Abstract: The method and apparatus for protecting the printhead in a thermal printer includes preparing the printer for label dispensing and then covering the printhead such that the label run or thermal material passing over the same does not contact the printhead. The cover for the printhead can take various forms. In one implementation, the cover is a sleeve configured to fit over the entire printhead assembly of the thermal printer. The printhead cover has a low coefficient of friction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit containing a special recording material and circuitry configured to control the image forming unit to form a hardly visible image on a recording medium with the special recording material. The hardly visible image is formed of a halftone dot image comprising isolated dots in a number smaller than that of isolated dots forming a visible image having the same image area ratio as the hardly visible image.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling camera images for a camera of a vehicle are provided. In certain examples, a vehicle includes a camera, an input unit, and a processor. The input unit is configured to obtain data pertaining to a light pattern in proximity to the vehicle. The processor is configured to at least facilitate: (i) determining the light pattern in proximity to the vehicle using the data; and (ii) providing instructions for selectively binning the camera images based on the light pattern, the selectively binning including binning first pixels together for a particular image or portion thereof, but leaving second pixels for the particular image un-binned, based on the light pattern.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for generating images on a display using a hybrid scalar-vector dithering process. The hybrid scalar-vector dithering process includes a combination of a scalar dithering process and a vector dithering process. In the scalar dithering process, at least one color subfield is dithered based on the data within just that color subfield. In the vector dithering process, data across multiple color subfields is dithered together. In some implementations, the color subfield processed by the scalar dithering process is a composite color subfield, such as white (W), yellow (Y), cyan (C) and magenta (M). The color subfields processed by the vector dithering process can be component color subfields, such as red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color subfields. In some implementations, an identical dither mask is applied in both the vector and scalar portions of the hybrid scalar-vector dithering process.

Abstract: Grids are commonly used to provide an environment for users to orient objects within a drawing program. The properties of a grid are usually defined and set at the time the grid is created and do not change. An effective way to provide a useful grid that can adapt to objects a user has drawn is provided herein by presenting a dynamic grid on a display. The dynamic grid may adjust grid properties, such as the position of the origin, the angle of the grid, the size of gridline spacing, the coordinate mode, etc. The new grid properties are adjusted to accommodate what the user may draw next, based upon what the user previously drew.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detector, a memory, and a converter. The detector detects a ruling and an angle of a screen from a binary image of each plate, the binary image being obtained as a result of screen processing. The memory stores a detection result for a plate for which a ruling and an angle have been detected by the detector. The converter converts an image obtained as a result of screen processing into a multi-level image by using, for a plate for which a detection result has been stored in the memory, a ruling and an angle in the detection result, or by using, for a plate other than the plate for which a detection result has been stored in the memory, a ruling and an angle obtained as a result of detection performed by the detector.

Abstract: An amplitude modulation screening method is provided. The method comprises a step of utilizing regular hexagon screen dots to form a threshold matrix for amplitude screening. In embodiments of the present application, an amplitude modulation screening apparatus is also provided. The apparatus may comprise a matrix module configured to constitute a threshold matrix for amplitude screening using regular hexagon screen dots. Due to the threshold matrix formed with regular hexagon screen dots, the method and apparatus of the present application resolve the problem of the screen dots in the prior art, and improve the printing quality.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image output device includes an image processor to receive input image data, and a line screen to represent halftone images and have multiple screen angles respectively allocated to different colors including yellow, magenta, and cyan. The line screen satisfies requirements of (A) a predetermined difference is secured between adjacent two of the multiple screen angles; (B) zero is not allocated to any of the multiple screen angles; and (C) among the multiple screen angles determined by the requirements (A) and (B), a screen angle closest to 90 degrees is allocated to yellow among yellow, magenta, and cyan.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control circuit rotationally drives a development roller at a predetermined rotation speed during a development process, in which the development roller has depression portions and land portions on a circumferential surface. The depression portions and the land portions are oblique grooves in the surface. While the development roller is rotationally driven, the control circuit controls the predetermined rotation speed such that a crossing angle approximates 90°. The crossing angle is formed by a screen line in the electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the latent image support and an area where the land portion of the development roller substantially passes over the circumferential surface of the latent image support.

Abstract: 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 at multiple print resolutions.

Abstract: A method for creating an image to be printed is provided. A first halftone pattern and a second halftone pattern for respective first and second periodic clustered dot halftone regions of the image are selected. The regions have respective frequencies and one of the frequencies is higher than the other frequency. A transition region is determined. The transition region includes a boundary between the two regions and includes additional portions of the two regions beyond the boundary. The two halftone patterns are blended with each other in the transition region based on a blending ratio of the two halftones where the blending ratio changes as a function of distance between the edges of the transition region.

Abstract: A halftone screen producing apparatus is provided. The halftone screen producing apparatus includes: an input unit to receive screen information, a dot center arrangement unit to arrange dot centers within a screen based on the screen information, a Voronoi calculation unit to calculate a Voronoi value for each dot within the screen in which the dot centers are arranged, a filter calculation unit to calculate a filter value for each dot within the screen in which the dot centers are arranged, and a dot value setting unit to set a dot value within the screen based on the calculated Voronoi value and the calculated filter value.

Abstract: Writing unscreened raster image data into a computing device that contains multiple elements capable of screening raster image data, and executing a plurality of processes within the multiple elements, wherein segments of the unscreened raster image data are simultaneously screened by the plurality of processes. The computing device could utilize graphical processing units, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits or other processing devices.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A print quality control method, including the steps of: providing a visual referring target on the printing substrate, setting a specific halftone of black “K”; creating a neutral grey tone i.e. NGT; placing tightly both MGT and NGT next to each other across the printing surface; and comparing both printed tones result. By adopting the grey balance theory and visual matching technique, the resultant can provide accurate ink balance information for the production personnel to immediate execute the correction on the imbalance inking condition during production.

Abstract: A printing data generating apparatus acquires image data; classifies, upon causing a printer to execute a printing process for printing a line in an N-th main scanning operation between lines printed in (N?1)-th or earlier main scanning operations and printing a print unit formed with a plurality of lines by performing Nmax main scanning operations, pixels on the plurality of lines into groups based on the image data such that each group includes the pixels that are to be printed in the same main scanning operation; identifies, among the groups, the group with the highest ink usage for printing the pixels of the group based on the image data; and generates, based on the image data, printing data for causing the printer to print an image represented by the image data by printing the pixels of the group with the highest ink usage in the Nmax-th main scanning operation.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device which converts multi-gradation pixels configuring a multi-gradation image of image data to be used in a color image forming apparatus, into unit dither patterns. The image forming apparatus includes photosensitive members on which developer images are formed by supplying developer to electrostatic latent images, and an exposure device which exposes the photosensitive members. The developer images on the photosensitive members are transferred to a transferred medium which is moved while contacting the photosensitive members. The image processing device includes a processing unit which converts a multi-gradation pixel of a first color into unit dither patterns, each unit dither pattern consisting of a first line extending in a predetermined direction and a second line extending in a direction intersecting with the first line when a gradation value of the multi-gradation pixel is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus shifts dots of a recording dot pattern by half of a dot pitch in a main scanning direction to generate a shift dot pattern, corrects a jagged outline of the shift dot pattern caused by shifted dots using correction dots to generate a corrected shift dot pattern, and determines an increased number of ink droplets to be additionally ejected from one or more of a plurality of nozzles to form the shifted dot or the correction dot of the corrected shift dot pattern with an increased dot size, based on an estimated shift value indicating the displacement in landing position of ink droplets forming the dot of the recording dot pattern.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image-processing designating unit that allows a user to designate predetermined image processing to be applied to image data for generating a preview image that represents a state of an output image before image output; a preview-image generating unit that generates a preview image in accordance with the designated image processing; a preview-image display unit that displays the preview image generated by the preview-image generating unit; and a display-mode switching control unit that, when the preview image is displayed, switches to a display mode with an enhanced viewability relative to a power-saving display state in accordance with a content of the designated image processing.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a Continuous Tone Image (CTI) with all pixel values same as a first gray level, generating an initial Half Tone Image (HTI) with all pixel values equal to minimum absorptance level and computing a change in pixel error for a first pixel. The change in pixel error is computed by identifying a first pixel indicated in a valid pixel map, toggling the first pixel with all the possible output states and swapping the first pixel with all neighbor pixels only if the stacking constraint is satisfied, updating the HTI with the maximum error decrease operation and continue to next pixel location till the end criteria is met.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which forms dots, according to dot data generated through comparison of a grayscale value of each of pixels with each of threshold values of a dither mask. The printing apparatus forms the dots through division into a plurality of pixel groups having different printing conditions and performs at least a part of the dot formation by the pixel groups in a common region. The dither mask has a second threshold value disposition, with respect to a first threshold value disposition which is each of dispositions of the respective threshold values set such that distribution of dots formed in the common region has noise characteristics having a peak on a high frequency side, in a case where a relative position of the dots between the pixel groups is formed in a target positional relationship which is a target in at least a part of a printing grayscale region.

Abstract: A system, including a processor to define opportunities for encoding a watermark into an audio stream having sections, each section, when represented in the frequency domain, including a signal of amplitude against frequency, the processor being operative to, for each one of the sections, identify a fundamental frequency, f being the frequency with the largest amplitude of the signal in the one section, the fundamental frequency f defining harmonic frequencies, each harmonic frequency being at a frequency f/2n or 2fn, n being a positive integer, and define the one section as an opportunity for encoding at least part of the watermark if the amplitude of the signal of the one section is less than a value v for all frequencies in one or more different frequency ranges, each of the different frequency ranges being centered around different ones of the harmonic frequencies. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: To suppress misalignment of a line formation position resulting from main scans being performed with different timings. A printer is made to perform a printing action of acquiring image data, printing a line during an Nth (N being a natural number of 2 or more) main scan between other lines printed during an N?1th main scan and earlier main scans, and printing a print unit made of a plurality of lines in Nmax (Nmax being the maximum value of N) main scans; and print data is created based on the image data, the print data controlling the amount of ink discharged from the print head so that the amount of ink discharged based on the same tone value of the image data is greater in the Nmaxth main scan than in the Nmax?1th main scan and earlier main scans and causing the printer to print an image indicated by the image data, the print data being generated based on the image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a dither processing device that applies dither processing to input image data to express halftone using line screens by increasing an area rate of the input image data and a controller that decreases the number of line screens and maintains a prescribed dropout width between the neighboring line screens when the area rate of the input image data increases and the dropout width falls below a prescribed level.

Abstract: The screened printing data are subjected to a filtering method, the raster information being maintained. Intermediate tonal values are produced by the filtering method, using the binary tonal values, the intermediate tonal values being configured in such a way that, by means of a color space transformation, transformed tonal values and/or intermediate tonal values can be formed which represent a true-to-color proof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an image data analysis unit and an image conversion unit. The image data analysis unit is configured to identify a width-directional resolution and a height-directional resolution of image data. If the width-directional resolution and the height-directional resolution are not the same, the image conversion unit is configured to change at least one of pixel counts in a width direction and a height direction to cause a first aspect ratio for printing to match a second aspect ratio of the image data.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a processor. The processor executes a screen process by using different screens for respective color components which are newly used in response to N colors ranging from a primary color in an output color space to a Nth color, in the output color space, obtained by mixing the primary color with other primary colors in order, where N denotes natural number equal to or larger than 2.

Abstract: A method for creating a high resolution print media using a display resolution screen image approval process, web-based ordering, web based checkout and payment, by an unskilled user to create a message of pre-process data and a display resolution image for rendering a high resolution image on a substrate.

Abstract: An image processing device includes storage units to store a first halftone pattern subjected to a halftone processing for a first color gradation value, a second halftone pattern subjected to a halftone processing for a second color gradation value, and a brush pattern. The device further includes shift units to shift each pattern read on the basis of a predetermined unit from each of storage units to a first direction toward a drawing start point on the horizontal line according to a drawing position on the horizontal line, further add each pattern to a second direction toward a drawing end point on the horizontal line, and output each on the basis of the predetermined unit. The device further includes a brush synthesizing unit to select, pixel by pixel, either the first halftone pattern or the second halftone pattern, according to the brush pattern.

Abstract: A method of printing an image by a printer having an asymmetric printer resolution includes multi-level halftoning the image by assigning a level out of a number of levels to each pixel of the image. The method further includes determining the number of levels on the basis of the asymmetric printer resolution, selecting for each level a collection of at least one binary pattern, each binary pattern consisting of a plurality of sub-pixels the number of which is determined by the number of levels, selecting for each pixel of the halftoned image a binary pattern from the collection selected for the level assigned to the pixel, transforming each pixel of the halftoned image into the selected binary pattern, and printing the binary patterns of the transformed pixels using the asymmetric printer resolution. A printer is configured to perform the method.

Abstract: An amplitude modulation screening method is provided. The method comprises a step of utilizing regular hexagon screen dots to form a threshold matrix for amplitude screening. In embodiments of the present application, an amplitude modulation screening apparatus is also provided. The apparatus may comprise a matrix module configured to constitute a threshold matrix for amplitude screening using regular hexagon screen dots. Due to the threshold matrix formed with regular hexagon screen dots, the method and apparatus of the present application resolve the problem of the screen dots in the prior art, and improve the printing quality.

Abstract: In a method for designing a halftone screen configured to reduce artifacts in a printed image, artifacts due to a process variation resulting from printing of the image through use of a halftone screen design are modeled and the halftone screen is designed to have threshold values that substantially reduce the artifacts due to the process variation.

Abstract: A print control terminal including a user interface to receive a setting of a print command and print options of a document, a screen selection unit to select a halftone screen to be applied to the document, a transparency multiple number selection unit to select a transparency multiple number to correspond to the selected halftone screen, a print data generation unit to generate print data of the document according to the selected transparency multiple number, and a communication interface to transmit the generated print data and the print options to the image forming apparatus. A transparency multiple number is changed according to the characteristics of a halftone screen to improve quality of an output image.

Abstract: A display method for drivers is provided that executes according to printing instruction on an application, retrieving data from the application, and converting the retrieved data into printing data readable with an image forming apparatus. The display method includes the steps of executing a first driver according to the application, displaying functional information of the first driver on a display screen for the executing first driver, and displaying information regarding a second driver different from the executing first driver together with the display screen for the executing first driver. The display method allows a user to effectively select whether to acquire the second printer driver, and further allows one of the printer drivers to correspond to the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing over a network where a user at a client device is able to print to a network printer via a server device. The server device includes a print driver that initializes an asynchronous communication channel, sends notification message data to a client device over a network via the asynchronous communication channel, receives data from the client device in response to delivery of the notification message data, and requests user input data from the client device for printing.

Abstract: As set forth herein, computer-implemented methods and systems facilitate the generation of halftone screens for moiré-free color halftoning. A first fundamental frequency vector and a second fundamental frequency vector of a halftone cell are sheared using a selected shearing value. The shearing value is selected as an offset in a fast scanning or slow scanning direction. The selected shearing value satisfies various moiré-free conditions associated with the identified frequency vectors and is capable of being selected for multiple halftone screens. The halftone screens generated using the sheared frequency vectors are used for moiré-free halftoning.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure provides a halftoning method for annular rasters comprising: using annular rasters with uniformly spaced raster lines and uniformly spaced pixels within the raster lines; angularly tiling wedge shaped halftone cells around at least a partial circumferential print medium wherein an integer number of wedge tiles fills a disc space; wherein the annular rasters are considered in arcs and wherein pixel thresholds in the wedge shaped halftone cells are considered in arcs so as to conform to the annular rasters upon tiling the wedge shaped halftone cells; and, setting the number of pixel thresholds in each arc raster of the cell to an integer value near a desired writing resolution to enable seamless tiling wherein the number of thresholds increase as a function of a wedge cell radius.

Abstract: A print quality control method, including the steps of: providing a visual referring target on the printing substrate, setting a specific halftone of black “K”; creating a neutral grey tone i.e. NGT; placing tightly both MGT and NGT next to each other across the printing surface; and comparing both printed tones result. By adopting the grey balance theory and visual matching technique, the resultant can provide accurate ink balance information for the production personnel to immediate execute the correction on the imbalance inking condition during production.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a storing section, an image forming section to form a measurement image to output a measurement chart, and a control section for inputting density information indicating densities at positions of the measurement image, to calculate a correction value corresponding to each position based on the density information, to store the value in association with an output condition including a screen condition indicating a screen processing at the time of outputting the chart, to determine the output condition of the image data, to read the value corresponding to the output condition, and to correct the image data based on the value, wherein the image forming section forms an image based on the corrected image data, and when no correction value corresponding to the screen condition of the input image data is stored in the storing section, the control section inhibits the correction from being executed.

Abstract: As set forth herein, computer-implemented methods and systems facilitate halftoning using boundaries and centers of a polygonal tiling with a parameterized spot function that operates within the tiles. Defining the halftone structure includes defining the polygonal tiling with a specification of the polygon boundaries and center, and setting and applying parameters of the spot function, which utilizes center-to-boundary distances. The tiling can be defined explicitly, by defining a tile structure, or providing centers, one per polygon, and vertices for the polygons. The vertices and centers are used to generate the polygon boundaries. The polygonal tiling can be regular (e.g., repetitive) or irregular, and can also be varied in a manner adapted to the image content or to data that is being embedded.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for representing surface colors for simulating print results through a screen, comprising at least one light source and a projection surface. According to the invention the base colors are generated from white light through filters from surface colors and the mixed colors are generated through subtractive color mixing, preferably through reflexive color filters. Through the method for representing surface colors for simulating print results the capability is created to represent surface colors at different locations and at different times identically.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of reducing a stitch effect, an image forming system including the same, and a printing method thereof. The printing method of the image forming system includes inputting image data to be printed; and, if adjacent first and second objects included in the input image data have different LPIs (Lines Per Inch), emphasizing at least one of boundaries of the first and second objects and printing the image data with an emphasized boundary.

Abstract: A method for the digital screening of a halftone image by using a first screen having an arbitrary desired screen width and an arbitrary desired screen angle. For the method, the threshold value matrix of a second screen with a different screen angle and width is read out and compared with the color values of a halftone image presented. In order also to approximate screens having a particular irrational tangent and to avoid unpleasant sudden exposed device pixels in clear regions, it is proposed to provide at least one second threshold value matrix having X3Y3 addresses, the X3Y3 addresses of the second threshold value matrix are displaced by a factor 1/B in relation to the X2Y2 addresses of the first threshold value matrix, and to read out the second threshold value matrix as soon as an error D between the first and the second screen exceeds a predefined limiting value.

Abstract: In the present invention, tetragons are generated, each of the tetragons being formed of four points of a point A(c, 1), a point B(a+c, b+1), a point C(0, d+1), and a point D(a, b+d+1) specified with arbitrary parameters satisfying the specified number of pixels n=2(ad+bc). From among the generated tetragons, a tetragon having an angle closest to a specified angle is selected, and two of the selected tetragons are placed adjacently to each other to generate the basic pattern. A lighting order is determined so that, continuously from a lighting order of pixels forming a first tetragon of the tetragons of the basic pattern in order of increasing distance from a specific point of the first tetragon, pixels are lit in order of decreasing distance from the specific point, and a rectangular pattern functioning as a binarization-use pattern is generated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for halftoning an image are provided using a parametrically controlled hexagonal halftone dot shape threshold function that reduces tone reproduction irregularities in the halftoned image which can occur at darker gray levels. The halftoning transforms image data representing contone image pixels into halftoned image data in the form of clustered-dot hexagonal halftone screens for representing halftone dots of a halftoned image. Weight parameters can be used to control the rate at which a respective vertex of a halftone dot approaches a vertex of a neighboring halftone dot in relation to gray level. The hexagonal halftone dot shape threshold function can also control the shape of the sides of the halftone dots.

Abstract: Disclosed are moiré-free color halftoning methods, apparatus and systems to digitally reproduce an original color image. The disclosed embodiments are particularly useful for rendering a color image with a color printing device. According to one exemplary embodiment, an image forming method utilizes three or four rotated hexagonal screens which can include regular shaped hexagon screens or convex tessellated hexagon screens.

Abstract: A print quality control method, comprises the steps of: providing a visual referring target on the printing substrate, setting a specific halftone of black “K”; creating a neutral grey tone i.e. NGT; placing tightly both MGT and NGT next to each other across the printing surface; and comparing both printed tones result. By adopting the grey balance theory and visual matching technique, the resultant can provide accurate ink balance information for the production personnel to immediate execute the correction on the imbalance inking condition during production.

Abstract: An image processing device includes an image output unit, an image input unit, and a tone-correction-parameter generation unit. The image output unit outputs a tone-correction-parameter generation sheet to generate a parameter for correcting a tone of an input image. The tone-correction-parameter generation sheet includes a plurality of patches for at least two types of screens. At least one of the at least two types of screens includes more patches of an identical color and tone than at least another of the at least two types of screens. The image input unit inputs a representative value of each patch read from the tone-correction-parameter generation sheet outputted by the image output unit. The tone-correction-parameter generation unit generates the parameter in accordance with a plurality of representative values inputted by the image input unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a correcting unit that performs enlarging or reducing correction on an image to be processed by determining an arrangement of pixels that are to be added to or deleted from gradational image data of the image to be processed based on an angle at which the pixels are to be arranged with respect to a horizontal direction of the image to be processed or with respect to a vertical direction of the image to be processed, and a pixel array control unit that changes the angle at which the pixels are arranged based on a test image of the image data to be processed after being corrected by the correcting unit.

Abstract: This presents an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which print and output image data subjected to halftone processing with an appropriate density characteristic. The image processing apparatus generates a halftone image from a multi-value image using a threshold value arrangement, and generates a difference image between the generated halftone image and a second halftone image having the density characteristic different from that of the generated halftone image. The image processing apparatus stores the generated halftone image and the generated difference image.