Image processor and storage medium storing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124601-B2
Application number	US-201715707488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

An image processor performs: determining a dot value indicating a dot formation state, the determining including: in a case where a target pixel is not an edge pixel and a first dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicating forming a first dot; and in a case where a second dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicating forming a second dot; determining a distribution error value, the determining including: in the case where the target pixel is not the edge pixel and the first dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the distribution error value to a value corresponding to a density of the first dot; and in the case where the second dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the distribution error value to a smaller value than a value corresponding to a density of the second dot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processor for a printer, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to perform:
acquiring original image data representing an original image including a plurality of pixels, the original image data being indicative of a density of each of the plurality of pixels;
determining whether a target pixel in the plurality of pixels is an edge pixel, the edge pixel being a pixel constituting background and constituting an edge between the background and an object having a lower density than the background;
determining whether a first dot forming condition of an error diffusion method is satisfied, by using a density of the target pixel and an error value distributed to the target pixel;
determining a dot value indicative of a dot formation state of the target pixel, the determining the dot value including:
in a case where the target pixel is not the edge pixel and the first dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming a first dot; and
in a case where a second dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming a second dot, the second dot forming condition including that the target pixel is the edge pixel;

determining a distribution error value to be distributed to an unprocessed pixel, the determining the distribution error value including:
in the case where the target pixel is not the edge pixel and the first dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the distribution error value to a value corresponding to a density of the first dot; and
in the case where the second dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the distribution error value to a smaller value than a value corresponding to a density of the second dot; and

generating print data including the dot value of each of the plurality of pixels determined by processing each of the plurality of pixels as the target pixel.

2. The image processor according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in the case where the second dot forming condition is satisfied, setting the distribution error value to a value corresponding to a density of an imaginary dot having the density of the target pixel.

3. The image processor according to claim 1 , wherein the printer is configured to form a first type dot and a second type dot smaller than the first type dot; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is higher than or equal to a density of the first type dot, determining that the second dot forming condition is satisfied and setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the second type dot as the second dot.

4. The image processor according to claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in the case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is higher than or equal to the density of the first type dot, determining that the second dot forming condition is satisfied and setting the distribution error value to a value lower than or equal to a value corresponding to the density of the first type dot.

5. The image processor according to claim 3 , wherein the printer is configured to further form a third type dot smaller than the second type dot; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is lower than the density of the first type dot and higher than or equal to a density of the second type dot, determining that the second dot forming condition is satisfied and setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the third type dot as the second dot.

6. The image processor according to claim 5 , wherein the third type dot is a smallest dot the printer is configured to form; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is lower than the density of the second type dot and higher than or equal to a density of the third type dot, determining that the second dot forming condition is satisfied and setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the third type dot.

7. The image processor according to claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is lower than the density of the third type dot and higher than or equal to a particular density lower than the density of the third type dot, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the third type dot.

8. The image processor according to claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in the case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is lower than the density of the third type dot and higher than or equal to the particular density, setting the distribution error value to a value larger than a value corresponding to the density of the third type dot.

9. The image processor according to claim 1 , wherein the printer is configured to form a first type dot and a second type dot smaller than the first type dot; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
determining whether the first dot forming condition of the first type dot is satisfied, by using a first threshold value;
determining whether the first dot forming condition of the second type dot is satisfied, by using a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value;
in a case where the target pixel is not the edge pixel and the first dot forming condition of the first dot is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the first type dot as the first dot;
in a case where the target pixel is not the edge pixel and the first dot forming condition of the second type dot is satisfied, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the second type dot as the first dot;
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is higher than or equal to a third threshold value, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the first type dot as the second dot; and
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel and the density of the target pixel is lower than the third threshold value and higher than or equal to a fourth threshold value smaller than the third threshold value, setting the dot value to a value indicative of forming the second type dot as the second dot.

10. The image processor according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:
in a case where the target pixel is the edge pixel, regardless of whether the target pixel satisfies the first dot forming condition, determining whether the second dot forming condition is satisfied based on the density of the target pixel.

11. The image processor according to claim 1 , wherein the value corresponding to the density of the first dot is obtained by subtracting the density of the first dot from a corrected density, the corrected density being a sum of the density of the target pixel and the error value distributed to the target pixel; and
wherein the smaller value than the value corresp

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Yasunari

Classifications

• H04N1/00068 Primary

  Calculating or estimating · CPC title

• B41J2/362 Primary

  Correcting density variation · CPC title

• H04N1/409

  Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression · CPC title

• H04N1/4057

  the pattern being a mixture of differently sized sub-patterns, e.g. spots having only a few different diameters (multi-toning H04N1/40087) · CPC title

• H04N1/4092

  Edge or detail enhancement · CPC title