US4958236A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image processing method and apparatus therefor
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1988-06-08
•
Granted: 1990-09-18
•
Expires: 2008-06-08
Abstract
Abstract In a method of reading an image by dividing it into plural areas and reading these divided areas in succession, continuity is given to the data of plural areas by conducting digitization in overlapping manner over the neighboring areas, in order to avoid formation of a streak at the boundary of the divided areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Nao Nagashima
- 👤 Hiroyuki Ichikawa
- 👤 Akihiro Katayama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/19; H04N1/191; H04N1/1911; H04N1/0402; H04N1/0417; H04N1/12; H04N1/126; H04N1/128; H04N1/40; H04N1/405; H04N1/4051; H04N1/4052; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/04; H04N2201/0402; H04N2201/0414; H04N2201/0426
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 83
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording, wherein said process means performs, in the recording, a quantization process of the image data to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording, wherein said process means performs, in the recording, a quantization process of the image data to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said process means performs the quantization process of the image data to obtain binary data as the record data in an error dispersion method.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said process means comprises memory means for storing error data from an area preceding an object area, and is adapted, in the quantizing of the image data of said object area, to conduct the quantizing based on the error data stored in said memory means, said error data being generated in the quantizing of the image data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said process means is further adapted to conduct the quantizing of the image data of an area succeeding to the object area in an overlapped manner.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said process means is adapted, in the quantizing of the image data by the error dispersion method, to conduct the quantizing with a matrix that does not distribute errors from an object area to a preceding area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said process means is adapted, in quantizing the image data of an object area, to quantize the image data of a preceding area in an overlapped manner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said process means is adapted, in quantizing the image data of an object area, to quantize the image data of preceding and succeeding areas in the overlapped manner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing the image data of at least one of said plural areas, wherein said process means is adapted to quantize the image data stored in said memory means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising record means for performing the recording of an image using an ink-jet method, on the basis of the record data obtained by said process means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained by said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means performs the quantization process to obtain the record data from the information stored in said memory means and the image data at the jointing portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained by said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means performs the quantization process to obtain the record data from the information stored in said memory means and the image data at the jointing portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said process means performs the quantization process of the image data to obtain binary data as the record data in an error dispersion method.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said memory means is adapted to store information of an area preceding an object area to be processed by said process means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the information stored in said memory means is error data generated in the quantizing of the image data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said process means is adapted to conduct quantizing based on error data from an area preceding the object area, stored in the memory means, and on the image data of said object area.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising record means for performing the recording of an image using an ink-jet method, on the basis of the record data obtained by said process means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
103 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; wherein said reading means reads the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means, in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means performs the quantization process of the image data read by said reading means in the overlapping manner to obtain the record data.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
103 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; wherein said reading means reads the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means, in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means performs the quantization process of the image data read by said reading means in the overlapping manner to obtain the record data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising means for extracting the image data of the object area, from the image data digitized by said process means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapped manner, a part of the image data of an area preceding said object area.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapped manner, a part of the image data of an area succeeding to said object area.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said process means performs the quantization process on the image data to obtain binary data as the record data in an error dispersion method.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising record means for performing the recording of an image using an ink-jet method, on the basis of the record data obtained by said process means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
123 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said reading means reads the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means, in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means performs the quantization process on the information stored in said memory means and the image data read by said reading means in the overlapping manner, into the record data.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
123 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantization process on the image data obtained from said reading means to obtain record data to be used in a recording; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said reading means reads the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means, in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means performs the quantization process on the information stored in said memory means and the image data read by said reading means in the overlapping manner, into the record data.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said process means performs the quantization process on the image data to obtain binary data as the record data in an error dispersion method.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said memory means is adapted to store information of an area preceding an object area to be processed by said process means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
32 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the information stored in said memory means is error data generated in the quantizing of the image data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means for extracting the image data of an object area, from the image data quantized by said process means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapped manner, a part of the image data of an area succeeding an object area.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
65 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said process means is adapted to conduct the quantizing, in a jointing portion between an object area and a preceding area, based on the information stored in said memory means and the image data, and, in a jointing portion between the object area and a succeeding area, on the image data obtained in the overlapping reading.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising record means for performing the recording of an image using an ink-jet method, on the basis of the record data obtained by said process means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
79 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
79 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing the image data of an object area, to digitize image data of a preceding area in an overlapping manner.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing the image data of the object area, to digitize image data of preceding and succeeding areas in the overlapping manner.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said process means comprises memory means for storing error data from an area preceding an object area, and is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data of the object area, to conduct the digitizing based on the error data stored in said memory means.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said process means is further adapted to conduct the digitizing of the image data of an area succeeding the object area in an overlapping manner.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said process means is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data by the error dispersion method, to conduct the digitizing with a matrix that does not distribute errors from the object area to a preceding area.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising memory means for storing the image data of at least one of the plural areas, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data stored in said memory means.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the binary data obtained by said process means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
88 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means; and wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing the image data of an object area, to digitize image data of preceding and succeeding areas in an overlapping manner.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
88 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read by said reading means; and wherein said process means is adapted, in digitizing the image data of an object area, to digitize image data of preceding and succeeding areas in an overlapping manner.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the data digitized by said process means.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
100 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means is adapted, in the jointing portion of the plural areas, to conduct the digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and on the image data, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
100 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means is adapted, in the jointing portion of the plural areas, to conduct the digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and on the image data, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said memory means is adapted to store information of an area preceding an object area to be processed by said process means.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the information stored in said memory means comprises error data generated in the digitizing of the image data by the error dispersion method.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said process means is adapted to conduct the digitizing based on the error data from the area preceding the object area, stored in said memory means, and on the image data of the object area.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the binary data obtained by said process means.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
127 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means is adapted, in the jointing portion of the plural areas, to conduct the digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and on the image data, and wherein said memory means is adapted to store the information of an area preceding an object area to be processed by said process means, and the information stored in said memory means is error data generated by digitizing the image data using an error dispersion method.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
127 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas, wherein said process means is adapted, in the jointing portion of the plural areas, to conduct the digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and on the image data, and wherein said memory means is adapted to store the information of an area preceding an object area to be processed by said process means, and the information stored in said memory means is error data generated by digitizing the image data using an error dispersion method.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said process means is adapted to conduct the digitizing based on the error data from an area preceding the object area, stored in said memory means, and on the image data of the object lens.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
101 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said reading means is adapted to read the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data read in the overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data using an error dispersion method.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
101 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; and process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means, wherein said reading means is adapted to read the image data of an area neighboring an object area to be processed by said process means in an overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data read in the overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data using an error dispersion method.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 47, further comprising means for extracting image data of the object area from the image data digitized by said process means.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 47, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapping manner, a part of the image data of an area preceding the object area.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 47, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapping manner, a part of the image data of an area succeeding the object area.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 47, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of binary data obtained by said processing means.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
124 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas; wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in an overlapping manner, the image data of an area neighboring the object area to be processed by said process means, and wherein said process means is adapted to conduct digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and the image data in the overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
124 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for digitizing the image data from said reading means; and memory means for storing information of a jointing portion of the plural areas; wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in an overlapping manner, the image data of an area neighboring the object area to be processed by said process means, and wherein said process means is adapted to conduct digitizing based on the information stored in said memory means and the image data in the overlapping manner, and wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said memory means is adapted to store information of an area preceding the object area to be processed by said process means.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the information stored in said memory means is error data generated in the digitizing of the image data by the error dispersion method.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising means for extracting the image data of the object area, from the image data digitized by said process means.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said reading means is adapted to read, in the overlapping manner, a part of the image data of an area succeeding the object area.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said process means is adapted to conduct the digitizing, in a jointing portion between the object area and a preceding area, based on the information stored in said memory means and the image data, and, in the jointing portion between the object area and a succeeding area, on the image data obtained in the overlapping reading.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the binary data obtained by said process means.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural area, and for providing image data; a memory for storing the image data of the plural areas obtained from said reading means; means for reading the image data stored in said memory in a sequence different from a sequence of storage in said memory; and process means for digitizing the image data read from said memory, wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
92 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural area, and for providing image data; a memory for storing the image data of the plural areas obtained from said reading means; means for reading the image data stored in said memory in a sequence different from a sequence of storage in said memory; and process means for digitizing the image data read from said memory, wherein said process means is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 59, further comprising a second memory for storing the image data digitized by said process means.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 59, further comprising record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the binary data obtained by said process means.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
82 words
An image processing method comprising: a reading step of reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and providing image data; and a process step of digitizing the image data obtained in said reading step, wherein said process step is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read in said reading step, and wherein said process step is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
82 words
An image processing method comprising: a reading step of reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and providing image data; and a process step of digitizing the image data obtained in said reading step, wherein said process step is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data, to give continuity to the plural areas read in said reading step, and wherein said process step is adapted to digitize the image data into binary data by an error dispersion method.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data of an object area, to digitize the image data of a preceding area in an overlapping manner.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data of an object area, to digitize the image of preceding and succeeding areas in an overlapping manner.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step utilizes memory means for storing error data from an area preceding the object area, and is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data of the object area, to conduct the digitizing based on the error data stored in the memory means.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 65, wherein said process step is further adapted to conduct the digitizing of the image data of an area succeeding the object area in an overlapping manner.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step is adapted, in the digitizing of the image data by the error dispersion method, to conduct the digitizing with a matrix that does not distribute errors from an object area to a preceding area.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step further utilizes memory means for storing the image data of at least one of the plural areas, and is adapted to digitize the image data stored in the memory means.
Claim 81
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 62, wherein said process step utilizes record means which performs an image recording in an ink-jet manner, on the basis of the binary data obtained by said process step.
Claim 82
Dependent Claim
105 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantizing of the image data obtained from said reading means into record data to be used in an image recording; and record means for performing image recording in an ink-jet manner, based on the record data obtained by said process means, wherein said process means performs, in a case where the image recording is performed by said record means, the quantizing of image data so as to give continuity to the plural areas by said reading means.
Claim 83
Dependent Claim
105 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by dividing the image into plural areas, and for providing image data; process means for performing a quantizing of the image data obtained from said reading means into record data to be used in an image recording; and record means for performing image recording in an ink-jet manner, based on the record data obtained by said process means, wherein said process means performs, in a case where the image recording is performed by said record means, the quantizing of image data so as to give continuity to the plural areas by said reading means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4692812A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-09-17 | 1994-03-19 | 1994-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-09-17 | 1998-03-19 | 1998-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-09-17 | 2002-03-19 | 2002-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |