The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1997
Toshihiro Hayashi, Nagano, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A host computer converts an entered gray scale image into a raster image expressing multiple tonal ranges, using an intermediate spot pattern determined in advance. Here, the intermediate spot pattern is a spot pattern composed of pixels which can take only binary value densities with information indicating tonal ranges embedded in the manner of arrangement of the pixels in the spot pattern. Therefore, this raster image logically expresses a large number of tonal ranges which cannot be actually expressed with pixels in binary value densities. A printer receives this raster image from the host computer and converts the intermediate spot pattern in this raster image into an output spot pattern which can assume tertiary values or more in density, thereby printing out a half-tone image actually expressing multiple tonal ranges.