Image Forming Apparatus Regenerating White Regions Without White Toner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses that form white images using white toner require a dedicated mechanism, which increases complexity and cost, and struggle to achieve a visually white appearance on colored recording sheets without toner penetration.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus and program that extract white regions and high-brightness regions, determine pixel value changes, and regenerate the image using adjustment or reversed adjustment white regions to create a visually white appearance using existing color inks, without requiring a white toner mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If white toner is used to form white images on colored recording sheets, then a visually white appearance can be achieved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring a dedicated white toner mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness of white regionVSAvoidcomplexity of white toner mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color changes by manipulating pixel values in the CMYK color space to create the illusion of white regions. The control device extracts white regions from the output target image and adjusts pixel values in adjacent regions to produce brightness changes that perceive as white, without using actual white toner. This transforms the approach from physical white material to optical illusion through color manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of white toner application with an image processing system. Instead of physically depositing white toner particles onto the recording sheet, the system uses digital image processing to modify pixel values and create the visual effect of white regions through brightness adjustments in adjacent colored regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Illumination intensity

If white toner is applied directly to colored recording sheets, then white image formation is achieved, but toner penetration into the recording sheet occurs without proper fixation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness of white regionVSAvoidfixation of white toner layer

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the physical white toner deposition process entirely by substituting it with digital image processing. Since no white toner is physically applied to the recording sheet, the problem of toner penetration and fixation reliability is completely resolved. The white appearance is achieved through optical illusion rather than physical material deposition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If image processing is used to create white regions without white toner, then device complexity is reduced, but achieving visually white appearance on colored sheets becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of image forming mechanismVSAvoidbrightness of white region

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves the visually white appearance by strategically manipulating color values in the CMYK color space. The control device identifies white regions and adjusts the pixel values of adjacent regions to create brightness transitions that the human visual system perceives as white boundaries. This optical illusion technique successfully creates white appearance effects using only color manipulation without requiring white toner.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates the perception of white regions by introducing brightness variations and transitions at region boundaries. By adjusting pixel values to create specific brightness gradients and transitions, the system exploits visual perception mechanisms to make colored regions appear as white boundaries, similar to how visual illusions create perceptions that differ from physical reality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Data Source

PatentUS20250259028A1Image forming apparatus capable of adding change to white region of output target image to regenerate output target image and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium with image processing program stored therein

Publication Date: 2025.08.14 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device and a control device. The control device functions as: a white region extractor that extracts a white region from an output target image; a high-brightness region extractor that extracts a high-brightness region adjacent to the white region; a color change determiner that determines whether a change in image of the high-brightness region toward the white region is a first change from lower to higher brightness or a second change from higher to lower brightness; a region generator that, in the case of the first change, copies a portion of a higher-brightness subregion of the high-brightness region to generates an adjustment white region; an image regenerator that replaces the white region with the adjustment white region to regenerate the output target image; and a controller that allows the image forming device to form the regenerated output target image on a recording sheet.