Image processing device, image correcting method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9241090-B2
Application number	US-201414578850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Dec 25, 2013
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

An image processing device includes: an image correcting unit configured to correct a size of an image by inserting or deleting a predetermined number of pixels into and from the image based on size changing information of the image in which a plurality of pixel data is arranged, wherein the image correcting unit includes: a reading unit configured to read at least any one of attribute data and the pixel data; a characteristic determining unit configured to determine a characteristic of the pixel of interest in the image; a deforming process selecting unit configured to select a type of a deforming process related to determination of a position and determination of a pixel value of a pixel; and a correction executing unit configured to execute the deforming process selected by the deforming process selecting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing device comprising:
an image correcting unit configured to correct a size of an image by inserting or deleting a predetermined number of pixels into and from the image based on size changing information of the image in which a plurality of pixel data is arranged, wherein
the image correcting unit includes:
a reading unit configured to read at least any one of attribute data corresponding to pixel of interest data in the image and the pixel data in a predetermined peripheral range including the pixel of interest;
a characteristic determining unit configured to determine a characteristic of the pixel of interest in the image from the data read by the reading unit;
a deforming process selecting unit configured to select a type of a deforming process related to determination of a position in which the predetermined number of pixels are inserted or deleted and determination of a pixel value of a pixel in a predetermined range from the inserted or deleted pixel based on a determination result of the characteristic determining unit from a plurality of types set in advance; and
a correction executing unit configured to execute the deforming process selected by the deforming process selecting unit.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the attribute data includes at least one of area information to classify a plurality of areas including an image area, a graph area, and a character area in the image and information related to an edge portion of a graph and a character, and
the characteristic determining unit determines a direction in which a line extends and a line width or a fine portion having a fine structure in the graph area and the character area based on continuity of the information related to the edge portion in the pixels in a predetermined adjacent range including the pixel of interest.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the characteristic determining unit performs area determination to classify into any one of a plurality of areas including an image area, a graph area, and a character area and determines a direction in which a line extends and a line width or a fine portion having a fine structure in the determined graph area and character area based on presence of continuity of pixel values of the pixels in a predetermined adjacent range including the pixel of interest of the image and an arranging direction and a width of the pixels having the continuity by using data of the image on which a screen process is not yet performed when the read data is the pixel data.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the deforming process selecting unit selects any one of:
a neighborhood pixel moving process to copy the pixel value of any one of adjacent pixels to insert or to delete the pixel data in each position on a predetermined line perpendicular to a deforming direction;
a neighborhood pixel averaging process to insert a predetermined weighted average value of pixel values of a plurality of adjacent pixels in each position on the predetermined line perpendicular to the deforming direction or to delete the pixel being a deletion target in the predetermined position and change the pixel values of a plurality of pixels adjacent to the pixel being the deletion target to predetermined weighted average values including the pixel being the deletion target;
a dispersed neighborhood pixel moving process to copy any one of the adjacent pixel values to insert or to delete the pixel data in each of positions different for each pixel column in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in the deforming direction; and
a dispersed neighborhood pixel averaging process to insert the predetermined weighted average value of the pixel values of the adjacent pixels in each of the positions different for each pixel column in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in the deforming direction to distribute an effect of the insertion to predetermined peripheral pixels of the inserted pixel or to delete the pixel data and distribute an effect of the deletion to predetermined peripheral pixels of the deleted pixel.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4 , comprising:
a dispersed position table outputting unit capable of outputting a dispersed position determining table determining an insertion position or a deletion position of the pixel data in each of the pixel columns in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in the deforming direction based on a plurality of different methods when the deforming process selecting unit selects the dispersed neighborhood pixel moving process or the dispersed neighborhood pixel averaging process,
wherein, the deforming process selecting unit selects one dispersed position determining table to be output from the dispersed position table outputting unit according to the characteristic determined by the characteristic determining unit when selecting the dispersed neighborhood pixel moving process or the dispersed neighborhood pixel averaging process.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1 , comprising:
an operation unit configured to receive an operation by a user, wherein
the deforming process selecting unit selects the deforming process related to a selection instruction when an input related to the selection instruction of the deforming process is performed to the operation unit.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the correction executing unit separately performs deforming processes in two directions orthogonal to each other in order, and
the deforming process selecting unit selects the deforming process related to deformation in one direction and selects the deforming process related to the deformation in the other direction based on a common characteristic initially determined by the characteristic determining unit.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a screen process executing unit configured to perform a screen process by using a predetermined threshold matrix on data of the image, wherein
the correction executing unit includes
a correction content setting unit configured to set a process content of the deforming process based on the size changing information, the determined characteristic of each pixel, and the selected type of the deforming process, and
a correction content executing unit configured to execute the process content set by the correction content setting unit on the data of the image,
the screen process executing unit generates an inverse process matrix obtained by performing a process opposite to the deforming process of each pixel set by the correction content setting unit on each element of the threshold matrix and executes the screen process by using the inverse process matrix on the data of the image, and
the correction content executing unit performs the deforming process on the data of the image on which the screen process by the screen process executing unit is already performed.

9. The image processing device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a character edge correcting unit configured to perform predetermined correction on the pixel value in the vicinity of an edge portion of a character based on information related to the edge portion of the character, wherein
the image correcting unit performs the deforming process on data of the image which is already corrected by the character edge correcting unit.

10. The image processing device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a character edge correcting unit configured to perform predetermined correction on the pixel value in the vicinity of an edge portion of a character based on information related to the edge por

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc
• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Mita Mieko

Classifications

• H04N1/401 Primary

  Compensating positionally unequal response of the pick-up or reproducing head (H04N1/403 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K15/1882

  involving operator action · CPC title

• H04N1/60

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

• H04N1/00482

  outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution · CPC title

• H04N1/393

  Enlarging or reducing · CPC title