US6563596B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printer apparatus
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1999-08-04
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Granted: 2003-05-13
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Expires: 2019-08-04
Abstract
Abstract In a printer apparatus, printing of desired images is to be executed easily, only images satisfying pre-set characteristics are printed and unneeded printing is to be suppressed to the maximum extent possible. To this end, the printer apparatus includes an image data inputting unit 1 for outputting first digital image data, a data working unit 5 for correcting the first digital image data if necessary to generate second digital image data, a print output processing unit 24 for converting the first digital image data and/or the second digital image data into image data, and an image printing unit 3 for performing printing/outputting based on the printing data. The data working unit 5 verifies whether or not pre-set characteristics of at least one type of the inputted first digital image data are within a pre-set range. If the pre-set characteristics are within the pre-set range, the first digital image data is corrected, if necessary, to generate the second digital image data. The above-mentioned sequence of operations is executed on the plural types of the first digital image data in the sequence in which the data are inputted to the data working unit 5.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshio Narushima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 00:39
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00002; H04N1/00005; H04N1/00026; H04N1/00037; H04N1/00071; H04N1/00082; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00132; H04N1/00135; H04N1/00167; H04N1/00169; H04N1/00172; H04N1/00175; H04N1/00185; H04N1/00188
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
A printer apparatus comprising: an image data inputting unit for converting digital image data and/or analog image data inputted from outside by analog/digital conversion into first digital image data; an image correcting unit for correcting the first digital image data, if need be, to generate second digital image data; a printing outputting processing unit for performing printing/outputting processing for converting the first digital image data and/or the second digital image data into printing data for printing in an image printing unit; and the image printing unit for performing printing/outputting on a recording medium based on the printing data; at least one type of the first digital image data being inputted from said image data inputting unit to said image correcting unit; wherein it is verified in said image correcting unit whether or not pre-set characteristics of inputted pre-set first digital image data are within a pre-set range; said pre-set first digital image data is corrected, if need be, if said pre-set characteristics are within the pre-set range, to generate the second digital image data; said first digital image data and/or the second digital image data are converted in said printing outputting processing unit into printing data; and wherein printing/outputting is performed in said image printing unit based on said printing data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
211 words
A printer apparatus comprising: an image data inputting unit for converting digital image data and/or analog image data inputted from outside by analog/digital conversion into first digital image data; an image correcting unit for correcting the first digital image data, if need be, to generate second digital image data; a printing outputting processing unit for performing printing/outputting processing for converting the first digital image data and/or the second digital image data into printing data for printing in an image printing unit; and the image printing unit for performing printing/outputting on a recording medium based on the printing data; at least one type of the first digital image data being inputted from said image data inputting unit to said image correcting unit; wherein it is verified in said image correcting unit whether or not pre-set characteristics of inputted pre-set first digital image data are within a pre-set range; said pre-set first digital image data is corrected, if need be, if said pre-set characteristics are within the pre-set range, to generate the second digital image data; said first digital image data and/or the second digital image data are converted in said printing outputting processing unit into printing data; and wherein printing/outputting is performed in said image printing unit based on said printing data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of types of said first digital image data are inputted from said image data inputting unit in a pre-set order to the image correcting unit; and wherein the processing of verifying whether or not pre-set characteristics of the first digital image data are within a pre-set range and performing required correction in said image correcting unit, converting the data into printing data in said printing outputting processing unit and performing printing/outputting in said image printing unit is sequentially performed on the plural types of the first digital image data in the inputting sequence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are substantially uniform over the entire first digital image data and are concentrated in a specified area in a pre-set range, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the luminance histograms, as pre-set characteristics of the pre-set first digital image data, are concentrated in a specified area in the pre-set range, said pre-set characteristics are concentrated within the pre-set range and moreover are concentrated in the vicinity of a specified value in the pre-set range, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: an image displaying outputting unit for displaying/outputting said first digital image data and/or the second digital image data; wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, the proportion of the size of the first digital image data in the possible display area of said image displaying outputting unit is smaller than a pre-set value, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, the proportion of the size of the first digital image data in the possible printing area of said image printing unit is smaller than a pre-set value, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: an image displaying outputting unit for displaying/outputting said first digital image data and/or the second digital image data; wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, the size of the first digital image data is larger than the possible display area of said image displaying outputting unit, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, the size of the first digital image data is larger than the possible printing area of said image printing unit, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, the size of the first digital image data is larger than the correctable area of said image correcting unit, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are within the pre-set range, however, pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data exceed the correction enabling range of pre-set characteristics of said image correcting unit, said pre-set characteristics are verified not to be within the pre-set range.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if said pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are outside the pre-set range, processing of correction, conversion to printing data and printing/outputting is not performed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: inputting means for inputting a command from outside; and a controller for controlling the image data inputting unit, image correcting unit, printing outputting processing unit, image printing unit and the image displaying outputting unit; wherein if pre-set characteristics of said pre-set first digital image data are verified not to be within the pre-set range, said controller causes said image displaying outputting unit to indicate that the pre-set characteristics of the pre-set first digital image data are not within the pre-set range.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
119 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 12 wherein after said controller has caused said image displaying outputting unit to indicate that the pre-set characteristics of the pre-set first digital image data are not within the pre-set range, said controller causes the image correcting unit to discontinue the correction unit to discontinue the correction of said first digital image data; and wherein if different types of the first digital image data are inputted to the image correcting unit, the processing of verifying whether or not the pre-set characteristics of the first digital image data are within a pre-set range, correcting the image data if necessary, conversion of the image data into printing data and printing/outputting is carried out in succession.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 12 wherein after said controller has caused said image displaying outputting unit to indicate that the pre-set characteristics of the pre-set first digital image data are not within the pre-set range, said controller causes said image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 14 wherein as the display for causing the image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside, a display is made for prompting a command for discontinuing the processing of correcting the pre-set first digital image data, conversion to printing data and printing/outputting.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
83 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 15 wherein if the processing of correcting said pre-set first digital image data, conversion to printing data and printing/outputting is discontinued, and if different types of the first digital image data are inputted to said image correcting unit, the processing of verifying whether or not pre-set characteristics of said first digital image data are within a pre-set range, correcting the image data if necessary, converting the image data to printing data and printing/outputting is executed in succession.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 14 wherein as the display for causing the image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside, display is made for prompting correction only of the portion of said first digital image data whose pre-set characteristics are within a pre-set range.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 14 wherein as the display for causing the image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside, display is made for prompting a command for correcting the pre-set first digital image data by an input from outside.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
128 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 18 wherein if, as the display for causing the image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside for a pre-set time, display is made for prompting a command for correcting the pre-set first digital image data by an input from outside; and wherein, failing an input from outside, as the display for causing the image displaying outputting unit to make a display prompting a command from outside, display is made for prompting a command for discontinuing the correction of said pre-set first digital image data, conversion to printing data and printing/outputting and a display prompting a command for correcting only the portion of the pre-set first digital image data whose pre-set characteristics are within the pre-set range.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
185 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 12 wherein if a command for discontinuing the processing of correcting the pre-set first digital image data, conversion of the image data to printing data and printing/outputting is entered from outside within a pre-set tine as from the time of display on the image displaying outputting unit of the pre-set first digital image data inputted to the image correcting unit, or if a command for discontinuing the processing of converting the pre-set second digital image data to printing data and printing/outputting is entered from outside within a pre-set time as from the time of display on the image displaying outputting unit of second digital image data corrected from the first digital image data, the processing is discontinued; and wherein if different types of the first digital image data are entered to said image correcting unit, processing of displaying the first digital image data in the image displaying outputting unit, checking whether or not pre-set characteristics of the pre-set first digital image data are within a pre-set range, performing required correction, performing conversion to printing data and printing/outputting is executed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
145 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 12 wherein if, within a pre-set time as from the time of display of the pre-set first digital image data on the image displaying outputting unit, correction of said first digital image data, conversion of the image data to printing data and printing/outputting is entered from outside within a pre-set time as from the time of display on the image displaying outputting unit of the pre-set first digital image data inputted to the image correcting unit, of if a command for discontinuing the processing of converting the pre-set second digital image data to printing data and printing/outputting is entered from outside within a pre-set time as from the time of display on the image displaying outputting unit of second digital image data corrected from the first digital image data, this processing is executed based on a command from outside.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, of printed image data, among at least one type of the first digital image data and at least one type of the second digital image data corrected from said first digital image data, information contents of the image data are updated and a flag and/or the information are appended for indicating that the image data are already printed.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
The printer apparatus according to claim 22 wherein, if said at least one first digital image data is again printed, the information contents of the first digital image data or the second digital image data corrected from the first digital image data and the flag and/or the information indicating that the image data are already printed are confirmed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4446470A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-05-12 | 2006-11-11 | 2007-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-05-12 | 2010-11-11 | 2011-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-05-12 | 2014-11-11 | 2015-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |