Image Processing Binarization for Dot Dispersing Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image printing technologies struggle to maintain high dispersing quality when printing multiple kinds of dots differing in size, density, and color, leading to potential image deterioration due to slight shifts in dot patterns.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that utilize a binarization unit to generate binary data for printing, ensuring a lower low-frequency component of space frequency characteristics for dot patterns of varying sizes and densities, thereby minimizing image granularity and maintaining high dispersing quality across different dot types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a dither method with blue noise characteristics is used for halftone processing, then dispersing quality is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates when printing multiple kinds of dots with slight shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dot patterns by size (first size, second size, etc.) and applies different processing to each segment. Specifically, it separates dots into multiple size categories and generates binary data for each size group independently, then accumulates them. This segmentation allows each size group to maintain its blue noise characteristics while reducing the harmful effects of relative shifts between different dot sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by treating different dot sizes with different processing approaches. It generates binary data specifically optimized for each dot size category, ensuring that each local group of dots maintains appropriate dispersing characteristics. The accumulation process preserves the local blue noise properties of each size group while achieving global image quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If error diffusion method is used for halftone processing, then dispersing quality is improved, but processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-separating and processing dots of different sizes into distinct binary data groups before accumulation. The binarization unit generates binary data for each dot size category in advance, and these pre-processed groups are then accumulated. This preliminary segmentation and processing approach maintains the quality benefits of error diffusion while reducing the computational complexity of processing all dots uniformly.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image processing method that can output a high-quality image having high dispersing quality in the configuration for printing an image using a plurality of different kinds of dots. Therefore in the same region of a printing medium, binary data is generated such that a low frequency component of space frequency characteristics is suppressed with priority to a dot pattern of a combination in which a plurality of kinds of dots are relatively noticeable.