Patent ID: 6124945
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A color image transfer processing apparatus for compressing and transferring color image data of a full color space having a number of colors which are expressed by full bits of color pixel values, comprising:a calculating unit counting a number (A) of colors as a number of different color pixel values while scanning pixels of said color image data every row;a pallet forming unit which has a storing area of representative colors of a predetermined number of entries, sequentially stores full color pixel values as representative colors into said predetermined number of entries each time said number (A) of colors is counted up, and forms a subtractive color pallet;a transfer format discriminating unit counting a number (N) of transfer pixels starting with a first pixel counted by the calculating unit up to the end of a previous row when said number (A) of colors exceeds a predetermined number (n) of entries of the subtractive color pallet, comparing a transfer data amount according to a full color format of the number (N) of transfer pixels with a transfer data amount according to a pallet format, and instructing data transfer according to a format of a smaller one of transfer data amounts;and a data transfer unit for forming and transferring pallet format data including halftone codes obtained by converting color pixel values to entry numbers (E) of the subtractive color pallet and the representative colors of said subtractive color pallet when an instruction of the data transfer in said pallet format is received and forming and transferring full color format data including said color pixels as they are when an instruction of the data transfer in said full color format is received.