Image Forming Apparatus Undercoat Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses struggle with hidden-surface elimination, where undercoats are inadvertently eliminated during the printing process, leading to incomplete images when under-printing or over-printing is performed, as existing systems incorrectly interpret usage information and apply hidden-surface elimination techniques.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with an intermediate data generating unit and an elimination unit that accurately processes page description language (PDL) data to distinguish between undercoat and non-undercoat objects, preventing unnecessary elimination by analyzing usage information and generating appropriate intermediate data for each object, ensuring correct layering and output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hidden-surface elimination is performed on drawing objects, then the visibility of front objects is improved, but undercoat objects are inadvertently eliminated causing incomplete images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing rules to different types of drawing objects based on their usage information. Objects marked as undercoats are treated differently from regular drawing objects - specifically, undercoat objects are excluded from hidden-surface elimination processing. This local differentiation ensures that undercoat objects are preserved while still performing hidden-surface elimination on regular objects to maintain visibility accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If hidden-surface elimination is performed to prevent overlapping objects from being printed, then the correctness of image output is improved, but undercoat layers are removed causing incomplete color development
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary classification of drawing objects by examining usage information before executing hidden-surface elimination. Objects are pre-identified as undercoats or regular objects based on their usage attributes. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare separate processing paths - undercoat objects are marked for preservation while regular objects proceed through standard hidden-surface elimination, preventing undercoat loss while maintaining output correctness.
3Measurement precision
If the elimination unit eliminates overlapping regions to achieve clean image output, then the image quality is improved, but the undercoat image is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the elimination unit continuously checks the usage information of drawing objects during the elimination process. When an object is identified as an undercoat through this feedback check, the elimination process is adjusted to preserve that object. This feedback loop ensures that image quality is maintained through proper elimination of regular overlapping objects while preventing loss of undercoat information.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus that executes hidden-surface elimination can output an image containing an undercoat desired by a user. The image forming apparatus includes an elimination unit that eliminates a region included in a region of a second drawing object in a layer below a first drawing object and overlapping the first drawing object. The first drawing object is contained in an intermediate data which is generated based on page description language data. In a case where the second drawing object is not a drawing object indicating an undercoat image, the elimination unit eliminates the region included in the region of the second drawing object and overlapping the first drawing object. In a case where the second drawing object is a drawing object indicating an undercoat image, the elimination unit does not eliminate the region included in the region of the second drawing object and overlapping the first drawing object.