Apparatus and a method for generating manuscripts to reproduce a color print

Claim 1

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes reducing the density level of each color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each separated color and multiplying said electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images used so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer.

Claim 2

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes reducing the density level of each color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each separated color and multiplying said electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images used so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer.

Claim 8

A method for generating a print for each color undergone a color separation from a color manuscript, comprising: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining an electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals by reducing the density level of each color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each separated color and multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of separated colors so that a total of dots of each color for a pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel in an area gradation method ; arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color.

Claim 9

A method for generating a print for each color undergone a color separation from a color manuscript, comprising: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining an electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals by reducing the density level of each color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each separated color and multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of separated colors so that a total of dots of each color for a pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel in an area gradation method ; arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color.

Claim 12

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of less than one so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer; wherein said processing means assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 13

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of less than one so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer; wherein said processing means assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 18

A method for generating a print for each color undergone a color separation from a color manuscript, comprising: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining an electric signal corresponding to a density of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals using an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of less than one, so that a total of dots of each color for a pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel, arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color, wherein said arranging step assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 19

A method for generating a print for each color undergone a color separation from a color manuscript, comprising: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining an electric signal corresponding to a density of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals using an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of less than one, so that a total of dots of each color for a pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel, arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color, wherein said arranging step assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 22

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer; wherein said processing means assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 23

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image thus read to a thermal printer so as to generate a print associated with each color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of an optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each color of light to generate an electric signal corresponding to a density level of the image associated with each separated color; means for processing each electric signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to a thermal printer, said means adapted to process the electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each color is at most a total of matrix elements in the pixel and the dots of each color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each color to the thermal printer; wherein said processing means assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 25

A method for generating a print for each color of a color manuscript having undergone a color separation, comprising the steps of: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining electric signals corresponding to the density at each pixel location of each separated color resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals using an area gradation method, including multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of separated colors, so that a total of dots of each color for each pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel; arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color, wherein said arranging step assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 26

A method for generating a print for each color of a color manuscript having undergone a color separation, comprising the steps of: achieving an optical scanning of the full color manuscript with a color separation; obtaining electric signals corresponding to the density at each pixel location of each separated color resulting from the color separation; determining a number of dots of each color by processing the electric signals using an area gradation method, including multiplying the electric signals by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of separated colors, so that a total of dots of each color for each pixel is at most a total of matrix elements of the pixel; arranging the determined number of dots of each color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each color, wherein said arranging step assigns priority to each dot of the pixel for distributing positions of the dots of each color with a predetermined order of colors for each dot thus assigned with priority.

Claim 28

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image to a thermal printer so as to generate a separate print of each complementary color associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of the optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each primary color to generate a first electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of the image associated with each separated color; means for converting the first electric signal into a second electric signal representing a density level of each complementary color corresponding to each primary color; means for processing each second signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to the thermal printer, said means adapted to process the second electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes reducing the second electric signal of each complementary color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each complementary color and multiplying the second electric signal of each complementary color by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images used so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each complementary color is at most a total of dots of matrix elements of the pixel and the dots of each complementary color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each complementary color to the thermal printer.

Claim 29

An apparatus for effecting an optical scanning of a full color manuscript, for separating an optical image thereof into three primary color images, for reading each image, and for outputting data for each image to a thermal printer so as to generate a separate print of each complementary color associated with each primary color obtained by the color separation, comprising: means for effecting an optical scanning of the full color manuscript; means including a spectroscope for effecting a color separation of the optical image obtained by optically scanning the full color manuscript; a plurality of photoelectric transducer means for conducting a photoelectric conversion for each primary color to generate a first electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of the image associated with each separated color; means for converting the first electric signal into a second electric signal representing a density level of each complementary color corresponding to each primary color; means for processing each second signal to generate binary data for the image to be outputted to the thermal printer, said means adapted to process the second electric signals according to an area gradation method that includes reducing the second electric signal of each complementary color at each pixel location by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each complementary color and multiplying the second electric signal of each complementary color by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images used so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each complementary color is at most a total of dots of matrix elements of the pixel and the dots of each complementary color are arranged in the pixel so as not to cause an overlap therebetween in the pixel; and control means for controlling the output of the binary data for each complementary color to the thermal printer.

Claim 32

A method for generating a separate print for each color from a full color manuscript, comprising the steps of: achieving an optical scanning of the manuscript with a color separation; obtaining a first electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; converting the first electric signal into a second electric signal representing a density level of each complementary color corresponding to each primary color; determining a number of dots of each complementary color by reducing the second electric signals by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each complementary color and multiplying the second electric signal of each complementary color by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each complementary color is at most a total of dots of matrix elements of the pixel in an area gradation method; arranging the determined number of dots of each complementary color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each complementary color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each complementary color.

Claim 33

A method for generating a separate print for each color from a full color manuscript, comprising the steps of: achieving an optical scanning of the manuscript with a color separation; obtaining a first electric signal corresponding to a density level at each pixel of an image of each separated color of three primary colors resulting from the color separation; converting the first electric signal into a second electric signal representing a density level of each complementary color corresponding to each primary color; determining a number of dots of each complementary color by reducing the second electric signals by an amount corresponding to a density level common to each complementary color and multiplying the second electric signal of each complementary color by a factor of decimal fraction corresponding to the number of color images so that a total of dots in a pixel associated with each complementary color is at most a total of dots of matrix elements of the pixel in an area gradation method; arranging the determined number of dots of each complementary color in the matrix elements so as not to cause an overlap therebetween; and separately outputting an image data for each complementary color to a thermal printer, thereby generating the print for each complementary color.