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US 2002/0057464 A1Published application
Image processor and method
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsKeisuke Hashimoto, Fujio Hashimoto, Keisuke Hashimoto, Yoshihiko Hirota
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an image processor provided in apparatuses such as digital copiers and printers, and that distinguishes between a character edge region and a continuous tone region of an original image and switches the tone reproduction processing between the regions.
Claims6
An image processor, comprising:
- a region discrimination unit which determines whether a target pixel is a pixel in a character edge region or a pixel in a continuous tone region based on image data in a reference pixel matrix including the target pixel;
- a first processing unit which performs processing, including smoothing being a smoothing filter, on the image data;
- and
- an image output unit which outputs image data processed by the first processing unit when the region discrimination unit determines that the target pixel is a pixel in the continuous tone region, wherein when said reference pixel matrix size in the region discrimination unit is n×n pixels, and said smoothing filter size in the first processing unit is m×m pixels, a relationship n≧m holds, wherein said first processing unit further performs screening on the image data having undergone smoothing.
1 more element
An image processor, comprising:
- a region discrimination unit which determines whether each pixel of image data is a pixel in a character edge region or a pixel in a continuous tone region;
- a first tone reproduction unit which performs tone reproduction processing with an emphasis on resolution of the image data;
- a second tone reproduction unit which performs tone reproduction processing with an emphasis on gradation on the image data;
- and
- an image output unit which produces an output after performing the processing by the first tone reproduction unit or the processing by the second tone reproduction unit based on a result of the determination by the region discrimination unit, wherein
- the processing by the second tone reproduction unit includes at least smoothing on the image data and screening on the image data having undergone smoothing,
- the smoothing is performed to reduce moiré generated by screening, and
- when a region discrimination size in the region discrimination unit is n×n pixels and a size of a filter for the smoothing performed by the second tone reproduction unit is m×m pixels, a relationship n≧m holds.
5 more elements
An image processing method, comprising:
- obtaining image data;
- determining whether a target pixel is a pixel in a character edge region or a pixel in a continuous tone region based on image data in a reference pixel matrix including the target pixel;
- and
- performing smoothing by a smoothing filter when the target pixel is determined to be a pixel in the continuous tone region by the region discrimination unit, performing screening on the image data having undergone smoothing, and outputting processed image data, wherein when a size of the reference pixel matrix is n×n pixels and a size of the smoothing filter is m×m pixels, a relationship n≧m holds.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.