Image forming apparatus including an image seperation unit

• US 6,819,439 B2
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Koji, Kuwata, Kazumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/058,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1--, 358/1-1-, 358/2.1, 358/505, 358/521, 358/3, 358/474, 358/519, 358/3-1-, 358/3-1-, 358/3.1, 358/3.2, 358/3-1-, 358/3.26, 358/3.27, 715/515, 715/520, 715/521, 382/169
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6011 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer H04N1/622 takes precedence; matching two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus having a particular area setting unit for setting an arbitrary area of a document image as a particular area, an image processing unit (scanner/IPU section) receives, when a particular area is specified, image data for the particular area, and generates a plurality of monitor image data having been subjected to image processing by setting a different image quality mode for each particular area, and further an image forming unit (printer section) receives the plurality of monitor image data and forms a plurality of monitor images on the same transfer material by arranging the monitor images at different positions on the transfer material.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image reader configured to read image data by optically scanning a document image placed at a reading position;

an image processor configured to receive said image data from said image reader and to process said image data to form processed image data;

an image separation unit configured to automatically separate the document image into at least a character area and a picture area; and

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a transfer material based on the processed image data,

wherein said image processor includes;

a plurality of first gradation conversion units from which an initial gradation conversion unit is selected for an image area having been selected from a plurality of image areas in said document image, said initial gradation conversion unit configured to subject image data corresponding to said selected image area to gradation conversion;

a storing unit configured to store therein image data outputted from said initial gradation conversion unit;

a first selector unit configured to output the image data stored in said storing unit into said image forming unit;

a second selector unit configured to select between image data outputted from said image reader and image data outputted from said first selector unit, and to input the selected image data into said initial gradation conversion unit;

a color correcting unit configured to operate in response to each of said plurality of image areas and configured to subject an output signal from said image reader to color correction according to a used color material; and

a second gradation conversion unit configured to operate in response to each of said plurality of image areas and configured to subject the image data having been subjected to correction by said color correcting unit to gradation conversion,

wherein said image processor performs first image processing for the character area, and said image processor performs second image processing, different from said first image processing, for the picture area.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein selection of said initial gradation conversion unit is executed between a gradation conversion unit in which gradation conversion is not executed and another gradation conversion unit in which gradation conversion is executed.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit configured to set parameters corresponding to each of a plurality of areas in said document image in said initial gradation conversion unit, read out image data for the specified area from said storing unit as needed, execute gradation conversion according to said initial gradation conversion unit, and store the image data having been subjected to gradation conversion in said storing unit,

wherein said control unit repeats an operation a predetermined number of times.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said initial gradation conversion unit has image quality modes corresponding to one of a document on development paper, a document written by a fluorescent pen, and a document printed by way of terminal transfer.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said initial gradation conversion unit has modes for converting density.