Image Processing Apparatus Color-Number Reduction Block Segmentation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing technologies that reduce pixel numbers to minimize data size often compromise image reproducibility during printing.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus that employs color-number reduction processing and compression techniques, where the number of colors is reduced in each block of an image while maintaining the same gradation number for each color value, generating compressed image data without degrading image reproducibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the number of pixels of image data is reduced, then the data size is reduced and resources are saved, but the reproducibility of the image is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sizeVSAvoidimage reproducibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and color-number reduction processing is performed independently on each block. This segmentation allows the system to reduce the number of colors in each block while maintaining overall image quality, as each block can be optimized individually rather than forcing a global reduction that would degrade the entire image.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different processing is applied to different regions of the image by performing color-number reduction on each block separately. This allows areas with simpler color variations to be reduced more aggressively while preserving detail in areas requiring higher fidelity, achieving local optimization of both data size reduction and image quality preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If the number of colors is reduced in image data, then the data size is reduced, but the image quality may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sizeVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and color-number reduction processing is performed independently on each block. This segmentation allows the system to reduce the number of colors in each block while maintaining overall image quality, as each block can be optimized individually rather than forcing a global reduction that would degrade the entire image.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of color number while maintaining the gradation number constant. By reducing the number of colors (parameter change) while preserving the full gradation range for each color, the system achieves data size reduction without significant quality loss, as the gradation information is retained even though fewer distinct colors are used.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If color-number reduction processing is performed, then the data size is reduced, but the processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sizeVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and color-number reduction processing is performed independently on each block. This segmentation allows the system to reduce the number of colors in each block while maintaining overall image quality, as each block can be optimized individually rather than forcing a global reduction that would degrade the entire image.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of performing color-number reduction on the entire image at once (full action), the patent applies the processing partially to each block individually. This partial action approach reduces the computational complexity of each processing step while achieving the overall goal of data size reduction through cumulative effect across all blocks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9002104B2Image processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2015.04.07 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

An image processing apparatus includes a reduction unit and a compression unit. The reduction unit is configured to execute color-number reduction processing for each block configured by a plurality of pixels included in a processing target image expressed by processing target image data, the color-number reduction processing including reducing the number of colors expressed by the plurality of pixels in the block to generate image data having the reduced number of colors from the processing target image data, a gradation-number of each color value included in the image data having the reduced number of colors being the same as a gradation-number of each color value included in the processing target image data. The compression unit is configured to execute compression processing using the image data having the reduced number of colors to generate compressed image data.