Image processing apparatus and image forming apparatus for performing halftone processing on point-of-purchase image

• US 8,773,721 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yasutomi, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Augustin, Marcellus
• Application Number:
  US12/487,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20100002265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 358 19- 326
• US Class Current: 358/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40087 Multi-toning, i.e. converting a continuous-tone signal for reproduction with more than two discrete brightnesses or optical densities, e.g. dots of grey and black inks on white paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4051 producing a dispersed dots halftone pattern, the dots having substantially the same size different sizes H04N1/4057
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4055 producing a clustered dots or a size modulated halftone pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4058 with details for producing a halftone screen at an oblique angle H04N1/4056 takes precedence

Abstract

A connection unit receives image data to be printed and image information on a type of the image data from an external device. A pseudo-halftone processing unit converts the image data into pseudo-halftone image data. When the image information received from the external device indicates that the type of the image data is a point-of-purchase advertising image, the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs a pseudo-halftone processing on the image data at a quantization level of three or more bits on a pixel and takes a growth order causing all pixels in a low-density area to grow averagely.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a connection unit that receives image data to be printed and image information on a type of the image data from an external device; and

a pseudo-halftone processing unit that converts the image data into pseudo-halftone image data, wherein,

in response to a determination that the image information received from the external device indicates that the type of the image data is a point-of-purchase advertising image based on whether the image data includes one of a product name and a price,

the pseudo- halftone processing unit performs a pseudo-halftone processing on the image data at a quantization level of three or more bits on a pixel and takes a growth order causing all pixels in a high-density area to grow averagely;

the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs another pseudo-halftone processing on the image data, in response to a determination that the type of the image data is not the point-of-purchase advertising image, and

the another pseudo-halftone processing is different from the pseudo-halftone processing performed in response to the determination that the type of the image data is the point-of-purchase advertising image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs the pseudo-halftone processing based on a dithering.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data is four-color image data including cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising an image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

an image analyzing unit that analyzes the image data, and makes the determination whether the type of the image data is the point-of-purchase advertising image; and

a sending unit that sends a result of the determination to the connection unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image analyzing unit makes the determination based on whether the one of the product name and the price is included in the image data.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a photosensitive element as an image carrier;

a laser-light emitting unit as an exposure unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element; and

a control unit that controls the laser-light emitting unit based on data obtained by performing the pseudo-halftone processing on the image data.

8. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a connection unit that receives image data to be printed and image information on a type of the image data from an external device; and

a pseudo-halftone processing unit that converts the image data into pseudo-halftone image data, wherein,

in response to a determination that the image information received from the external device indicates that the type of the image data is a point-of-purchase advertising image based on whether the image data includes one of a product name and a price,

the pseudo- halftone processing unit performs a pseudo-halftone processing on the image data at a quantization level of three or more bits on a pixel, takes a growth order causing pixels in a low-density area to grow pixel-by-pixel up to an intermediate quantization level, and takes a growth order causing all pixels in a high-density area to grow averagely;

the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs another pseudo-halftone processing on the image data, in response to a determination that the type of the image data is not the point-of-purchase advertising image, and

the another pseudo-halftone processing is different from the pseudo-halftone processing performed in response to the determination that the type of the image data is the point-of-purchase advertising image.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs the pseudo-halftone processing based on a dithering.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the low-density area, the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs the pseudo-halftone processing with a dot pattern.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the low-density area, the pseudo-halftone processing unit performs the pseudo-halftone processing with a line pattern.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image data is four-color image data including cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising an image processing apparatus according to claim 8.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

an image analyzing unit that analyzes the image data, and makes the determination whether the type of the image data is the point-of-purchase advertising image; and

a sending unit that sends a result of the determination to the connection unit.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image analyzing unit makes the determination based on whether the one of the product name and the price is included in the image data.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a photosensitive element as an image carrier;

a laser-light emitting unit as an exposure unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element; and

a control unit that controls the laser-light emitting unit based on data obtained by performing the pseudo-halftone processing on the image data.

17. A method implemented by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving image data to be printed and image information on a type of the image data from an external device;

converting the image data into pseudo-halftone image data;

performing, with the image processing apparatus, a pseudo-halftone processing on the image data at a quantization level of three or more bits on a pixel and taking a growth order causing all pixels in a high-density area to grow averagely, in response to a determination that the image information received from the external device indicates that the type of the image data is a point-of-purchase advertising image based on whether the image data includes one of a product name and a price; and

performing, with the image processing apparatus, another pseudo-halftone processing on the image data, in response to a determination that the type of the image data is not the point-of-purchase advertising image, wherein

the another pseudo-halftone processing is different from the pseudo-halftone processing performed in response to the determination that the type of the image data is the point-of-purchase advertising image.