Image Processing Apparatus Monochrome Decoration Optimization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In monochrome output of color documents, important text with color emphasis becomes difficult to distinguish, leading to potential misinterpretation, and existing decoration methods may consume more coloring material than necessary.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that determines the combination of color and decoration pattern using the least amount of pixels to decorate color data, optimizing the use of coloring material for monochrome decoration output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If decoration patterns are applied to all color text in monochrome output, then important information is preserved, but coloring material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different decoration patterns selectively to different colors of text based on their importance and pixel count. Instead of uniformly decorating all color text, the system identifies the color with the highest pixel count (most important) and applies only a simple underline pattern to it, while other colors receive different patterns or no decoration, thus preserving information hierarchy while reducing overall coloring material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of decoration pattern selection based on the pixel count of each color. By determining which color has the highest number of pixels and assigning it a specific decoration pattern (underline with lowest pixel count), the system optimizes the balance between information preservation and material consumption by dynamically adjusting decoration parameters rather than using fixed patterns for all text.
2Loss of information
If different decoration patterns are applied to different colors, then color information is inherited, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies device complexity by changing the parameter approach from selecting different decoration patterns for each color to selecting one primary color (with highest pixel count) and applying a simple underline pattern to it. This parameter-based selection method reduces the complexity of managing multiple decoration patterns while still effectively inheriting color information through selective decoration.
3Loss of substance
If simple decoration is applied to preserve coloring material, then material consumption is reduced, but information differentiation becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving the most important text (the color with highest pixel count) a specific decoration pattern (underline) that provides sufficient differentiation, while other less important colors receive different or no decoration. This localized approach ensures that the most critical information is adequately differentiated without requiring excessive decoration on all text, thus balancing material conservation with information differentiation needs.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus which decorates color data contained in color image data with different decoration patterns for respective colors of the color data to output the color data includes a determination unit which determines a combination of a color of color data having a highest number of pixels among colors of color data contained in the color image data and a decoration pattern having a lowest number of pixels among the decoration patterns and a monochrome decoration output unit which decorates color data contained in the color image data in accordance with a combination of a color and a decoration pattern corresponding to the color determined by the determination unit for monochrome decoration output of the color image data.