Image processing method and apparatus

An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

• i) subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the operation processing is carried out with respect to the X and Y directions, under characteristics varying for different directions, and in accordance with a difference between responses of the image reproducing apparatus along the X and Y directions, whereby final levels of sharpness of a visible image, which is reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus, along the X and Y directions are adjusted to be substantially equal to each other,
• wherein the operation processing is firstly carried out with respect to one of the X and Y directions by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.1, and
• wherein the operation processing is then carried out on an image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing and is taken as a new original image signal, and with respect to the other direction by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.2, where .beta..sub.1 .noteq..beta..sub.2.

An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

• i) subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the operation processing is carried out with respect to the X and Y directions, under characteristics varying for different directions, and in accordance with a difference between responses of the image reproducing apparatus along the X and Y directions, whereby final levels of sharpness of a visible image, which is reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus, along the X and Y directions are adjusted to be substantially equal to each other, and
• wherein two-dimensional filter processing is carried out on the original image signal, said two-dimensional filter processing comprising the steps of:
• firstly carrying out the operation processing with respect to one of the X and Y directions by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.1, and
• thereafter carrying out the operation processing on an image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing and is taken as a new original image signal, and with respect to the other direction by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.2, where .beta..sub.1 .noteq..beta..sub.2.

An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

• i) subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the operation processing is carried out with respect to only either one of the X and Y directions, said emphasis coefficient being selected based on a difference between responses of the image reproducing apparatus along the X and Y directions so that, in a visible image reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus after the operation processing with the selected emphasis coefficient, final levels of sharpness along the X and Y directions are substantially equal to each other.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• i) means for subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) means for feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the image processing apparatus is provided with a function for carrying out the operation processing with respect to the X and Y directions, the operation processing with respect to the X direction being performed with a different emphasis coefficient than with respect to the Y direction, the respective emphasis coefficient for the X direction and the respective emphasis coefficient for the Y direction being set in accordance with a difference between responses of the image reproducing apparatus along the X and Y directions so that final levels of sharpness of a visible image reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus, along the X and Y directions, are substantially equal to each other.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• i) means for subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) means for feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the image processing apparatus is provided with a function for carrying out the operation processing with respect to the X and Y directions and under characteristics varying for different directions,
• wherein the operation processing is firstly carried out with respect to one of the X and Y directions by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.1, and
• wherein the operation processing is then carried out on an image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing and is taken as a new original image signal, and with respect to the other direction by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.2, where .beta..sub.1 .noteq..beta..sub.2.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• i) means for subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) means for feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the image processing apparatus is provided with a function for carrying out the operation processing with respect to the X and Y directions and under characteristics varying for different directions, and
• wherein two-dimensional filter processing is carried out on the original image signal, said two-dimensional filter processing comprising the steps of:
• firstly carrying out the operation processing with respect to one of the X and Y directions by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.1, and
• thereafter carrying out the operation processing on an image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing and is taken as a new original image signal, and with respect to the other direction by setting the emphasis coefficient to be equal to .beta..sub.2, where .beta..sub.1 .noteq..beta..sub.2.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• i) means for subjecting a digital image signal, which represents picture element values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, to operation processing carried out with the formula
• Q'=Qorg+.beta.(Qorg-Qus)
• wherein Qorg represents the original image signal representing each picture element, Qus represents an unsharp mask signal corresponding to super-low frequency with respect to the picture element, and .beta. represents an emphasis coefficient, and
• ii) means for feeding the image signal, which has been obtained from the operation processing, into an image reproducing apparatus, which is constituted to reproduce an image by operations for scanning along X and Y directions,
• wherein the image processing apparatus is provided with a function for carrying out the operation processing with respect to only either one of the X and Y directions, said emphasis coefficient being selected based on a difference between responses of the image reproducing apparatus along the X and Y directions so that, in a visible image reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus after the operation processing with the selected emphasis coefficient, final levels of sharpness along the X and Y directions are substantially equal to each other.