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:
Jul. 24, 2001
Filed:
May. 12, 1998
Michael L. Davidson, late of Rochester, NY (US);
Brian C. Hawkins, Rochester, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
An image forming device includes a toner saving mode that converts embedded pixels to a lighter density based on an embedded pixel template and an embedded pixel image data value. An embedded pixel is a pixel surrounded by a number of neighboring pixels that have the same image data value as the surrounded pixel. The embedded image data value can be predetermined or selectable. The image data value preferably corresponds to a black pixel. The image data value of the identified embedded pixels is altered to an output image data value corresponding to a lower density. The altered image data value preferably corresponds to a white pixel. The template used to identify the embedded pixel preferably includes a center pixel of interest and the four edge-adjacent neighboring pixels. The image forming device, when in the toner save mode, thus prints embedded pixel areas originally having a density at least equal to the embedded image data value at the lower density output image data value. Thus, less toner is used in the toner save mode.