Repeated image forming apparatus with neighboring image boundary gradiation correction

• US 6,359,695 B1
• Filed: 02/23/1993
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takashi, Takahashi, Kazuyoshi, Tanaami, Hideyuki, Yanaka, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): GARCIA, GABRIEL I
• Application Number:
  US08/021,104
• Time in Patent Office: 3,311 Days
• Field of Search: 395/101, 395/102, 395/137, 395/139, 395/105, 395/106, 395/109, 395/110, 395/111, 395/117, 346/140.1, 707/500, 707/502, 707/504, 707/511, 707/521, 345/428, 345/429, 345/431, 345/437, 345/144, 345/115
• US Class Current: 358/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2103 Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2107 characterised by the ink properties supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/30 Ink jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/005 only locally
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/021 Adaptations for printing on specific media
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/027 Test patterns and calibration arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/18 Conditioning data for presenting it to the physical printing elements for data conditioning specific to a type of printer see subgroups G06K15/028 - G06K15/14; print job translation or parsing G06F3/1244
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image

Abstract

An image output apparatus according to the present invention is able to additionally output another image data item to a desired position to which subject image data is outputted and able to repeatedly output the same image or repeatedly output the image while rotating the image. A setting unit sets the image repetition portion, the number of the repetitions and the rotation of the image. An image read by a reader is stored into a memory, and a reading counter changes the reading address of the memory in accordance with set information. Hence, a desired repeated image or the rotated image is outputted to a printer.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for correcting image data obtained by repeating a basic image in a close arrangement, wherein each pixel data of the image data is multi-value data, comprising:

input means for inputting basic image data representing the basic image;

recognition means for recognizing a deviation of gradation between neighboring basic images in the image data; and

correction means for correcting the basic image data based on the recognition by said recognition means so that the image data have continuity of gradation at boundaries between the neighboring basic images,

wherein said correction means performs a predetermined calculation on pixel data groups at a boundary portion between neighboring basic images to form calculated pixel data and replaces a pixel data group of the boundary portion of one basic image with the calculated pixel data.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recording means for receiving the image data corrected by said correction means and for recording the basic images.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording means comprises an ink-jet printing head for printing the images by emitting ink.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said ink-jet printing head emits the ink by utilizing heat energy, said ink-jet printing head comprising a heat energy conversion member for generating the heat energy to be supplied to the ink.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording means records the basic images adjacent to each other.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correction means modifies pixel data of a target basic image based on a predetermined calculation including parameters of pixel data on a boundary portion of the target basic image and pixel data on the boundary portion between the target basic image and the neighboring basic image.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correction means corrects the basic image data in a case where the deviation is greater than a predetermined value.

6. An image processing method for correcting image data obtained by repeating a basic image in a close arrangement, wherein each pixel data of the image data is multi-value data, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting basic image data representing the basic image;

recognizing a deviation of gradation between neighboring basic images in the image data; and

correcting the basic image data based on the recognition in said recognition step so that the image data have continuity of gradation at boundaries between the neighboring basic images,

wherein in said correcting step, a predetermined calculation is performed on pixel data groups at a boundary portion between neighboring basic images to form calculated pixel data and a pixel data group of the boundary portion of one basic image is replaced with the calculated pixel data.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of receiving the image data corrected in said correcting step and of recording the basic images.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein in said recording step, the basic images are printed by utilizing an ink-jet printing head.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the ink-jet printing head emits the ink by utilizing heat energy, the ink-jet printing head comprising a heat energy conversion member for generating the heat energy to be supplied to the ink.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein in said recording step, the basic images are recorded adjacent to each other.

13. A method according to claim 6, wherein in said correcting step, pixel data of a target basic image is modified based on a predetermined calculation including parameters of pixel data on a boundary portion of the target basic image and pixel data on the boundary portion between the target basic image and the neighboring basic image.

14. A method according to claim 6, wherein in said correcting step, the basic image data is corrected in a case where the deviation is greater than a predetermined value.