OUTPUT DEVICE, IMAGE DATA CONVERSION DEVICE, AND METHOD

• US 20120113447A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: HAGIWARA, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

An output device which outputs pixel data corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit to the printing unit includes an image buffer which stores image data, a generation unit which generates density data corresponding to the color material based on image data read out from the image buffer, a print buffer which stores density data generated by the generation unit, and a conversion unit which converts density data read out from the print buffer into pixel data corresponding to the resolution of the printing unit synchronously with the printing unit.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An output device which outputs quantized data, corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit, to the printing unit, that output device comprising:

an encoding unit configured to encode image data by forming a code which indicates the length of a run of data having identical color information and the color information of the run of data;

an extraction unit configured to extract the color information as an index of a dictionary from the encoded image data;

a conversion unit configured to convert each of the extracted color information registered in the dictionary into a color space of the printing unit by using a look-up table;

a decoding unit configured to decode the encoded image data having the converted color information based on the code; and

a quantization unit configured to convert a part of the decoded image data into quantized data corresponding to a resolution of the printing unit and output the quantized data to the printing unit.

16. An output method of outputting quantized data, corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit, to the printing unit, the output method comprising:

encoding image data by forming a code which indicates the length of a run of data having identical color information and the color information of the run of data;

extracting the color information as an index of a dictionary from the encoded image data;

converting each of the extracted color information registered in the dictionary into a color space of the printing unit by using a look-up table;

decoding the encoded image data having the converted color information based on the code;

quantizing a part of the decoded image data into quantized data corresponding to a resolution of the printing unit; and

outputting the quantized data to the printing unit.

17. An output device which outputs pixel data, corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit, to the printing unit, the output device comprising:

a count unit configured to count continuous first image data having an identical value and generate a compressed code sequence including the count value and identification information which indicates the first image data;

a conversion unit configured to convert each of the first image data counted by the count unit into second image data of a color space of the printing unit;

a registration unit configured to register the first image data and the second image data;

an output unit configured to receive the registered second image data, which corresponds to the identification information included in the compressed code sequence, among the second image data registered by the registration unit in accordance with the count value included in the compressed code sequence, and output pixel data of the received second image data a number of times to the printing unit, wherein the number corresponds to the count value.

18. An output method of outputting pixel data, corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit, to the printing unit, the output method comprising:

counting continuous first image data having an identical value;

generating a compressed code sequence including the count value and identification information which indicates the first image data;

converting each of the first image data counted in the counting step into second image data of a color space of the printing unit;

registering the first image data and the second image data of a color space of the printing unit;

receiving the registered second image data, which corresponds to the identification information included in the compressed code sequence, among the second image data registered in the registering step in accordance with the count value included in the compressed code sequence; and

outputting pixel data of the received second image data a number of times to the printing unit, wherein the number corresponds to the count value.