Image processing apparatus and method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHaruo Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image processor realizes a gradation function and prints and records color information sent from a host computer, as a high-definition and multi-halftone level image. The processor fetches PDL data into an input buffer by interrupt processing, and interprets an input PDL command in accordance with language specifications. If the input data is a drawing command, the input data is converted into a page object format supported by a hardware renderer. Subsequently, as pre-processing for rendering the page object, a determination is made if banding rendering (banding) processing is possible.
Claims15
An image processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, comprising:
- input means for inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, the information representing the image and including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- intermediate information generation means for generating predetermined intermediate information on the basis of the color page-description information;
- interpretation means for interpreting the gradation information and performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- rendering means for rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the intermediate information and the interpretation result.
An image processing method in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, the information representing the image and including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- generating predetermined intermediate information on the basis of the color page-description information;
- interpreting the gradation information;
- performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the intermediate information and the interpretation result.
A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodies in said medium for an image processing method in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, said product comprising:
- first computer-readable program code means for inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, said information representing the image an including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- second computer-readable program code means for interpreting the gradation information;
- third computer-readable program code means for performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- fourth computer-readable program code mans for rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the color page-description information and the interpretation result.
An image processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, comprising:
- input means for inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, said information representing the image and including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- interpretation means for interpreting the gradation information and performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- rendering means for rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the color page-description information and the interpretation result.
An image processing method in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, the information representing the image and including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- interpreting the gradation information;
- performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the color page-description information and the interpretation result.
A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for executing an image processing in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on the basis of color page-description information input from an external apparatus, said product comprising:
- input process procedure code for inputting the color page-description information from the external apparatus, the information representing the image and including gradation information which instructs generation of a gradation image;
- generation process procedure code for generating predetermined intermediate information on the basis of the color page-description information;
- interpretation process procedure code for interpreting the gradation information;
- calculation process procedure code for performing calculating processing based on the interpretation result so as to generate gradation image data;
- and
- rendering process procedure code for rendering the image data which includes the generated gradation image data, on the basis of the intermediate information and the interpretation result.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.