to the inside of the target circle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Etsuko Manda
  • Patent number: 9019563
    Abstract: A halftone image generation device is provided that, by partially selecting and blending a first halftone image obtained by halftone processing a specific image using a first method and a second halftone image obtained by halftone processing the specific image using a second method different from the first method, generates a third halftone image of the specific image. The device includes a detector detecting, from the first halftone image, a dot pixel in which a dot is disposed, and a blender blending the first halftone image and the second halftone image by, when a dot is not disposed in any of neighboring pixels in the first halftone image that neighbor the dot pixel, employing, as binary values of isolated-point related pixels in the third halftone image that are in a same position as the dot pixel and the neighboring pixels, binary values of the dot pixel and the neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9013756
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for printing is disclosed. For example, the method selects a first frequency and a first angle for a low frequency halftone, selects a second frequency and a second angle for a high frequency halftone, wherein the high frequency halftone comprises a large dot cluster and a small dot cluster, tags each one of one or more objects in an image to be printed, selects a low frequency halftone or a high frequency halftone for the each one of the one or more objects that are tagged and prints the image in accordance with the low frequency halftone or the high frequency halftone that is selected for the each one of the one or more objects that are tagged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Dale Stevens
  • Patent number: 9007656
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, an apparatus and a printing equipment for printing documents, comprising: obtaining the name of the color document; retrieving the printing step information for the color document, according to the name of the color document, and determining if the printing step information for the color document is complete; printing the color document, according to the printing step information, in the case that the printing step information for the color document is complete. Thus, it is possible to avoid the problem of consuming a large amount of time caused by processing the color document at each time of printing it, so as to greatly increase the speed and efficiency of cyclic printing documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Peking University Founder Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Founder Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinghua Shen, Haifeng Li, Yanman Ma
  • Patent number: 9001388
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a rendering image having a plurality of tones, a communication interface unit configured to receive print data, a rendering unit configured to render the received print data to a bitmap image, a mergence unit configured to merge the bitmap image and the rendering image into a single mergence image, a binary coding unit configured to perform halftoning for the generated mergence image to generate binary data, and a print engine unit configured to form an image on a paper by using the generated binary data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Haeng-nan Kim
  • 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: 9001181
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit that acquires an image of a subject imaged by an image capturing lens; a face detecting unit that detects face information corresponding to a person's face from the image acquired by the image acquiring unit; an image angle-of-view calculating unit that calculates an angle of view of a portion including the face in the image based on the face information detected by the face detecting unit; and a correction necessity determining unit that determines whether distortion correction of the image is need to be performed, based on the angle of view calculated by the image angle-of-view calculating unit and distortion characteristics of the image capturing lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tetsuo Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9001386
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a trapping process. The image forming apparatus includes an image processing unit that includes a determination unit, a color correction unit, a processing unit, an adding unit, and a generating unit. The processing unit performs the trapping process on the pieces of image data, on which the color correction has been performed by the color correction unit. The generating unit generates intermediate data in accordance with the print data including the pieces of image data, on which the trapping process has been performed. The image forming apparatus also includes a rendering unit that performs a rendering process on one or more of the pieces of image data on which the color correction has been performed by the rendering unit and on the pieces of image data for which tag information indicates that the color correction has been performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masafumi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 8995020
    Abstract: When a skewness of brightness of a print target image is a first skewness, print data is generated such that an ink amount of a metallic ink is a first amount. When the skewness of brightness is a second skewness that is larger than the first skewness, a print data is generated such that the ink amount is a second amount that is larger than the first amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Okumura, Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8995021
    Abstract: Provided are black trapping methods, apparatus and systems for binary images. According to one exemplary method, black trapping color image data is performed by incorporating a set of trapping condition logical operations. Specifically, edge checking is based on estimated contone color values and density checking based on a binary bitmap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Xing Li, Zhenhuan Wen
  • Patent number: 8995022
    Abstract: An ink jet process is used to deposit a material layer to a desired thickness. Layout data is converted to per-cell grayscale values, each representing ink volume to be locally delivered. The grayscale values are used to generate a halftone pattern to deliver variable ink volume (and thickness) to the substrate. The halftoning provides for a relatively continuous layer (e.g., without unintended gaps or holes) while providing for variable volume and, thus, contributes to variable ink/material buildup to achieve desired thickness. The ink is jetted as liquid or aerosol that suspends material used to form the material layer, for example, an organic material used to form an encapsulation layer for a flat panel device. The deposited layer is then cured or otherwise finished to complete the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Eliyahu Vronsky, Nahid Harjee
  • Patent number: 8988734
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for forming an image by performing a plurality of times of recording on a same region of a recording medium by using a recording head including a plurality of recording elements for each of a first color material and a second color material, and a generation unit configured to generate recording data corresponding to each scan of the first color material and the second color material, wherein the generation unit generates, in a case where a defective recording element occurs among the plurality of recording elements for recording the first color material, recording data corresponding to each scan of the first color material by complementing a recording amount assigned to the defective recording element so that impact order between the first color material and the second color material is not changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shoei Moribe
  • Publication number: 20150077808
    Abstract: A method and system for estimating continuous tone values associated with input pixels in a color image are provided. The method includes receiving binarized halftone image data representing a color image, wherein the color image has a plurality of input pixels; and estimating the continuous tone values associated with each of the input pixels by: establishing a window comprising a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels in the binarized halftone image data, wherein the window comprises a plurality of sub-windows and wherein each sub-window has a plurality of predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels; and processing the binarized halftone image data in both a process direction and a cross-process direction using the window such that the processing is performed for one of the pixels in each of the rows within the sub-window and the processing is skipped for the remaining pixels in that row of that sub-window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xing Li, David Jon Metcalfe, Robert Robideau
  • Patent number: 8983182
    Abstract: A method and system for estimating continuous tone values associated with input pixels in a color image are provided. The method includes receiving binarized halftone image data representing a color image, wherein the color image has a plurality of input pixels; and estimating the continuous tone values associated with each of the input pixels by: establishing a window comprising a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels in the binarized halftone image data, wherein the window comprises a plurality of sub-window's and wherein each sub-window has a plurality of predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels; and processing the binarized halftone image data in both a process direction and a cross-process direction using the window such that the processing is performed for one of the pixels in each of the rows within the sub-window and the processing is skipped for the remaining pixels in that row of that sub-window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: XEROX Corporation
    Inventors: Xing Li, David Jon Metcalfe, Robert Robideau
  • Patent number: 8982419
    Abstract: Some of the embodiments provide a method for processing a continuous tone image, wherein each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the continuous tone image is associated with a corresponding value that represents a tone of the pixel, the method comprising for each pixel of the plurality of pixels of the continuous tone image, determining the corresponding value of the pixel that represents the tone of the pixel, wherein each pixel of a first subset of the plurality of pixels of the continuous tone image has a corresponding value that is within a first range; and generating a halftone image from the continuous tone image such that for each pixel of the first subset of the plurality of pixels of the continuous tone image, a corresponding pixel of the halftone image is generated to have a value that represents a zero optical density or a first optical density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard I. Klaus
  • Patent number: 8982422
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with light to be emitted from a light source includes: a digital half-toning unit configured to convert a uniform-pixel-value region of image data to a parallel-line pattern formed with a plurality of parallel lines extending obliquely with respect to a direction, in which pixels are arrayed, thereby expressing each gray level of the image data as an area percentage; a modulated-signal generating unit configured to generate a modulated signal by modulating the converted image data with a clock signal; a light-source driving unit configured to drive the light source according to the modulated signal; and an edge control unit configured to narrow a to-be-illuminated region, which is to be illuminated by the light from the light source, in each of edge neighborhoods of the lines constituting the parallel-line pattern, while increasing intensity of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Muneaki Iwata, Masaaki Ishida, Atsufumi Omori, Hayato Fujita
  • Publication number: 20150070731
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for printing is disclosed. For example, the method selects a first frequency and a first angle for a low frequency halftone, selects a second frequency and a second angle for a high frequency halftone, wherein the high frequency halftone comprises a large dot cluster and a small dot cluster, tags each one of one or more objects in an image to be printed, selects a low frequency halftone or a high frequency halftone for the each one of the one or more objects that are tagged and prints the image in accordance with the low frequency halftone or the high frequency halftone that is selected for the each one of the one or more objects that are tagged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Dale STEVENS
  • Patent number: 8976408
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set two pixels, one of which is adjacent to a processing target pixel in a vertical direction and the other of which is adjacent to the processing target pixel in a horizontal direction, as first determination pixels, and to set two pixels adjacent to and opposite across one of the two first determination pixels, as second determination pixels, and an output unit configured to output a black pixel for the processing target pixel, in a case where one of the first determination pixels is a black pixel and one of the second determination pixels is a black pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8970910
    Abstract: As set forth herein, computer-implemented methods and systems facilitate watermarking documents and/or images using 2nd generation stochastic halftoning. The watermark is used to spatially vary the gray level at which a frequency modulation-to-amplitude modulation transition occurs. The encoding algorithm uses as inputs a contone image and a watermark. The visibility of the watermark is controlled by the magnitude of the difference between the AM-to-FM transition threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar A. Bernal, Shen-ge Wang, Robert P. Loce, Zhigang Fan
  • Patent number: 8970909
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of this invention determines a correction amount for each image signal so as to correct banding as periodic density unevenness in a sub scanning direction, corrects each pixel value of an n-bit image signal in accordance with the correction amount, generates the first corrected image signal, and quantizes, for each pixel, the first corrected image signal into a second corrected image signal of m bits smaller than n bits. This image forming apparatus diffuses, in a main scanning direction, quantization errors at the time of quantization of the first corrected image signal into the second corrected image signal so as to cancel the quantization errors within a predetermined region including a plurality of continuous pixels on a main scanning line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8970911
    Abstract: By using different conversion patterns from input gradation values to output gradation values for each coordinate inside a continuous region with a predetermined area, an image processing circuit is for halftoning which approximately expresses a number of gradations which is higher than the number of gradations which are output for each dot is optimized for each type of apparatus while being shared between types of devices where the number of gradations in the output gradation values is different. There is an image processing apparatus where the number of indexes is relatively high in a case which corresponds to a low gradation level which is a halftone level where the number of gradations in the corresponding output gradation values is relatively low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20150055184
    Abstract: A method of operating an inkjet printer modifies image data for an image to be printed to reduce or eliminate variations in color intensity within the printed ink image. Intensity adjustment parameters are identified with reference to variations in a frequency of a signal generated by a sensor that corresponds to movement of a media web through a print zone in the inkjet printer. The image data is modified with the intensity adjustment parameters, and the image is printed with reference to the modified image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Guo-Yau Lin
  • Publication number: 20150055185
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes applying a human visual system (HVS) model to a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) and a initial Half Tone Image (HTI) to generate a perceived CTI and a perceived HTI and computing a change in pixel error for a first pixel by toggling the first pixel with all the possible output states and swapping the first pixel with all neighbor pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Mikel J. Stanich, Chai Wah Wu, Barry M. Trager
  • Patent number: 8964243
    Abstract: MFP matches low-resolution binary image data received by facsimile with a dot pattern showing a jaggy. If there is any matching region, the image data is converted into multivalued image data by performing jaggy correction in which the tone of a target dot in the region is substituted with a grayscale. MFP also generates a region identification attribute code based on the result of matching and the tone of the input image data. MFP enhances the respective resolutions of the image data after jaggy correction and the region identification attribute code. MFP then binarizes the image data having the enhanced resolution once again by a binarization method according to the region identification attribute code having the enhanced resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8958653
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for decoding last position information indicating a horizontal position and a vertical position of a last non-zero coefficient in a predetermined order within a current block to be decoded, the current block being included in a picture and including a plurality of coefficients. The apparatus includes one or more processors, a communication unit, and storage coupled to the one or more processors and the communication unit. The communication unit is configured to transmit a request for a bitstream to an external system, and receive the bitstream from the external system. The one or more processors are configured to obtain the bitstream, perform first arithmetic decoding, perform second arithmetic decoding, derive a horizontal component of the last position information, and derive a vertical component of the last position. A system for decoding and a displaying method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hisao Sasai, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8953222
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printer engine, a storage unit, a print data interpreting unit, and a print control unit. The print data interpreting unit interprets print data and identifies both a first job type and a second job type. The first job type specifies any one of a special print job using special toner and a normal job using normal toner, and the second job type specifies a print function to be used. The print control unit makes a decision to permit or prohibit accumulation of print data in view of security based on the first job type and the second job type, accumulates the print data in the storage unit when the decision to permit the accumulation of the print data is made, and prohibits the accumulation of the print data when the decision to prohibits the accumulation of the print data is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kobayashi, Isamu Mitsuke, Takahiro Hirakawa, Saori Iura, Yuuichi Yoshida, Nobuyuki Iwata, Tomoyuki Takahira
  • Patent number: 8953234
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided that is capable of very accurately and efficiently reducing uneven color caused by variation in ejection characteristics among nozzles that eject ink and that occurs in a color image that is formed by mixing a plurality of different kinds of ink. A patch is printed by ejected ink from a plurality of nozzles, a region is specified so as to perform color correction in a test color image that is printed on a printing medium, a plurality of different color correction processing is performed on color signals that correspond to a color correction region, a plurality of color correction patches are printed, a color correction patch to be used is selected from among the plurality of different color correction patches and table parameters that correspond to the nozzles are created based on the selected color correction processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Iguchi, Nobutaka Miyake, Tohru Ikeda, Akitoshi Yamada, Mitsuhiro Ono, Fumitaka Goto, Hidetsugu Kagawa, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Junichi Nakagawa, Senichi Saito
  • Patent number: 8947738
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a conversion unit and a determination unit to convert image data into color material data including color material data indicating a color material amount of a chromatic color material and color material data indicating a color material amount of an achromatic color material. The conversion unit converts image data of a region of interest in an image into the color material data of the chromatic color material. The determination unit determines the color material data of the achromatic color material corresponding to the image data so that a color indicated by coloring information corresponding to the image data of the region of interest in the image approaches an achromatic color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Shibasaki, Hiromitsu Nishikawa, Takayuki Jinno, Takashi Ochiai
  • Patent number: 8947736
    Abstract: A method for binarizing a scanned document images containing gray or light colored text printed with halftone patterns. The document image is initially binarized and connected image components are extracted from the initial binary image as text characters. Each text character is classified as either a halftone text character or a non-halftone text character based on an analysis of its topology features. The topology features may be the Euler number of the text character; a text character with a Euler number below ?2 is classified as halftone text. The gray-scale document image is then divided into halftone text regions containing only halftone text characters and non-halftone text regions. Each region is binarized using its own pixel value statistics. This eliminates the influence of black text on the threshold values for binarizing halftone text. The binary maps of the regions are combined to generate the final binary map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Songyang Yu, Wei Ming
  • Patent number: 8941901
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image output device includes an image processor to receive input image data, and a line screen to represent halftone images and have multiple screen angles respectively allocated to different colors including yellow, magenta, and cyan. The line screen satisfies requirements of (A) a predetermined difference is secured between adjacent two of the multiple screen angles; (B) zero is not allocated to any of the multiple screen angles; and (C) among the multiple screen angles determined by the requirements (A) and (B), a screen angle closest to 90 degrees is allocated to yellow among yellow, magenta, and cyan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Igawa, Hideki Kamaji
  • Patent number: 8941887
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus configured to convert input image data into halftone image data by halftone-processing the input image data includes a prediction unit configured to predict a density of a pixel of interest, which is achieved when the halftone image data is printed, based on a group of halftone-processed pixels neighboring the pixel of interest according to a prediction method determined according to a halftone-processed pixel value of the pixel of interest, and a control unit configured to control the halftone processing according to the density predicted by the prediction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Fuse
  • Patent number: 8941884
    Abstract: Various techniques for generating transformed tables by applying transformations indicated in a transformation table to a first threshold halftone table that is unsuitable for tiling an image as part of an image half-toning process are described. A block of the transformed tables represent a second threshold halftone table that is suitable for the half-toning process, wherein the second threshold halftone table is larger than the first threshold halftone table, such that the block is too large to be stored in the memory. A half-toned image of the image is generated based at least in part on the second threshold halftone table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Douglas G Keithley
  • Publication number: 20150015915
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus configured to generate print data used for recording image data expressing halftone dots by an image forming apparatus includes an input unit configured to input image data expressing halftone dots, an obtaining unit configured to obtain color tone information indicating color tone for each pixel or for each area including a plurality of pixels in the image data, a conversion unit configured to perform multivalue conversion of the image data based on a degree of smoothing according to the color tone information, a color separation processing unit configured to perform color separation on the image data which has been multi-valued by the conversion unit, and a halftone processing unit configured to convert image data which has been color-separated by the color separation processing unit into print data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Kyohei Kikuta