Color signal compensation
OwnerYoshikatsu Kamisuwa, Koji Tanimoto +2inventors
InventorsYoshikatsu Kamisuwa, Koji Tanimoto, Jun Sakakibara, Kunihiko Miura
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for color signal compensation are disclosed. A quality of one type of signal is enhanced using a second type of signal, wherein the second type of signal has a higher quality than that of the unenhanced first type of signal. This may be used in an image forming apparatus for scanning a color image, and using higher-resolution monochrome signals to enhance the resolution of lower-resolution color signals.
Claims25
An image sensor unit comprising
- a first photoconverter comprising a first array of first light receiving elements, the first photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a first light quality from a source image for outputting first signals by photoelectric conversion, the first signals having a first image quality
- a second photoconverter comprising a second array of second light receiving elements, the second photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a second light quality from the source image for outputting second signals by photoelectric conversion, the second signals having a second image quality, wherein the second image quality is better than the first image quality
- a signal correction unit to
- produce first enhanced signals corresponding to the first light quality from the source image
- use the second signals to modify the first signals to produce the first enhanced signals.
A process for producing image signals comprising
- providing a first photoconverter comprising a first array of first light receiving elements
- providing a second photoconverter comprising a second array of second light receiving elements
- the first photoconverter photoelectrically converting light of a first light quality from a source image
- the second photoconverter photoelectrically converting light of a second light quality from the source image
- outputting first signals from the first photoconverter having a first quality of a characteristic
- outputting second signals from the second photoconverter having a second quality of the characteristics better than the first quality
- enhancing the first quality using the second signals.
A process for producing image signals comprising
- receiving a first color image signal for a first color
- receiving a second color image signal for a second color
- receiving a third color image signal for a third color
- receiving monochrome image signals for black and white
- improving a quality of at least one of the first, second and third color signals using information in the monochrome signals.
A color signal processing circuit for processing plural channels of input color signals using input monochrome signals, wherein the channels of input color signals represent respective numbers of respective color pixels and the input monochrome signals represent a number of monochrome pixels, wherein the number of monochrome pixels is larger than the number of color pixels of at least one of the channels of input color signals, the color signal processing circuit comprising
- a first circuit to produce brightness signals, first color difference signals and second color difference signals from the input color signals and the input monochrome signals
- a second circuit to use the brightness signal, the first color difference signal and the second color difference signal to obtain output color signals corresponding to at least one of the channels, wherein the output color signals represent a number of pixels greater than the number of pixels in the corresponding channel of input color signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.