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. 05, 2005
Filed:
Apr. 17, 2003
Khageshwar Thakur, Lexington, KY (US);
Khageshwar Thakur, Lexington, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
A method for reducing or eliminating residual error when 'blank' pixels are found in the input image data is provided, such as one that can be used in printers of the type which use error diffusion as part of the halftoning process. When a blank pixel is found, the residual error may be immediately reduced in magnitude in one embodiment. In another embodiment, a 'hop count' value is increased (or incremented) when a blank pixel is found, and if sufficient consecutive blank pixels exist in the input data, the hop count achieves a threshold and then either decimates or eliminates the residual error, thus limiting the migration of residual error. If a non-blank pixel is found in the input data before the threshold is achieved, the hop count is reset to zero.