# US 2008/0186533 A1 · Image processing apparatus

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- Number: US 2008/0186533 A1
- Document ID: US20080186533A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/021,562
- Filed: 2008-01-29
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-05
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Manabu KOMATSU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186533A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/00204: {with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server (programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561)}
- H04N 1/00347: {with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus (circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32)}
- H04N 1/32358: {using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter (H04N1/17 takes precedence)}
- H04N 2201/0039: Connection via a network
- H04N 2201/0065: Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N 2201/3222: of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
- H04N 2201/3223: of type information, e.g. reception or copy job
- H04N 2201/3242: of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording (H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence)
- H04N 2201/3243: of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
- H04N 2201/3278: Transmission
- H04N 2201/328: Processing of the additional information
- H04N 2201/3288: Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A first image-data processing unit unifies characteristics of input image data so that the image data is usable in an image writing unit and an external device, stores characteristic-unified image data in a storing unit, and changes an attribute of supplemental information according to an image input condition. When converting target image data into image data with characteristics suitable for outputting to the image writing unit and an external interface unit, a second image-data processing unit makes the stored image data be reusable in the image writing unit and the external device by performing an image processing based on the supplemental information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing apparatus comprising:
an image reading unit that reads a document to obtain electronic image data;
an image writing unit that prints the image data on a recording medium;
a storing unit that stores therein the image data and supplemental information of the image data;
an external interface unit that exchanges the image data and the supplemental information with an external device;
a first image-data processing unit that processes first image data input from the image reading unit; and
a second image-data processing unit that processes second image data stored in the storing unit, wherein
the first image-data processing unit unifies characteristics of the first image data in such a manner that the first image data is usable in both the image writing unit and the external device, stores characteristic-unified image data in the storing unit, and changes an attribute of the supplemental information to be stored together with the image data according to an image input condition in the image reading unit, and
when converting target image data to be processed into image data with characteristics suitable for outputting to the image writing unit and the external interface unit, the second image-data processing unit makes the first image data stored in the storing unit be reusable in both the image writing unit and the external device by performing an image processing on the target image data based on the supplemental information stored in the storing unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the supplemental information includes at least image-area separation information for each pixel of corresponding image data, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information according to the image input condition.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the image input condition includes at least an image output mode set at a time of inputting an image, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information according to the image output mode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the image input condition includes at least a type of input image data, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information according to the type of the input image data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the type of the input image data includes at least an image described in a page description language, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information for each page of the input image data according to a described image type.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the image input condition includes at least a usage status of the storing unit, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information according to a memory usage rate of the storing unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
a priority of attribute information is set for each image input condition, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information based on the priority of attribute information set for each image input condition.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
a priority of attribute information is set for each image input condition, and
the first image-data processing unit changes the attribute of the supplemental information based on the priority of attribute information set for each image input condition.