Apparatus for producing a bilevel image suitable for a printing characteristic of a printing unit

Claim 1

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is determined by a dot density of images printed by the printing unit.

Claim 2

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is determined by a dot density of images printed by the printing unit.

Claim 10

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is predetermined by a combination of (1) a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit and (2) a type of printing performed by the printing unit.

Claim 11

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is predetermined by a combination of (1) a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit and (2) a type of printing performed by the printing unit.

Claim 17

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document, and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns, each threshold matrix pattern having N×N thresholds arranged in an N×N formation, each threshold being retrievable from one of the plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns by supplying address signals indicating two-dimensional locations of the threshold within the threshold matrix pattern to said memory means; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; synchronizing means for supplying address signals to said memory means in synchronism with the outputting of a multilevel image data relating to one pixel of the image from said reading means; and binarizing means, coupled to said memory means and said image reading means, for comparing the multilevel image data relating to one pixel of the image, output from said reading means, with a threshold read from a selected threshold matrix pattern and said memory means based on the address signals output from said synchronizing means, and for producing a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image based on the result of the comparison so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is determined by a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit.

Claim 18

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document, and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns, each threshold matrix pattern having N×N thresholds arranged in an N×N formation, each threshold being retrievable from one of the plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns by supplying address signals indicating two-dimensional locations of the threshold within the threshold matrix pattern to said memory means; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined threshold matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; synchronizing means for supplying address signals to said memory means in synchronism with the outputting of a multilevel image data relating to one pixel of the image from said reading means; and binarizing means, coupled to said memory means and said image reading means, for comparing the multilevel image data relating to one pixel of the image, output from said reading means, with a threshold read from a selected threshold matrix pattern and said memory means based on the address signals output from said synchronizing means, and for producing a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image based on the result of the comparison so that the processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is determined by a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit.

Claim 24

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the, processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is predetermined by a combination of a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit and a type of printing performed by the printing unit.

Claim 25

An apparatus for processing multilevel image data of an image by using a binarizing process based on an error scattering method to produce a bi-level processed image suitable for a predetermined printing characteristic of a printing unit that prints the bi-level processed image, said apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image by raster scanning of a document and for producing multilevel image data relating to one pixel of said image; memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns, each weight matrix pattern having N×N weight coefficients arranged in an N×N formation; selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of predetermined weight matrix patterns stored in said memory means based on said printing characteristic of said printing unit; processing means, coupled to said reading means and said memory means, for adding a weight coefficient read from said selected weight matrix pattern to said multilevel image data relating to one pixel from said reading means, so that a weighted multilevel image data is produced; and binarizing means for processing the weighted multilevel image data output from said processing means by using the binarizing process based on the error scattering method to produce a bi-level signal relating to one dot of a processed image, and for supplying the bi-level signal to the printing unit so that the, processed image is printed by the printing unit in accordance with the bi-level signal; wherein the printing characteristic of the printing unit is predetermined by a combination of a dot density of an image printed by the printing unit and a type of printing performed by the printing unit.