Image Processing Device Color Conversion Order for Edge Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reduction process in image processing can worsen the appearance of edges in characters, graphics, and high-density achromatic colors, particularly black, due to changes in pixel values and color conversion order, leading to jagged edges and color tints.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and method that performs color conversion followed by reduction, using a scaling unit to produce scaled image data with achromatic and chromatic color values, ensuring accurate representation of high-density colors and smoothing edges by combining pixel values based on area ratios during the reduction process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If reduction process is performed before color conversion, then edge smoothing is improved, but color accuracy of high-density achromatic colors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing color conversion before reduction process. The color conversion is executed in advance on the high-resolution image data, ensuring that achromatic colors are properly converted to high K ratio values before the reduction process occurs. This preliminary color conversion prevents the deterioration of color accuracy that would otherwise occur if reduction were performed first.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional processing order by performing color conversion before reduction process instead of after. This reversal of the traditional sequence (color conversion then reduction, rather than reduction then color conversion) allows the system to maintain both edge smoothness through reduction and color accuracy through proper preprocessing of color values.
2Shape
If reduction process combines pixel values by averaging, then edge smoothing is improved, but achromatic color representation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs color conversion as a preliminary action before reduction. By converting colors in advance on the high-resolution image, the system ensures that achromatic regions are properly identified and assigned high K ratio values before the reduction process combines pixel values. This preliminary processing ensures that averaged pixel values in reduced images maintain correct achromatic representation.
3Productivity
If color conversion is performed after reduction, then processing speed is improved, but edge quality of black characters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs color conversion as a preliminary action before reduction process, rather than after. This sequencing ensures that color values are properly established on high-resolution data before reduction occurs, maintaining edge quality in black characters. The processing speed is maintained by optimizing the reduction process to efficiently handle the pre-converted color data.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing device converts input image data to converted image data and produces scaled image data based on the converted image data. Each set of converted pixel data in the converted image data includes an achromatic color value and a plurality of chromatic color values. The achromatic color value indicates an amount of an achromatic color material. Each of the plurality of chromatic color values indicates an amount of one of a plurality of chromatic color materials. An achromatic color is produced by mixing at least one of the achromatic color material and the plurality of chromatic color materials. Each set of scaled pixel data in the scaled image data corresponds to at least one set of converted pixel data. The image processing device produces each set of scaled pixel data based on the corresponding at least one set of converted pixel data.