Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Attribute control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-08
2001-07-31
Rogers, Scott (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Attribute control
C358S503000, C358S532000, C382S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268933
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reconstructing process method for a secondary differential value image, an image contour emphasizing process method based on the reconstructing process method, and a thermal transfer printer for performing recording based on the contour emphasizing process method and, more particularly, to a reconstructing process method, for a secondary differential value image, which corrects blurring at a contour portion of an original image to perform recording, an image contour emphasizing process method based on the reconstructing process method, and a thermal transfer printer for performing recording based on the contour emphasizing process method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a thermal transfer printer which comprises an image scanner serving as a means for reading information of an original such as an image or a document and has an easy copy function for performing a conversion process for the information loaded by the image scanner as recording data and causing a recording mechanism having a recording head to perform recording based on the recording data has been proposed.
When such a conventional thermal transfer printer comprising an image performs a conversion process image information of an original as recording data, in order to perform recording such that the contour portion of the original image, i.e., an edge is emphasized (made sharp), a contour emphasizing process for an image is performed.
A conventional contour emphasizing process for an original image will be described below with reference to FIG.
27
.
FIG. 27A
shows a function f(x) representing a variable density section of an edge of an original image;
FIG. 27B
shows the primary differential df/dx of the function f(x), and
FIG. 27C
shows the secondary differential d
2
f/dx
2
of the function f(x). In the conventional technique, as shown in
FIG. 27D
, a contour emphasizing process represented by the process of subtracting the function in
FIG. 27C
from the function in
FIG. 27A
, i.e., f(x)−d
2
f/dx
2
is performed. When such a process is performed, as shown in
FIG. 27C
, the secondary differential d
2
f/dx
2
has positive and negative values before and after the slope of the edge. For this reason, a change in density of the edge can be enlarged by the function f−d
2
f/dx
2
in FIG.
27
D.
Such an effect is similar to the Mach effect observed by a sense of a person. When several belt-like patterns having different brightnesses are seen, a person generally feels as if the boundary between belts in which density changes in a step-like manner is temporarily darkened and then brightened again.
However, in an image conventional contour emphasizing process method and a thermal transfer printer for performing recording based on this method, as shown in
FIG. 27D
, an edge emphasizing process output value is overshot or undershot. For this reason, if an original image is a blurred image, in order to emphasize the contour portion of the original image to obtain a sharp contour, the contour unnaturally appears in the actual recorded image, or the peripheral portion of the contour portion is blurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reconstructing process method, for a secondary differential value image, being capable of correcting blurring at the contour portion of an original image to form an image having a sharp contour, an image contour emphasizing process method based on the reconstructing process method, and a thermal transfer printer for performing recording based on the contour emphasizing process method.
The reconstructing process method is characterized in that a primary differential value and a secondary differential value of each pixel in an original image are calculated, the original image is scanned in horizontal and vertical directions to detect a contour line on the basis of the signs of the primary differential value and the secondary differential value, and a secondary differential value located at a position which is shifted in two normal directions for a tangent to each interest pixel of the contour line from the interest pixel by an arbitrary width is substituted as a secondary differential value located at the interest pixel.
The reconstructing process method is characterized in that, when a pair of pixels of contour lines adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval smaller than the width of the pixel exist in an original image, the pixels of the contour lines and pixels sandwiched between the contour lines are excluded from pixels subjected to a reconstructing process for a secondary differential image.
The contour emphasizing process method is characterized in that an output value of a secondary differential value image obtained by the reconstructing process method for a secondary differential value image is multiplied by an emphasizing coefficient, and the resultant value is added to or subtracted from an output value of an original image to emphasize the contour of the image.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3641268 (1972-02-01), Beck
patent: 5023919 (1991-06-01), Wataya
patent: 5050227 (1991-09-01), Furusawa et al.
patent: 5774572 (1998-06-01), Caspi
patent: 278698 A2 (1988-08-01), None
patent: A4 0 451 579 A2 (1991-03-01), None
patent: A1 7107273A (1995-04-01), None
patent: A2 8212341A (1996-08-01), None
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Rogers Scott
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