Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for generating regions of a rasterized image, described by digital input commands including : - first instructions to fill a first said region with a solid pattern, and - second instructions to fill a second said region with a halftone screen pattern ; said method comprising the following steps : - converting said first instructions to a first internal representation by a first conversion ; - converting said second instructions to a second internal representation by a second conversion ; - storing said first and second internal representations ; - retrieving said first and second stored internal representations ; - combining said first and second retrieved internal representations for generating said regions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said first conversion comprises the generation of a display list.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said first conversion comprises the following steps : - generation of a bitmap for indicating the density of each recorder element within said first region ; - generation of a bitmask for indicating whether each corresponding recorder element belongs to said first or second region ; - first lossless compression of said bitmap into a compressed bitmap ; and - second lossless compression of said bitmask into a compressed bitmask.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of retrieving said first stored internal representation comprises the following step : - decompression of said compressed bitmap ; and - decompression of said compressed bitmask.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 3, wherein said first and second lossless compressions can be independently selected from a CCITT recommendation T.4 group 3 technique and group 4 technique.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said second conversion comprises the following steps : - generation of a contone map - lossy compression of said contone map into a compressed contone map.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving said second stored internal representation comprises the decompression of said compressed contone map to an approximating contone map.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving said second stored internal representation further comprises screening said approximating contone map to a screened second retrieved internal representation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 8, wherein said contone map is generated at a resolution which is at least two times higher than the screen ruling used in the screening process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein said contone map is generated at the orientation required for the rasterized image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 10, wherein said contone map is generated at a resolution, which is lower than the resolution required for the rasterized image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein said lossy compression is a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) lossy compression standard method defined by the CCITT and ISO groups.