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:
Jun. 27, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1996
Said Zandian, Agoura, CA (US);
Hitachi Koki Imaging Solutions, Inc., Simi Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
A multi-level printer is controlled to selectively enhance each pel, based on an error diffusion process. However, each channel (e.g., RGB red, green and blue color channels; Lab luminance, red direction and blue direction channels; or other suitable channel division) is processed individually according to a suitable kernel to provide a multi-color image. The printer is capable of providing a plurality of 'actual' levels of enhancement to a pel for any particular channel. The 'desired' image defines a 'desired' level of enhancement for each pel in each channel. Correlation bins are defined for each actual level of enhancement for associating each 'desired' level of enhancement for each pel in each channel with an actual level of enhancement. An error value based upon the selected actual level of enhancement and the desired level of enhancement is diffused to the neighboring pels according to a kernel. Also, the order of processing individual pels and the error diffusion matrix are both reversed for each subsequent line of pels. It has been found that each one and various combinations of these features significantly improves image clarity, sharpness and tone continuity.