Method and apparatus for processing an image

Claim 2

An image processing apparatus comprising: image data input means; first process means for processing image data from said input means in a first process mode; second process means for processing image data from said input means in a second process mode; and determining means for determining a characteristic of the image data from said input means and for selecting the first or second process mode in accordance with the determination result, said determining means determining a characteristic of the image data under consideration on the basis of both a parameter based on ambient input image data and the result from determination of the characteristic of the ambient image data.

Claim 3

An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first process means halftone-processes the image data to produce a first reproduction signal, said second process means non-halftone-processes the image data to produce a second reproduction signal, and said determining means selectes a first or a second reproduction signal in accordance with the determination result.

Claim 4

An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining means forms the parameter on the basis of a density level of the ambient image data and determines the characteristic of the image data under consideration on the basis of the parameter, the determination result of the characteristic of the ambient image data and a density level of the image data under consideration.

Claim 5

An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said determining means comprises a first determination circuit for producing a first determination signal on the basis of the parameter, the density level of the image data under consideration and a predetermined threshold, and a second determination circuit for determining whether the image data under consideration represents a halftone image or a non halftone image and whether the ambient image data represents a halftone image or a non-halftone image so as to produce a second determination signal in accordance with the determination result of said second determination circuit, and wherein said determining means selects the first or the second reproduction signal in accordance with at least one of the first and the second determination signals.

Claim 6

An image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising combining means for combining the first and second reproduction signals to produce a combination signal, wherein said determining means includes a third determination circuit for determining the density level of the image data under consideration to produce a third determination siganl and selects one of the first reproduction signals, the second reproduction signal and the combination signal in accordance with at least one of the first, second and the third determination signals.

Claim 7

An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising first delay means for delaying the first reproduction signal and second delay means for delaying the second reproduction signal.

Claim 8

An image processing apparatus comprising: pixel data input means; and determining means for dividing the pixel data from said input means into a plurality of blocks, determining a characteristic of an image for each of the blocks and outputting for each block, a signal representative of the determination result, each block being composed of a plurality of pixel data, said determining means determining a characteristic of an image in one of the blocks on the basis of a parameter baed on pixel data of one of the ambient blocks and the result from determination of a characteristic of the image in the ambient block.

Claim 9

An image processing apparatus comprising: pixel data input means; and determining means for dividing the pixel data from said input means into a plurality of blocks, determining a characteristic of an image for each of the blocks and outputting for each block, a signal representative of the determination result, each block being composed of a plurality of pixel data, said determining means determining a characteristic of an image in one of the blocks on the basis of a parameter baed on pixel data of one of the ambient blocks and the result from determination of a characteristic of the image in the ambient block.

Claim 10

An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising first process means for halftone-processing the pixel data from said input means to produce a first reproduction signal and second process means for non-halftone- processing the pixel data from said input means to produce a second reproduction signal, wherein said determining means employs said representative signal to select the first or the second reproduction signal in accordance with the determination result.

Claim 11

An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said determining means forms the parameter on the basis of a density level of the ambient block and determines the characteristic of the image in the one block on the basis of the parameter and the result from determination of the characteristic of the image in the ambient block.

Claim 12

An image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said determination means comprises a first determination circuit for producing a first determination signal on the basis of the parameter, the density level of the block under consideration and a predetermined threshold and a second determining circuit for determining whether the one block represents a halftone image or a non-halftone image and whether the ambient block represents a halftone image or a non-halftone image, and wherein said determining means outputs said representative signal for the one block on the basis of at least one of the first and the second determination signals.

Claim 13

An image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising switching means for switching a parameter formation mode on the basis of the determination signal from said second determination circuit.