Image copying apparatus having means for deleting color portions of an original image

• US 5,177,603 A
• Filed: 04/29/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kojima, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Jill
• Application Number:
  US07/693,456
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 382/17, 358/453, 358/75, 358/448, 358/467, 358/80
• US Class Current: 358/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40012 Conversion of colour to monochrome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/62 Retouching, i.e. modification of isolated colours only or in isolated picture areas only

Abstract

A color deleting apparatus includes an image reading device for reading a color original document and for producing R, G, B signals for each pixel, a monochrome generator for producing a gradiation image signal based on the R, G, B signal, a color judging circuit for judging whether the R, G, B signal is carrying chromatic information or achromatic information, and a deleting circuit for deleting the gradiation image signal when the color judging circuit judges that the R, G, B signal is carrying chromatic information. Thus, the colored areas in the color original document are completely deleted in the copied image.

Claims

1. A color deleting apparatus which comprises:

image reading means for decomposing a color original image into a plurality of colors and for producing color image data for each pixel of said color original image;

monochrome generating means for producing corresponding monochrome image data for each pixel of an output image from said color image data for each pixel of said original image;

image processing means for producing corresponding yellow, magenta, cyan and black data for each pixel of an output image from said color image data for each pixel of said original image;

selecting means for selecting either one of said monochrome image data and said yellow, magenta, cyan and black data;

color judging means for judging for each pixel of said original image whether said color image data is carrying chromatic information or achromatic information;

deleting means for deleting said selected data for each pixel of said output image for which said color judging means judges that the color image data for a corresponding pixel of said original image is carrying chromatic information;

an area setting means for setting a blocked area within said color original image, said deleting means being enabled during image processing inside said blocked area, and said deleting means being disabled during image processing outside said blocked area; and

a printer which can selectively be set to either one of a color printing mode and a black-and-white printing mode;

wherein, when said selecting means selects said monochrome image data and said printer is set to said black-and-white printing mode, a black and white image contained in the original image is printed out, and a color image contained in the original image is deleted.

2. A color deleting apparatus which comprises:

image reading means for decomposing a color original image into a plurality of colors and for producing color image data for each pixel of said color original image;

monochrome generating means for producing corresponding monochrome image data for each pixel of an output image from said color image data for each pixel of said original image;

image processing means for producing corresponding yellow, magenta, cyan and black data for each pixel of an output image from said color image data for each pixel of said original image;

selecting means for selecting either one of said monochrome image data and said yellow, magenta, cyan and black data;

color judging means for judging for each pixel of said original image whether said color image data is carrying chromatic information or achromatic information;

deleting means for deleting said selected data for each pixel of said output image for which said color judging means judges that the color image data for a corresponding pixel of said original image is carrying chromatic information;

an area setting means for setting a blocked area within said color original image, said deleting means being enabled during image processing inside said blocked area, and said deleting means being disabled during image processing outside said blocked area; and

a printer which can selectively be set to either one of a color printing mode and a black-and-white printing mode;

wherein, when said printer is set to said color printing mode and said selecting means selects said yellow, magenta, cyan and black data during image processing outside said blocked area and selects said monochrome image data during image processing inside said blocked area, a monochrome image contained in the original image is printed inside said blocked area with a color image contained in the original image inside said blocked area being deleted, and a color image contained in the original image outside said blocked area is printed outside said blocked area.

3. A color deleting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said monochrome image printed inside said blocked area is a black image.

4. A color deleting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an emphasize color setting means for setting an emphasize color used inside said blocked area wherein an image corresponding to said monochrome image printed inside said blocked area is printed in said emphasized color.