Image processing apparatus and method, and storage medium

Claim 2

An image processing apparatus for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising: quantization means for quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process based on error diffusion; and control means for controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control means comprises: additional information quantization means for setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization means, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization means; and determination means for determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization means and said additional information quantization means.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the specific pattern is a pattern which is not easily generated by said quantization means.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said quantization means and said additional information quantization means make binary quantization, and said determination means determines the quantization value of the pixel of interest by ORing the quantization results of said quantization means and said additional information quantization means.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said additional information quantization means quantizes the pixel of interest by multiplexing the additional information thereon when quantization values of the surrounding pixels form a predetermined pattern.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control means forms the specific pattern by controlling a quantization condition of said quantization means on the basis of the additional information.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said control means forms the specific pattern by controlling a quantization condition of said quantization means further on the basis of surrounding pixels that have already been quantized by said quantization means.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said control means controls a quantization threshold value in the pseudo halftone process executed by said quantization means.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said control means controls the quantization condition of said quantization means with reference to pixel values around the pixel of interest before being quantized by said quantization means.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control means forms the specific pattern by controlling a layout of the pixel of interest and surrounding pixels quantized by said quantization means, on the basis of the additional information.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said control means controls the pixel layout after quantization with reference to pixel values around the pixel of interest before being quantized by said quantization means.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control means forms a plurality of types of specific patterns.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control means controls a forming position of the specific pattern on the basis of a random number.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control means forms the specific pattern to have regularity in at least one of column and line directions.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising noise removing means for removing a noise component of the image information, and wherein said quantization means quantizes the image information from which noise has been removed by said noise removing means.

Claim 16

An image processing method for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process based on error diffusion; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 17

An image processing method for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process based on error diffusion; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 18

A storage medium which stores a program code of an image process for multiplexing additional information onto image information, said program code comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process based on error diffusion; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 19

A storage medium which stores a program code of an image process for multiplexing additional information onto image information, said program code comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process based on error diffusion; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 20

An image processing apparatus for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising: quantization means for quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and control means for controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control means comprises: additional information quantization means for setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization means, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization means; and determination means for determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization means and said additional information quantization means.

Claim 21

An image processing apparatus for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising: quantization means for quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and control means for controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control means comprises: additional information quantization means for setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization means, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization means; and determination means for determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization means and said additional information quantization means.

Claim 22

An image processing method for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 23

An image processing method for multiplexing additional information onto image information, comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 24

A storage medium which stores a program code of an image process for multiplexing additional information onto image information, said program code comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.

Claim 25

A storage medium which stores a program code of an image process for multiplexing additional information onto image information, said program code comprising the steps of: a quantization step of quantizing a pixel of interest of the image information by a pseudo halftone process; and a control step of controlling a quantization value of the pixel of interest with quantization values of a plurality of pixels, including the pixel of interest, forming a specific pattern indicating the additional information, wherein said control step comprises: an additional information quantization step of setting the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of surrounding pixels, which have already been quantized by said quantization step, the additional information, and pixel values around the pixel of interest before quantization by said quantization step; and a determination step of determining the quantization value of the pixel of interest on the basis of quantization results of said quantization step and said additional information quantization step.