Halftone Pattern Shifting for Printer Memory Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image processing in printers requires significant memory capacity for storing halftone patterns and brush patterns, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies, especially when applying halftoning techniques to color gradation values and brush treatments.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and method that includes separate storage units for halftone patterns and brush patterns, with shifting and synthesizing units that efficiently manage these patterns based on predetermined units and drawing positions, allowing for reduced memory access and capacity requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If halftone patterns and brush patterns are stored in memory for color gradation values and brush treatments, then image processing quality is improved, but memory capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image processing into separate stages: brush treatment is applied first to generate brush-patterned image data, then halftone processing is applied separately to convert to binary data. This segmentation allows each processing stage to use optimized memory structures, reducing overall memory requirements while maintaining processing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies brush treatment as a preliminary action before halftone processing. By pre-applying the brush pattern to the image data and then applying halftone processing to the result, the system avoids needing to store multiple complete halftone patterns for different brush treatments, thereby reducing memory capacity needs.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional brush treatment and halftoning are performed sequentially on one page image, then complete image processing is achieved, but large memory capacity is required to store one page image data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing pipeline so that brush treatment and halftoning operate on different data representations. Brush treatment works on thresholded binary data, while halftoning works on the brush-treated result. This segmentation eliminates the need to store large amounts of intermediate multi-bit image data, reducing memory requirements while maintaining processing completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the brush treatment step as a separate preprocessing operation that converts image data to binary form before halftoning. By taking out the brush treatment as a distinct stage that operates on simplified binary data rather than full-resolution image data, the system reduces memory capacity needs while achieving complete image processing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If halftone patterns are generated by least common multiple of basic bit pattern width and memory boundary width, then pattern alignment is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of how halftone patterns are generated and applied. Instead of generating large LCM-sized patterns and storing them in memory, the system generates halftone patterns dynamically at the resolution of the drawing unit and applies them through shift registers. This parameter change from static large-pattern storage to dynamic small-pattern generation simplifies the overall system while maintaining proper alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing device includes storage units to store a first halftone pattern subjected to a halftone processing for a first color gradation value, a second halftone pattern subjected to a halftone processing for a second color gradation value, and a brush pattern. The device further includes shift units to shift each pattern read on the basis of a predetermined unit from each of storage units to a first direction toward a drawing start point on the horizontal line according to a drawing position on the horizontal line, further add each pattern to a second direction toward a drawing end point on the horizontal line, and output each on the basis of the predetermined unit. The device further includes a brush synthesizing unit to select, pixel by pixel, either the first halftone pattern or the second halftone pattern, according to the brush pattern.