Image processing device, image processing method, and storage medium for performing pseudo graduation-increased processing

1. An image processing device, comprising:

a first output unit that performs predetermined image processing for image data, and outputs image data having m bits per pixel;

a second output unit that performs pseudo gradation-increase processing by a dither method or a multilevel error diffusion method for the image data output from the first output unit, and outputs image data having n bits per pixel, where n<m; and

a compression unit that compresses the image data output from the second output unit,

wherein, when a dither matrix that the second output unit uses for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the dither method or a filter that the second output unit uses for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the multilevel error diffusion method is divided into a plurality of pixel groups each including a plurality of adjacent pixels and when each of the pixel groups serves as a unit, processing parameters of the dither matrix or the filter respectively set for pixels in the same pixel group are similar to each other as compared with processing parameters respectively set for pixels in different pixel groups.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the compression unit has a configuration that compresses the image data based on continuity of values of pixels arranged in a predetermined scanning direction, and

wherein the pixel group has a shape in which a plurality of pixels are continuously arranged at least in a direction corresponding to the scanning direction.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, for the image data output from the first output unit, the second output unit performs processing of adding offset values, which serve as the processing parameters respectively set for the pixels of the dither matrix, to a plurality of pieces of image data respectively corresponding to the pixels of the dither matrix as the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the dither method, and then replaces the m-bit image data with the n-bit image data.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, for the image data output from the first output unit, the second output unit replaces the m-bit image data with the n-bit image data, and performs processing of adding values obtained by multiplying errors of the n-bit pixel data after the replacement with respect to the m-bit image data before the replacement by coefficients, which serve as the processing parameters respectively set for the pixels of the filter, to a plurality of pieces of the image data before the replacement respectively corresponding to the pixels of the filter.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the compression unit compresses the image data output from the second output unit by a lossless compression system.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing parameters respectively set for the pixels in the same pixel group of the dither matrix or the filter is the same value when each pixel group serves as a unit.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image data compressed by the compression unit is transferred to an image forming unit, and is used for image formation with colorants of a plurality of colors by the image forming unit, and

wherein the pixel groups each have a predetermined size such that a density of the pixel groups on an image formed by the image forming unit is 150 dpi or higher.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image data compressed by the compression unit is transferred to an image forming unit, and is used for image formation with colorants of a plurality of colors by the image forming unit,

wherein image data expressing colors of respective pixels of an image by combinations of values of the plurality of colors is input pixel by pixel as the image data, and position data expressing positions of the pixels on the image with the data input is also input, and

wherein the first output unit performs correction processing, as the image processing, that corrects unevenness of each of the colorants of the plurality of colors of the image formed by the image forming unit.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for image processing, the process comprising:

performing predetermined image processing for image data, and first-outputting image data having m bits per pixel;

performing pseudo gradation-increase processing by a dither method or a multilevel error diffusion method for the first-output image data, and second-outputting image data having n bits per pixel, where n<m; and

compressing the second-output image data,

wherein, when a dither matrix used for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the dither method or a filter used for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the multilevel error diffusion method is divided into a plurality of pixel groups each including a plurality of adjacent pixels and when each of the pixel groups serves as a unit, processing parameters of the dither matrix or the filter respectively set for pixels in the same pixel group are similar to each other as compared with processing parameters respectively set for pixels in different pixel groups.

10. An image processing method, comprising:

performing predetermined image processing for image data, and first-outputting image data having m bits per pixel;

performing pseudo gradation-increase processing by a dither method or a multilevel error diffusion method for the first-output image data, and second-outputting image data having n bits per pixel, where n<m; and

compressing the second-output image data,

wherein, when a dither matrix used for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the dither method or a filter used for the pseudo gradation-increase processing by the multilevel error diffusion method is divided into a plurality of pixel groups each including a plurality of adjacent pixels and when each of the pixel groups serves as a unit, processing parameters of the dither matrix or the filter respectively set for pixels in the same pixel group are similar to each other as compared with processing parameters respectively set for pixels in different pixel groups.