Apparatus for generating raster images, raster image generating method, and storage medium

• US 8,654,147 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hitosugi, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Du, Haixia
• Application Number:
  US13/037,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An apparatus segments an image region of raster image data. The apparatus converts an image region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value into solid-colored data. The apparatus switches between compositing processing procedures for each image region.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate a bit-mapped object in which color data is defined with respect to each pixel position of a region where same-colored data does not continue in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a flat-filled object in which color data is defined with respect to a region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than the threshold value, from a raster image in which color data is defined for each pixel position; and

a drawing unit configured to, when combining two objects including the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit and a solid-colored object in which color data is defined with respect to an object, perform a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object in a region where the two objects overlap each other for each pixel position, and write each color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in the region where the two objects overlap each other, and

when combining two objects including the flat-filled object generated by the generation unit and the solid-colored object, perform a compositing operation once on color data of the two objects, and write color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in a region where the two objects overlap each other,

wherein contour points are extracted with regard to regions where the two objects overlap each other to detect the regions divided by the objects, and

wherein numbers of compositing operations are different between operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-color object and operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object and the number of compositing operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-colored object is more than the number of compositing operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a resolution changing unit configured to, if a transparency concerning a region in which the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit is drawn is larger than a predetermined value, lower a resolution of the bit-mapped object,

wherein the drawing unit, when combining two objects including the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit and the solid-colored object, performs a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object for each pixel position in a region where the two objects including the bit-mapped object of which the resolution has been changed by the resolution changing unit and the solid-colored object overlap each other, and writes the pixel values which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position, and

wherein the resolution changing unit raises a resolution of an object of compositing as a result of combining the bit-mapped object of which the resolution has been changed by the resolution changing unit and the solid-colored object.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a quantization unit configured to quantize color data of the bit-mapped object if a transparency concerning a region where the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit is drawn is larger than a predetermined value,

wherein the drawing unit, when combining two objects including the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit and the solid-colored object, performs a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object in a region where the two objects including the bit-mapped object in which color data has been quantized by the quantization unit and the solid-colored object overlap each other, stores pixel values which has been subjected to the compositing operation, and with respect to pixels having the same pixel values as the pixel values that have been subjected the compositing operation, writes the stored pixel values without performing a compositing operation.

4. A printing apparatus comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate a bit-mapped object in which color data is defined with respect to each pixel position of a region where same-colored data does not continue in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a flat-filled object in which color data is defined with respect to a region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than the threshold value, from a raster image in which color data is defined for each pixel position;

a drawing unit configured to, when combining two objects including the bit-mapped object generated by the generation unit and a solid-colored object in which color data is defined with respect to an object, perform a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object in a region where the two objects overlap each other for each pixel position, and write each color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in the region where the two objects overlap each other, and

when combining two objects including the flat-filled object generated by the generation unit and the solid-colored object, perform a compositing operation once on color data of the two objects, and write color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in a region where the two objects overlap each other; and

a printing unit configured to print a result written into each pixel position by the drawing unit,

wherein contour points are extracted with regard to regions where the two objects overlap each other to detect the regions divided by the objects, and

wherein numbers of compositing operations are different between operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-color object and operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object and the number of compositing operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-colored object is more than the number of compositing operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object.

5. A drawing method comprising:

generating a bit-mapped object in which color data is defined with respect to each pixel position of a region where same-colored data does not continue in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a flat-filled object in which color data is defined with respect to a region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than the threshold value, from a raster image in which color data is defined for each pixel position;

when combining two objects including the generated bit-mapped object and a solid-colored object in which color data is defined with respect to an object, performing a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object in a region where the two objects overlap each other for each pixel position, and writing each color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in the region where the two objects overlap each other; and

when combining two objects including the generated flat-filled object and the solid-colored object, performing a compositing operation once on color data of the two objects, and writing color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in a region where the two objects overlap each other,

wherein contour points are extracted with regard to regions where the two objects overlap each other to detect the regions divided by the objects, and

wherein numbers of compositing operations are different between operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-color object and operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object and the number of compositing operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-colored object is more than the number of compositing operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a drawing method comprising:

generating a bit-mapped object in which color data is defined with respect to each pixel position of a region where same-colored data does not continue in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a flat-filled object in which color data is defined with respect to a region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than the threshold value, from a raster image in which color data is defined for each pixel position;

when combining two objects including the generated bit-mapped object and a solid-colored object in which color data is defined with respect to an object, performing a compositing operation on color data of the bit-mapped object and color data of the solid-colored object in a region where the two objects overlap each other for each pixel position, and writing each color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in the region where the two objects overlap each other; and

when combining two objects including the generated flat-filled object and the solid-colored object, performing a compositing operation once on color data of the two objects, and writing color data which has been subjected to the compositing operation into each pixel position in a region where the two objects overlap each other,

wherein contour points are extracted with regard to regions where the two objects overlap each other to detect the regions divided by the objects, and

wherein numbers of compositing operations are different between operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-color object and operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object and the number of compositing operations on the bit-mapped object and the solid-colored object is more than the number of compositing operations on the flat-filled object and the solid-colored object.