Image processing method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An image processing apparatus for processing a multivalued image signal, comprising:
- first halftone processing means for applying pseudo-halftone processing to an L-bit image signal to thereby generate an M-bit image signal, where M<
L holds, said first halftone processing means having means for generating a quotient and a remainder obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined value and said first halftone processing means having means for generating lower order bits based upon a comparison between the remainder and a random-number value;
image processing means for executing image-signal multivalued processing using the M-bit image signal; and
second halftone processing means for generating, from the multivalued-processed M-bit image signal, an image signal of predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein said first and second halftone processing means perform halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method.
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Abstract
Provided is an image processing apparatus in which high-quality image representation is possible at very low cost even if high image resolution is obtained. The apparatus includes a first halftone processor for pseudo-halftoning an 8-bit image signal to a 4-bit image signal, an image processor, which comprises a color correcting unit, a converter, a resolution converter, a spatial filter and a gamma corrector, for processing the 4-bit image signal, a second halftone processor for pseudo-halftoning the image-processed 4-bit image signal from the image processor to one bit, and a recorder for outputting an image based upon the 1-bit signal. In another aspect, the amount of calculation required for highly precise color correction processing inclusive of image-quality adjustment processing is large. This has made it necessary to rely upon hardware such as an ASIC, a consequence of which is higher cost. Accordingly, a first halftone processor converts input 8-bit data to 4-bit data and a color correcting unit performs color correction processing, using a LUT conversion, of the 4-bit data. Since the LUT is updated in dependence upon adjustment of image quality performed using a control panel, it is possible for the adjustment to be reflected in real time.
75 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An image processing apparatus for processing a multivalued image signal, comprising:
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first halftone processing means for applying pseudo-halftone processing to an L-bit image signal to thereby generate an M-bit image signal, where M<
L holds, said first halftone processing means having means for generating a quotient and a remainder obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined value and said first halftone processing means having means for generating lower order bits based upon a comparison between the remainder and a random-number value;image processing means for executing image-signal multivalued processing using the M-bit image signal; and second halftone processing means for generating, from the multivalued-processed M-bit image signal, an image signal of predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein said first and second halftone processing means perform halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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4. An image processing apparatus for processing a multivalued image signal, comprising:
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first halftone processing means for applying pseudo-halftone processing to an L-bit image signal to thereby generate an M-bit image signal, where M<
L holds, said first halftone processing means has means for generating a quotient and a remainder obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined value and said first halftone processing means having means for generating lower order bits based upon a comparison between the remainder and a random-number value;means for creating output data from the quotient and lower order bits; image processing means for executing image-signal multivalued processing using the M-bit image signal wherein said image processing means includes; color correcting means for performing a color correction such as black generation by processing; zooming means having an image delay memory; and
spatial filter means; andsecond halftone processing means for generating, from the multivalued-processed M-bit image signal, an image signal of predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein said first and second halftone processing means perform halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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13. An image processing method for processing a multivalued image signal, comprising the steps of:
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reducing number of bits from L bits to M (<
L) bits by pseudo-halftone processing prior to processing of an L-bit image signal by dispersing a remainder to lower order bits of a quotient obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined number of bits;performing subsequent multivalued processing of image signal using the M-bit image signal; and generating, from the multivalued-processed M-bit image signal, an image signal of predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein, in said reducing step and generating step, halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method is performed. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An image processing method for processing a multivalued image signal, comprising the steps of:
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reducing number of bits from L bits to M (<
L) bits by pseudo-halftone processing prior to processing of an L-bit image signal by diffusing a remainder to lower order bits of a quotient obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined number of bits wherein diffusion of the remainder includes comparing the remainder and a random number and varying the least significant bit of the quotient based upon the results of the comparison;performing subsequent multivalued processing of image signal using the M-bit image signal; and generating, from the multivalued-processed M-bit image signal, an image signal of predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein, in said reducing step and generating step, halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method is performed.
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16. A product comprising a processor readable medium including a program for processing multilevel image data, said program including at least:
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first program code means for controlling reduction of number of bits from L bits to M (<
L) bits by pseudo-halftone processing prior to processing of an L-bit image signal the first program code means generating a quotient and a remainder obtained by dividing input data by a predetermined value, the first program code means generating lower order bits based upon a comparison between the remainder and a random-number value;second program code means for controlling multivalued processing of a subsequent image signal using the M-bit image signal; and third program code means for controlling pseudo-halftone processing from the multivalued-processed image signal to predetermined bits corresponding to output means, wherein said first and third program code means perform halftone processing in a density preserving type quantizing method. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification