Print control device executing error diffusion process using random number

• US 8,804,196 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kuno, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/830,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20130335782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/3.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4052 by error diffusion, i.e. transferring the binarising error to neighbouring dot decisions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4057 the pattern being a mixture of differently sized sub-patterns, e.g. spots having only a few different diameters multi-toning H04N1/40087

Abstract

In an error diffusion process, a random number acquiring unit acquires a random number included in a first random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data, in a case that the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a first range. The first correcting unit corrects the gradation value of the target pixel data into a first corrected gradation value by using the random number. The dot value setting unit sets a dot value of the target pixel data to either a first dot value or a second dot value. The first random number range corresponding to the gradation value smaller than the second threshold value includes a specific random number such that the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value greater than the second threshold value by using the specific random number.

Claims

1. A print control device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores a computer program that, when executed by the processor, causes the control device to function as;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire image data representing an image including a plurality of pixels, the image data including a plurality of pixel data corresponding to the plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixel data including a gradation value;

an executing unit configured to execute an error diffusion process on each of the plurality of pixel data, the executing unit including;

a target pixel setting unit configured to set target pixel data from among the plurality of pixel data;

a random number acquiring unit configured to acquire a random number included in a first random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data, in a case that the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a first range;

a first correcting unit configured to correct the gradation value of the target pixel data into a first corrected gradation value by using the random number;

a second correcting unit configured to correct the first corrected gradation value of the target pixel data into a second corrected gradation value by using a distribution error, the distribution error being set by at least one error value of at least one pixel data on which the error diffusion process has been executed;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the second corrected gradation value of the target pixel data is greater than a plurality of threshold values, the plurality of threshold values including a first threshold value and a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value;

a dot value setting unit configured to set a dot value of the target pixel data to either a first dot value or a second dot value, the first dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the first threshold value, the second dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the second threshold value, the first dot value indicating a size of a dot, the second dot value indicating a size of a dot greater than the size of the dot indicated by the first dot value; and

an error value setting unit configured to set an error value of the target pixel data based on the dot value of the target pixel data; and

an output unit configured to output print data determined by the dot value for each of the plurality of pixel data,

wherein the first random number range corresponding to the gradation value smaller than the second threshold value includes a specific random number such that the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value included in the first range into the first corrected gradation value greater than the second threshold value by using the specific random number in the first random number range, the first range being greater than a first gradation value and smaller than the second threshold value, the first gradation value being greater than the first threshold value and smaller than the second threshold value.

2. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein when the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a second range, the random number acquiring unit does not acquire the random number included in the first random number range, but acquires a random number included in a random number range different from the first random number range, and the first correcting unit corrects, into the first corrected gradation value, the gradation value of the target pixel data by using the random number included in the random number range different from the first random number range,

wherein the second range is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and smaller than the first gradation value.

3. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the first random number range includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value,

wherein when the gradation value is equal to the first gradation value, the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value substantially equal to the second threshold value by using one of the upper limit value of the first random number range and the lower limit value of the first random number range.

4. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the random number acquiring unit acquires the random number included in a second random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data when the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a third range,

wherein the determining unit further determines whether the second corrected gradation value of the target pixel data is greater than a third threshold value greater than the second threshold value,

wherein the dot value setting unit sets the dot value of the target pixel data to a third dot value when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the third threshold value, the third dot value indicating a size of a dot greater than the size of the dot indicated by the second dot value,

wherein the second random number range corresponding to the gradation value in the third range includes a specific random number such that the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value greater than the third threshold value by using the specific random number in the second random number range,

wherein the third range is greater than or equal to the second threshold value and smaller than the third threshold value.

5. The print control device according to claim 4, wherein the third range is greater than or equal to a second gradation value, the second gradation value being greater than the second threshold value and smaller than the third threshold value,

wherein the second random number range includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value,

wherein when the gradation value is equal to the second value, the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value substantially equal to the third threshold value by using one of the upper limit value of the second random number range and the lower limit value of the second random number range.

6. The print control device according to claim 4, wherein the random number acquiring unit acquires the random number included in a third random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data when the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a fourth range, the fourth range being greater than the third threshold value,

wherein the determining unit further determines whether the second corrected gradation value of the target pixel data is greater than the third threshold value,

wherein the third random number range corresponding to the gradation value in the fourth range includes a specific random number such that the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value smaller than the second threshold value by using the specific random number in the third random number range.

7. The print control device according to claim 6, wherein the third range is greater than or equal to a third gradation value, the gradation third value being greater than the third threshold value,

wherein the third random number range includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value,

wherein when the gradation value is equal to the third gradation value, the first correcting unit corrects the gradation value into the first corrected gradation value substantially equal to the second threshold value by using one of the upper limit value of the third random number range and the lower limit value of the third random number range.

8. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the first random number range includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value, wherein one of the upper limit value of the first random number range and the lower limit value of the first random number range increases when the gradation value in the first range increases.

9. A print control device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores a computer program that, when executed by the processor, causes the control device to function as;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire image data representing an image including a plurality of pixels, the image data including a plurality of pixel data corresponding to the plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixel data including a gradation value;

an executing unit configured to execute an error diffusion process on each of the plurality of pixel data, the executing unit including;

a target pixel setting unit configured to set target pixel data from among the plurality of pixel data;

a random number acquiring unit configured to acquire a random number included in a random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data, in the case that the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a gradation range, the gradation range being greater than or equal to a first gradation value and smaller than or equal to a second gradation value;

a first correcting unit configured to correct the gradation value of the target pixel data into a first corrected gradation value by using the random number;

a second correcting unit configured to correct the first corrected gradation value of the target pixel data into a second corrected gradation value by using a distribution error, the distribution error being set by at least one error value of at least one pixel data on which the error diffusion process has been executed;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the second corrected gradation value of the target pixel data is greater than a plurality of threshold values, the plurality of threshold values including a first threshold value, a second threshold value, and a third threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value, the third threshold value being greater than the second threshold value;

a dot value setting unit configured to set a dot value of the target pixel data to one of a first dot value, a second dot value, and a third dot value, the first dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the first threshold value, the second dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the second threshold value, the third dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the third threshold value, the first dot value indicating a size of a dot, the second dot value indicating a size of a dot greater than the size of the dot indicated by the first dot value, the third dot value indicating a size of a dot greater than the size of the dot indicated by the second dot value; and

an error value setting unit configured to set an error value of the target pixel data based on the dot value of the target pixel data; and

an output unit configured to output print data determined by the dot value for each of the plurality of pixel data,

wherein the first gradation value is greater than the first threshold value and smaller than the second threshold value,

wherein the second gradation value is greater than the second threshold value and smaller than the third threshold value,

wherein the random range includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value,

wherein one of the upper limit value and the lower limit value changes linearly according to change of the gradation value in the gradation range,

wherein the first correcting unit corrects the first gradation value into the first corrected gradation value substantially equal to the second threshold value by using, as the random number, a first specific value,

wherein the first specific value is the one of the upper limit value and a lower limit value when the gradation value is the first gradation value,

wherein the first correcting unit corrects the second gradation value into the first corrected gradation value substantially equal to the second threshold value by using, as the random number, a second specific value,

wherein the second specific value is a maximum random number in the random number range when the gradation value is the second gradation value.

10. The print control device according to claim 9, wherein the gradation value is capable of being set greater than or equal to a minimum gradation value,

wherein the random number acquiring unit does not acquire the random number in a case that the gradation value of the target pixel data.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes an image processing device to perform:

acquiring image data representing an image including a plurality of pixels, the image data including a plurality of pixel data corresponding to the plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixel data including a gradation value;

executing an error diffusion process on each of the plurality of pixel data, the executing including;

setting target pixel data from among the plurality of pixel data;

acquiring a random number included in a first random number range that depends on the gradation value of the target pixel data, in a case that the gradation value of the target pixel data is in a first range;

correcting the gradation value of the target pixel data into a first corrected gradation value by using the random number;

correcting the first corrected gradation value of the target pixel data into a second corrected gradation value by using a distribution error, the distribution error being set by at least one error value of at least one pixel data on which the error diffusion process has been executed;

determining whether the second corrected gradation value of the target pixel data is greater than a plurality of threshold values, the plurality of threshold values including a first threshold value and a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value;

setting a dot value of the target pixel data to either a first dot value or a second dot value, the first dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the first threshold value, the second dot value being set when the second corrected gradation value is greater than the second threshold value, the first dot value indicating a size of a dot, the second dot value indicating a size of a dot greater than the size of the dot indicated by the first dot value; and

setting an error value of the target pixel data based on the dot value of the target pixel data; and

outputting print data determined by the dot value for each of the plurality of pixel data,

wherein the first random number range corresponding to the gradation value smaller than the second threshold value includes a specific random number such that the correcting corrects the gradation value included in the first range into the first corrected gradation value greater than the second threshold value by using the specific random number in the first random number range, the first range being greater than a first gradation value and smaller than the second threshold value, the first gradation value being greater than the first threshold value and smaller than the second threshold value.