What is claimed is:
1. An intake manifold with an integrated exhaust gas recirculation system, comprising at least one air inlet leading to a plenum, a plurality of air intake channels leading from the plenum to outlets to respective cylinders of an engine, an exhaust line leading from an exhaust connection to exhaust gas inlet openings which are arranged in regions of intake air flow influenced by respective air intake channels, wherein the exhaust line is disposed inside an interior cavity of the intake manifold and attached by mounting members such that the exhaust line is spaced a distance from walls of the intake manifold, and wherein a seal is provided between the exhaust line and a passage through a wall of the intake manifold.
2. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein the seal is provided between the exahust connection and an outer wall of the intake manifold plenum.
3. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein the seal is provided between the exhaust line adjacent each exhaust gas inlet opening and a wall of each respective intake channel.
4. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust line mounting members restrict thermal conduction between the exhaust line and the intake manifold.
5. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the exhaust line mounting members are installed in passages through walls of the intake channels and form exhaust inlet openings through which recirculated exhaust gas is admitted into intake air flowing through the air intake channels.
6. An intake manifold according to claim 5, wherein said at least some mounting members comprise bellows-form tube sections which are installed in the passages through the walls of the intake channels and which permit exhaust gas from the exhaust line to enter the air intake channels.
7. An intake manifold according to claim 5, wherein said at least some mounting members comprise ceramic fittings which are installed in the passages through the wall of the intake channels and which exhaust gas from the exhaust line to enter the intake channels.
8. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas inlet openings are arranged adjacent respective air intake openings from the plenum into the air intake channels.
9. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the exhaust line has a multi-shell structure such that the exhaust line has a hollow cross section formed by abutting concave shells.
10. An intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust line has a branched structure such that the paths traversed by exhaust gas from said exhaust connection to each of the respective exhaust gas inlet openings are substantially equal in length.
11. An intake manifold with an integrated exhaust gas recirculation system, comprising at least one air inlet leading to a plenum, a plurality of air intake channels leading from the plenum to outlets for respective cylinders of an engine, an exhaust line leading from an exhaust connection to exhaust gas inlet openings which open into the plenum, wherein the exhaust line is disposed inside the plenum of the intake manifold and attached by mounting members such that the exhaust line is spaced a distance from walls of the intake manifold; wherein a seal is provided between the exhaust line and a passage through a wall of the intake manifold, and wherein the exhaust gas inlet openings are arranged in such a way as to ensure homogenous mixing of exhaust gas with intake air flowing through the intake manifold and to obtain a substantially uniform concentration of exhaust gas in the intake air in regions of intake air flow influenced by respective air intake channels.
12. An intake manifold according to claim 11, wherein the seal is provided between the exahust connection and an outer wall of the intake manifold plenum.
13. An intake manifold according to claim 11, wherein the seal is provided between the exhaust line adjacent each exhaust gas inlet opening and a wall of each respective intake channel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An image processing apparatus that converts first image data expressed in a first color system into second image data expressed in a second color system by referring to a color conversion table, said image processing apparatus comprising:
a color conversion table storage module that stores the color conversion table representing a mapping of second image data expressed in the second color system to multiple lattice points, at which first image data generated in a color space of the first color system and expressed in the first color system are registered, wherein the color conversion table is encoded and represents a mapping of encoded second image data to the multiple lattice points, where the encoded second image data are obtained by an encoding process, which enhances a variation in tone value of the second image data in a predetermined tone area in the first color system while compressing the variation in tone value of the second image data in a residual tone area;
an intermediate table generation module that makes the color conversion table subjected to a decoding process, so as to generate an intermediate color conversion table, where the decoding process restores the variation in tone value enhanced or compressed by the encoding process;
a color conversion table reconstruction module that specifies second image data corresponding to multiple lattice points, which are set to include at least different lattice points from lattice points included in the intermediate color conversion table, based on the intermediate color conversion table and makes the specified second image data subjected to the encoding process, so as to reconstruct the intermediate color conversion table and generate a reconstructed color conversion table;
a color conversion module that refers to the reconstructed color conversion table to convert the first image data expressed in the first color system into encoded second image data, which has gone through the encoding process; and
an image data decoding module that makes the encoded second image data subjected to the decoding process to cancel out the encoding process, thus specifying the second image data expressed in the second color system.
2. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said color conversion module carries out the encoding process to enhance or compress the variation in tone value of the second image data, while keeping a magnitude order of the second image data.
3. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said intermediate table generation module comprises a decode table, which stores a mapping of the encoded second image data to the non-encoded second image data, and
said intermediate table generation module refers to the decode table to convert the color conversion table and thereby generate the intermediate color conversion table.
4. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said color conversion table reconstruction module reconstructs a color conversion table, which has a greater number of lattice points than the number of lattice points included in the intermediate color conversion table.
5. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said image data decoding module makes the encoded second image data obtained by said color conversion module subjected to the decoding process as well as conversion into dot density data, which represents a dot formation density with regard to each of various dots having different tone values expressible by a unit dot.
6. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said image data decoding module comprises a conversion table, which stores a mapping of the encoded second image data to the dot density data obtained by converting the non-encoded second image data, and
said image data decoding module refers to the conversion table to directly convert the encoded second image data obtained by said color conversion module into the dot density data.
7. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first color system is an RGB color system and the second color system is a CMY color system.
8. An image processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, said image processing apparatus further comprising:
a detection module that detects a setting with regard to a priority order between a conversion accuracy of image data and a conversion speed; and
a prohibition module that prohibits operations of said intermediate table generation module when the setting gives priority to the conversion speed over the conversion accuracy,
wherein said color conversion table reconstruction module uses the stored color conversion table, instead of the intermediate color conversion table generated by said intermediate table generation module, to generate the reconstructed color conversion table, when the setting gives priority to the conversion speed over the conversion accuracy.
9. An image processing method that converts first image data expressed in a first color system into second image data expressed in a second color system by referring to a color conversion table, said image processing method comprising:
a first step of storing the color conversion table representing a mapping of second image data expressed in the second color system to multiple lattice points, at which first image data generated in a color space of the first color system and expressed in the first color system are registered, wherein the color conversion table is encoded and represents a mapping of encoded second image data to the multiple lattice points, where the encoded second image data are obtained by an encoding process, which enhances a variation in tone value of the second image data in a predetermined tone area in the first color system, while compressing the variation in tone value of the second image data in a residual tone area;
a second step of making the color conversion table subjected to a decoding process, so as to generate an intermediate color conversion table, where the decoding process restores the variation in tone value enhanced or compressed by the encoding process;
a third step of specifying second image data corresponding to multiple lattice points, which are set to include at least different lattice points from lattice points included in the intermediate color conversion table, based on the intermediate color conversion table and making the specified second image data subjected to the encoding process, so as to reconstruct the intermediate color conversion table and generate a reconstructed color conversion table;
a fourth step of referring to the reconstructed color conversion table to convert the first image data expressed in the first color system into encoded second image data, which has gone through the encoding process; and
a fifth step of making the encoded second image data subjected to the decoding process to cancel out the encoding process, thus specifying the second image data expressed in the second color system.
10. A program stored in a computer readable medium, that causes a computer to attain an image processing method that converts first image data expressed in a first color system into second image data expressed in a second color system by referring to a color conversion table, said program comprising:
a first function of storing the color conversion table representing a mapping of second image data expressed in the second color system to multiple lattice points, at which first image data generated in a color space of the first color system and expressed in the first color system are registered, wherein the color conversion table is encoded and represents a mapping of encoded second image data to the multiple lattice points, where the encoded second image data are obtained by an encoding process, which enhances a variation in tone value of the second image data in a predetermined tone area in the first color system, while compressing the variation in tone value of the second image data in a residual tone area;
a second function of making the color conversion table subjected to a decoding process, so as to generate an intermediate color conversion table, where the decoding process restores the variation in tone value enhanced or compressed by the encoding process;
a third function of specifying second image data corresponding to multiple lattice points, which are set to include at least different lattice points from lattice points included in the intermediate color conversion table, based on the intermediate color conversion table and making the specified second image data subjected to the encoding process, so as to reconstruct the intermediate color conversion table and generate a reconstructed color conversion table;
a fourth function of referring to the reconstructed color conversion table to convert the first image data expressed in the first color system into encoded second image data, which has gone through the encoding process; and
a fifth function of making the encoded second image data subjected to the decoding process to cancel out the encoding process, thus specifying the second image data expressed in the second color system.