Image analysis – Image transformation or preprocessing – Changing the image coordinates
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2003-08-26
Tran, Phuoc (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Image transformation or preprocessing
Changing the image coordinates
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611632
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a device and a method for interpolating image data comprising a dot-matrix image and a medium on which a program for interpolating the image data is recorded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An image is represented as dot-matrix pixels when treated in a computer etc., and each pixel is represented by a graduation value. For example, a photograph and computer graphics are sometimes displayed on a screen of the computer by 640-dot pixels in the horizontal direction and 480-dot pixels in the vertical direction.
On the other hand, color printers have recently been improved in their performances rapidly and now have a high accurate dot density, for example, 720 dpi. When an original image composed of 640×480 dots is printed so that a printed image corresponds to the original one in the dots, the printed image becomes smaller than the original one. In this case, images to be printed have various gradation values, and the color printers have different resolutions. Accordingly, the original image data is required to be interpolated between dots before converted to printing image data.
The prior art has provided, as techniques for interpolating the dots, a nearest neighbor interpolation method (hereinafter, “nearest method”) and a cubic convolution interpolation method (hereinafter, “cubic method”). Further, Japanese patent publication No. 6-225140A discloses a technique for providing dot patterns so that an edge takes such an enlarged form as to be smoothed when edge smoothing is performed after dots have been interpolated.
The aforesaid interpolation techniques have the following problems. The nearest and cubic methods have their respective advantages and disadvantages. On the other hand, there have recently been many cases where a single document to be printed contains a plurality of types of objects to be processed. Accordingly, when an interpolating process is carried out for an object to be processed, the quality of result of interpolation is reduced with respect to a processing mode for which the interpolating process is ill fitted.
Meanwhile, in the invention disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 6-225140A, the number of patterns becomes enormously large when a color image is premised on, so that it is difficult to previously prepare the patterns.
Further, noise pixels are sometimes produced due to an error in the operation when the pixels are generated at a low resolution regarding metacommmand pixels. Such noise pixels are also enlarged by the interpolating process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present has been made in view of the foregoing problem and an object of the invention is to provide a device and method for interpolating image data in which a satisfactory result can be achieved when a plurality of types of objects to be processed is contained, and a medium on which a program for interpolating the image data is recorded.
To accomplish the object, the invention of claim
1
provides an image data interpolating apparatus which obtains image data containing attribute information capable of distinguishing a type of image for every pixel and enlarges the image data by an interpolating process, the device comprising a readout unit which reads out the image data, an interpolating unit which distinguishes a plurality of image types of the pixels based on the attribute information and applies one of a plurality of interpolating processes differing for every one of the image types to each one of the pixels, and a synthesizing unit which synthesizes the pixels interpolated by the different interpolating processes.
In the invention of claim
1
constructed as described above, the image data is obtained and enlarged by the interpolating process. The image data contains attribute information capable of recognizing a type of image for every pixel. When the readout unit reads out the image data, the interpolating unit distinguishes image types of the pixels based on the attribute information and applies one of a plurality of interpolating processes differing for every one of the image types to each one of the pixels, and the synthesizing unit synthesizes the pixels interpolated by the different interpolating processes.
More specifically, the images include several types, and a most suitable pixel interpolating process differs according to the types. Accordingly, the image data containing the several types of images is recognized for every type of image and interpolated. The interpolating process and the synthesizing process need not be carried out separately but may be united together.
The image data is an ordinary one representing a pattern constituted by dot-matrix pixels and should not be limited particularly to a picture as a figure, photograph or characters. Further, the image data itself may be a set of dots but need not represent the respective dots. For example, the image data may be composed of drawing commands for drawing an image or fonts comprising vector information.
The image data contains several attributes differentiating properties of images and is held so as to be read out with the attributes being recognized. The image data may previously be prepared or may newly be written onto a virtual region on the basis of the image data. As an example suitable for this case, the image data interpolating apparatus of claim
2
is constructed so that in the image data interpolating apparatus of claim
1
, a virtual drawing unit is provided which inputs the plurality of types of image data having different image types to superpose the image data in a predetermined order and renders the image types distinguishable, thereby performing a drawing operation in a virtual region, wherein the readout unit reads out the image data from the virtual region.
That is, the virtual drawing unit superposes the image data in the predetermined order, rendering the types in the image data distinguishable, to thereby perform the drawing operation.
The types in the image data are recognizable for every pixel. Various techniques to render the types recognizable can be employed. For example, an attribute area may separately be provided so that types of individual data are written as attributes onto the virtual region. Consequently, the type of each pixel can be found when the attribute area is referred to. In this case, writing may be performed by the virtual drawing unit.
The virtual region may be prepared for every type of image data and have a layer structure with a text screen and a natural screen. The enlarging process may be carried out while the image data is being input from the layer structure by an application. Furthermore, a part of the image data recognizable of the attribute of the image data may be read out for every type, and the remaining part of the image data may be undistinguishable.
The readout unit reads out the image data of every pixel for every type. For example, when the type can be determined from the attribute area, the readout unit selects the image data to be read out while referring to the attribute area.
Further, since a two-dimensional processing is performed in the interpolating process, the image data needs to be input accordingly. For this purpose, when the image data is read out from the virtual region, a plurality of lines of the image data may be input for the interpolating process. As a result, a two-dimensional interpolating process can be realized.
Various types of interpolating process may be employed. For example, the interpolating process by the cubic method is suitable for a natural image though unsuitable for a business graph. On the other hand, the nearest method is suitable for a non-natural image such as the business graph though unsuitable for the natural image. Whether the image data is a natural image or a non-natural image is a kind of characteristic of the image. The interpolating process is selected according to such a characteristic. Further, the interpolating process for the natural image can sometimes be changed depending upon an object. For exampl
Osawa Michinao
Someno Masahiro
Tomiyama Tadao
Seiko Epson Corporation
Tran Phuoc
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