EP0469852A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image processing method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-07-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-07-30
Abstract
Abstract An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of gradation-information storage means for storing multi-value gradation information; resolution information storage means for storing resolution information; and selection means for selecting the plurality of gradation information storage means in accordance with the resolution information stored in the resolution information storage means, wherein at least one of the plurality of gradation information storage means compresses the gradation information so as to store it.
Inventors
- 👤 Koichi c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Honma
- 👤 Hisashi c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ishikawa
- 👤 Hiroshi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Atobe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 13:46
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/90; H04N19/98
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of gradation-information storage means for storing multi-value gradation information; resolution information storage means for storing resolution information; and selection means for selecting said plurality of gradation information storage means in accordance with said resolution information stored in said resolution information storage means, wherein at least one of said plurality of gradation information storage means compresses said gradation information so as to store it.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a discrete cosine transformation process is employed to compress said gradation information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said compression process is performed by a variable-length-encoding method.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein at least one of said gradation information storage means has a specifying means for specifying a specific area on one frame and stores said gradation information for each specific area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said specifying means makes a determination that said pixel, which is being scanned, is included in said area if the coordinate (x, y) of said pixel holds x₀ ≦ x ≦ x₁ and y₀ ≦ y ≦ y₁ in accordance with the coordinate (x₀, y₀) of the pixel which is first scanned in an area expressed by a rectangle and the coordinate (x, y) of the pixel which is finally scanned.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said specifying means judges that the area which is finally set is significant in a portion in which said specified areas superpose on each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein at least one of said gradation information storage means stores said gradation information for each n pixels x m lines (m, n are integers larger than 2).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said gradation information storage means includes a gradation memory for storing the background color and a gradation memory for compressing and storing said image data and said text data and said resolution information storage means has a resolution memory for storing a signal for discriminating said background so as to selectively use said gradation memory in response to a discrimination signal for said resolution memory.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 8 further comprising means for discriminating said image area, wherein said discrimination signal for said resolution memory is reversed in said image area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said resolution information to be stored in said resolution information storage means is compressed by variable-length encoding process before it is stored.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 8 further comprising means for detecting the quantity of said image data so as to change the compression ratio of said compression circuit in accordance with said quantity of said image data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: discriminating means for discriminating line image data and half-tone image data described in page description language; first memory means for storing said line image data discriminated by said discriminating means; compressing means for compressing said half-tone image data discriminate by said discriminating means; and second memory means for storing said half-tone image data compressed by said compressing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 12 further comprising decompressing means for decompressing said compressed half-tone image data read out from said second memory means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 13 further comprising synthesizing means for synthesizing said line image data read out from said first memory means and said half-tone image data output from said decompressing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 14 further comprising setting means for setting the color of said line image data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
An image processing method comprising the steps of: discriminating line image data and half-tone image data described in the page description language; storing discriminated line image data in first memory means; compressing said discriminated half-tone image data; and storing said compressed half-tone image data in second memory means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
An image processing method according to Claim 16 further comprising a step of decompressing said compressed half-tone image data read out from said second memory means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image processing method according to Claim 17 further comprising a step of synthesizing said line image data read out from said first memory means and said decompressed half-tone image data.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image processing method according to Claim 18 further comprising a step of setting the color of said line image data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
78 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: discriminating means for interpreting input command data so as to discriminate that data to be processed in accordance with said command data represents a line image or a half-tone image; converting means for converting said data to be processed in accordance with said command data into image data for each pixel; and compressing means for, in accordance with the discrimination result, compressing said image data which has been converted by said converting means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said compressing means includes quantizing means for quantizing said image data.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein said compressing means further comprises selecting means for switching over a table for a quantizing operation performed by said quantizing means in accordance with said discrimination result.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image processing apparatus according to Claim 20 further comprising memory means for storing said discrimination result of said discriminating means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
100 words
A data processing apparatus comprising: quantizing means for quantizing input data for each two-dimensional block; first setting means for setting a first two-dimensional quantizing parameter for a quantizing operation performed by said quantizing means; second setting means for setting a second two-dimensional quantizing parameter, which is different from said first quantizing parameter, for said quantizing operation performed by said quantizing means; selecting means for selecting said first and second setting means in accordance with the characteristics of said input data; and encoding means for encoding said data quantized by said quantizing means by zigzag scanning it in a two-dimensional block.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A data processing apparatus according to Claim 24, wherein said input data is image data which has been perpendicularly transformed.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A data processing apparatus according to Claim 24, wherein said first and second setting means include memory means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image processing apparatus which discriminates incoming data into a first type and a second type, and processes and stores the incoming data differently depending on whether it is data of the first type or data of the second type.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 27 in which data of the first type is processed and stored so as to maintain high resolution and data of the second type is processed and stored so as to maintain image gradation information.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 28 in which data of the first type is associated with further data which is processed and stored so as to maintain gradation information.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 28 having means (206) which uses the stored high resolution data of the first type to switch a read-out output between a plurality of sources of stored gradation information one of which sources provides the said further data.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 29 or claim 30 which treats the further data as colour data.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 27 which comprises means (5) to process the data in accordance with a parameter (Q) and means (7) to select the parameter in accordance with the discrimination result.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 27 which comprises means to compress the data before storing it, the means operating selectively in accordance with the discrimination result.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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