1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a binarizing unit that binarizes image data based on density of the image data to obtain binarized image data;
a determining unit that determines a pixel with high density as a character pixel and a pixel with low density as a non-character pixel in the binarized image data;
a first counting unit that counts number of a sequence of character pixels in a scanning direction;
a second counting unit that counts number of a sequence of non-character pixels in the scanning direction while the first counting unit is counting the number of the sequence of character pixels; and
a first correcting unit that corrects, when the number of the sequence of the character pixels exceeds a first threshold value, the character pixels to the non-character pixels,
wherein the first counting unit continues counting when the number of the sequence of the non-character pixels is less than a second threshold value.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second correcting unit that corrects a target pixel determined as a character pixel to a non-character pixel based on an arrangement of pixels on a target line and a line immediately before the target line, which the first correcting unit has corrected to non-character pixels.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second correcting unit corrects the target pixel to a non-character pixel when the first correcting unit has corrected a pixel adjacent to the target pixel to a non-character pixel.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a gray area detecting unit that detects an area with intermediate density in the image data; and
a dot detecting unit that detects a dot area in the image data, wherein
the first correcting unit corrects the character pixels based on at least one of a detection result obtained by the gray area detecting unit and a detection result obtained by the dot detecting unit.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an edge detecting unit that detects an edge pixel in the image data, wherein
the first correcting unit corrects the edge pixel to a character pixel.
6. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image processing apparatus according to claim 1;
an image forming unit that forms an image based on image data output from the image processing apparatus; and
an image output unit that outputs the image.
7. An image distributing apparatus comprising:
the image processing apparatus according to claim 1;
a scanning unit that scans an image while separating the image into color components, generates image data, and feeds the image data to the image processing apparatus; and
a communicating unit that distributes the image data processed by the image processing apparatus over a network.
8. An image processing method performed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
binarizing, by a binarizing unit, image data based on density of the image data to obtain binarized image data;
determining, by a determining unit, a pixel with high density as a character pixel and a pixel with low density as a non-character pixel in the binarized image data;
first counting, by a first counting unit, number of a sequence of character pixels in a scanning direction;
second counting, by a second counting unit, number of a sequence of non-character pixels in the scanning direction while the number of the sequence of character pixels is being counted; and
first correcting, by a first correcting unit, when the number of the sequence of the character pixels exceeds a first threshold value, the character pixels to the non-character pixels,
wherein the first counting includes continuing counting when the number of the sequence of the non-character pixels is less than a second threshold value.
9. The image processing method according to claim 8, further comprising:
second correcting, by a second correcting unit, a target pixel determined as a character pixel to a non-character pixel based on an arrangement of pixels on a target line and a line immediately before the target line, which has been corrected to non-character pixels at the first correcting.
10. The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein the second correcting includes correcting the target pixel to a non-character pixel when a pixel adjacent to the target pixel has been corrected to a non-character pixel at the first correcting.
11. The image processing method according to claim 8, further comprising:
first detecting, by a first detecting unit, an area with intermediate density in the image data; and
second detecting, by a second detecting unit, a dot area in the image data, wherein
the first correcting includes correcting the character pixels based on at least one of a detection result obtained at the first detecting and a detection result obtained at the second detecting.
12. The image processing method according to claim 8, further comprising:
detecting, by an edge detecting unit, an edge pixel in the image data, wherein the first correcting includes correcting the edge pixel to a character pixel.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer readable program codes embodied in the non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed causes the image processing apparatus to implement the image processing method according to claim 8.
14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, causes a computer to execute:
binarizing image data based on density of the image data to obtain binarized image data;
determining a pixel with high density as a character pixel and a pixel with low density as a non-character pixel in the binarized image data;
first counting number of a sequence of character pixels in a scanning direction; and
second counting number of a sequence of non-character pixels in the scanning direction while the number of the sequence of character pixels is being counted; and
correcting, when the number of the sequence of the character pixels exceeds a first threshold value, the character pixels to the non-character pixels,
wherein the first counting includes continuing counting when the number of the sequence of the non-character pixels is less than a second threshold value.
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. A tube mill for making flattened tubes for use in a heat exchanger, comprising:
first set of rolls for continuously forming a first metal strip into a partially open continuous shell;
an insertion member disposed downstream of the first set of rolls, the insertion member serving to locate a continuous insert into the partially open continuous shell, the insert having at least one convolution in a direction transverse to the length of the continuous shell; and
closing rolls downstream of the insertion member for closing the partially open continuous shell around the insert and forming a closed tube.
2. The tube mill of claim 1 further including a cutter located downstream of the heater for cutting the closed sealed tube into desired lengths.
3. The tube mill of claim 1 further including at least a second set of rolls for imprinting dimples into the metal strip while it is being formed into the partially open continuous shell.
4. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein parallel fluid flow passages are formed on opposite sides of the insert, the tube mill further including a punch for imparting detents in the continuous shell to alternately block the fluid flow passages on opposite sides of the insert in a staggered sequence to define a serpentine fluid flow path through the tube.
5. The tube mill of claim 4 wherein the rolls for imprinting dimples and detents in the metal strip are incorporated in the first set of rolls.
6. The tube mill of claim 1 further including one or more insertion members for inserting a subsequent insert into the partially open continuous shell, the convolutions of each insert being transverse to the length of the continuous tube.
7. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the first metal strip and continuous fin insert are coated with a brazing material and the heater heats the continuous shell to a temperature sufficient to braze the longitudinal edges of the continuous shell to each other and the fin insert to the internal surfaces of the closed continuous tube.
8. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the first metal strip and the insert are bonded to each other so that the longitudinal edges of the continuous shell are joined to each other and the insert is joined to the internal surfaces of the closed continuous tube.
9. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the first metal strip and fin insert comprise a base metal strip coated with a layer of metal having a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the base metal strip.
10. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the first set of rolls forms a partially open continuous shell which when closed forms at least one internal longitudinal fluid flow channel.
11. The tube mill of claim 10 wherein the at least one fluid flow channel comprises two side by side continuous fluid flow channels, and said insertion mechanism places a respective one insert into each of said two fluid flow channels.
12. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the convolutions of the fin inserts have a serrated cross-section.
13. The tube mill of clam 1 wherein the convolutions of the insert have a tear drop cross-section in which the side walls of adjacent convolutions touch each other to define closed chambers that confine molten clad so that it adheres to the internal walls of the tube, thereby localizing a bonding medium at a bonding site.
14. The tube mill of claim 1 wherein the fin insert is a high density convoluted insert having at least 40-100 convolutions per inch.
15. The tube mill of claim 1 further including a bonding device selected from a group consisting of a heater, a controlled atmosphere brazer (CAB), an induction welder, a soldering device and an ultrasonic welder.
16. A method for making a tube for a heat exchanger comprising:
forming, with a first set of rolls, a continuous partially open metal shell from a metal strip;
placing a continuous insert into the continuous shell, said insert having a high density of convolutions extending in a direction transverse to the length of the continuous shell; and
closing the continuous metal shell around the fin insert with a set of closing rolls.
17. The method of claim 16 further including slicing the sealed continuous shell with the fin insert fused inside to form a desired length of flattened tube.
18. The method of claim 16 further including imprinting dimples in the step of forming a continuous partially open shell.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming two longitudinal channels between internal rounded edges of the sealed continuous shell and the edges of the insert, the method further including imprinting detents along the sides of the continuous shell, and alternately blocking the two longitudinal channels in a staggered sequence to define a serpentine fluid flow through the cooling tube.
20. The method of claim 16 further including the step of passing a second metal strip through at least one set of fin forming rolls to form the continuous fin insert.