# US 8,571,316 B2 · Electrophotographic apparatus, system, and method of using colorless toner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,316 B2 - Document ID: US8571316B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/917,628 - Filed: 2010-11-02 - Published: 2011-05-12 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-11-10 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Takeshi Suzuki - Inventors: Takeshi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571316B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/54: Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing - B41J 2/2114: {Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract An image processing system segments input image data into a plurality of regions, and obtains features of at least one region. The system refers to correspondence information to obtain a colorless pattern that is associated with the features of the at least one region of the input image data, and generates colorless image data using the obtained colorless pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing system for image forming with an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising: a memory that stores correspondence information associating features of a region of image data with a colorless pattern to be formed with colorless toner in electrophotographic image forming, the correspondence information including pile height criteria information restricting a pile height of the colorless toner in association with a set of the features and the colorless pattern; and a processor configured by execution of a program of instructions to include: an image segmenter part that segments input image data into a plurality of regions; a features extractor part that obtains features of at least one of the plurality of regions segmented from the input image data; and a colorless data generator part that determines a specific colorless pattern based on the correspondence information and the pile height criteria information that corresponds to the features obtained for the at least one of the plurality of regions of the input image data, and generates colorless image data using the colorless pattern, for controlling electrophotographic image forming using the colorless toner, wherein the memory stores keyword parameter correspondence information that associates a plurality of keywords each reflecting features of a colorless pattern with a plurality of pattern parameters each specifying the features of the colorless pattern, the processor configured by execution of the program of instructions causes a user interface to display a list of the plurality of keyword to a user to allow the user to select one of the plurality of keywords, and the processor is further configured by execution of the program of instructions to include a region segmentor part that refers to the keyword parameter correspondence information to obtain a pattern parameter that corresponds to the selected keyword, and generates the colorless pattern using the obtain pattern parameter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor configured by execution of the program of instructions generates the correspondence information based on one or more colorless patterns that are applied to input image data previously input to the image processing system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a learning processor configured to learn correspondence between a region of input image data previously input to the image processing system and a colorless pattern that is applied to the region of the previously input image data to generate a learned result, wherein the processor configured by execution of the program of instructions generates the correspondence information based on the learned result obtained by the learning processor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein: the memory stores paper type information of paper onto which the image of the colorless image data is transferred in association with a set of the features, the colorless pattern, and the pile height criteria information, and the processor configured by execution of the program of instructions determines the colorless pattern based on the paper type information that corresponds to the features obtained for the at least one of the plurality of regions of the input image data and the pile height criteria information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the pile height criteria information includes at least one of a nip width of a fixing device of the electrophotographic image forming device, a fixing temperature of the fixing device of the electrophotographic image forming device, and a type of toner to be applied to generate the electrophotographic image based on the colorless image data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein: the processor configured by execution of the program of instructions causes a user interface to allow a user to select one of the plurality of regions segmented from the input image data as the at least one of the plurality of regions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the features of the region of the correspondence information includes an average brightness value and a standard deviation brightness value respectively obtained for the region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the pile height criteria information includes a type of toner to be applied to generate the electrophotographic image based on the colorless image data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the pile height criteria information includes an index value indicating a nip width of a fixing device of the electrophotographic image forming device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the pile height criteria information includes an index value indicating a fixing temperature of a fixing device of the electrophotographic image forming device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the paper type information includes at least one of paper weight information, glossiness information, whiteness information, and surface smoothness information. ### Claim 12 An image processing system for image forming with an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising: a memory that stores correspondence information associating features of a region of image data with a colorless pattern to be formed with colorless toner in electrophotographic image forming, the correspondence information including pile height criteria information restricting a pile height of the colorless toner in association with a set of the features and the colorless pattern; and a processor configured by execution of a program of instructions to include: an image segmenter part that segments input image data into a plurality of regions; a features extractor part that obtains features of at least one of the plurality of regions segmented from the input image data; and a colorless data generator part that determines a specific colorless pattern based on the correspondence information and the pile height criteria information that corresponds to the features obtained for the at least one of the plurality of regions of the input image data, and generates colorless image data using the colorless pattern, for controlling electrophotographic image forming using the colorless toner, wherein: the memory stores keyword parameter correspondence information that associates a plurality of keywords each reflecting the degree of segmentation of the input image data with a plurality of segmentation parameters each specifying the degree of segmentation, the processor configured by execution of the of the program of instructions causes a user interface to display a list of the plurality of keyword to a user to allow the user to select one of the plurality of keywords, and the processor is further configured by execution of the program of instructions to include a region segmentor part that refers to the keyword parameters correspondence information to obtain a segmentation parameter that corresponds to the selected keyword, and segments the colorless pattern using the obtain pattern parameter. ### Claim 13 An image processing apparatus for image forming with an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising: a table configured to store correspondence information associating features of a region of image data with a colorless pattern to be formed with colorless toner in electrophotographic image forming, the correspondence information including pile height criteria information restricting a pile height of the colorless toner in association with a set of the features and the colorless pattern; a region segmenter configured to segment input image data into a plurality of regions; a memory that stores keyword parameter correspondence information that associates a plurality of keywords each reflecting the degree of segmentation of the input image data with a plurality of segmentation parameters each specifying the degree of segmentation; a user interface configured to display a list of the plurality of keyword to a user to allow the user to select one of the plurality of keywords, wherein the regions segmentor refers to the keyword the keyword parameter correspondence information to obtain a segmentation parameter that corresponds to the selected keyword, and segments the colorless pattern using the obtain pattern parameter; a features extractor configured to obtain features of at least one of the plurality of regions segmented from the input image data; and a colorless data generator configured to refer to the table to obtain a specific colorless pattern based on the correspondence information and the pile height criteria information that corresponds to the features obtained for the at least one of the plurality of regions of the input image data and to generate colorless image data using the colorless pattern, for controlling electrophotographic image forming using the colorless toner. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which cause a processor to perform an image processing method for image forming with an electrophotographic image forming device, the comprising: storing correspondence information that associates features of a region of image data with a colorless pattern to be formed with colorless toner in electrophotographic image forming, the correspondence information including pile height criteria information restricting a pile height of the colorless toner in association with a set of the features and the colorless pattern; displaying a list of a plurality of keywords to a user to allow the user to select one of the plurality of keywords, wherein the correspondence information includes keyword parameter correspondence information that associates the plurality of keywords each reflecting a degree of segmentation of the input image data with a plurality of segmentation parameters each specifying the degree of segmentation; segmenting input image data into a plurality of regions using the obtained segmentation parameter; obtaining features of at least one of the plurality of regions segmented from the input image data; determining a specific colorless pattern based on the correspondence information and the pile height criteria information to obtain a colorless pattern that corresponds to the features obtained for the at least one of the plurality of regions of the input image data; and generating colorless image data using the colorless pattern, for controlling electrophotographic image forming using the colorless toner.