Printing apparatus, printing method, and image processing apparatus

• US 9,148,547 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kakutani, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DUNG D
• Application Number:
  US14/295,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4053 with threshold modulated relative to input image data or vice versa

Abstract

The printing apparatus includes a comparator, a threshold setting section, and an error diffusion section. The comparator compares a first threshold which is aligned with a dither mask and the image data. The threshold setting section sets a second threshold which is used in the error diffusion method to one of a low threshold and a high threshold according to results of the comparing, and sets the low threshold to a value which is smaller than a gradation range of the image data in at least a low gradation area when it is determined that the image data exceeds the first threshold. The error diffusion section generates the dot data and to calculate distribution to pixels in the vicinity of gradation errors by comparing correction data where error distribution in the image data is complete using the error diffusion method and the low threshold or the high threshold.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus adapted to print an image based on image data, the printing apparatus comprising:

an input section where the image data is input;

a halftone processing section configured to generate dot data which represents whether or not dots are formed by processing the image data using an error diffusion method; and

a print section configured to perform printing of the image using the dot data which is generated,

wherein the halftone processing section includes

a comparator configured to compare a first threshold which is aligned with a dither mask and the image data which is input,

a threshold setting section configured to set a second threshold which is used in the error diffusion method to one of a low threshold and a high threshold whose values are different to each other according to results of the comparing, and to set the low threshold to a value which is smaller than a gradation range of the image data in at least a low gradation area in a case where it is determined that the image data exceeds the first threshold, and

an error diffusion section configured to generate the dot data and to calculate distribution to pixels in the vicinity of gradation errors, which are generated as a result of generating the dot data, by comparing correction data where error distribution in the image data is complete using the error diffusion method and the low threshold or the high threshold which is set.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image data is values equal to or more than 0 which have a gradation range of at least n bits (where n is an integer of 4 or more),

the low threshold is a value of less than 0 in at least a predetermined range which is a low gradation area, and

the high threshold is a value within the gradation range.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the predetermined range is the low gradation area which includes at least a portion of a range of 13/256 to 26/256 on a low area side with regard to the gradation range.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the low threshold and the high threshold outside the low gradation area are each set as values according to the image data, and the low threshold and the high threshold are set to the same value in at least a range where the image data is equal to or more than 192/256 with regard to the gradation range.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the error diffusion section is configured to generate the dot data as data where the dots are formed without performing the setting of the low threshold or the comparing in a case where it is determined that the image data exceeds the first threshold as a result of the comparing by the comparator.

6. A printing method for printing an image based on image data, the printing method comprising:

inputting the image data;

setting a second threshold which is used in an error diffusion method to one of a low threshold and a high threshold whose values are different to each other by comparing a first threshold which is aligned with a dither mask and the image data, and setting the low threshold to a value which is smaller than a gradation range of the image data in at least a low gradation area in a case where it is determined that the image data exceeds the first threshold when dot data which represents whether or not dots are formed is generated from the image data by performing a halftone process according to the error diffusion method, and generating the dot data and calculating distribution of pixels in the vicinity of gradation errors, which are generated as a result of generating the dot data, by comparing correction data where error distribution in the image data is complete using the error diffusion method and the low threshold or the high threshold which is set; and

performing printing of the image using the dot data which is generated.

7. An image processing apparatus adapted to generate dot data which represents whether or not dots are formed by processing image data which represents a predetermined image, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an input section where the image data is input; and

a halftone processing section configured to generate the dot data by processing the image data using an error diffusion method,

wherein the halftone processing section includes

a comparator which compares a first threshold which is aligned with a dither mask and the image data which is input,

a threshold setting section configured to set a second threshold which is used in the error diffusion method to one of a low threshold and a high threshold whose values are different to each other according to results of the comparing, and to set the low threshold to a value which is smaller than a gradation range of the image data in at least a low gradation area in a case where it is determined that the image data exceeds the first threshold, and

an error diffusion section configured to generate the dot data and to calculate distribution to pixels in the vicinity of gradation errors, which are generated as a result of generating the dot data, by comparing correction data where error distribution in the image data is completed using the error diffusion method and the low threshold or the high threshold which is set.