Image processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus that outputs color information to an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet using color toner and transparent toner, the color information representing a toner image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming apparatus, including: an extracting unit that extracts a characteristic region from input image data; a first calculating unit that creates, based on the image data, first color information on a toner image corresponding to the color toner; a second calculating unit that calculates second color information by which a prescribed amount of the transparent toner is applied to the characteristic region extracted by the extracting unit; and an outputting unit that outputs the first and second color information calculated by the first and second calculating units to the image forming apparatus.

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 block diagram showing an outline of an entire constitution of an image forming apparatus which is a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing in detail a constitution of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a view showing in detail a constitution an image transferring unit of the image forming unit;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a process executed in an image processing unit of the image forming apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a characteristic region extracting process executed in the image processing unit;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of an entire constitution of an image forming apparatus which is a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a process executed in the image processing unit of the image forming apparatus; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the characteristic region extracting process executed in the image processing unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus that outputs color information to an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet using color toner and transparent toner, the color information representing a toner image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming apparatus, comprising: an extracting unit that extracts a characteristic region from input image data;a first calculating unit that creates, based on the image data, first color information on a toner image corresponding to the color toner;a second calculating unit that calculates second color information by which a prescribed amount of the transparent toner is applied to the characteristic region extracted by the extracting unit; andan outputting unit that outputs the first and second color information calculated by the first and second calculating units to the image forming apparatus.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second color information represents that the prescribed amount of transparent toner is applied to the characteristic region whereas an amount of transparent toner smaller than the prescribed amount is applied to a region other than the characteristic region.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the region other than the characteristic region includes a border region that represents a border between the characteristic region and the region other than the characteristic region.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit extracts a region corresponding to a human face or a sky from input image data as the characteristic region.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit comprises an analyzing unit that analyzes a frequency component in input image data, and extracts a region containing areas in which the frequency component analyzed by the analyzing unit is a low frequency component as the characteristic region.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising: an extracting unit that extracts a characteristic region from input image data;a first calculating unit that creates, based on the image data, first color information on a toner image corresponding to color toner;a second calculating unit that calculates second color information by which a prescribed amount of transparent toner is applied to the characteristic region extracted by the extracting unit;an image forming unit that forms a toner image with color toner based on the first color information and a toner image with transparent toner based on the second color information in a specific order;an image transferring unit that transfers the toner images on a sheet in accordance with the specific order such that the toner image formed with the color toner is positioned closer to the sheet than the toner image formed with the transparent toner; anda fixing unit that fixes the toner images on the sheet by applying heat and pressure.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fixing unit comprises a first fixing part and a second fixing part, the second fixing part including a cooling part that cools the sheet and the toner images fixed thereon.