151results about "Visual representation by electrographic printing" patented technology

The present invention relates to the segmentation of an image into a main area and a image segment for variable data differential gloss image control. A single color is selected. Two or more different color definitions are created by combining the selected single color with two or more halftones having anisotropic structure characteristics which are significantly different in orientation to each other while remaining identical in density. By alternatively assigning the color definitions to the image segment in accord with the variable data content, a variable data differential gloss image may be superimposed within an image having reduced data processing and storage requirements.

A variable data pantograph is formed by receiving a variable data string and retrieving at least one character representation from a vocabulary of character representations stored in memory. The retrieved at least one character representation corresponds to the variable data string. Each of the character representations in the vocabulary include a foreground region including a character shape and a background region suitably sized and arranged for encompassing the foreground region. The background region incorporates a first pattern of elements and the foreground region incorporates a second pattern of elements. The retrieved at least one character representation is assembled to form a variable data pantograph, whereby when the variable data pantograph is rendered in an original document, the foreground and background regions are similar in tone, the foreground and background regions being substantially less similar in tone in a copy of the original document to render the character visible.

An image forming engine has color shifting amount storage units C, M, Y, and K (black) which store actual shifting amounts relative to ideal scan directions on image carriers C, M, Y, and K in image forming units C, M, Y, and K. Color shifting correction amount arithmetic units calculate color shifting correction amounts for respective color components to base on the stored color shifting amounts. Color shifting correction units C, M, Y, and K perform color shifting correction by converting coordinates upon reading out image data from bitmap memories C, M, Y, and K on the basis of the calculated color shifting correction amounts, and then perform tone correction. Data after tone correction undergo halftone processing by halftone processors. C, M, Y, and K to suppress moire. PWM processors C, M, Y, and K generate PWM signals for scanning, and output them to exposure units C, M, Y, and K of the respective image forming units.

A method for processing an input image to reduce halo artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system. The input image is automatically analyzed to determine an edge map image indicating light-side edge regions that include edge pixels that are adjacent to edge transitions in the input image and are on a lighter side of the edge transition. At least one edge region dilation operation to the edge map image to expand the light-side edge regions in a direction away from the edge transitions. A corrected image is formed by modifying the input pixels of the input image corresponding to the expanded light-side edge regions to determine corrected pixels having corrected pixel values. The corrected image is then printed using the electrophotographic printing system.

With this invention, color shifting correction is performed first based on shifting amount information indicating a shifting amount with respect to the scanning direction on an image carrier of each image forming unit, and halftone processing is then performed, thus suppressing generation of moiré due to the color shifting correction, and forming a high-quality image. To this end, an image forming engine has color shifting amount storage units C, M, Y, and K (black) which store actual shifting amounts with respect to ideal scan directions on image carriers C, M, Y, and K in image forming units C, M, Y, and K. Color shifting correction amount arithmetic units C, M, Y, and K calculate color shifting correction amounts for respective color components on the basis of the stored color shifting amounts. Color shifting correction units C, M, Y, and K perform color shifting correction by converting coordinates upon reading out image data from bitmap memories C, M, Y, and K on the basis of the calculated color shifting correction amounts, and then perform tone correction. Data after tone correction undergo halftone processing by halftone processors C, M, Y, and K. PWM processors C, M, Y, and K generate PWM signals for scanning, and output them to exposure units C, M, Y, and K of the respective image forming units.

An image capturing unit includes a sensor section that images a predetermined range including a subject; a reference chart section that is imaged by the sensor section with the subject; and an illumination light source that illuminates the subject and the reference chart section. The illumination light source is arranged at a position where a mirror reflection region that mirror reflects light entering from the illumination light source to the sensor section is outside a region of the subject and the reference chart section.

The image forming apparatus includes image forming device for forming an image, switching device for switching resolution of an image formed by the image forming device, processing device for performing stabilization processing for stabilizing quality of the image formed by the image forming device and changing device for changing a processing procedure of the stabilization processing in accordance with the resolution switched by the switching device. With these features, it is possible to avoid deterioration of image quality even if the resolution is switched.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for color balancing page data, from a variety of input sources having non-consistent device color profiles, among a plurality of individually accessible print engines arranged in a system for color printing multiple copies of multiple page documents. Input page data is converted to a common color space, rasterized and routed to a selected print engine. Page data routed to each marking engine is color balanced to the selected marking engine where at least a portion of the color balancing occurs following the rasterizing of the page data.

An operational imaging device and method for sensing a media type in a predetermined media set using a predetermined set of media type determining equations solved using measured values for a set of N variables measured by an operational sensor set in the operational imaging device. The solution of the equation set determines a media type. After a media type is determined, one or more operational parameters of the imaging device is selected for processing of a sheet of the determined media type. The equation set is generated by a training system using a classifier training engine. A plurality of training data sets containing measured variable values for each media type is collected under various conditions by a training sensor set that measures the set of N variables. After generation, the media type determining equation set is stored in memory of the operational imaging device.

An image forming apparatus includes an image density detector, an image forming device, a rotator, an image density controller, and a timing correction data obtainer. The image density detector detects a toner density of an image formed on an image bearing member. An image forming device forms the image using a density adjustable element that adjusts the density of the image. The rotator forms an image pattern while the density adjustable element is changed, and a density thereof is detected by the image density detector. The image density controller controls the image forming device using a density correction data for the density adjustable element corresponding to a rotational period of the rotator. The timing correction data obtainer obtains timing correction data for correction of driving timing of the image forming device based on a change in the density of the image pattern detected by the image density detector.

An image forming apparatus that forms an image according to light emitted from a light source is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a first image processor that performs image processing on image data having a first resolution and outputs the resulting image data; a resolution converter that acquires the image data having the first resolution output from the first image processor and converts the image data to image data having a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution; a modulation signal generator that modulates the image data having the second resolution according to a clock signal to thereby generate a modulation signal; a light source driver that drives the light source according to the modulation signal; and a second image processor that performs image processing on the image data having the second resolution to be modulated to the modulation signal.

The toner in the toner cartridge is determined by taking each of the rasterized images output by the RIP and evaluating the pixel levels over the surface thereof. The average value is determined as a percentage of the maximum toner that can be applied to the page. This is then subtracted from a toner value and a remaining toner level determined. Further, all pages of the rasterized document can be evaluated to predetermine the toner level after printing. If this falls below a predetermined minimum, printing is inhibited for that document.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a storage unit, an image processing unit and a control unit. The image processing unit (i) calculates a summed height of a color toner image formed on a sheet by summing up a height of the color toner image on the basis of input image data, (ii) calculates, on the basis of a target value for glossiness stored in the storage unit, a target total height of the color toner image and a clear toner image to realize the target value for glossiness, and (iii) calculates a height of the clear toner image by subtracting the summed height from the target total height. On the basis of the calculated height of the clear toner image, the control unit adjusts the height of the clear toner image formed on the sheet.

A system and method for printing a document having one or more document finishes. The method comprises determining an electrostatic image to be applied to a sheet of paper that corresponds to a document finish, applying a finish toner to the sheet of paper corresponding to the electrostatic image, the finish toner operable to yield a document finish when fused to the sheet of paper, and fusing the finish toner to the sheet of paper. Typically, the finish toner is applied after a non-finish toner and / or a non-finish ink have been applied to the sheet of paper. Thus, the non-finish toner / ink provides the content of the sheet of paper while the finish toner provides a finish, such as a glossy, matte, or satin finish, etc. Such a system is well suited for creating and reproducing documents with finishes because large industrial printers are not required to produce the document finish.

An image processing apparatus includes a first determining unit for determining which medium an image is to be formed on; a second determining unit for determining an amount of a coloring material of a recording material according to the medium determined by the first determining unit; a color processing unit for executing color processing in a raster image processing unit according to the amount of the coloring material determined by the second determining unit; a comparing unit for comparing a predetermined medium with a medium that is to be used for output to determine whether these media match, after the color processing by the color processing unit; and a controlling unit for controlling whether to adjust the amount of the coloring material again according to a result of the comparison by the comparing unit.

An apparatus includes an image-processing-unit that generates tag information indicating whether each of pixels of a first-resolution image data is a pixel of a character or a line, a resolution-converting-unit that converts the first-resolution image data to image data with a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and a light-source-driving-unit that drives light-source according to the second-resolution image data. The resolution-converting-unit includes an image-matrix-acquiring-unit that acquires an image matrix being image data and tag information with the first resolution in an area containing a target-pixel and pixels around the target-pixel, a pattern-matching-unit that determines whether the target-pixel is a pixel of an edge of a character or a line based on the image matrix, and a first-converting-unit that, when the pixel is the edge pixel, converts the image data to image data with the second resolution of a pattern determined in accordance with a layout of the target-pixel.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit conveying a paper, an image forming unit forming an image on an image carrier and printing the image on the paper being conveyed by the conveying unit, and a control unit controlling the image forming apparatus, and when a progress state of the image forming apparatus reaches a first reference according to the progress state, the control unit can perform maintenance operation of performing maintenance by forming an image for maintenance on the image carrier, after interrupting printing based on a job if the job is being executed, and when a job using continuous paper is to be executed, the control unit determines whether the progress state exceeds a second reference before the job is completed prior to the maintenance operation, and if the progress state exceeds the second reference, issues an alarm regarding the interruption.

A method and apparatus for routing page data of a print job to the printers in a multi-print engine based on print job parameters associated with the page data of the print job is disclosed. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job, downloaded form a print file and having the print job parameters associated therewith, is rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engined printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based upon matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped images with the printing characteristics of the print engine to be selected.

An image processing apparatus and an image processing method are provided for allowing a user to achieve a desired image quality while controlling toner consumptions. An amount of toner reduced is calculated based on a set toner reduction rate. For objects other than an object specified as an excluded object to which toner reduction is not applied, a toner reduction rate for achieving the calculated amount of toner saved is calculated.

An information processing device includes a receiving unit, a first identifying unit, and a generation unit. The receiving unit receives specified position information indicating a position specified by a user with respect to an image indicated by target image data including drawing information of each object. The first identifying unit identifies a first object indicating an object including the position indicated by the specified position information. The generation unit generates a third object indicating an object having lower priority of display than a second object indicating higher priority of display than the first object, and having higher priority of display than the first object, and an object having the same shape as the first object.

An image forming apparatus performs density correction. An image forming section forms a density detection image on a belt. A light source irradiates the image with light. A light receiving section receives light reflected from the image and outputs a plurality of intensity signals of the received light. An intensity obtaining section drives the belt and the light source, thereby illuminating the image a first number of times at intervals of a first distance as the belt runs, and the light receiving section receives the light reflected from the image, the first number of times being determined by at least the first distance and a second distance in which the first distance lies. A selecting section selects a second number of levels of light intensity from the plurality of intensity signals. A density correcting section performs print density correction using the second number of levels of light intensity.

Provided are a signal conversion method and apparatus, a recording medium storing non-transitory program, and a print system which can prevent a color reproduction gamut from being excessively narrowed while avoiding a print failure caused by excess color material. A signal conversion method for limiting the total amount of color materials used in a printing device that forms an image on a recording medium using a plurality of color materials includes determining a final output vector after the total amount of color materials used is limited for an input vector, on the basis of a plurality of input / output signal conversion processes based on different limit values of the total amount of color materials used and weight definition information in which weights applied to the conversion results of the plurality of input / output signal conversion processes are determined according to the input vector.

There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data of an image formed on a sheet; an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information that identifies the sheet on which the image is formed; an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on the sheet with a decolorable colorant which becomes colorless by a predetermined chemical reaction and that forms an identification information image based on the identification information on the sheet with a non-decolorable colorant which does not become colorless by the chemical reaction; and a storage control unit that stores the identification information and the image data of the image to be formed on the sheet, on which the identification information image corresponding to the identification information is formed, in a predetermined storage region in a correlated manner.

An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting element group including a plurality of light emitting elements disposed at first intervals in a first direction, and configured to emit optical beams based on image data, a lens array including a plurality of lenses disposed at second intervals different from the first intervals in the first direction and configured to focus or condense the light emitted from the light emitting element group, and a halftone processing unit configured to perform halftone processing by using a dither matrix corresponding to a relative positional relationship between the plurality of light emitting elements and the plurality of lenses to generate the image data.

A toner advisor apparatus and method for imaging systems includes an imaging device with a toner cartridge. More than one toner compartment in the toner cartridge is conformed to hold various toner colors. A cartridge scanner device is connected to the imaging system for scanning the more than one toner compartment. An analysis device is connected to the cartridge scanner device and to the imaging device for comparing the type of color required for a print job on the imaging device and the amounts of toner in the more than one toner compartment and for suggesting colors that optimize toner consumption. In one aspect of the invention, the analysis device is conformed to optimize toner consumption by suggesting colors that use nearly equal amounts of different toner colors over time.