Image processing apparatus and image processing program

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus;
• an expanded image judging unit configured to judge whether an image to be drawn in response to a request that is received from the external apparatus by the communication unit is an expanded image of a 1-line source image;
• an image expansion direction judging unit configured to judge whether an expansion direction of the expanded image of the 1-line source image is parallel with a band extending direction when the expanded image judging unit judges that the image to be drawn is the expanded image of the 1-line source image;
• a color variation judging unit configured to judge whether the expanded image of the 1-line source image is a small color variation image on a basis of a comparison result between an analyzed value of the 1-line source image and a threshold value when the image expansion direction judging unit judges that the expansion direction of the expanded image is not parallel with the band extending direction;
• a drawing data processing unit configured to analyze the 1-line source image and convert the expanded image of the 1-line source image into vectors that are a series of rectangular regions of same-color pixels that are arranged continuously when the color variation judging unit judges that the expanded image of the 1-line source image is the small color variation image;
• and
• a drawing processing unit configured to generate a bit map of a destination image to be drawn on a basis of the expanded image as converted into the vectors by the drawing data processing unit,
• wherein intermediate codes are:
• generated by dividing a drawing image into prescribed bands extending in one direction, developed into a bit image, and drawn as the bit image.

A processor-readable storage medium on which an image processing program is stored, the image processing program being executed by a computer provided in an image processing apparatus which generates intermediate codes by dividing a drawing image into prescribed bands extending in one direction in response to a request that is received from an external apparatus by a communication unit which communicates with the external apparatus, develops the intermediate codes into a bit image, and draws the bit image, the image processing program causing the computer to execute:

• the expanded image judging step of judging whether an image to be drawn in response to a request is an expanded image of a 1-line source image;
• an image expansion direction judging step of judging whether an expansion direction of the expanded image of the 1-line source image is parallel with the band extending direction when the expanded image judging step judges that the image to be drawn is the expanded image of the 1-line source image;
• a drawing data processing step of analyzing the 1-line source image and converting the expanded image of the 1-line source image into vectors which are a series of rectangular regions of same-color pixels that are arranged continuously when the image expansion direction judging step judges that the expansion direction of the expanded image of the 1-line source image is parallel with the band extending direction;
• and
• a drawing processing step of generating a bit map of a destination image to be drawn on the basis of the expanded image as converted into the vectors by the drawing data processing step.

A processor-readable storage medium on which an image processing program is stored, the image processing program being executed by a computer provided in an image processing apparatus which generates intermediate codes by dividing a drawing image into prescribed bands extending in one direction, develops the intermediate codes into a bit image, and draws the bit image, the image processing program causing the computer to execute:

• a communication step of communicating with an external apparatus;
• an expanded image judging step of judging whether an image to be drawn in response to a request that is received from the external apparatus by the communication step is an expanded image of a 1-line source image;
• an image expansion direction judging step of judging whether an expansion direction of the expanded image of the 1-line source image is parallel with the band extending direction when the expanded image judging step judges that the image to be drawn is the expanded image of the 1-line source image;
• a color variation judging step of judging whether the expanded image of the 1-line source image is a small color variation image on the basis of comparison result between an analyzed value of the 1-line source image and a threshold value when the image expansion direction judging step judges that the expansion direction of the expanded image of the 1-line source image is not parallel with the band extending direction;
• a drawing data processing step of analyzing the 1-line source image and converting the expanded image of the 1-line source image into vectors which are a series of rectangular regions of same-color pixels that are arranged continuously when the color variation judging step judges that the expanded image of the 1-line source image is the small color variation image;
• and
• a drawing processing step of generating a bit map of a destination image to be drawn on the basis of the expanded image as converted into the vectors by the drawing data processing step.

A method for image processing, comprising:

• receiving image drawing instruction;
• determining whether the image is an expanded image of a 1-line source image;
• when the image is an expanded image of a 1-line source image:
• determining whether the expansion direction is parallel with a band extending direction;
• determining whether the expanded image of the 1-line source image is a small color variation image on a basis of a comparison result between an analyzed value of the 1-line source image and a threshold value when the expansion direction is not parallel;
• analyzing the expanded image of a 1-line source image when the expansion direction;
• calculating rectangular regions of the expanded image;
• performing vector processing on each rectangular region;
• and when the image is not an expanded image of a 1-line source image,
• performing general-purpose image processing when the expanded image when the image is not an expanded image of a 1-line source image.

A processor-readable storage medium containing a software program operable to cause a plurality of apparatus including a processor operating under the instructions of the software program to perform a method for image processing, comprising:

• receiving image drawing instruction;
• determining whether the image is an expanded image of a 1-line source image;
• when the image is an expanded image of a 1-line source image:
• determining whether the expansion direction is parallel with a band extending direction;
• determining whether the expanded image of the 1-line source image is a small color variation image on a basis of a comparison result between an analyzed value of the 1-line source image and a threshold value when the expansion direction is not parallel;
• analyzing the expanded image of a 1-line source image when the expansion direction;
• calculating rectangular regions of the expanded image;
• performing vector processing on each rectangular region;
• and when the image is not an expanded image of a 1-line source image,
• performing general-purpose image processing when the expanded image when the image is not a 1-line expansion image.