Image Processing Section Detects Decolorable Toner Identification Marks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses struggle to suppress the printing of marks indicating the use of decolorable toner, as these marks are copied along with documents, providing unnecessary information.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a reading, image processing, and printing section that detects and decolors identification images indicating decolorable toner use, allowing for optional suppression of these marks during printing and improving image quality by density and filter corrections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a mark indicating decolorable toner use is printed on a sheet, then users can identify the toner type, but the mark is copied along with the document creating unnecessary information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the mark in the original document before copying, and preemptively removes or decolors the mark in the copied output. This prevents the unnecessary mark information from being transferred to the copy while maintaining the ability to identify toner type in the original.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and removes the mark portion from the copied image data separately from the main document content. By isolating and eliminating only the mark elements (such as watermarks or indicator symbols) while preserving the rest of the document, the system eliminates unnecessary information without affecting document integrity.
2Loss of information
If the mark is removed from the copied document, then unnecessary information is suppressed, but the image quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different processing qualities to different regions of the image. The mark removal is performed with high precision in specific localized areas where marks are detected, while the rest of the document maintains its original high-quality appearance. This localized approach prevents unnecessary mark information while preserving overall image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a separate copy layer for mark removal that does not affect the original document layer. By working on a copied version of the image data and selectively modifying only the mark portions in this copy layer, the system can suppress unnecessary information without degrading the quality of the main document content.
3Manufacturing precision
If density correction and filter correction are applied to improve image quality, then photograph and character quality are enhanced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts processing parameters based on the detected image content and mark characteristics. The density correction and filter correction strengths are automatically optimized according to the specific document type, mark location, and image conditions, allowing high-quality output without requiring manual intervention or fixed complex processing sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple correction functions (density correction, filter correction, and mark removal) into a single integrated image processing pipeline. By merging these operations that work on the same image data and can be performed in sequence automatically, the system reduces processing complexity compared to handling each function separately while still achieving enhanced image quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a reading section, an image processing section and a printing section. The reading section reads an image on a sheet to generate image data. The image processing section detects, from the image data, an identification image indicating that printing is carried out with decolorable toner, and decolors the detected identification image from the image data. The printing section prints the image data output from the image processing section.