Patents by Inventor Stephen K. Herron

Stephen K. Herron has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8237989
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for halftone screening. A system for halftone screening includes means adapted to receive image data having a number of tonal levels representative of a continuous tone image. The system further includes a memory including a LUT having a number of alternative halftone cell arrangements for each tonal level. Each cell of the LUT consists of a number of device dots describing a particular gray value. For each gray value, there are several alternative cells with different arrangements of the same number of device dots. The LUT is configured with the cells of different arrangements in rows. The rows increase in the number of device dots; hence, each column describes halftone cells of increasing tonal values. The system then communicates the image data having a tonal level to the LUT, and randomly selects a halftone cell arrangement to generate a halftone output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Stephen K. Herron, William Kress
  • Patent number: 7616341
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for halftone screening. A system for halftone screening includes a memory including a look-up table, the look-up table including screen frequency data representative of the selected screen frequencies for an associated visual output rendering device and tonal level data corresponding to the screen frequency data. The system further includes means adapted for receiving image data representative of a continuous tone image, segmenting means adapted for segmenting received image data into apportioned image data representative of a plurality of image portions, each image portion including a tonal value associated therewith, and means adapted for communicating data representative of each tonal value to the look-up table, whereby corresponding tonal level data is output therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignees: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron
  • Patent number: 7583837
    Abstract: A system converts grayscale image data into device independent image data that mimics highlight printing of the grayscale image at a full color printer. The system is preferably implemented in a plug-in for a document control program so a data object associated with the document control program may be used to generate device independent color space data from the grayscale data. A data converter uses a device independent profile to convert the device independent color space data to a second device independent color space that corresponds to a selected highlight for printing. When a device dependent profile associated with a printing station converts the second device independent color space data for printing, the resulting four color data emulates highlight printing of the original grayscale image. Thus, a full color printer may be used for grayscale printing, duotone printing, and full color printing without requiring tone or ink changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron
  • Patent number: 7557962
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for halftone screening. A system for halftone screening includes means adapted to receive image data having a desired number of tonal levels representative of a continuous tone image and means adapted to compress the received image data from a desired number of tonal levels to image data having a lesser number of tonal levels. The system further includes a memory including a look-up table, the look-up table including each of the lesser number of tonal levels and an array containing screen frequency data for each of the lesser number of tonal levels. The system still further includes means adapted for communicating the image data containing each of the lesser number of tonal levels to the look-up table, whereby corresponding screen frequency data is output therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignees: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron
  • Patent number: 7433080
    Abstract: A method for processing an image. The method includes receiving an image having image values and described in a first color space and determining the image color space from a received image. Image values in the first color space are associated with values in a second color space so as to generate associated image values. Values in the second color space are converted to a third color space for display, wherein the third color space differs from the second color space by including additive primary colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignees: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron
  • Patent number: 6976797
    Abstract: Methods and systems for rendering printing marks in multiple-device printing environments such as printshops are disclosed. In general, one or more printers among a plurality of printers in a multiple device printing environment can be identified for rendering a print job. The mark can then be automatically and dynamically rendered upon the print job based on the required resources and needs of the printers operating within the multiple-device printing environment during or after an imposition of the print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron
  • Patent number: 6803921
    Abstract: A method for determining and assigning colorimetry and authorship device information to an image of unknown colorimetry includes iteratively displaying the image on a display device and selecting possible source device profiles for transforming the image. When a possible source device is indicated or selected, the source device is emulated on the display device and the image is displayed through the emulation. A user can then evaluate the indicated source device and if necessary indicate a new possible source device. When the most likely source device is selected, further image processing is enabled. The method can be carried out on a color image processor comprising a source device emulator and display device interface. The display device interface can use a display device profile for profile connection space to display device transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Thyagarajan Balasubramanian, Robert J. Rolleston, Stephen K. Herron, Katherine Loj
  • Publication number: 20030142113
    Abstract: A hint editor for editing raster content image rendering hints including a hint reader for separating the rendering hints from the image and a hint display for displaying the rendering hints apart from the image. The hint editor can also includes a hints depicters assignor for assigning hint depicters to represent and identify the hints for visual display. The hint editor can also include a hint writer for generating new hints and a difference display for displaying difference hints. The hint editor also includes hint selectors for selecting hints. The selected hints can be displayed apart from the image. The selected hints can also replace hints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Stephen K. Herron