# US 2014/0153824 A1 · Image Processing Apparatus That Performs Color Conversion and Image Processing Method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153824 A1 - Document ID: US20140153824A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/091,425 - Filed: 2013-11-27 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. - Applicants: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Akira Nishizawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153824A1 ## CPC - H04N 1/6016: {Conversion to subtractive colour signals} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image processing apparatus in the present disclosure includes a color conversion processing unit, a modulation candidate creating unit, a color value modulating unit, and an output unit. The color conversion processing unit performs color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value. The modulation candidate creating unit creates, as modulation candidates, combinations of integer values obtained by rounding up or down the decimal fraction of each color component of a tentative output color value. The color value modulating unit selects a modulation candidate at random and performs modulation by replacing the tentative output color value with the selected modulation candidate. The output unit outputs the target image according to the color value obtained after the modulation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: a color conversion processing unit configured to perform color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value; a modulation candidate creating unit configured to create modulation candidates, wherein the modulation candidates include combinations of integer values obtained by rounding a decimal fraction of each color component of the tentative output color value; a color value modulating unit configured to select a modulation candidate at random and to perform modulation by replacing the tentative output color value with the selected modulation candidate; and an output unit configured to output an image according to a color value obtained after the modulation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a modulation adding switch configured to determine whether or not to perform modulation, wherein: if a setting not to perform the modulation is determined, the output unit is configured to output the image according to the tentative output color value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a color selecting unit configured to select at least a portion of color components of the tentative color value in response to a selection manipulation, wherein the color value modulating unit is configured to perform the modulation on the tentative output color values of the selected at least a portion of the color components; and the output unit is configured to output the image according to color values obtained after the modulation and to the tentative output color values on which the modulation has not been performed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color conversion processing unit is an RGB-to-CMYK converting unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an integer-fractional separating unit configured to separate the tentative output color value to an integer part and a fractional part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a random number generator configured to generate a random number; and a fractional part comparing unit configured to compare the fractional part of the tentative output color value with the generated random number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if the fractional part of the tentative output color value is greater than the generated random number, the fractional part comparing unit outputs a command to round down the tentative output color value to a nearest integer; and if the fractional part of the tentative output color value is less than or equal to the generated random number, the fractional part comparing unit outputs a command to round up the tentative output color value to a nearest integer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a to-be-modified channel selecting unit configured to select at least one of the color components of the tentative output color value in response to a predetermined mode. ### Claim 9 An image processing apparatus comprising: a color conversion processing unit configured to perform color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value; a color value modulating unit configured to modulate the tentative output color value to integer values by rounding a decimal fraction of each color component of the tentative output color value according to a probability determined from the decimal fraction; and an output unit configured to output the image according to the color value obtained after the modulation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a modulation adding switch configured to determine whether or not to perform modulation in response to a setting manipulation, wherein: if a setting not to perform the modulation is made, the output unit is configured to output the image according to the tentative output color value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a color selecting unit configured to select at least a portion of color components of the tentative color value in response to a selection manipulation, wherein: the color value modulating unit is configured to perform the modulation on the tentative output color values of the selected part or all of color component; and the output unit is configured to output the image according to color values obtained after the modulation and to the tentative output color values on which the modulation has not been performed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the color conversion processing unit is an RGB-to-CMYK converting unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an integer-fractional separating unit configured to separate the tentative output color value to an integer part and a fractional part. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a random number generator configured to generate a random number; and a fractional part comparing unit configured to compare the fractional part of the tentative output color value with the generated random number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein if the fractional part of the tentative output color value is greater than the generated random number, the fractional part comparing unit outputs a command to round down the tentative output color value to a nearest integer; and if the fractional part of the tentative output color value is less than or equal to the generated random number, the fractional part comparing unit outputs a command to round up the tentative output color value to a nearest integer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a to-be-modified channel selecting unit configured to select at least one of the color components of the tentative output color value in response to a predetermined mode. ### Claim 17 An image processing method comprising: performing color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value; creating modulation candidates, wherein the modulation candidates include combinations of integer values obtained by rounding up or down a decimal fraction of each color component of the tentative output color value; selecting a modulation candidate at random and performing modulation by replacing the tentative output color value with the selected modulation candidate; and outputting the image according to the color value obtained after the modulation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The image processing method according to claim 17, wherein performing color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value comprises: converting from the input color value of a target image to an intermediate color value; and converting from the intermediate color value to the corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The image processing method according to claim 17, further comprising selecting at least one of the color components of the tentative output color value to be modulated.