| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 358300030 | Error diffusion in gray level or halftone generation | 68 |
| 20080204810 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the same in which input image data is divided into blocks and color chrominance data of each block is analyzed thereby perform a print job by automatically detecting whether an image should be print in color or pure black. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080225341 | Image processing circuit, displaying apparatus, and printing apparatus - An image processing circuit includes: a plurality of counters that extract image blocks each of which includes a predetermined number of pixels from input image data, count a number of pixels having a predetermined value for each of the image blocks, calculate a pixel value for each of the extracted image blocks, and output a plurality of bit streams each of which represents the counted number for a respective image block, the number of the plurality of counters being larger than a bit length defined for a single writing process with the memory divided by the bit length of a value calculated for an image block; a converter that converts the bit streams output from the plurality of counters, by adjusting a bit length of the bit streams for writing in the memory, and outputs the converted bit streams; and a synthesizer that synthesizes the plurality of bit streams output from the converter to generate a bit stream having the bit length defined for a single writing process with the memory, and outputs the generated bit stream. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080246999 | INK SAVING AND TONE CORRECTION PRINTING TECHNIQUE USING ERROR DIFFUSION - An ink saving and tone correction printing technique using error diffusion (EDF) includes receiving a first pixel value v | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080247000 | Kueppers' state error diffusion - A method is provided of reproducing continuous tone pixel colors of a color image having many pixels based on Kueppers' device states, wherein the Kueppers' device states of a printing device are the printed pixel colors that are allowed based on Kueppers' color separation and halftoning. The method includes selecting a Kueppers' device state in the proximity of a continuous tone pixel color to be reproduced from the printing device's set of Kueppers' device states, and printing the Kueppers' device state. An error is diffused between the continuous pixel color and the selected Kueppers' device state to one or more pixels in the neighborhood. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080285084 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus, a printing apparatus and an image processing method are provided which can perform quantization processing on image data at high speed based on an error diffusion method while at the same time avoiding degradations in a quality of printed images. When an error value represented by error data is a particular value, the error data is converted into compressed error data with a data volume less than that of the original error data. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080291499 | MULTI-BIT-DEPTH ERROR DIFFUSION FOR THE REPRODUCTION OF COLOR OR MONOCHROME IMAGES - An image processing system including a lookup table having multi-bit printer output levels and an imaging input level. The imaging input level may be associated with a range of input pixel densities. The system further includes a processor configured to compare the imaging input level with one or more preconfigured threshold output values associated with the printer output levels. The imaging input level may be preferentially weighted to select a printer output level having an increased bit depth. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080309982 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes an inputting unit to receive image data having pixel data, an image processing unit to align and output the pixel data, and a control unit to prevent the pixel data from being transmitted to the image processing unit when the pixel data have null data. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090034004 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - It is determined whether the pixel of interest in image data to be processed belongs to area | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090051972 | Method and Apparatus Capable of Producing FM Halftone Dots in High Speed - The present invention relates to a method and apparatus capable of generating frequency-modulation halftone dots in high speed and belongs to the field of the digital image halftone. In the prior art, read-write operation is usually carried out many times in error rows during processing each pixel so that halftone dots are generated in low speed. In the method according to the present invention, the error generated by the current pixel is buffered in a register file and the final accumulated error values are written in the error rows only after all of the relative pixels are processed. Thus, read-write operation is carried out only once in the error rows for processing each pixel. The present invention also provides an apparatus to implement the method. The apparatus comprises an error row memory, an error buffer register file, a gray generation circuit, a threshold comparison circuit, an error generation circuit, an error buffer register file control circuit, and an error row control circuit. The method and apparatus according to the present invention decrease the steps in operation and improve the speed for generating the frequency-modulation halftone dots. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090059302 | IMAGE PROCESSOR, IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM - An image processor includes: a gradation value acquisition unit that acquires a gradation value of a pixel of interest which is a pixel sequentially selected as a target of a binarization process from input image data represented by pixels of M gradations, wherein M≧3; and a pattern determination unit that determines a filling pattern of a group of pixels of output image data corresponding to the pixel of interest according to a corrected gradation value acquired by adding, to the gradation value of the pixel of interest, an error value diffused from a pixel at a periphery of the pixel of interest, wherein the filling pattern includes at least a first pattern in which a predetermined plurality of pixels are filled and which forms a core of a dot and a third pattern in which substantially no pixel is filled and the pattern determination unit determines the filling pattern to be one of the first pattern and the third pattern according to a size relationship between the corrected gradation value and a predetermined threshold value which spatially varies in a periodic manner. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090059303 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND PRINTING APPARATUS - N rasters of multi-valued data indicating a halftone image is input to a buffer and a pixel of interest to be quantized is quantized for the input multi-valued data. Furthermore, error of a quantized pixel is distributed to peripheral pre-quantization pixels including pre-quantization pixels in a raster of pixels quantized before the quantized pixel, and error distributed with respect to the pixel of interest is added to the multi-valued data for which quantization is yet to be processed. And the quantizing and distributing and adding of error are repeated while moving the pixel of interest in a column direction, and, when processing of N pixels has been completed in regard to the column direction, equivalent processing is repeated while moving the pixel of interest in a raster direction, thereby quantizing the multi-valued data of the N rasters. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090073496 | ERROR DIFFUSION METHOD AND HARDWARE ARCHITECTURE - A system and method for performing threshold stamping are disclosed. First and second threshold values corresponding to first and second pixels may be retrieved from a threshold memory. A plurality of upscaled threshold values may optionally be computed based on the first threshold value and the second threshold value. An (upscaled) threshold value may be updated at each of one or more first register blocks. A binary pixel value may be computed based at least in part on the first updated threshold value. The first updated threshold value may be updated at each of one or more second register blocks. A downscaled threshold value may optionally be computed based on a plurality of second updated threshold values. The downscaled threshold value or second updated threshold value may be damped in a damping circuit, and the damped threshold value may be stored in the threshold memory. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090116071 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PERTURB ERROR DIFFUSION PATTERNS - A method for halftoning an image using an error diffusion process generates an upper threshold level and a lower threshold level and selects a region number parameter. A pixel from the input image is selected and compared to the upper and lower threshold levels. A first pixel value is output when the input pixel value is below the lower threshold level. The first pixel value is output when the input pixel value is below the upper threshold level and above the lower threshold level and a value of the input pixel divided by the region number parameter, modulo 2, equals zero. A second pixel value, the first pixel value being different from the second pixel value, is output when the input pixel value is below the upper threshold level and above the lower threshold level and a value of the input pixel divided by the region number parameter, modulo 2, is greater than zero. The second pixel value is output when the input pixel value is above the upper threshold level. The error between the output pixel value and the modified input pixel value is diffused to neighboring pixels. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090128857 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH THE IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE - A band plotting processing unit analyzes input data to plot in pixel units an image of RGB data corresponding to a character image to be printed, analyzes the input data to generate micropixel RGB data of a low resolution and micropixel shape information (DOT information) of a high resolution. The low resolution image is then converted to a high resolution output image based on the RGB data, the DOT information, and the micropixel RGB data stored in a main memory. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090141309 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus to connect a video controller to a laser scanning unit through a cable and the video controller includes a halftone table in order to perform a halftone process with respect to an original image. The halftone table includes a dot region having at least two shapes and a non-dot region. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090195836 | HIERARCHICAL COLOR ERROR DIFFUSION IN A CMYKRGB DOMAIN - What is provided are a novel system, method, and computer program product for hierarchical (telescopic) color error diffusion which effectively controls the dot distribution for both primary and secondary dot formation which covers the class of error diffusion that follow telescopic dot firing constraint principles. In one example embodiment, an input CMYK ink coverage is received. The input CMYK ink coverage is transformed into a CMYKRGB domain using a CMYK to CMYKRGB conversion. A weighted error value can be added to each color component of the CMYKRGB domain. The color components of the CMYKRGB domain are hierarchically grouped into a plurality of subgroups based on relative dot visibility. More visible subgroups are half-toned earlier to achieve maximum uniform dot distribution. Dots of specific color channels within subgroups are fired based on thresholding and a set of decision rules provided herein. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090207451 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Image processing apparatus and image processing method for formation of high quality image by high-speed error diffusion processing by execution of more complicated threshold condition processing in a simple manner. When error diffusion processing is performed on multivalued image data having plural density components and the result of processing is outputted, upon execution of error diffusion processing on a first density component among the plural density components, a threshold value used in the error diffusion processing is determined based on a density value of a second density component, then the error diffusion processing is performed on the first density component based on the determined threshold value, and the result of execution of the error diffusion processing is outputted. Further, upon execution of the error diffusion processing on the second density component among the plural density components, a threshold value used in the error diffusion processing is determined based on a density value of the first density component, then the error diffusion processing is performed on the second density component based on the determined threshold value, and the result of the error diffusion processing is outputted. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090213431 | METHOD FOR OBTAINING CORRECTION VALUE, LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE - A method for obtaining a correction value including: forming a first test pattern configured to include a plurality of pixel rows, each of which has a plurality of pixels arrayed in a predetermined direction, arrayed in a direction crossing the predetermined direction; obtaining a first read gray-scale value for every pixel row by making a scanner read the first test pattern; calculating a first correction value for every pixel row on the basis of the first read gray-scale value; forming a second test pattern, which is configured to include the pixel rows arrayed in the crossing direction, using the first correction value; obtaining a second read gray-scale value for every pixel row by making the scanner read the second test pattern; calculating a correction amount for every pixel row on the basis of the first read gray-scale value and the second read gray-scale value; and calculating a second correction value of the certain pixel row on the basis of the correction amount of the pixel row and the correction amount of the pixel row adjacent to the pixel row. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090219577 | MULTI-LEVEL HALFTONING PROVIDING REDUCED ERROR DIFFUSION ARTIFACTS - A method for multi-level error diffusion halftoning an input digital image to form an output digital image with reduced error diffusion texture contouring artifacts which includes modifying the input pixel values for a fraction of the input pixels using a periodic dither signal, where the fraction is a function of the texture artifact characteristics of the multi-level error diffusion halftoning process. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090244631 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus configured to generate recording data used in an image forming processing for carrying out an image formation by performing a recording scan by plural times on a same image region on a recording medium, includes a division unit for dividing input image data into image data for each recording scan, a quantization unit for quantizing, based on the divided image data for each recording scan, the image data for each recording scan, and a generation unit for generating, based on the quantized image data for each recording scan, recording data for each recording scan, in which the division unit divides the input image data into the image data for each recording scan based on a division rate periodically varying in accordance with a spatial position of an image represented by the input image data. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090251735 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF - A quantizing unit, error detector, error diffusion matrix, and adder quantize a pixel of interest of an input image by an error diffusion method. A calculation unit and gain adjuster calculate a value to be added to the pixel of interest with reference to quantized pixels. The adder adds the calculated value to the pixel of interest. A control unit controls the calculation of the gain adjuster. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090251736 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF - A quantizing unit quantizes a pixel of interest of an input image. An error detector calculates an error generated upon quantizing the pixel of interest. An error diffusion matrix diffuses the error to non-quantized pixels, which are separated by a predetermined distance from the pixel of interest and are located in a ring pattern, based on an error diffusion matrix. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090257092 | STORAGE OF STAMP INFORMATION FOR ERROR DIFFUSION - A method and system for processing image data in an image processing device for a plurality of pixel positions within a plurality of scanlines. The method and system includes storing a starting stamp value and a plurality of delta stamp values for the scanline. The stored values being used to generate a pixel stamp value for an input pixel in the scanline, by adding a starting value or previous pixel stamp value and the stored delta stamp value for the input pixel. Further includes receiving an input pixel intensity value for the input pixel and determining an output pixel intensity value. Subsequently, if the output pixel intensity value for the input pixel is equal to a value for a dot or hole the delta stamp values for at least one pixel having a location previous or subsequent to the input pixel can be updated. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090316213 | System and method of improving image quality in digital image scanning and printing by reducing noise in output image data - A system and method of reducing noise in output image data is provided. Grayscale image data having a plurality of pixels is received and processed. During processing, pixels which may produce noise are identified, and a mask associated with the image data is generated. The mask provides information related to the pixels, such as opaque and transparent regions for overlaying the pixels. The image data and the mask are compressed and stored. The mask assists in preventing the identified pixels from being visible when the image data is output, thereby reducing the noise in the image. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100027073 | GAMMA ADJUSTMENT WITH ERROR DIFFUSION FOR ELECTROPHORETIC DISPLAYS - Embodiments are directed to image processing methods to improve display quality while using a limited number of pulses and to correct the error between the reflectance and the desired gamma. The complexity of the hardware used for driving a display device may then be reduced to minimum. In addition, in various embodiments the method can also be used to compensate for the change of an optical response curve due to batch variation, temperature change, photo-exposure or aging of the display device. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100033764 | DIGITAL HALFTONING METHOD UTILIZING DIFFUSED WEIGHTING AND CLASS MATRIX OPTIMIZATION - The present invention discloses a digital halftoning method. The method comprises steps of: (a1) dividing an original image into non-overlapping blocks; (a2) obtaining a Least-Mean-Square trained (LMS-trained) filter by comparing at least a training image and a halftone result corresponding to the training image (a3) optimizing a class matrix with the LMS-trained filter, which involves the diffused area and the diffused weightings; and (a4) processing the non-overlapping blocks by performing a dot diffusion procedure with the optimized class matrix and the diffused weightings to generate a halftone image corresponding to the original image. A detailed class matrix optimizing method as in the above-mentioned step (a3) is also disclosed. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100103465 | COLOR PIXEL ERROR DIFFUSION IN A CMYK INPUT COLOR SPACE - What is disclosed is a system and method for diffusing pixel error in a halftoning process in a color management system. The present method divides a modified CMYK input into a real and imaginary portions. The real portion is the coverage achieved by a physically realizable positive dot. The imaginary portion comprises a an imaginary negative dot and an imaginary excess dot. Each of these dots are processed separately, on a per-pixel basis, in a novel CMYK to CMYKKpRGB conversion discussed in detail herein. Hierarchical thresholding is preformed on the conversion output to produce a high-quality halftone result. A cumulative pixel error sum is derived therefrom and combined with the input CMYK coverages of a next pixel. All pixels are processed. The halftone output generated hereby has the pixel error compensated. Other embodiments are provided. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100128313 | COLOR ERROR DIFFUSION WITH ERROR SIGNAL OFFSET - A method for multi-toning an input digital image having input pixels with two or more color channels to form an output digital image having modified output levels. The method includes determining modified output levels using a combined error signal formed from intermediate error signals for each color channel together with an error signal offset value, and adjusting the input levels for the nearby pixels responsive to weighted error signals. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100171988 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100214617 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A region for quantization having a value lower than the value B is assumed as having little influence by Bk data on the pixels in this region. Thus, in order to prioritize the optimization of the granularity at the start of the input of GY data, the LUT having a combination of GY and gy as an input as an input is used to perform separation quantization. On the other hand, since a region having a value equal to or higher than the value B requires the use of Bk data, the LUT having only a combination of Bk and GY as an input as an input is used to perform quantization. As a result, the number of types of pieces of ink data referencing the table can be 2, thus suppressing an increase in the table size. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100259793 | PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING METHOD AND METHOD OF GENERATING DITHER MASK - A printing apparatus is provided with a halftone unit performing a halftone process in which a possibility of dot formation is determined for each pixel based on a dot occurrence rate of the pixel constituting image data, and a printing unit forming dots on a recording medium based on the possibility of dot formation. The halftone unit predicts the occurrence of dot overlap in which a plurality of dots overlaps on the printing medium and performs the halftone process based on an evaluation index according to the dot overlap. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100277769 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING MULTI-SITE FM SCREEN DOTS SIMULTANEOUSLY - The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating multi-site FM screen dots simultaneously. The method according to the present invention can simultaneously process multiple neighboring pixels in the same row each time and generate multi-site screen dots; and meanwhile the method according to the present invention can renew simultaneously the error accumulation values of multiple locations of error row memory. The apparatus according to the present invention consists of an error row memory, an error row memory control circuit, an error allocation/accumulation register file, an error allocation/accumulation register file control circuit, and a screen dots generating circuit. The method and the apparatus according to the present invention can greatly improve the generating speed of FM screen dots, and only one read-write operation of the error row memory is needed during processing the multiple neighboring pixels each time. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100321737 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - When multi-pass printing is performed, the dot overlap rate (ratio of the number of dots that overlap and are to be printed in the same pixel area by the plurality of relative movements with respect to the total number of dots to be printed in a pixel area by the plurality of relative movements) in pixel areas having medium-density where density unevenness caused by density fluctuation easily stands out is made higher than the dot overlap rate in pixel areas having low-density and pixel areas having high-density. By doing so density unevenness caused by density fluctuation is suppressed. In addition, the dot overlap rate in pixel areas having low-density and pixel areas having high-density is low, so it is possible to reduce graininess in low-density areas and suppress a decrease in density in high-density areas. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110063684 | PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING DATA GENERATING APPARATUS, PRINTING METHOD AND PROGRAM THEREOF - A printing apparatus is adapted to perform printing of image data corresponding to a plurality of pixels representing a predetermined image. The printing apparatus includes a halftone processing section including a comparison section and an error diffusion section. The comparison section is configured to compare, for at least one of the pixels, a related grayscale value relating to a data grayscale value of the input image data with a corresponding one of a plurality of thresholds included in a dither mask. The error diffusion section is configured to generate dot data for indicating the presence or absence of formation of a dot in each of the pixels according to an error diffusion method, on the basis of the data grayscale values of the input image data, and to control the easiness of the dot formation according to the error diffusion method, on the basis of a comparison result of the comparison section. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110085207 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The present invention provides an image processing method and device which can both quickly and easily execute a pseudo halftone process with a large number of output gray levels and which can always execute the pseudo halftone process in the same manner regardless of the number of output gray scales. The present invention provides an image processing device that executes a pseudo halftone process on multivalued image data comprising a plurality of planes, the device including a component executing quantization and outputting for each of the plurality of density components, a component determining a correction value on the basis of a sign of a quantization error in each plane and a comparison of a sum of the quantization errors with a predetermined threshold, and a component correcting a value of the quantization output using the correction value and diffusing the quantization value. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110211229 | COLOR ERROR DIFFUSION WITH ERROR SIGNAL OFFSET - A method for multi-toning an input digital image having input pixels with two or more color channels to form an output digital image having modified output levels. The method includes determining modified output levels using a combined error signal formed from intermediate error signals for each color channel together with an error signal offset value, and adjusting the input levels for the nearby pixels responsive to weighted error signals. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110222124 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE SELECTING HALFTONE METHOD FOR EACH SET OF PIXEL DATA OF IMAGE DATA - An image processing device includes a converting unit, a determining unit, and a halftone unit. The converting unit converts original image data to converted image data by performing a scaling process and a color conversion process on the original image data. The original image data includes a plurality of sets of original pixel data. The converted image data has a plurality of sets of converted pixel data. Each set of converted pixel data corresponds to at least one set of original pixel data. The converting unit produces each set of converted pixel data based on the corresponding at least one set of converted pixel data. Each set of converted pixel data includes a plurality of color values. The plurality of color values corresponds to a plurality of color materials. Each color value indicates an amount of one of the plurality of color materials. The determining unit determines, for each set of converted pixel, whether or not at least one set of original pixel data corresponding to the each set of converted pixel data includes predetermined pixel data. The halftone unit produces output image data based on the converted image data. The halftone unit includes a selecting unit and a pixel data halftone unit. The selecting unit selects, for each set of converted pixel data, a first halftone method when the determining unit determines that all set of at least one set of original pixel data corresponding to the each set of converted pixel data does not include the predetermined pixel data, and a second halftone method different from the first halftone method when the determining unit determines that the at least one set of original pixel data corresponding to the each set of converted pixel data includes the predetermined pixel data. The pixel data halftone unit produces a set of output pixel data for each set of converted pixel data in accordance with one of the first halftone method and the second halftone method selected by the selecting unit. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110235125 | PRINTING APPARATUS, CORRECTION VALUE CALCULATING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A correction value calculating method includes: printing a pattern based on an instruction gray scale value indicating a predetermined density; acquiring a read gray scale value, which is a result obtained when a scanner reads the pattern, for each line area; calculating a first correction value, which is a correction value of each line area corresponding to a middle portion of the pattern, based on the read gray scale value of each line area corresponding to the middle portion of the pattern; and calculating a second correction value, which is a correction value of the line area corresponding to an end portion of the pattern in the predetermined direction, based on the read gray scale value of the line area in the vicinity of the line area corresponding to the end portion of the pattern. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110242609 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section; a first density sensor; a second density sensor; and a control section to control the image forming section to form a first gradation pattern image including patches having different densities on the image carrier, to execute gradation correction of the image forming section based on a detection result obtained with the first density sensor, to control the image forming section to print a second gradation pattern image including patches having different densities on the sheet, and to execute the gradation correction based on a detection result obtained with the second density sensor, and wherein the control section adds a gradation correction result by the first density sensor to a gradation correction result by the second density sensor according to a predetermined ratio, and executes the gradation correction based on an addition result. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110292451 | SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES - Data processing methods provide a work flow for producing custom screen printed products based on digital images. Disclosed techniques include a work flow for receiving user-supplied images and transforming the images into color separation data and related metadata that can drive screen printing, including previewing the appearance of the products as they will appear when screen printed, for user approval; finding key color components using a filtering and grouping approach; image resolution limiting; structured error diffusion halftoning with an improved random number generator for use in adding blue noise; error diffusion dot spread correction; and others. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110310436 | IMAGE QUANTIZATION FOR DIGITAL PRINTING - An image may be quantized into a pattern of dots, e.g., for devices capable of printing dots of variable size and variable color intensity. One may use a pre-determined mapping of the continuous-tone intensity value into a discrete vector of intensity values, and each intensity value may then be processed by a set of binary quantizers. The resulting binary vector may then be mapped into a combination of available dot sizes and color intensities. Through a scalar multiplier, the pre-determined mapping of continuous-tone intensity values may be used as multiple print resolutions. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20120013950 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING GRADATION LEVEL OF IMAGE - An image processing apparatus includes a first generation portion that generates a first low-gradation image by performing a first process on an input image to reduce the number of gradations of the input image, a second generation portion that generates a second low-gradation image by performing a second process on the input image to reduce the number of gradations of the input image, a density detector that detects a density of the input image, a determination portion that determines, based on the density, a ratio at which the first low-gradation image and the second low-gradation image are blended together, and a mixing portion that blends the first low-gradation image and the second low-gradation image in accordance with the ratio. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120182585 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF - A quantizing unit, error detector, error diffusion matrix, and adder quantize a pixel of interest of an input image by an error diffusion method. A calculation unit and gain adjuster calculate a value to be added to the pixel of interest with reference to quantized pixels. The adder adds the calculated value to the pixel of interest. A control unit controls the calculation of the gain adjuster. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120182586 | PROGRAM, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A computer-readble medium stored with a program causing a computer to quantize a gray level causes the computer to perform a pixel selecting process; determining a noise use rate indicating the degree to which a dither matrix noise has an influence on the quantization and an error use rate indicating the degree to which an accumulated error has an influence on the quantization and determining the noise use rate and the error use rate corresponding to the corresponding pixel depending on the gray levels of the pixels sequentially selected in the pixel selecting process; and performing the quantization on the gray levels of the pixels sequentially selected in the pixel selecting process and performing the quantization using the dither matrix noise based on the noise use rate corresponding to the corresponding pixel and using the accumulated error based on the error use rate corresponding to the corresponding pixel. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20130027751 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus according to this invention performs the first halftone processing for input image data having the first number of gradations, generating halftone image data having the second number of gradations smaller than the first number of gradations. The image processing apparatus evaluates a pixel value difference between input image data and halftone image data, and calculates quantization error data representing a quantization error generated in the halftone image data owing to the first halftone processing. Then, the image processing apparatus performs the second halftone processing for the calculated quantization error data, generating correction data having the second number of gradations for correcting the quantization error generated by the first halftone processing. The image processing apparatus corrects the halftone image data using the correction data. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130128318 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image processing apparatus controls a formation of dots in a recording element configured to perform scanning on a sheet-like recording medium to form dots of different colors on a surface of the recording medium. The image processing apparatus makes a constraint according to cyan and magenta constraint information applied to a same scanning operation stronger than a constraint according to cyan and magenta constraint information applied to mutually adjacent scanning operations. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130335781 | PRINT CONTROL DEVICE EXECUTING ERROR DIFFUSION PROCESS IN WHICH CONDITION IS DETERMINED BY PROBABILITY - In a print control device, an executing unit executes an error diffusion process in which one of a first and second setting processes is executed. In the first setting process, the executing unit determines whether a first condition is satisfied. The first condition includes that the corrected value of the pixel data is larger than the first threshold value and that the first allowance condition determined by a first probability is satisfied. After the executing unit determines that the first condition is not satisfied, the executing unit determines whether a second condition is satisfied. The second condition includes that the corrected value of the pixel data is larger than the second threshold value. In the second setting process, the executing unit determines whether the second condition is satisfied. After the executing unit determines that the second condition is not satisfied, the executing unit determines whether the first condition is satisfied. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20130335782 | PRINT CONTROL DEVICE EXECUTING ERROR DIFFUSION PROCESS USING RANDOM NUMBER - In an error diffusion process, a random number acquiring unit acquires a random number included in a first random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data, in a case that the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a first range. The first correcting unit corrects the gradation value of the target pixel data into a first corrected gradation value by using the random number. The dot value setting unit sets a dot value of the target pixel data to either a first dot value or a second dot value. The first random number range corresponding to the gradation value smaller than the second threshold value includes a specific random number such that the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value greater than the second threshold value by using the specific random number. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140132991 | Inter-Block Data Management - An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may divide data into a first of set of blocks and a second set of blocks, and data may be stored from non-overlapping frames surrounding the first set of blocks in memory. The data may be grouped from the non-overlapping frames surrounding the second set of blocks, and the data may be absorbed from the non-overlapping frames surrounding the first set of blocks into the second set of blocks. The data may be processed the first set of blocks and the second set of blocks in parallel. | 05-15-2014 |
| 20140153054 | Image Processing Apparatus That Prevents an Occurrence of Contouring, Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium Storing an Image Processing Program, and Image Processing Method - An image processing apparatus includes a color conversion processing unit, a modulation difference creating unit, a color value modulating unit, and an output unit. The color conversion processing unit performs color conversion from an input color value of a target image to a corresponding output color value to obtain a tentative output color value. The modulation difference creating unit creates modulation differences. The modulation differences include combinations that are obtained by either setting or not setting a value equivalent to the minimum resolution of the tentative output color value for each color component of the tentative output color value. The color value modulating unit performs modulation on the tentative output color value by adding or subtracting a modulation difference selected at random to or from the tentative output color value. The output unit outputs the target image according to the color value obtained after modulation. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140218770 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - In an image processing apparatus, fast error diffusion processing is performed without increasing the size of an error diffusion processing circuit, even in cases where the print data to be generated is 12 colors data or similarly large data. More specifically, with quantization by error diffusion, binarized image data for 12 colors is obtained by causing an image processing circuit that executes 6 colors quantization processing to operate twice. At this point, RAM realized by DRAM with comparatively slow operating speeds, for example, is accessed for error data diffused to a first raster and error data diffused from a last raster. In contrast, an error buffer realized by SRAM inside the image processing circuit with fast operating speeds is accessed for all other error data. Thus, as a result, memory access speeds for reading out and writing error data can be improved overall. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140253976 | Hybrid Halftone Generation Mechanism - A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a halftone screen using a Direct Multi-bit Search Screen Algorithm (DMSSA) to optimize a halftone pattern at each gray level. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20150070730 | Screen Printing Techniques - Data processing methods provide automated screen printing techniques. A request associated with screen printing an image is obtained. The request includes a source image and a key color value indicating a number of ink colors for use in the screen printing. A set of key colors equal in size to the key color value is computationally determined by filtering the image so that a plurality of contiguous color areas that are close in color space are preserved, determining a plurality of candidate colors for the plurality of contiguous color areas, and grouping the plurality of contiguous color areas into a number of groups equal in size to the key color value based on the plurality of candidate colors. The source image is transformed to at least one destination image that is usable in screen printing of a product using ink colors based on the set of key colors. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20160065786 | INVERSE HALFTONING USING INVERSE PROJECTION OF PREDICTED ERRORS FOR MULTI-BIT IMAGES - In systems and methods, an original image was previously converted to a lower bit count per pixel. The resulting image included pixel error based on the lower bit count per pixel. The conversion used an error weighting matrix (which diffuses the pixel error of each pixel to adjacent pixels). Methods and systems produce an output image from the lower bit count per pixel image using the error weighting matrix to determine, for each pixel, the amount of error added because of the adjacent pixels during the conversion process. Then, such methods and systems remove, from each pixel, the amount of error that was previously added based on the adjacent pixels. After removing the amount of error added based on the adjacent pixels from all pixels in the input image, an output image is reconstructed using a filter, such as a low pass filter. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160100079 | MULTILEVEL HALFTONING MODULE WITH NON-UNIFORMITY COMPENSATION - An image processing module for processing a digital M-level input image into a digital N-level output image is provided, wherein M>N and N>2, a level being indicative of a colorant density in a printing process. The module applies N-1 thresholds for determining an output level for each image element with an input level, wherein thresholds associated with a transition between two output levels are arranged in a threshold matrix, all N-1 threshold matrices being arranged in accordance with a single basic threshold matrix arrangement. The image processing module comprises threshold matrices, wherein the thresholds have been adjusted to compensate printed density variations except the thresholds associated with a transition between a first and a second level, which have not been adjusted in order to keep a number of colorant receiving print positions constant. | 04-07-2016 |
| 20160173723 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS | 06-16-2016 |
| 20160173725 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM | 06-16-2016 |
| 358300040 | Property of error weighting filter (e.g., adaptive, deterministic, random) | 3 |
| 20090153907 | EFFICIENT DIFFUSION DITHERING USING DYADIC RATIONALS - Diffusion dithering can be performed efficiently by applying a set of diffusion filter weights with one or more shift, add, and/or subtract operations. An existing diffusion filter can be approximated with dyadic rationals, thereby allowing division operations in applying the filter weights to be performed with bit-shifting operations. An algorithm is identified to calculate the product of a set of filter weights and a pixel error, where the algorithm performs the calculations using one or more shift, add, or subtract operations. An exhaustive search of the combinations of operations can be made to find an efficient algorithm to calculate the products | 06-18-2009 |
| 20100245924 | Multi-Level Surround Error Diffusion - Machine-enabled methods of, and system, and processor readable media, embodiments for, tone quantization error diffusion. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20110310437 | MUTUAL OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR CLASS MATRIX AND DIFFUSION WEIGHTING USED IN HALFTONE IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUE AND MUTUAL OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM THEREOF - A mutual optimization method for class matrix and diffusion weighting used in a halftone image processing technique and a mutual optimization system thereof are provided. In the method, a mutual optimization of a plurality of diffusion weightings and a class matrix used in a dot diffusion process is performed based on a concept of simulated annealing in order to avoid converging to local solution, so as to ensure an image quality of a halftone image generated by the dot diffusion process. Besides, since the mutual optimization method is for a hexagonal class matrix, a block effect appearing in the halftone image can be significantly reduced. | 12-22-2011 |
| 358300050 | Adaptive error diffusion | 8 |
| 20100202023 | Image Processing Method and Apparatus - An image processing method suitable for a printer unit, includes an error diffusion halftoning process arranged for quantizing and diffusing each pixel of an image including a set of subtractive primary colours (C′, M′, Y′), in an image including a quantized printer image including a set of ink drops (D | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100265548 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image processing apparatus, which performs an error diffusion on M-value image data with an error weight matrix into N-value image data, includes: a corrected-value calculating unit that calculates a corrected value by adding a first value and a second value to a pixel value corresponding to a processing-target color component of a pixel of interest, the first value being obtained by multiplying an error for each quantized pixel of the processing-target color component by the matrix, and the second value being obtained by multiplying an error for each quantized pixel of a different color component by the matrix; a quantizing unit that compares the corrected value with a quantization threshold, and outputs N-value image data; and an error diffusion unit that calculates an error at the pixel of interest by subtracting a quantization threshold from a value obtained by adding the first value to the pixel value. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110069355 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Image processing apparatus and image processing method for formation of high quality image by high-speed error diffusion processing by execution of more complicated threshold condition processing in a simple manner. When error diffusion processing is performed on multivalued image data having plural density components and the result of processing is outputted, upon execution of error diffusion processing on a first density component among the plural density components, a threshold value used in the error diffusion processing is determined based on a density value of a second density component, then the error diffusion processing is performed on the first density component based on the determined threshold value, and the result of execution of the error diffusion processing is outputted. Further, upon execution of the error diffusion processing on the second density component among the plural density components, a threshold value used in the error diffusion processing is determined based on a density value of the first density component, then the error diffusion processing is performed on the second density component based on the determined threshold value, and the result of the error diffusion processing is outputted. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110170141 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image processing apparatus quantizes multi-level image data of n colors, where n≧2, by performing an error diffusion processing. The image processing apparatus includes: a dot arrangement determining unit that determines either one of an essential dot count and an essential recording material amount when the multi-level image data of n colors is converted into multi-level image data of m colors, where n>m≧1, by the error diffusion processing; and a color arrangement determining unit that performs the error diffusion processing on each color component of the multi-level image data of n colors, calculates either one of a dot count and a recording material amount for each color component, and determines an arrangement of either one of the dot count and the recording material amount for each color component within a range of a corresponding one of the essential dot count and the essential recording material amount determined by the dot arrangement determining unit. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20120176650 | DIGITAL HALFTONING METHOD AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING CLASS TILING MAP - A digital halftoning method and a method for constructing a class tiling map are disclosed. The present invention utilizes to arrange class matrixes in a staggering form such that adjacent class matrixes exist a staggering shift. Also, the class tiling map is constructed in this way. Then, a dot diffusion procedure is performed to an original image with the class tiling map so as to generate a halftone image corresponding to the original image. The present invention is capable of solving the problem of a periodic appearance caused by traditional dot diffusion. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20130321871 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR EXECUTING HALFTONE PROCESSING, IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus includes processors which output first and second image data from input image data. The second image data is applied halftone processing of a higher resolution than halftone processing applied to the first image data. The image processing includes a unit configured to decide a mixing ratio of a pixel using a value based on a sum of an error of the pixel and a change amount of a pixel value at that pixel; and a mixing unit configured to mix pixel values of the first image data and the second image data according to the mixing ratios. When the value based on the sum is increased, the mixing ratio of the second image data decided by the decision unit remains the same or is increased. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20140204425 | FAST VECTOR ERROR DIFFUSION - Subdividing a color space is described for vector error diffusion which includes obtaining color coordinates for each primary color in the color space, and comparing the color coordinates to a threshold value for each coordinate plane of the color space. In response to the comparing, each primary color is grouped into a quadrant of the color space, wherein each quadrant is defined by the threshold value for each coordinate plane. In other aspects, a mapping a color to a closet primary color is described in a color space that includes a display determining color coordinates of the color and identifying a matching quadrant of a plurality of quadrants dividing the color space, wherein the determined color coordinates fall within the matching quadrant. A representative display device searches for the closest primary color within the matching quadrant and maps the color to the closest primary color found. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20150358504 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VECTOR ERROR DIFFUSION - The systems and methods described herein may be used to optimize vector error diffusion for displaying color images on a display device. Vector error diffusion passes a residual vector error from one pixel on to its neighboring pixels with varying weights. The direction and weight of error diffusion can be defined by a vector error diffusion filter. Using a vector error diffusion filter with a limited number of taps allows an a priori determination of which pixel vector is dependent on which pixel vector error at what times. Based on such dependency determination, vector error diffusion calculation for multiple pixels can be scheduled to optimize computation time while preserving the dependency. The scheduled vector error diffusion calculation can further be implemented in virtual pipeline with multiple stages to balance computation load and utilize hardware resource efficiently. | 12-10-2015 |
