Image processing apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025053351-A1
Application number	US-202418797443-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 7, 2024
Priority date	Aug 10, 2023
Publication date	Feb 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The print unit includes a first print unit configured to be able to print a dot in a first region of each pixel of the object, and a second print unit configured to be able to print a dot in a second region of each pixel of the object. As a result of the processing by the dot arrangement unit, in first edge pixels in a first edge portion of the object, a ratio of arranging dots in the second regions is lower than a ratio of arranging dots in the first regions, and in second edge pixels in a second edge portion different from the first edge portion of the object, a ratio of arranging dots in the first regions is lower than a ratio of arranging dots in the second regions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
at least one processor and at least a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, and when executed by the at least one processor, acting as: a print unit configured to be able to print dots at a resolution higher than a resolution of image data; a quantization unit configured to perform quantization processing based on image data including an object; and a dot arrangement unit configured to perform processing of arranging a dot in a pixel using a dot arrangement pattern corresponding to a quantization value having undergone the quantization processing, wherein the print unit includes a first print unit configured to be able to print a dot in a first region of each pixel of the object, and a second print unit configured to be able to print a dot in a second region of each pixel of the object, and as a result of the processing by the dot arrangement unit, in first edge pixels in a first edge portion of the object, a ratio of arranging dots in the second regions is lower than a ratio of arranging dots in the first regions, and in second edge pixels in a second edge portion different from the first edge portion of the object, a ratio of arranging dots in the first regions is lower than a ratio of arranging dots in the second regions.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the quantization unit performs the quantization processing so that the quantization value is made different between the first edge pixel in the first edge portion of the object and the second edge pixel in the second edge portion different from the first edge portion with respect to each of image data corresponding to the first print unit and image data corresponding to the second print unit.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the quantization unit makes the quantization value applied to the first edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the first print unit different from the quantization value applied to the first edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the second print unit, and the quantization unit makes the quantization value applied to the second edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the first print unit different from the quantization value applied to the second edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the second print unit.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the quantization unit applies a first quantization value to the first edge pixel and a second quantization value to the second edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the first print unit, and the quantization unit applies the second quantization value to the first edge pixel and the first quantization value to the second edge pixel with respect to the image data corresponding to the second print unit.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the first edge portion, dots are uniformly arranged in the first regions.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein in the first edge portion, no dots are arranged in the second regions.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein in the second edge portion, dots are uniformly arranged in the second regions.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein in the second edge portion, no dots are arranged in the first regions.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a change unit configured to change a tone value of each of the first edge pixel and the second edge pixel.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in a case where the change unit changes the tone value, dots are not arranged in some of the first regions in the first edge portion.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in a case where the change unit changes the tone value, dots are arranged in some of the second regions in the first edge portion.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in a case where the change unit changes the tone value, dots are not arranged in some of the second regions in the second edge portion.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in a case where the change unit changes the tone value, dots are arranged in some of the first regions in the second edge portion.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dot arrangement pattern is determined so dots are not arranged in some of the first regions in the first edge portion.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dot arrangement pattern is determined so that dots are arranged in some of the second regions in the first edge portion.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dot arrangement pattern is determined so dots are not arranged in some of the second regions in the second edge portion.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dot arrangement pattern is determined so that dots are arranged in some of the first regions in the second edge portion.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first edge portion and the second edge portion are one side of the object and another side different from the one side.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object is an object having a predetermined pixel width.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the object is a line.

21 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the object is a solid.

22 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein in a case where the object is an object having no predetermined pixel width, the quantization unit sets the quantization value of at least one of the first edge pixel and the second edge pixel as a quantization value of a pixel in a portion other than an edge portion of the object.

23 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further acting as a detection unit configured to detect the first edge pixels and the second edge pixels from the image data.

24 . The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the detection unit detects the first edge pixels and the second edge pixels using pattern matching.

25 . The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the detection unit performs detection by an arrangement for correcting a scan image.

26 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further acting as a color separation unit configured to perform color separation processing based on the image data,
wherein the quantization processing by the quantization unit and the processing by the dot arrangement unit are performed for a predetermined color having undergone the color separation processing.

27 . The apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein the predetermined color is black.

28 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object is an intermediate-density object.

29 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle array provided in the first print unit is arranged by being shifted by a half pitch in a nozzle array direction with respect to a second nozzle array provided in the second print unit, the first region corresponds to the first nozzle array, and the second region corresponds to the second nozzle array.

30 . The apparatus according to claim 29 , wherein the first region and the second region are arranged in an array direction of the first nozzle array provi

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kobayashi Daisuke
• Tanaka Hirokazu
• Doi Tsukasa
• Yamagata Mayuko
• Komamiya Eiji
• Mizoguchi Yoshinori
• Yamada Akitoshi

Classifications

• H04N1/60

  Colour correction or control {(H04N1/54 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04N1/00087

  Setting or calibrating (picture signal circuits H04N1/40) · CPC title

• H04N1/00037

  Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state (H04N1/00031 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00005

  relating to image data · CPC title

• H04N1/00023

  Colour systems · CPC title