Image forming apparatus and image processing method

Abstract

An image forming apparatus with a saving mode in which imaging materials to be used are reduced, includes: an image processing part that converts image data from which an image will be formed into corresponding image data in an output color space; and an image forming part that forms the image from the image data converted by the image processing part, using the imaging materials, the image processing part reducing a color component of non-dominant (n+m)-component color mixed into a dominant n-component color in the image data converted, where n and m are integers of 1 or greater.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bock diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus to which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow that is performed by the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a graph to explain the areas for which color conversion is performed;

FIG. 4 shows a conversion LUT which is used by a toner reduction unit;

FIG. 5 shows a table to explain color conversion according to the conversion LUT;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus to which a second exemplary embodiment of the invention is applied;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow that is performed by the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a graph to explain first-stage toner reduction;

FIGS. 9A and 9B show formulations of a chroma correction LUT which is used by a pre-stage toner reduction unit; and

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a UI screen allowing the user to select a toner saving mode.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus with a saving mode in which imaging materials to be used are reduced, comprising: an image processing part that converts image data from which an image will be formed into corresponding image data in an output color space; andan image forming part that forms the image from the image data converted by the image processing part, using the imaging materials,the image processing part reducing a color component of non-dominant (n+m)-component color mixed into a dominant n-component color in the image data converted, where n and m are integers of 1 or greater.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input part that inputs image data, wherein the image processing part comprises a first color conversion unit that converts the image data represented in an input color space, input by the input part, into corresponding image data in a uniform color space, and a second color conversion unit that converts the image data converted into the uniform color space into the corresponding image data in the output color space, wherein reduction of the color component is performed in conjunction with or after the conversion to the image data in the output color space by the second color conversion unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recognition part that recognizes that a saving mode is set to reduce the imaging materials to be used, wherein the image processing part performs the reduction of the color component when the recognition part recognizes that the saving mode is set, andthe image forming part reduces a total amount of the imaging materials to be used by the reduction of the color component performed by the image processing part.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising: a recognition part that recognizes that a saving mode is set to reduce imaging materials to be used;an image processing part that converts a color which is produced by colorants of N colors in image data, from which an image will be formed, into a color which is produced by colorants of from one color to (N−1) colors when the color recognition part recognizes that the saving mode is set, where N is an integer of 2 or greater; andan image forming part that forms an image from the image data converted by the image processing part.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image processing part reduces chroma of pixels positioned within a predetermined area around a gray axis for image data, from which an image will be formed, to cause amounts of YMC color components in an output color space approach to substantially equal amounts.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image processing part converts a process black component produced by the substantially equal amounts of YMC color components among all the YMC color components approaching to the substantially equal amounts to a K color component.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image processing part reduces a color component of a non-dominant (n+m)-component color mixed with a dominant n-component color in the image data in which the chroma of the pixels have been reduced, where n and m are integers of 1 or greater.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an image area separation part that separates an image area into a text area and a non-text area, wherein the image processing part does not perform a reduction in the colorants for an area recognized as the text area filled with black characters, color characters or combination thereof by the image area separation part, even when the recognition part has recognized that the saving mode setting is on.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a saving mode setting part that allows a user to set the saving mode.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the saving mode setting part allows the user to set one of saving levels corresponding to different amounts of the imaging materials to be reduced, based on different levels of image degradation anticipated to occur by the different amounts of the imaging materials to be reduced.

11. An image processing method that makes a reduction in imaging materials to be used in a saving mode, comprising: inputting image data,reducing a color component of a non-dominant (n+m)-component color mixed with a dominant n-component color in the image data in conjunction with or after the conversion into corresponding image data in an output color space, where n and m are integers of 1 or greater; andoutputting the image data in the output color space in which the color component of the non-dominant (n+m)-component color has been reduced.

12. The image processing method according to claim 11, further including reducing chroma of pixels positioned within a predetermined area around a gray axis in the image data, before converting the input image data into the corresponding data in the output color space.

13. The image processing method according to claim 12, further including converting a process black component produced by substantially equal amounts of YMC color components to a K color component for the image data in which the chroma has been reduced in conjunction with or after the conversion to the output color space.

14. An image processing method that performs a reduction in imaging materials in a saving mode, comprising: reducing chroma of pixels positioned at a predetermined area around a gray axis in image data, before converting the image data from which an image will be formed into corresponding image data in an output color space;converting a process black component, produced by substantially equal amounts of YMC color components among all the YMC color components approaching to the substantially equal amounts by reducing the chroma values, to a K color component in conjunction with the color conversion to the output color space; andmaking output correction on YMCK image data after the color conversion to the image data in the output color space.

15. The image processing method according to claim 14, wherein the output correction reduces mixed colors within a predetermined chroma level around an L axis.

16. The image processing method according to claim 14, further including referring to an image area separation signal to determine an area where the reduction in the imaging materials is performed.