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EP0446008A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image processing method and apparatus

Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-03-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-03-05
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Abstract

Abstract An image processing method comprises the steps of discriminating the color type of an input color image from an input color image signal, generating a pattern signal indicating a predetermined graphic pattern corresponding to the color type in response to said color discrimination, generating a density signal in accord with the input color image signal, and supplying a reproduction signal in accord with said pattern signal and said density signal to an image reproduction unit.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hiroyuki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ichikawa
  • 👤 Hiroshi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ohmura
  • 👤 Shizuo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Hasegawa
  • 👤 Keizo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Isemura
  • 👤 Yoshinobu C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Aiba

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 08:33
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/40; H04N1/40012

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 73 words
An image processing method comprising steps of: discriminating a color type of an input color image from an input color image signal; generating a pattern signal indicating a predetermined graphic pattern corresponding to the color type in response to the color discrimination; generating a density signal in accordance with the input color image signal; and supplying a reproduction signal based on the pattern signal and the density signal to an image reproduction unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 26 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a density level of the reproduction signal is different from that of the input color image signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a density level of the reproduction signal is less than that of the input color image signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 39 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating the density signal involves generating the density signal which is obtained by dividing the input color image signal density level into a plurality of density levels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating the pattern signal involves generating no pattern signal for non-color portion of the input color image signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said step of supplying involves supplying the reproduction signal to a monochromatic image reproduction unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 79 words
An image processing apparatus characterized by comprising: color discriminating means for discriminating a color of an input image from an input color image signal; pattern generator means for generating a predetermined graphic pattern corresponding to each color in accordance with a color discriminating signal of said color discriminating means; brightness signal generator means for generating a brightness signal from the input color image signal; and pattern synthesis means for synthesizing and outputting the graphic pattern and the brightness signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that said signal synthesis means synthesizes a density signal with the graphic pattern after making the density of the density signal lighter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said density signal generator means generates the density signal by dividing the input color image signal density level into a plurality of density levels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said density signal generator means converts the density level based on a frequency distribution of the input color image signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said pattern signal generator means generates no pattern signal for non-color portion of the input color image signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 24 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a monochromatic image reproduction unit for reproducing the output of said signal synthesis means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said monochromatic image reproduction unit is a printer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 68 words
An image reproduction apparatus for reading a polychromatic image and reproducing the image by selecting a predetermined pattern corresponding to each image, comprises: read means for reading the polychromatic image; setting means for setting a predetermined pattern and density corresponding to each color image read by said read means; and image reproduction means for reproducing the image based on the pattern and density set by said setting means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 53 words
An image reproduction apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said setting means includes discrimination means for discriminating whether or not image is non-color, and selection means for selecting non-color data if the result of said discrimination means is non-color, and wherein the setting is performed depending on the result of said selection means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 49 words
Image processing means which processes an image to determine the colour and the density of the image, selects patterns for printing on the basis of the discriminated colour, and provides an output signal for printing which combines both the selected patterns and density data based on the discriminated density.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 63 words
Image processing means which processes an image to determine the density of each of a plurality of colours in the image, selects respective patterns for printing to represent different respective said colours, and generates on output signal for printing representing the superimposition of said patterns at respective densities selected in accordance with the determined densities of the respective said colours in the image.

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