Image processor

• US 8,094,343 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Tomohiko, Kondo, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US12/202,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358/468, 358/3.24, 358/3.26, 358/527, 358/400, 358/500, 358/406, 358/504
• US Class Current: 358/3.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6075 Corrections to the hue
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

An image forming processor includes a generating unit and a correcting unit. The first characteristic quantity data obtaining unit obtains a set of first characteristic quantity data. The receiving unit receives data of an original image. The second characteristic data obtaining unit obtains a set of second characteristic quantity data based on the data of the original image. The generating unit generates at least one set of image data concerning the first characteristic quantity data. The display unit displays the at least one set of image data to prompt a user to specify one set of image data among the at least one set of image data. The correcting unit corrects the original image by using the set of second characteristic quantity data and a set of first characteristic quantity data that has been used to generate the one set of image data specified by the user.

Claims

1. An image processor comprising:

a first receiving unit that receives a first image;

a second receiving unit that receives a second image;

a thumbnail generating unit that generates a thumbnail image based on the second image;

a first characteristic quantity data determining unit that determines a set of first characteristic quantity data based on the first image;

a second characteristic quantity data determining unit that determines a set of second characteristic quantity based on one of the second image and the thumbnail image;

a correcting unit that corrects the thumbnail image and the second image by using the set of first characteristic quantity data and the set of second characteristic quantity data;

a display unit that displays the corrected thumbnail image to prompt a user to input his/her instruction to print the corrected second image; and

a printing process executing unit that executes, upon receipt of the user'"'"'s instruction, a process for recording the corrected second image on a recording medium.

2. The image processor according to claim 1, further comprising a correction data creating unit that creates correction data based on the set of first characteristic quantity data and the set of second characteristic quantity data.

3. The image processor according to claim 2,

wherein the first characteristic quantity data determining unit further comprises:

a first dividing unit that divides a plurality of pixels constituting the first image into a plurality of hue-regions;

a first hue data determining unit that determines first hue-related data for each hue-region of the first image based on data of the first image; and

a first non-hue data determining unit that determines first non-hue-related data for each hue-region of the first image based on the data of the first image,

wherein the second characteristic quantity data determining unit comprises;

a second dividing unit that divides a plurality of pixels constituting the second image into the plurality of hue-regions;

a second hue data determining unit that determines second hue-related data for each hue-region of the second image based on data of the second image; and

a second non-hue data determining unit that determines second non-hue-related data for each hue-region of the second image based on data of the second image,

wherein the correction data creating unit creates a set of hue correction data by using the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data for the plurality of hue-regions, and creates a plurality of sets of non-hue correction data corresponding to the plurality of hue-regions by using the first and second non-hue-related data for the plurality of hue-regions,

wherein the correcting unit corrects hue-related data in each pixel of the second image based on the set of hue correction data, and corrects the non-hue-related data in each pixel of the second image based on a set of non-hue correction data of a hue-region, to which the hue-related data of the each pixel belongs.

4. The image processor according to claim 3, wherein the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data include H values that are represented in a HSV color space.

5. An image processor comprising:

a first receiving unit that receives a first image;

a second receiving unit that receives a second image;

a thumbnail generating unit that generates a thumbnail image based on the second image;

a first characteristic quantity data determining unit that determines a set of first characteristic quantity data based on the first image;

a second characteristic quantity data determining unit that determines a set of second characteristic quantity data based on one of the second image and the thumbnail image; and

a correcting unit that corrects the thumbnail image by using the set of first characteristic quantity data and the set of second characteristic quantity data;

a display unit that displays the corrected thumbnail image to prompt a user to input his/her instruction to correct the second image,

wherein upon receipt of the user'"'"'s instruction, the correcting unit corrects the second image by using the set of first characteristic quantity data and the set of second characteristic quantity data.

6. The image processor according to claim 5, wherein the correcting unit corrects a part of the thumbnail image,

wherein the display unit displays the corrected thumbnail image in a manner distinguishing the corrected part of the thumbnail image from a remaining part of the thumbnail image.

7. The image processor according to claim 6, wherein the display unit adds, to the thumbnail image, a boarder line between the corrected part of the thumbnail image and the remaining part of the thumbnail image.

8. The image processor according to claim 7, wherein a color of the border line is determined based on a color in the corrected part of the thumbnail image.

9. The image processor according to claim 6, wherein the display unit transfers a color of the remaining part of the thumbnail image into an achromatic color.

10. The image processor according to claim 9, wherein the display unit reduces a gradation level in the remaining part of the thumbnail image.

11. The image processor according to claim 5, further comprising a correction data creating unit that creates correction data based on the set of first characteristic quantity data and the set of second characteristic quantity data.

12. The image processor according to claim 11,

wherein the first characteristic quantity data determining unit further comprises:

a first dividing unit that divides a plurality of pixels constituting the first image into a plurality of hue-regions;

a first hue data determining unit that determines first hue-related data for each hue-region of the first image based on data of the first image; and

a first non-hue data determining unit that determines first non-hue-related data for each hue-region of the first image based on the data of the first image,

wherein the second characteristic quantity data determining unit comprises;

a second dividing unit that divides a plurality of pixels constituting the second image into the plurality of hue-regions;

a second hue data determining unit that determines second hue-related data for each hue-region of the second image based on data of the second image; and

a second non-hue data determining unit that determines second non-hue-related data for each hue-region of the second image based on data of the second image,

wherein the correction data creating unit creates a set of hue correction data by using the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data for the plurality of hue-regions, and creates a plurality of sets of non-hue correction data corresponding to the plurality of hue-regions by using the first and second non-hue-related data for the plurality of hue-regions, and

wherein the correcting unit corrects hue-related data in each pixel of the second image based on the set of hue correction data, and corrects the non-hue-related data in each pixel of the second image based on a set of non-hue correction data of a hue-region, to which the hue-related data of the each pixel belongs.

13. The image processor according to claim 12, wherein the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data include H values that are represented in a HSV color space.

14. An image processor comprising:

a first characteristic quantity data storing unit that pre-stores at least one set of first characteristic quantity data, each of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data being extracted from a specific image;

a receiving unit that receives data of an original image that is different from the specific image;

a determining unit that determines a set of second characteristic quantity data based on the data of the original image;

a generating unit that generates at least one set of display data indicative of at least one test image based on the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data;

a display unit that displays the at least one set of display data to prompt a user to specify one set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data; and

a correcting unit that corrects the original image by using the set of second characteristic quantity data and the one set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data specified by the user.

15. The image processor according to claim 14, further comprising an image storing unit that stores a test image,

wherein the generating unit includes a test image correcting unit that corrects the test image into at least one corrected test image by using the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data and a set of third characteristic quantity data concerning the test image, the generating unit generating the at least one corrected test image as the at least one set of display data.

16. The image processor according to claim 15, wherein the display unit displays both the test image and the at least one corrected test image.

17. The image processor according to claim 14, wherein the generating unit generates, as the at least one set of display data, at least one characteristic presenting image indicative of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data.

18. The image processor according to claim 17, wherein the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data corresponds to at least one third image, each set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data includes:

first hue-related data for each of a plurality of hue-regions, into which a plurality of pixels constituting the corresponding third image are divided;

first non-hue-related data for each hue-region,

wherein the characteristic presenting image has a plurality of color regions, each of which corresponds to one of the plurality of hue regions,

wherein the generating unit determines a display color for each color region in the characteristic representing image based on the first hue-related data and the first non-hue-related data for the corresponding hue-region.

19. The image processor according to claim 18, wherein each set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data further includes a ratio value indicative of a ratio of an area of each hue-region relative to a total area of all the hue regions in the corresponding third image,

wherein the generating unit generates each characteristic representing image based on the corresponding set of first characteristic quantity data so that a ratio of an area of the display color for each color region in the characteristic presenting image relative to the entire area of the characteristic presenting image is proportional to the ratio value of the corresponding hue region.

20. The image processor according to claim 18, wherein the first non-hue-related data indicates at least one of brightness and saturation.

21. The image processor according to claim 18, wherein each set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data further includes a first ratio value indicative of a ratio of an area of each hue-region relative to a total area of all the hue regions in the third image,

wherein the set of second characteristic quantity data includes a second ratio value indicative of a ratio of an area of each hue-region relative to a total area of all the hue regions in the original image,

wherein when at least one of the first ratio in one set of first characteristic quantity data for one hue-region and the second ratio for one hue-region is smaller than a prescribed value, the generating unit generates the characteristic presenting image without using a display color corresponding to the hue region.

22. The image processor according to claim 14, further comprising a correction data creating unit that creates correction data based on the first and second characteristic quantity data.

23. The image processor according to claim 22, wherein each set of the at least one set of first characteristic quantity data includes:

first hue-related data for each of a plurality of hue-regions, into which a plurality of pixels constituting the third image are divided;

first non-hue-related data for each hue-region,

wherein the characteristic presenting image has a plurality of color regions each of which corresponds to one of the plurality of hue regions,

wherein the determining unit comprises;

a dividing unit that divides a plurality of pixels constituting the original image into the plurality of hue-regions;

a second hue data determining unit that determines second hue-related data for each hue-region of the original image based on the data of the original image; and

a second non-hue data determining unit that determines second non-hue-related data for each hue-region of the original image based on the data of the original image,

wherein the correction data creating unit creates a set of hue correction data by using the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data for the plurality of hue regions, and creates a plurality of sets of non-hue correction data corresponding to the plurality of hue-regions by using the first and second non-hue-related data for the plurality of hue-regions, and

wherein the correcting unit corrects hue-related data in each pixel of the original image based on the set of hue correction data, and corrects the non-hue-related data in each pixel of the original image based on a set of non-hue correction data for a hue-region in which the hue-related data of the each pixel belongs.

24. The image processor according to claim 23, wherein each of the first hue-related data and the second hue-related data includes an H value that is represented in a HSV color space.

25. The image processor according to claim 14, further comprising a printing process executing unit that executes a process for recording the corrected original image on a recording medium.