Converting between color and monochrome

• US 8,885,212 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shun, Uchida, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mushambo, Martin
• Application Number:
  US13/036,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.1, 382/243
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40012 Conversion of colour to monochrome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for converting a color portion of an image to monochrome, and/or for converting a monochrome portion of an image to color.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus or processing color charts, said image processing apparatus comprising:

a maintenance part configured to maintain color conversion information mapping each of a plurality of colors to a corresponding line pattern;

a determination part configured to receive color image data for an image, determine a two-dimensional area of the image having a first color that is homogeneous in said two-dimensional area, and determine, based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a first line pattern corresponding to the first color; and

a processing part configured to modify the image by reproducing the two-dimensional area with the first line pattern in place of the first color, to generate a converted image,

wherein the determination part determines that adjacent two-dimensional areas of the image include different shades of a particular color, and

the processing part adjusts a line pattern corresponding to one of said adjacent two-dimensional areas, by increasing or decreasing the width of the lines in the line pattern.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the line patterns corresponding to the each of the plurality of colors is a different line pattern.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the line patterns includes only a plurality of parallel lines oriented in a specific direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the determination part determines that the first color can be represented as a combination of two or more colors in accordance with an additive color scheme, then the determination part determines that the first line pattern corresponding to the first color is a combination of respective line patterns of said two or more colors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination part receives a second image, and determines a second two-dimensional area of the second image having a second line pattern that is homogeneous in said second two dimensional area, and determines based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a second color corresponding to the second line pattern.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing part modifies the second image by reproducing the second two-dimensional area with the second color in place of the second line pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein if the determination part determines, based on the color conversion information, that the second line pattern is a combination of respective line patterns of two or more colors, then the determination part determines that the second color corresponding to the second line pattern is a combination of said two or more colors in accordance with an additive color scheme.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing part modifies the second image by reproducing the second two-dimensional area with the second color in place of the second line pattern.

9. An image processing apparatus for processing color charts, said image processing apparatus comprising;

a maintenance part configured to maintain color conversion information mapping each of a plurality of colors to a corresponding line pattern;

a determination part configured to receive color image data for an image, determine a two-dimensional area of the image having a first color that is homogeneous in said two-dimensional area, and determine, based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a first line pattern corresponding to the first color; and

a processing part configured to modify the image by reproducing the two-dimensional area with the first line pattern in place of the first color, to generate a converted image, wherein the determination part determines that line patterns in adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image have similar properties, and

the processing part adjusts a line pattern amongst said line patterns in the adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image, by increasing or decreasing the width of the lines in the line pattern.

10. An image processing apparatus for processing color charts, said image processing apparatus comprising;

a maintenance part configured to maintain color conversion information mapping each of a plurality of line patterns to a corresponding color;

a determination part configured to receive image data for an age, determine a two-dimensional area of the image having a line pattern that is homogeneous in said two-dimensional area, and determine, based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a first color corresponding to the line pattern; and

a processing part configured to modify the image by reproducing the two-dimensional area with the first color in place of the line pattern, to generate a converted image,

wherein the determination part determines that line patterns in adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image have similar properties, and

the processing part adjusts a line pattern amongst said line patterns in the adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image by increasing or decreasing distance between lines in the line pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein if the determination part determines that the line pattern can be represented as a combination of respective line patterns of two or more colors, then the determination part determines that the first color corresponding to the line pattern is a combination of said two or more colors in accordance with an additive color scheme.

12. A method for an image processing apparatus to process color charts, said method comprising:

maintaining color conversion information mapping each of a plurality of colors to a corresponding line pattern;

receiving color image data for an image, determining a two-dimensional area of the image having a first color that is homogeneous in said two-dimensional area, and determining, based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a first line pattern corresponding to the first color;

modifying the image by reproducing the two-dimensional area with the first line pattern in place of the first color, to generate a converted image;

determining that adjacent two-dimensional areas of the image include different shades of a particular color; and

adjusting a line pattern corresponding to one of said adjacent two-dimensional areas, by increasing or decreasing the width of the lines in the line pattern.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the first color can be represented as a combination of two or more colors in accordance with an additive color scheme; and

determining that the first line pattern corresponding to the first color is a combination of respective line patterns of said two or more colors.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a second image, and determining a second two-dimensional area of the second image having a second line pattern that is homogeneous in said second two dimensional area, and determining based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a second color corresponding to the second line pattern.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

modifying the second image by reproducing the second two-dimensional area with the second color in place of the second line pattern.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining based on the color conversion information, that the second line pattern is a combination of respective line patterns of two or more colors; and

determining that the second color corresponding to the second line pattern is a combination of said two or more colors in accordance with an additive color scheme.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

modifying the second image by reproducing the second two-dimensional area with the second color in place of the second line pattern.

18. A method for an image processing apparatus to process color charts, said method comprising:

maintaining color conversion information mapping each of a plurality of colors to a corresponding line pattern;

receiving color image data for an image, determining a two-dimensional area of the image having a first color that is homogeneous in said two-dimensional area, and determining, based on the color conversion information maintained by the maintenance part, a first line pattern corresponding to the first color;

modifying the image by reproducing the two-dimensional area with the first line pattern in place of the first color, to generate a converted image;

determining that line patterns in adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image have similar properties; and

adjusting a line pattern amongst said line patterns in the adjacent two-dimensional areas of the converted image, by increasing or decreasing the width of the lines in the line pattern.