Method and apparatus for simulating 2 bit-per-pel printing on a bi-level printer using intelligent double dotting
First Claim
1. A method for simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer, comprising:
- converting an image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image;
halftoning the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image; and
increasing a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, Y, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to Y2 YN dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein Y is a resolution enhancement multiplier and YN is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image.
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Abstract
An image processing method and apparatus for enhancing the quality of a printed image without degrading overall printer performance or throughput by simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer using intelligent double dotting. The present invention allows a bi-level printer to print an 2N dpi 1 bit-per-pel image through intelligent double dotting, thus enhancing the half resolution rendered image to approach the print quality as if the image were rendered at full resolution. In one embodiment, an enhanced resolution mode which uses a bi-level printer'"'"'s 1200 dpi mode to print 600 dpi, 2 bit-per-pel images, results in an image having higher resolution quality than rendering the image using traditional halftone methods at either 600 dpi or 1200 dpi. Image enhancement through higher order resolution multiplication is also disclosed.
14 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer, comprising:
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converting an image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image; halftoning the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image; and increasing a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, Y, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to Y2 YN dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein Y is a resolution enhancement multiplier and YN is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer, comprising:
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converting an image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image; halftoning the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image; and increasing a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, 2, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to 4 2N dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein 2 is a resolution enhancement multiplier and 2N is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for enhancing the resolution of an image to be printed using a bi-level printer simulating 2 bit pel printing comprising:
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a memory for storing an image; and an image processor, wherein the image processor converts the image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image, halftones the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image and increases a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, 2, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to 4 2N dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein 2 is a resolution enhancement multiplier and 2N is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer, the method comprising:
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converting an image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image; halftoning the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image; and increasing a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, 2, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel pets from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to 4 2N dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein 2 is a resolution enhancement multiplier and 2N is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A printer system, comprising:
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a scanner for scanning an input image; a memory, coupled to the scanner, the memory storing a scanned image; and an image processor, coupled to the memory, for processing the scanned image in the memory, wherein the image processor converts the image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image, halftones the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image and increases a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, 2, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to 4 2N dpi 1-bit pels to produce a 1-bit pel image, wherein 2 is a resolution enhancement multiplier and 2N is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An image enhancing system, comprising:
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means for scanning an input image; means for storing a scanned image coupled to the means for scanning, and means for processing a stored image coupled to the means for storing, wherein the means for processing converts the stored image to an N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image, halftones the N dpi 8 bit-per-pel image to an N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image and increases a resolution of the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image by a predetermined multiple, 2, by converting each N dpi 2 bit pel from the N dpi 2 bit-per-pel image to 4 2N dpi 1-bit per-pels wherein 2 is a resolution enhancement multiplier and 2N is a number of individual dots per inch in the 1-bit pel image. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification