Image processing apparatus with color conversion means

• US 5,296,946 A
• Filed: 08/31/1992
• Issued: 03/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohnishi, Tetsuya, Kadowaki, Toshihiro, Suzuki, Yasumichi, Honma, Toshio, Katoh, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US07/936,722
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 358/75, 358/80, 358/453, 358/531, 358/538
• US Class Current: 358/531
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/62 Retouching, i.e. modification of isolated colours only or in isolated picture areas only

Abstract

There is provided a color image processing apparatus in which, by making use of an image reading apparatus of a digital full-color copying apparatus, the designated color to be obtained after conversion is input and stored as component ratio of color-separated image data, and monochromatic image data proportional to the gradation levels, e.g., density, lightness, luminance and so forth are obtained from the color separated image data produced from the original image, the monochromatic image data thus obtained being converted into the color separation data corresponding to the component ratio of the designated color to be obtained after conversion, thereby making it possible to preserve the hue of the designated color and to effect color conversion to the designated color having gradation proportional to the gradation of the original image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

hue appointing means for appointing a hue to be obtained after a conversion processing of original image data having a gradation;

area appointing means for appointing an area of an original image without setting a range of color to be converted, the original image in the appointed area having a plurality of colors; and

conversion means for converting the original image data within the area appointed by said area appointing means into converted image data having the same hue appointed by said hue appointing means so that the entire color of the original in the appointed area will be converted into an image having a density level proportional to a density level of the original image data and the same hue,

wherein said hue appointing means and said area appointing means comprise a common operating means for manually appointing the hue and the area.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hue appointing means is arranged to appoint one of plural hues which have been beforehand stored.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image data supply means for supplying the original image data,

wherein said hue appointing means is arranged so as to appoint the hue to be obtained after conversion, by appointing a particular hue in the original image data supplied by said image data supply means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image data supply means comprises a flat-bed scanner.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said flat-bed scanner comprises plural line sensors.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hue appointing means appoints the hue by appointing a desired portion on the original image.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said common operating means comprises a digitizer.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image formation means for forming a visible image in accordance with the converted image data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image formation means comprises a photosensitive member.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image formation means plane-sequentially forms an image of the plural recording colors.

11. A copying apparatus comprising:

an original support for supporting an original image;

a digitizer for digitizing a desired portion of the original image placed on said original support;

hue extracting means for extracting a hue to be obtained after a conversion processing of original image data having a gradation, from the original image placed on said original support, based on a hue of the desired portion of the original image digitized by said digitizer; and

conversion means for converting the original image data into converted image data having the same hue extracted by said hue extracting means and having a gradation proportional to the gradation of the original image data,

wherein said conversion means converts the entire color of the original image on the original support of the copying apparatus into the hue extracted by said hue extracting means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

image data supply means for supplying the original image data,

wherein said hue extracting means is arranged so as to extract the hue to be obtained after conversion, by extracting a particular hue in the original image data supplied by said image data supply means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image data supply means comprises a flat-bed scanner.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said flat-bed scanner comprises plural line sensors.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising image formation means for forming a visible image in accordance with the converted image data.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image formation means comprises a photosensitive member.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image formation means plane-sequentially forms an image of plural recording colors.