System for generating a rasterized graphic image
First Claim
1. A system for generating a rasterized graphic image having a region containing a plurality of device pixels, said region being described by one or more digital input commands including a command to fill said region with a halftone screen pattern, said system comprising:
- an input section for receiving digital input commands including a command which describes said region and a command which specifies a mode for filling said region;
a command interpreter coupled to said input section for interpreting said digital input commands and for translating the digital input commands which describe said region into internal commands for use inside said system;
a screening section coupled to said input section and to said command interpreter for screening with a halftone threshold array a plurality of device pixels selected from the pixels contained in said region during a clock cycle;
a threshold memory coupled to said screening section for storing halftone threshold array values; and
a rendering section coupled to said command interpreter and to said screening section for rendering and outputting device pixel data for said plurality of device pixels contained in said region, said device pixel data being in a form for display on a raster device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for rendering graphic images as bit maps, including: (1) an input for receiving digital input commands; (2) a command interpreter to interpret the input commands and convert them into commands suitable for use inside the system; (3) a halftone screening section; and (4) a rendering section which outputs data suitable for use by a raster display or marking engine. The method and apparatus render multiple output pixels during each clock cycle and apply halftone screens or gray fills to an image.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for generating a rasterized graphic image having a region containing a plurality of device pixels, said region being described by one or more digital input commands including a command to fill said region with a halftone screen pattern, said system comprising:
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an input section for receiving digital input commands including a command which describes said region and a command which specifies a mode for filling said region; a command interpreter coupled to said input section for interpreting said digital input commands and for translating the digital input commands which describe said region into internal commands for use inside said system; a screening section coupled to said input section and to said command interpreter for screening with a halftone threshold array a plurality of device pixels selected from the pixels contained in said region during a clock cycle; a threshold memory coupled to said screening section for storing halftone threshold array values; and a rendering section coupled to said command interpreter and to said screening section for rendering and outputting device pixel data for said plurality of device pixels contained in said region, said device pixel data being in a form for display on a raster device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for generating a rasterized graphic image having a region containing a plurality of device pixels, said region being described by two or more digital input commands, said digital input commands including a command to fill said region with a halftone screen pattern, said rasterized graphic image being in a form for display on a raster display device or raster marking engine, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first digital input command which describes said region; receiving a second digital input command which specifies a mode for filling said region with device pixel data; translating said first and second digital input commands into at least one internal command to be executed in parallel with a second internal command; for each of a plurality of said device pixels, substantially simultaneously, if said region is to be filled with a selected gray level, correlating each device pixel with a corresponding threshold value in a reference array of threshold values, said reference array of threshold values corresponding to an array of pixels in a halftone screen pattern, comparing said selected gray level with said corresponding threshold value, and rendering each device pixel by setting device pixel data for each device pixel according to its corresponding threshold value, said selected gray level and said second digital input command; or if said region is to be filled with a solid color, rendering each device pixel by setting device pixel data for each device pixel according to said solid color and said second digital input command; and outputting said device pixel data in a form for display on a raster display device or a raster marking engine, whereby said region is filled with device pixel data to form a halftone screen pattern or a solid color. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for generating a rasterized graphic image having a region containing a plurality of device pixels, said region being described by two or more digital input commands, said digital input commands including a command to fill said region with a halftone screen pattern and said rasterized graphic image being in a form for display on a raster display device or raster marking engine, said method comprising:
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receiving a first digital input command which describes said region; receiving a second digital input command which specifies a mode for filling said region with device pixel data; translating said first and second digital input commands into at least one internal command to be executed in parallel with a second internal command; for a source image comprised of source image pixels, said source image having been modified by scaling and rotation, and where each pixel of said source image pixels are to be mapped to a plurality of corresponding device pixels and rendered to display a device image corresponding to said source image, calculating for one of said source image pixels the corresponding device pixel; and determining for said pixel of said source image a plurality of device pixels that can be rendered using said one source image pixel.
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Specification