EP0510923A2
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EP
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Output method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1992-04-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for outputting an image in which the image is divided into plural parts which are serially processed. Each part in turn is compressed in accordance with a first compression method, the same part is selectably recompressed by a second compression method in accordance with the compression results, the method by which the part was compressed is stored, the compressed part is expanded into a memory area that is common for all parts of the image in accordance with the stored compression method, and the expanded image is output.
Inventors
- 👤 Masami c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kashiwazaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/18; G06K15/1848; G06K15/1856; G06K15/1861; G06K15/1865; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0002; G06K2215/0062; G06K2215/0071
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for compressing an image, comprising the steps of: compressing a part of the image by a first compression method; determining whether the part of the image should be recompressed by a second compression method in accordance with the result of said compressing step; selectably compressing the part of the image by the second compression method in accordance with said determining step; and storing the method by which the part of the image has been compressed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating said determining step and said selectable compression step.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of serially compressing plural parts of the image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of expanding parts of the image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A compression method according to Claim 4, wherein in said expanding step each part of the image is expanded into a common memory area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, wherein the image is form data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, wherein the image comprises one page of image data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A compression method according to Claim 1, wherein the compressed part of the image is stored in a memory having a fixed size, and wherein in said selectable compression step, the part of the image is recompressed in accordance with a determination in said determining step that the fixed size has been exceeded.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A compression method according to Claim 8, wherein the second compression method compresses more efficiently than the first compression method.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for outputting an image, comprising the steps of: compressing a part of the image by a first compression method; selectably recompressing the part of the image by a second compression method in accordance with a result of said compressing step; storing the method by which the part of the image has been compressed; expanding the compressed part of the image in accordance with the method stored in said storing step; and outputting the expanded part of the image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
An output method according to Claim 10, further comprising the step of dividing the image into plural parts and serially processing each part according to said compressing step, said selectable recompressing step, said storing step and said expanding step.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
An output method according to Claim 11, wherein said compressing step for one part of the image is performed in parallel with said expanding step for another part of the image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
An output method according to Claim 10, wherein in said expanding step the part of the image is expanded into a common memory area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
An output method according to Claim 10, wherein the image is form data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
An output method according to Claim 10, wherein the image comprises one page of image data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
An output method according to Claim 10, wherein said outputting step comprises scanningly outputting the expanded part of the image data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
An output method according to Claim 16, wherein said scanningly outputting step is performed using a laser beam printer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
An output method according to Claim 16, wherein said scanningly outputting step is performed using ink drops.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
An output method according to Claim 10, wherein the compressed part of the image is stored in a memory having a fixed size, and wherein in said selectable rcompression step, the part of the image is recompressed in accordance with a determination that the fixed size has been exceeded.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
An output method according to Claim 19, wherein the second compression method compresses more efficiently than the first compression method.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for compressing an image comprising: compressing means for compressing a part of the image by selectable one of plural compression methods; determining means for determining whether a part of the image compressed by a first compression method should be recompressed by a second compression method in accordance with a result of said compression; and storing means for storing the compression method by which the part of the image has been compressed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein said determining means further comprises means for detemining whether the part of the image compressed by the second compression method should be recompressed by a third compression method in accordance with a result of said compression.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein said compressing means further comprises means for serially compressing plural parts of the image.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, further comprising means for expanding compressed parts of the image.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to Claim 24, further comprising a common memory area into which said means for expanding expands each part of the image.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein the image is form data.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein the image comprises one page of image data.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus according to Claim 21, further comprising memory means having a fixed size for storing the compressed part of the image and wherein said determining means determines whether the part of the image should be recompressed in accordance with a determination that the fixed size has been exceeded.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein the second compression method compresses more efficiently than the first compression method.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
103 words
An apparatus for outputting an image comprising: compressing means for compressing a part of the image by a selectable one of plural compression methods, said compressing means selectably recompressing a part of the image compressed by a first compression method by a second compression means in accordance with a result of said first compression; storing means for storing the compression method by which the part of the image has been compressed; expanding means for expanding the compressed part of the image in accordance with the compression method stored in said storing means; and outputting means for outputting the expanded part of the image.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 30, further comprising means for dividing the image into plural parts, wherein said compressing means serially processes each part.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said compressing means compresses one part of the image while said expanding means expands another part of the image.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 30, further comprising a common memory area into which said expanding means expands the part of the image.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein the image is form data.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein the image comprises one page of image data.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein said outputting means comprises means for scanningly outputting the expanded part of the image data.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 36, wherein said means for scanningly outputting includes a laser beam printer.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
An output apparatus according to Claim 36, wherein said means for scanningly outputting includes ink drops.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to Claim 30, further comprising memory means having a fixed size for storing the compressed part of the image and wherein in said compressing means selectably recompresses the part of the image in accordance with a detemination that the fixed size has been exceeded.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein the second compression method compresses more efficiently than the first compression method.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
38 words
A method or an apparatus for processing image data in which input image data is developed, e.g. into dot form, and the developed image data is compressed and stored temporarily in compressed form before being expanded and output.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
33 words
A method or an apparatus for processing image data in which input image data is compressed using a selected one of a predetermined plurality of compression methods, and the compressed data is stored.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method or an apparatus according to claim 42 in which different parts of the image data may, at least under some circumstances, be compressed using different compression methods.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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