Controlling apparatus for outputting processed image data

A system for outputting an image formed on a recording medium, based on image data transmitted through a network, said system comprising:

• an image outputting apparatus to output said image formed on said recording medium;
• and
• a controlling apparatus that receives said image data transmitted through said network to output processed-image data generated from said image data, and controls said image outputting apparatus so as to form said image on said recording medium, based on said processed-image data;
• wherein said controlling apparatus includes:
• an extracting section to extract an edge, defined as a contour of an intermediate tone object, based on depicting information represented by said image data;
• an edge-side density value determining section to determine a first density value and a second density value being higher than said first density, at a first side area and a second side area, respectively, while putting said edge between said first side area and said second side area as a boundary of different tone areas;
• a correcting section to correct a density value, residing within said second side area and located in a vicinity of said edge, so as to make said density value high, when both said first density value and said second density value indicate halftone areas or when said second density value indicates a halftone area and said first density value indicates a blank tone area, while, to correct a density value, residing within said first side area and located in a vicinity of said edge, so as to make said density value high, when said first density value indicates a halftone area and said second density value indicates a saturated tone area, in order to generate corrected image data;
• and
• a halftone-dot image data generating section to convert said corrected image data to halftone-dot image data, which represent a halftone-dot image constituted by halftone-dots, each of which is formed by a plurality of pixels based on said corrected image data;
• and
• wherein said controlling apparatus controls said image outputting apparatus so as to output said halftone-dot image formed on said recording medium, based on said halftone-dot image data, serving as said processed-image data.

A method for outputting an image formed on a recording medium, based on image data transmitted through a network, said method comprising:

• receiving said image data transmitted through said network;
• extracting an edge, defined as a contour of an intermediate tone object, based on depicting information represented by said image data;
• correcting a density value, residing within said intermediate tone object and located in a vicinity of said edge, so as to make said density value high and to generate corrected image data;
• converting said corrected image data to halftone-dot image data, which represent a halftone-dot image constituted by halftone-dots, each of which is formed by a plurality of pixels based on said corrected image data;
• and
• outputting said halftone-dot image formed on said recording medium, based on said halftone-dot image data, serving as said processed-image data.

A method for outputting an image formed on a recording medium, based on image data transmitted through a network, said method comprising:

• receiving said image data transmitted through said network;
• extracting an edge, defined as a contour of an intermediate tone object, based on depicting information represented by said image data;
• determining a first density value and a second density value being higher than said first density, at a first side area and a second side area, respectively, while putting said edge between said first side area and said second side area as a boundary of different tone areas;
• correcting a density value, residing within said second side area and located in a vicinity of said edge, so as to make said density value high, when both said first density value and said second density value indicate halftone areas or when said second density value indicates a halftone area and said first density value indicates a blank tone area, while, correcting a density value, residing within said first side area and located in a vicinity of said edge, so as to make said density value high, when said first density value indicates a halftone area and said second density value indicates a saturated tone area, in order to generate corrected image data;
• converting said corrected image data to halftone-dot image data, which represent a halftone-dot image constituted by halftone-dots, each of which is formed by a plurality of pixels based on said corrected image data;
• and
• outputting said halftone-dot image formed on said recording medium, based on said halftone-dot image data, serving as said processed-image data.