# US 10,122,891 B2 · Recording data generating apparatus, image recording apparatus, recording data generating method and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,891 B2 - Document ID: US10122891B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/271,329 - Filed: 2016-09-21 - Published: 2017-04-06 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-02 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takuya Shimada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122891B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/40068: {Modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions (H04N1/3935 takes precedence)} - H04N 1/405: Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels - H04N 1/4052: {by error diffusion, i.e. transferring the binarising error to neighbouring dot decisions} - H04N 1/4058: {with details for producing a halftone screen at an oblique angle (H04N1/4056 takes precedence)} - H04N 1/54: Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing - H04N 1/6008: {with primary colour signals, e.g. RGB or CMY(K)} - H04N 1/6069: {spatially varying within the image} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract There is provided a recording data generating apparatus that generates recording data used for reproducing a gloss of an image by recording inclined structures on a recording medium, the recording data generating apparatus including: a conversion unit that converts gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; a halftone processing unit that generates N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and a recording data generating unit that generates recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A recording data generating apparatus that generates recording data used for reproducing a gloss of an image by recording inclined structures on a recording medium, the recording data generating apparatus comprising: a conversion unit that converts gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; a halftone processing unit that generates N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and a recording data generating unit that generates recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording data is data with a second resolution that is recording resolution of an image recording apparatus recording an image by using the recording data and is data representing the number of laminations or a height of each pixel with the second resolution that represents a surface pattern of the image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a gloss data acquiring unit that acquires the gloss data with the first resolution by converting gloss data with a second resolution into the gloss data with the first resolution. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the halftone processing unit generates the quantization data by using an error diffusion method. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the halftone processing unit generates the quantization data by using a dithering method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the halftone processing unit generates the quantization data by using a random number generator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion unit performs the conversion by referring to a lookup table describing a correspondence relation between discrete gloss data and the inclined structure data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gloss data includes data of reflection haze. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gloss data includes data of image clarity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gloss data is data of a variable reflection characteristic. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gloss data is a parameter of a reflection model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The recording data generating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reflection model is a Ward model. ### Claim 14 A recording data generating method generating recording data used for reproducing a gloss of an image by recording inclined structures on a recording medium, the recording data generating method comprising: converting gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; generating N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and generating recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a recording data generating apparatus that reproduces a gloss of an image by recording inclined structures on a recording medium, the recording data generating apparatus comprising: a conversion unit that converts gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; a halftone processing unit that generates N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and a recording data generating unit that generates recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data. ### Claim 16 An image recording apparatus that records inclined structures on a recording medium by using recording data generated by a recording data generating apparatus generating the recording data used for reproducing a gloss of an image by recording the inclined structures on the recording medium, the recording data generating apparatus comprising: a conversion unit that converts gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; a halftone processing unit that generates N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and a recording data generating unit that generates recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data.