Image processing apparatus and image processing method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTomokazu Yanai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Color separation processing is performed on the input image data to generate material amount data representing the recording amount of each recording material. Halftone processing of generating binary data for each recording scan in an image recording apparatus is performed based on the material amount data. A discharge of a colored material in a first recording scan of recording the colored material and a discharge of a high transmissivity material in a second recording scan of recording the high transmissivity material are represented by the binary data for each recording scan. The high transmissivity material is recorded at a predetermined thickness on a recording layer of the colored material after the first recording scan.
Claims19
An image processing apparatus for generating image data for image recording using, as recording materials, a colored material and a high transmissivity material higher in transmittance than the colored material, comprising:
- a color separation unit configured to perform color separation processing on input image data so as to generate material amount data representing a recording amount of each recording material;
- and
- a generation unit configured to perform halftone processing of generating binary data for each recording scan in an image recording apparatus based on the material amount data,
- wherein a discharge of the colored material in a first recording scan of recording the colored material and a discharge of the high transmissivity material in a second recording scan of recording the high transmissivity material are represented by the binary data for each recording scan,
- wherein the high transmissivity material is recorded at a predetermined thickness on a recording layer of the colored material after the first recording scan,
- wherein the generation unit comprises:
- a setting unit configured to, in each recording material, setting recording data for each recording scan based on the material amount data and
- a halftone processing unit configured to perform the halftone processing on the recording data for each recording scan to generate the binary data for each recording scan, wherein halftone processing of recording data of the colored material is performed using a dot dispersion threshold matrix, and halftone processing of recording data of the high transmissivity material is performed using a threshold matrix based on the color of the input image data,
- wherein the halftone processing unit comprises:
- an estimation unit configured to calculate an estimation value representing a region of a color gamut of the image recording apparatus to which the color of the input image data belongs;
- and
- a matrix generation unit configured to generate a threshold matrix by linearly coupling a dot dispersion threshold matrix and a dot concentration threshold matrix based on the estimation value, and
- wherein at least one of the color separation unit, or the generation unit is implemented using a processor.
An image processing method of generating image data for image recording using, as recording materials, a colored material and a high transmissivity material higher in transmittance than the colored material, comprising:
- using a processor to perform:
- a color separation step of performing color separation processing on input image data so as to generate material amount data representing a recording amount of each recording material;
- and
- a generation step of performing halftone processing of generating binary data for each recording scan in an image recording apparatus based on the material amount data,
- wherein a discharge of the colored material in a first recording scan of recording the colored material and a discharge of the high transmissivity material in a second recording scan of recording the high transmissivity material are represented by the binary data for each recording scan, and
- wherein the high transmissivity material is recorded at a predetermined thickness on a recording layer of the colored material after the first recording scan,
- wherein the generation step comprises:
- a setting step of setting, in each recording material, recording data for each recording scan based on the material amount data and
- a halftone step of performing the halftone processing on the recording data for each recording scan to generate the binary data for each recording scan, wherein halftone processing of recording data of the colored material is performed using a dot dispersion threshold matrix, and halftone processing of recording data of the high transmissivity material is performed using a threshold matrix based on the color of the input image data,
- wherein the halftone step comprises:
- an estimation step of calculating an estimation value representing a region of a color gamut of the image recording apparatus to which the color of the input image data belongs;
- and
- a matrix generation step of generating a threshold matrix by linearly coupling a dot dispersion threshold matrix and a dot concentration threshold matrix based on the estimation value.
An image processing apparatus for generating image data for image recording using, as recording materials, a colored material and a high transmissivity material higher in transmittance than the colored material, comprising:
- a color separation unit configured to perform color separation processing on input image data so as to generate material amount data representing a recording amount of each recording material;
- and
- a generation unit configured to perform halftone processing of generating binary data for each recording scan in an image recording apparatus based on the material amount data,
- wherein a discharge of the colored material in a first recording scan of recording the colored material and a discharge of the high transmissivity material in a second recording scan of recording the high transmissivity material are represented by the binary data for each recording scan,
- wherein the high transmissivity material is recorded at a predetermined thickness on a recording layer of the colored material after the first recording scan,
- wherein a recording layer of the high transmissivity material is recorded at a thickness corresponding to the material amount data of the high transmissivity material, and a hue of a structural color by thin film interference on the recording layer of the high transmissivity material is equal to or approximate to a hue of the colored material recorded below the recording layer of the high transmissivity material, and
- wherein at least one of the color separation unit, or the generation unit is implemented using a processor.
An image processing method of generating image data for image recording using, as recording materials, a colored material and a high transmissivity material higher in transmittance than the colored material, comprising:
- using a processor to perform steps of:
- performing color separation processing on input image data so as to generate material amount data representing a recording amount of each recording material;
- and
- performing halftone processing of generating binary data for each recording scan in an image recording apparatus based on the material amount data,
- wherein a discharge of the colored material in a first recording scan of recording the colored material and a discharge of the high transmissivity material in a second recording scan of recording the high transmissivity material are represented by the binary data for each recording scan, and
- wherein the high transmissivity material is recorded at a predetermined thickness on a recording layer of the colored material after the first recording scan,
- wherein a recording layer of the high transmissivity material is recorded at a thickness corresponding to the material amount data of the high transmissivity material, and a hue of a structural color by thin film interference on the recording layer of the high transmissivity material is equal to or approximate to a hue of the colored material recorded below the recording layer of the high transmissivity material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.