Image Processing Apparatus Edge Sharpness Isolation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing methods struggle to simultaneously perform thinning and smoothing on images, leading to image quality degradation due to isolation of thinned pixels, especially in cases where thin lines are processed, resulting in blurred or disappeared lines and imbalanced line widths.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that includes a thinning processing unit, a smoothing processing unit, an edge direction determination unit, a blending processing unit, and a thinning adjustment unit, which determine edge directions, adjust pixel values based on processing combinations, and reset change amounts for isolated thinned pixels to zero to prevent image quality degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If thinning processing is performed on image data to improve sharpness, then edge sharpness is improved, but isolated thinned pixels are created causing image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing thinning processing selectively on specific pixels based on their structural context. The processing unit determines whether each pixel should undergo thinning based on local image characteristics, applying the processing only where appropriate while preserving pixels that would become isolated, thus maintaining both sharpness and image quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If thinning processing is performed on both sides of a thin line, then edge sharpness is improved, but the thin line blurs or disappears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing thinning processing selectively on specific pixels based on their structural context. The processing unit determines whether each pixel should undergo thinning based on local image characteristics, applying the processing only where appropriate while preserving pixels that would become isolated, thus maintaining both sharpness and image quality.
3Shape
If thinning processing is excluded from sharpened portions after lossy compression, then line width balance is improved, but isolated thinned portions are created causing image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing thinning processing selectively on specific pixels based on their structural context. The processing unit determines whether each pixel should undergo thinning based on local image characteristics, applying the processing only where appropriate while preserving pixels that would become isolated, thus maintaining both sharpness and image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by having the processing unit continuously evaluate the impact of thinning processing on pixel connectivity and image structure. When isolated pixels are detected, the system adjusts subsequent processing decisions to prevent further isolation, using feedback from previous processing steps to guide current decisions and maintain overall image quality.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a thinning processing unit which performs thinning processing on image data and a smoothing processing unit which performs smoothing processing on the image data. The image processing apparatus further includes an edge direction determination unit which determines an edge direction with respect to each pixel of the image data, a blending processing unit which decides a pixel value of a target pixel of when the smoothing processing and the thinning processing are realized at the same time, and a thinning adjustment unit which determines whether a thinned pixel becomes isolated, and the thinning adjustment unit resets the change amount in pixel value due to the thinning processing of the thinned pixel to a value of zero, if the thinned pixel is determined to be isolated.