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US 7,009,737 B2Granted
Image processing method and apparatus
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorHiroyuki Morimatsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A non-periodic dot output arrangement is taken in the low thickness region, and a periodic dot output arrangement is taken in the intermediate and high thickness region. In addition, error diffusion processing is made for all thickness regions. Small dots are produced in the non-periodic dot arrangement low-thickness region, and dot-concentrated-type dots are produced in the periodic dot arrangement intermediate-and-high-thickness region. Moreover, non-periodic dots are produced in the edge region of the image.
Claims27
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region, and
- the periodic dot output region is an intermediate or high thickness region of the multi-tone image.
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region, and
- the non-periodic dot output region is a low thickness region of the multi-tone image.
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region, and
- the non-periodic dot output region is an edge portion of the multi-tone image.
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region,
- an error diffusion method or a mean error minimization method is applied to the periodic dot output region and the non-periodic dot output region, and
- error weighting coefficients, used for error propagation in said error diffusion method or said mean error minimization method, that are applied to said periodic dot output region are different from those applied to said non-periodic dot output region.
1 more element
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region, and
- the dots generated in said periodic dot output region are of a dot concentrated type.
An image processing method comprising:
- gradation modulating a multi-tone image to produce a processed image, wherein:
- a dot arrangement of the processed image is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region, and
- error weighting coefficients used for error propagation in an error diffusion method or a mean error minimization method applied to said periodic dot output region do not take a maximum value for a pixel nearest to a pixel of interest.
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a decision means for deciding whether a multi-tone image includes a periodic or non-periodic dot arrangement;
- and
- a gradation modulating means for gradation modulating the multi-tone image to produce a dot arrangement for a processed image that is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region.
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a detection means for detecting an edge portion in a multi-tone image;
- and
- a gradation modulating means for gradation modulating the multi-tone image to produce a dot arrangement for a processed image that is a mixture of a periodic dot output region and a non-periodic dot output region in accordance with detection results of the detection means.
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an image data acquiring unit that acquires pixel data from image data having a plurality of colors;
- a thickness region decision unit that decides whether the pixel data acquired by said image data acquiring unit includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than a predetermined value or includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value;
- and
- an image output unit that outputs, responsive to the decision of said thickness region decision unit, an arrangement of pixels non-periodically when the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than the predetermined value and outputs an arrangement of pixels periodically when the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value.
1 more element
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an image data acquiring unit that acquires pixel data from image data having a plurality of colors;
- an edge detection unit that decides whether or not the pixel data acquired by said image data acquiring unit includes pixels at an edge region;
- and
- an image output unit that outputs, responsive to the decision of said edge detection unit, an arrangement of pixels non-periodically when the pixel data includes pixels at the edge region.
1 more element
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an image data acquiring unit that acquires pixel data from image data having a plurality of colors;
- a thickness region decision unit that decides whether the pixel data acquired by said image data acquiring unit includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than a predetermined value or includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value;
- an edge detection unit that decides whether or not the pixel data acquired by said image data acquiring unit includes pixels at an edge region;
- and
- an image output unit that outputs, responsive to the decision of said thickness region decision unit or said edge detection unit, an arrangement of pixels non-periodically when the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than the predetermined value and outputs an arrangement of pixels periodically when the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value.
2 more elements
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an image data acquiring unit that acquires pixel data from image data having a plurality of colors;
- a thickness region decision unit that decides whether the pixel data acquired by said image data acquiring unit includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than a predetermined value or includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value;
- and
- an image output unit that outputs, responsive to the decision of said thickness region decision unit, target pixels, relative to pixels adjacent to the target pixels and outputted immediately before the target pixels, with non-periodic time intervals when the thickness region decision unit decides that the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness lower than the predetermined value and outputs the target pixels, relative to pixels adjacent to the target pixels and outputted immediately before the target pixel, with periodic time intervals when the thickness region decision unit decides that the pixel data includes pixels at a thickness region having a thickness equal to or higher than the predetermined value.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.