Error Diffusion In Gray Level Or Halftone Generation Patents (Class 358/3.03)
  • Patent number: 11887731
    Abstract: A method is described herein that comprises receiving scanned documents, wherein the scanned documents comprise unstructured data. The method includes performing optical character recognition of the scanned documents to produce text data for each page of the scanned documents, wherein the text data for each page comprises a sequence of words stored together with their location. The method includes dividing each page of the scanned documents into subsections. The method includes using the text data to identify a structure type of each subsection of a page, wherein the structure type includes at least one of a table and text paragraph. The method includes using the text data to label each subsection of a page with a semantic type, wherein the semantic type defines a context surrounding collection of information in a subsection. The method includes using the text data for each subsection of a page to identify medical concepts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SELECT REHABILITATION, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Gallagher, Michael Capstick, Matthew Moran
  • Patent number: 11822987
    Abstract: A processing device including a hardware processor that: determines a dot position at which a dot is to be generated by multiple recording elements arranged in a first direction on a medium which moves relative to the recording elements in a second direction crossing the first direction, based on tone data for each pixel of an image to be formed; determines a corrected dot number that is a number of a dot position by a malfunctioning recording element to which an offset number is added, wherein the malfunctioning recording element is set as a recording element by which a dot is not generated normally among the recording elements; and determines the corrected dot number of a dot position within a dot generation possible range by a recording element other than the malfunctioning recording element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kouzaki, Koji Washio
  • Patent number: 11769023
    Abstract: A distribution portion that distributes an error based on quantization of a gradation value corresponding to the one pixel, to a first pixel located in a first direction of the one pixel at a first distribution rate, to a second pixel located in a second direction of the one pixel at a second distribution rate, and to a third pixel located in a third direction of the one pixel at a third distribution rate, the second direction is a direction that intersects the first direction, and the third direction is a direction different from an extension direction of a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Nobuaki Ito, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11763441
    Abstract: The accuracy of an index indicating growth conditions of a crop obtained from a shot image is improved, while reducing the flight time of an aircraft shooting the crop. Crop image acquisition unit acquires an image of a crop region shot by drone. Index calculation unit calculates an index indicating growth conditions of a crop shot in the image based on the acquired image of the crop region. Flight instruction unit instructs, if a portion (low index region) regarding which the calculated index is less than a predetermined index threshold is present in the crop region, drone to shoot the low index region while increasing the resolution of the image. Specifically, flight instruction unit makes an instruction to shoot the portion while performing a low-altitude flight at an altitude lower than that when the image regarding which the index of the low index region has been calculated has been shot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NTT DOCOMO, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagawa, Kazuhiro Yamada, Youhei Oono, Yuichiro Segawa
  • Patent number: 11506656
    Abstract: Automated camera-based optical assessment involves color assessment of a physical object using conventional and inexpensive computer hardware such as a smartphone. A specially-configured test card includes a body supporting a reagent pad configured to change to an expected color in response to an enzymatic reaction, and an imaging key adjacent the reagent pad. The imaging key includes color fields including at least one field of the expected color. The hardware captures an image of the test card, and processes the image to identify the reagent pad and color fields, to process a brightness calibration target, to determine color values for the reagent pad and color fields, to calibrate the color values as a function of brightness and/or color by comparison to the brightness and color calibration targets, and to identify a color field most closely matching the reagent pad's color to determine a corresponding test result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Basil Leaf Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Basil M. Harris, George C. Harris, Constantine F. Harris, Edward L. Hepler, Philip J. Charron, Julia D. Harris, Andrew D. Singer
  • Patent number: 11330040
    Abstract: A method for transmitting messages from a server to a client in an internet transmission system includes: (a) the client sends to the server a request for transmitting a picture file, (b) in response to the reception of the request the server generates a picture file with a first content, in case that no message is available for the client, and delays the transmission of the picture file to the client for a time interval, (c) in response to the reception of the picture file with the first content, the client again sends a request for sending (transmitting) a picture file, (d) the steps (a) to (c) are repeated till, upon the last request, a message is available at the server for transmission to the client, (e) the server transmits, in response to the last request of the client, the picture file with a second content, (f) in response to the reception of the picture file with the second content, the client then sends a request for transmitting the message, (g) in response to the reception of the request for tran
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Institut Fur Rundfunktechnik GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Ziegler, Klaus Merkel, Michael Probst
  • Patent number: 11102378
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates and outputs a binarized output pixel value corresponding to an input pixel value; and includes a filter processing unit, a quantizer, and a buffer. The quantizer is configured to quantize a pixel value after a filter process performed by the filter processing unit and thereby generate the output pixel value. The buffer is configured to store for each pixel a difference between (a) a sum of the pixel value after the filter process and the input pixel value and (b) the output pixel value. Further, the filter processing unit performs a bandpass filter process on the basis of the difference stored by the buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Inventor: Toshiaki Mutsuo
  • Patent number: 11084299
    Abstract: A printing system is provided and includes an image processing portion that generates a generated image by image processing, and a printing portion that performs printing on a medium based on the generated image. The image processing portion generates the generated image by performing a quantization processing that performs quantization by comparing the pixel value of each pixel in the input image with a threshold, and in the quantization processing, calculates a dot influence value indicating to what extent a position corresponding to a selected pixel is covered by the ink dots formed at the position set on the medium in correspondence with the peripheral pixels of the selected pixel, performs adjustment of reflecting the dot influence value on at least one of the pixel value of the selected pixel or the threshold, and compares the pixel value and the threshold based on a value after adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wataru Arai
  • Patent number: 11074453
    Abstract: An example video analytics device can include a memory, a processor executing instructions stored in the memory, an active region detector to identify a plurality of active regions of a plurality of video streams, wherein the plurality of active regions are sections in the plurality of video streams that change from a first frame to a second frame, and a bin packer communicatively coupled with the processor to combine the plurality of active regions to produce a multi-batch of an individual slice, wherein the multi-batch of the individual slice is a batch including the plurality of active regions that is processed at once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Nathaniel Stone, Puneet Jain, Theodore A. Stone, Kyu-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 11038549
    Abstract: A receiver is configured to generate a digital signal representative of data conveyed by a communication signal detected at the receiver, and to apply digital signal processing to the digital signal, thereby generating a processed signal. The receiver is further configured to determine a relative noise estimate for the processed signal, and to load an amount of digital noise into the digital signal processing based on a difference between the relative noise estimate and a target. As a result of the digital noise loading, improved stability of at least one control loop in the receiver may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CIENA CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Harley, Andrew D. Shiner
  • Patent number: 11029665
    Abstract: According to an example, density rank matrix generation for three-dimensional printing may include determining dimensions of a density rank matrix based on a skeleton line specification of a lattice structure and a density rank matrix size specification. A number of elements of the density rank matrix may be determined based on the dimensions of the density rank matrix. The elements may be sorted based on an analysis of a property of each of the elements relative to the lattice structure. The density rank matrix may be generated based on the sorting of the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Ulichney
  • Patent number: 10909903
    Abstract: A display device includes a display controller that performs a high-throughput dithering operation. The display controller performs a quantization operation with pixel values generated by a graphics processor to generate quantized pixel values and residual error values. The display controller distributes the residual error values associated with a first group of quantized pixel values to a second group of quantized pixel values based on a set of distribution weights. A given distribution weight defines what fraction of a given residual error value is distributed to a given quantized pixel value included in the second group of quantized pixel values. The distribution weights are calibrated to permit the display controller to compute different fractions of residual error values using bit shifting logic instead of complex combinatorial logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Jens Roever, Robert Jan Schutten
  • Patent number: 10880453
    Abstract: An image processing device (100) includes a non-discharge correction processing unit (114) that performs an image correction process for correcting an image defect caused by a non-discharge nozzle in an inkjet head and includes, as different files, a first halftone processing program file (152) that performs first halftone processing for a normal portion, which is an image region other than a non-discharge correction portion to be subjected to non-discharge correction and a non-discharge portion, and a second halftone processing program file (154) that performs second halftone processing for the non-discharge correction portion. The image processing device executes the first halftone processing program file (152) for the normal portion in an input image (102) and executes the second halftone processing program file (154) for the non-discharge correction portion, thereby obtaining a non-discharge-corrected halftone image (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Wakui
  • Patent number: 10771657
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus performs image processing to print a color materials of a first color and a second color. When a sum of a first gradation data for the first color and a second gradation data for the second color is equal to or smaller than the maximum value of thresholds of a first threshold matrix, a generation unit generates a second quantization data for the second color based on a result of comparing the second gradation data with a second threshold. When the sum is greater than the maximum value, the generation unit generates third gradation data by subtracting the maximum value from the sum and generates the second quantization data based on a result of comparing the third gradation data with the first threshold or a result of comparing a difference between the second gradation data and the third gradation data with the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsukasa Doi, Hirokazu Tanaka, Hisashi Ishikawa, Shoei Moribe, Yusuke Yamamoto, Shigeo Kodama, Yuta Ikeshima
  • Patent number: 10769506
    Abstract: When a sum of a first gradation data for a first color and a second gradation data for a second color is greater than the maximum value of thresholds of a first threshold matrix, a generation unit generates a first overlapping gradation data and second overlapping gradation data by dividing a value obtained by subtracting the maximum value from the sum. Further, the generation unit generates a first quantization data based on a result of comparing the first overlapping gradation data with the second threshold or a result of comparing a difference between the first gradation data and the first overlapping gradation data with the first threshold, and generates a second quantization data based on a result of comparing the second overlapping gradation data with the first threshold or a result of comparing a difference between the second gradation data and the second overlapping gradation data with the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsukasa Doi, Hirokazu Tanaka, Hisashi Ishikawa, Shoei Moribe, Yusuke Yamamoto, Shigeo Kodama, Yuta Ikeshima
  • Patent number: 10748248
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a computing device uses a blue noise sampling operation to identify source pixels from an input image defining respective pixel sets. Each pixel set is associated with a respective weight matrix for a down-scaling operation. The blue noise sampling operation causes an overlap region between first and second pixel sets. The computing device assigns an overlap pixel in the overlap region to the first weight matrix based on the overlap pixel being closer to the first source pixel. The computing device modifies the second weight matrix to exclude the overlap pixel from a portion of the down-scaling operation involving the second weight matrix. The computing device performs the down-scaling operation on the input image by combining the first pixel set into a first target pixel with the first weight matrix and combining the second pixel set into a second target with the modified second weight matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: ADOBE INC.
    Inventors: Li-Yi Wei, Xin Sun
  • Patent number: 10602020
    Abstract: In some examples, dynamic threshold based error diffusion may include determining whether a pixel associated with a pattern to be printed includes a lighter tone or a darker tone compared to an adjacent pixel. In response to a determination that the pixel associated with the pattern to be printed includes the lighter tone or the darker tone compared to the adjacent pixel, a firing threshold may be respectively increased or decreased to respectively decrease or increase a likelihood of printing of the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jay S Gondek, Jason M Quintana, Matthew A Shepherd
  • Patent number: 10522069
    Abstract: An error diffusion unit generates difference error addition data by adding, to pixel data of a target pixel among pixels in a display element, neighboring error data and difference error data of a pixel processed immediately before, and generates error diffusion data using data on a high-order bit amide of the difference error addition data. The error diffusion unit calculates error data of the target pixel using data on a low-order bit side of the difference error addition data, and calculates difference error data to be added to pixel data of a pixel to be processed subsequently, using a difference between the error data of the target pixel and the error data of the neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: JVC KENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Sato
  • Patent number: 10440230
    Abstract: According to examples, multi-color printing may include generating, based on an analysis of a print job image, a plurality of contone planes that represent the print job image. Multi-color printing may further include generating, based on an analysis of two or more sets of the contone planes determined from the plurality of contone planes, two or more corresponding sets of halftone planes and a fixer plane for each set of the halftone planes. Multi-color printing may further include generating, based on an analysis of the fixer plane for each set of the halftone planes, a combined fixer plane, and generating, based on an analysis of the two or more corresponding sets of halftone planes and the combined fixer plane, print data to print the print job image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Leslie Drogo
  • Patent number: 10425558
    Abstract: A method of processing a document for printing includes receiving a document; for at least one of the plurality of regions, determining a drop size for that region and determining whether the drop size for printing the region meets a threshold criterion and, if so, processing the region using a tile-based screen for halftoning and, if not, processing the region using an error diffusion screen for halftoning; and printing the processed regions. Another method includes additionally considering coverage level to determine whether to use a tile-based screen or error diffusion screen. Yet another method includes determining whether the region is within a threshold range of a drop step change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: GLOBAL GRAPHICS SOFTWARE LIMITED
    Inventor: Daniel J. Cook
  • Patent number: 10297420
    Abstract: A charged particle lithography system for exposing a wafer according to pattern data. The system comprises an electron optical column for generating a plurality of electron beamlets for exposing the wafer, the electron optical column including a beamlet blanker array for switching the beamlets on or off, a data path for transmitting beamlet control data for control of the switching of the beamlets, and a wafer positioning system for moving the wafer under the electron optical column in a scan direction. The wafer positioning system is provided with synchronization signals from the data path to align the wafer with the electron beams from the electron-optical column. The data path further comprises one or more processing units for generating the beamlet control data and one or more transmission channels for transmitting the beamlet control data to the beamlet blanker array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: MAPPER LITHOGRAPHY IP B.V.
    Inventors: Teunis Van De Peut, Marco Jan-Jaco Wieland
  • Patent number: 10110778
    Abstract: An image processing method in which image data including a grayscale value in each pixel is converted into print data including formation necessity of dots, includes extracting a region in which a total value of the grayscale value of the pixel included in each predetermined division in which the image data is divided does not become a predetermined threshold value as a non-processing region; and extracting a region surrounded with the non-processing region as a processing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eishin Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 10009509
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a first image generation unit which generates a first image obtained by applying a first low-pass filter to an input image, a second image generation unit which generates a second image obtained by applying a second low-pass filter to a halftone image, a third image generation unit which generates a third image representing a difference between the first image and the second image, a focused dot setting unit which sets a focused dot, a dot placement pixel determination unit which compares pixel values in the third image and determining a dot placement pixel for improving the uniformity of the gradation distribution in the third image, and a dot displacing unit which displaces the focused dot to the dot placement pixel and updates the halftone image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kimito Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 9978562
    Abstract: A method for exposing a wafer according to pattern data using a charged particle lithography machine generating a plurality of charged particle beamlets for exposing the wafer. The method comprises providing the pattern data in a vector format, rendering the vector pattern data to generate multi-level pattern data, dithering the multi-level pattern data to generate two-level pattern data, supplying the two-level pattern data to the charged particle lithography machine, and switching on and off the beamlets generated by the charged particle lithography machine on the basis of the two-level pattern data, wherein the pattern data is adjusted on the basis of corrective data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: MAPPER LITHOGRAPHY IP B.V.
    Inventors: Teunis Van De Peut, Marco Jan-Jaco Wieland
  • Patent number: 9900466
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image processor that performs error diffusion processing by applying an error diffusion matrix to multi-valued image data having pixels two-dimensionally arranged, so as to convert the multi-valued image data into binary image data. The binarization unit applies an error diffusion matrix in which the diffusion coefficient of a pixel diagonal to a focused-on pixel is greater than those of other pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Fujiwara, Yukio Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9837137
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of memory cells, an access circuit configured to perform a data read operation, a data write operation and a data refresh operation on the memory cells, the access circuit to operate in a selected one of a first mode that is ready to perform and a second mode that is not ready to perform, and a judgment circuit configured to respond to first command information, to cause, when the access circuit is in the first mode, the access circuit to perform the data refresh operation, and to cause, when the access circuit is in the second mode, the access circuit to exit from the second mode and then to perform the refresh operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shunichi Saito, Toshio Sugano, Atsushi Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 9715636
    Abstract: By setting a parameter in accordance with features of a unique portion appearing in a print image, the unique portion in the print image is efficiently determined. The image is printed on a sheet along with a relative movement in a main scanning direction of the sheet and a print head on which multiple printing elements are arrayed in a sub-scanning direction. One division area is set such that a size in the main scanning direction is greater than a size in the sub-scanning direction. A shift amount from one division area to another division area is set such that a shift amount in the main scanning direction greater than a shift amount in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Ikeda, Shinjiro Hori, Yumi Yanai, Tetsuya Suwa, Hidetsugu Kagawa, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Wakako Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9715717
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method applied to a graphics processing unit including: receiving data of an image, wherein the image is a first rectangle constituted by a plurality of pixels, and the pixels of the image are represented by a plurality of image values with a predetermined bit depth in the data; using a predetermined number of bits to perform an accumulation of the image values of the pixels for constructing an integral image of the image, wherein the predetermined number of bits is less than log2(W×H×2k) number of bits, W is the width of the first rectangle, H is the length of the first rectangle, and k is the predetermined bit depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Wistron Corp.
    Inventors: Pin-Hong Liou, Tzu Yao Lin
  • Patent number: 9509860
    Abstract: A function execution apparatus is configured to execute a specific function relating to a specific service that is to be provided by a service providing server. A screen information server is configured to supply, to the function execution apparatus, screen information for enabling a user to select setting information corresponding to a setting item relating to the specific service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Saito
  • Patent number: 9479657
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including a wireless communication unit, an image processing unit, and a controller configured to establish a wireless connection to perform wireless signal communication between the wireless communication unit and an external device, acquire a reception intensity of a wireless signal received from the external device via the wireless communication unit, determine whether the reception intensity is more than a threshold value, when determining that the reception intensity is more than the threshold value, control the image processing unit to execute an image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit, and when determining that the reception intensity is not more than the threshold value, transmit an instruction to display a warning on the external device, to the external device via the wireless communication unit, without controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohashi, Kazuhito Misumi, Wataru Fujishiro, Etsuteru Inoue, Nobumasa Tanaka, Takuya Nagai
  • Patent number: 9456108
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a quantization unit configured to use a comparison threshold value; a generating unit configured to include an error input section for inputting error data between the quantized data generated and the pre-quantization data and a memory storing a value corresponding to a difference between the comparison threshold value and an original threshold value allocated in a threshold matrix and to generate the value corresponding to the difference as an addition data that is added to a value of an input image data of the processing object pixel, without using the error data input to the error input section for adjusting the input image data of the processing object pixel; and a processing unit configured to add the value of the addition data to the value of the input image data to output input image data to which the value of the addition data is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9442704
    Abstract: Control Flow Graph flattening of a function of software code including a plurality of basic blocks having an address and at least one instruction is described. A processor uses a transition function to obtain an address in a jump table of at least one diffusion function coefficient of a subsequent block of the plurality of basic blocks. Thereafter, the processor generates and inserts branch functions, assigning a value to the label of each of the plurality of basic blocks and then obtains coefficients for each of the plurality of basic blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Charles Salmon-Legagneur, Antoine Monsifrot
  • Patent number: 9340035
    Abstract: An ink jet printer in which a plurality of nozzles includes a failed nozzle that fails to discharge an ink droplet, a primary vicinal nozzle that forms a dot in an adjacent pixel which is adjacent in a direction intersecting a scanning direction to a dot-missing pixel which is caused by the failed nozzle and is continuous in the scanning direction, and a secondary vicinal nozzle that forms a dot in a secondary adjacent pixel which is adjacent to the adjacent pixel on the opposite side of the adjacent pixel from the dot-missing pixel, and a dot formation unit forms a dot by displacing the position of a dot formed by an ink droplet from the primary vicinal nozzle in the scanning direction and the position of a dot formed by an ink droplet from the secondary vicinal nozzle in the scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Sudo, Akito Sato
  • Patent number: 9247104
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a dot data generating section configured to: compare a first threshold which is aligned with a dither mask and a corresponding gradation value which corresponds with the image data which is input; generate the dot data by determining that dots are to be formed in a case where it is determined that the corresponding gradation value exceeds the first threshold and generate the dot data by determining the forming of dots due to application of an error diffusion method by comparing correction data, where error diffusion in the image data is complete, and a second threshold in a case where it is determined that the corresponding gradation value does not exceed the first threshold as a result of the comparing; and diffuse errors, which occur as a result of generating the dot data, to pixels in a predetermined range in the vicinity in both cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Kakutani
  • Patent number: 9167130
    Abstract: A method of generating a halftone screen includes growing clusters according to at least one linear filter based on a spatial probability profile function. The clusters can be grown with filters that are parameterized according to gray level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Niranjan Damera-Venkata
  • Patent number: 9114610
    Abstract: A corrector performs designating a target pixel belonging to a pixel array corresponding to an ejection port, the target pixel being designated sequentially as one of pixels arranged in an array direction, the pixel array being formed with the pixels in the N-value image data corresponding to dots formed by the ejection port respectively, allocating a corresponding one of N representative tone values out of L tone values of L tones to a tone value of the target pixel of the N-value image data, adding the correction value to a representative tone value of the target pixel, thereby obtaining a corrected tone value of the target pixel, quantizing the corrected tone value of the target pixel to N tones; and diffusing an error generated in quantizing the corrected tone value to the corrected tone value of an adjacent pixel adjacent to the target pixel in the array direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9019563
    Abstract: A halftone image generation device is provided that, by partially selecting and blending a first halftone image obtained by halftone processing a specific image using a first method and a second halftone image obtained by halftone processing the specific image using a second method different from the first method, generates a third halftone image of the specific image. The device includes a detector detecting, from the first halftone image, a dot pixel in which a dot is disposed, and a blender blending the first halftone image and the second halftone image by, when a dot is not disposed in any of neighboring pixels in the first halftone image that neighbor the dot pixel, employing, as binary values of isolated-point related pixels in the third halftone image that are in a same position as the dot pixel and the neighboring pixels, binary values of the dot pixel and the neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9007659
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for performing error diffusion are disclosed. For example, the method quantizes an error for a first pixel of a plurality of pixels in a first row, diffuses the error to an adjacent pixel of the plurality of pixels in the first row, performs the quantizing and the diffusing for each remaining pixel of the plurality of pixels in the first row and applies the error that is quantized for each one of the plurality of pixels the first row in a desired number of different directions in a plurality of parallel operations that is equal to the desired number of different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Chao Yu, Xing Li, David J. Metcalfe
  • Patent number: 9007651
    Abstract: In the generation of a threshold matrix for Nx speed writing, first and second areas are set, the first area being a cluster of a plurality of first partial areas substantially evenly distributed in a matrix space, and the second area being an area of the matrix space excluding the first area. Next, at least two writing elements in each of the first partial areas are allocated occurrence numbers and changed into determined elements. Then, at least one writing element in the second area is allocated an occurrence number and changed into a determined element. Thereafter, the other writing elements are allocated occurrence numbers and changed into determined elements. In accordance with the occurrence numbers, the threshold value of each writing element is determined to obtain a threshold matrix for Nx speed writing. This results in a reduction in the graininess of an image in a highlight area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Asai, Ikuhiko Takahama
  • Patent number: 9001387
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus performs drawing on a first partial region and a second partial region. The first and second partial regions having an overlap region in which the first and second partial regions overlap each other. The apparatus includes a transformation device configured to transform first pattern data for the first partial region into first quantized pattern data in accordance with a first transformation rule, and to transform second pattern data for the second partial region into second quantized pattern data in accordance with a second transformation rule different from the first transformation rule, and a controller configured to control the drawing on the first partial region based on the first quantized pattern data, and to control the drawing on the second partial region based on the second quantized pattern data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Muraki, Satoru Oishi, Hiromi Kinebuchi
  • Patent number: 9001379
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an input part for receiving image data; an image processor for image-processing the input image data; an output part for outputting data processed at the image processor; and a controller for controlling the image processor to process the image using one of a plurality of image processing modes having a toner consumption lower than a toner density to use when the toner density to use for outputting the input image data exceeds a preset reference density. The plurality of the image processing modes includes a boundary image processing mode which outputs only boundaries of objects in the image data. Thus, the toner used for the image forming can be saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ho-Keun Lee
  • Patent number: 8995019
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extracting unit extracting custom color identification data that identifies each of one or more custom colors different from multiple predetermined basic colors from drawing data for every page; a separation data generating unit generating separation data that indicates an object to be drawn for each color in accordance with the drawing data for one page without waiting for the completion of the extraction of the custom color identification data for the pages other than the one page; a raster data generating unit generating raster data concerning each color in accordance with the separation data; an acquiring unit acquiring mixing ratio data; and a combining unit combining the raster data concerning the custom color with the respective pieces of raster data concerning the basic colors in accordance with the mixing ratio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nishide
  • Publication number: 20150070730
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Young Harvill
  • Patent number: 8970909
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of this invention determines a correction amount for each image signal so as to correct banding as periodic density unevenness in a sub scanning direction, corrects each pixel value of an n-bit image signal in accordance with the correction amount, generates the first corrected image signal, and quantizes, for each pixel, the first corrected image signal into a second corrected image signal of m bits smaller than n bits. This image forming apparatus diffuses, in a main scanning direction, quantization errors at the time of quantization of the first corrected image signal into the second corrected image signal so as to cancel the quantization errors within a predetermined region including a plurality of continuous pixels on a main scanning line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8964257
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of this invention, when an exposure unit performs exposure, applies, to image data quantized by a first number of bits, compensation data for compensating for unevenness of the exposure intensity occurring on a photosensitive member caused by a lens array used in the exposure unit. This compensation data is obtained by quantizing, by a second number of bits larger than the first number of bits, data corresponding to a change in measurement value obtained by measuring unevenness of exposure occurring on the photosensitive member from a reference value used in the measurement, and requantizing the quantized data by the first number of bits by using sigma-delta modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimpei Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8947738
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a conversion unit and a determination unit to convert image data into color material data including color material data indicating a color material amount of a chromatic color material and color material data indicating a color material amount of an achromatic color material. The conversion unit converts image data of a region of interest in an image into the color material data of the chromatic color material. The determination unit determines the color material data of the achromatic color material corresponding to the image data so that a color indicated by coloring information corresponding to the image data of the region of interest in the image approaches an achromatic color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Shibasaki, Hiromitsu Nishikawa, Takayuki Jinno, Takashi Ochiai
  • Patent number: 8947735
    Abstract: When the pixel of interest exists at a pixel position where reference of an error buffer is necessary, a quantization error generated in a region having undergone error diffusion processing is obtained from the error buffer. A quantization error generated in error diffusion processing in a region containing the pixel of interest is obtained from an error memory. Diffusion errors are calculated from the quantization errors using an error diffusion matrix. The value of the pixel of interest and the diffusion errors are added, and the addition value is quantized into the quantization value of the pixel of interest. The difference between the quantization value and the addition value is calculated as a quantization error to be stored in the error memory. When the pixel of interest exists at a pixel position where write in the error buffer is necessary, the quantization error is stored in the error buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeo Kodama, Hisashi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8941880
    Abstract: Data of each plane capable of obtaining a high-quality output image is generated. An image processing apparatus for quantizing input image data having gradation of an m value (m is a natural number) into output image data having gradation of an n value (n is a natural number smaller than m) includes a quantization unit configured to quantize input image data having gradation of an m value in a target pixel into output image data having gradation of an n value, and a plane separation unit configured to determine that the quantization value quantized by the quantization unit is to be assigned to the target pixel of which plane out of planes of two types or more, wherein the plane separation unit determines that the quantization value is to be assigned to the target pixel of which plane, based on distance information of the target pixel indicating distances, to the target pixel, from pixels on which a recording material is recorded in the each plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shoei Moribe
  • Patent number: 8937750
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Alan Ulichney, John Ludd Recker, Ingeborg Tastl
  • Patent number: 8928937
    Abstract: A method enables primary color values for pixel to be processed before the pixel is rendered. The method includes allocating non-black primary colors as being under black, secondary colors, or tertiary colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Mantell