Stochastic halftone screening method

Patent 7262885 Issued on August 28, 2007. Estimated Expiration Date:

June 25, 2021. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Yao, Meng

Assignee

Xerox Corporation

Application

No. 09888668 filed on 06/25/2001

US Classes:

358/3.06, Halftoning (e.g., a pattern of print elements used to represent a gray level)358/1.9, Attribute control358/535, Matrix362/257, LIGHT SOURCE (OR SUPPORT THEREFOR) AND MODIFIER382/272, Based on a local average, mean, or median358/534, Halftone processing382/237Gray level to binary coding

Examiners

Primary: Moe, Aung
Assistant: Huntsinger, Peter K.

International Classes

H04N 1/405
G06K 15/00

Abstract

A method for halftoning a gray scale image to generate a halftoned image uses a stochastic screen is designed to provide visually pleasing, blue noise dot profiles when thresholded at any gray level and wherein substantially all the threshold values corresponding to gray levels between gs1 and gs2 coincide with black positions in a constraining checkerboard pattern and substantially all the threshold values corresponding to gray levels between gs2 and gs3 coincide with white positions in the constraining checkerboard pattern.

Other References

Meng Yao and Kevin J. Parker, “Modified Approach to the Construction of a Blue Noise Mask”, Journal of Electronic Imaging, Jan. 1994, vol. 3(1), pp. 92-97.
Theophano Mitsa and Kevin J. Parker, “Digital Halftoning Using a Blue Noise Mask”, SPIE vol. 1452 Image Processing Algorithms and Techniques II (1991), pp. 47-56.