Methods and systems for usage control of printing material

A printing material saving system for controlling a rate of consumption of printing material, the system comprising:

• a receiving unit to:
• receive an image to be printed or copied;
• and
• convert the image into a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels is collectively forming the image;
• a generating unit in communication with the receiving unit, the generating unit to:
• compare a value of a pixel, from among the plurality of pixels, with a predefined threshold value;
• and
• generate a black pixel indicative of a pixel with the printing material, when the value of the pixel is below the predefined threshold value;
• and
• a distributing unit in communication with the receiving unit and the generating unit, the distributing unit to:
• determine an error between the value of the pixel and a value of the black pixel;
• further determine a quantization error by multiplying a value of the error with a gain value, wherein the gain value is varied to control the rate of consumption of the printing material;
• and
• distribute a weighted value of the quantization error among the neighborhood pixels of the pixel, for generating a printed version or a copied version of the image.

A multifunction device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a printing material saving system in communication with the processor, the printing material saving system to:
• receive an image to be printed or copied;
• convert the image into a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels is collectively forming the image;
• compare a value of a pixel, from among the plurality of pixels, with a predefined threshold value;
• generate a black pixel indicative of a pixel with printing material, when the value of the pixel is below the predefined threshold value;
• determine an error between the value of the pixel and a value of the black pixel;
• further determine a quantization error by multiplying a value of the error with a gain value, wherein the gain value is varied to control a rate of consumption of the printing material;
• and
• distribute a weighted value of the quantization error among neighborhood pixels of the pixel, for generating a printed version or a copied version of the image.

A multifunction device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a printing material saving system in communication with the processor, the printing material saving system to:
• receive an image to be printed or copied;
• convert the image into a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels is collectively forming the image;
• compare a value of a pixel, from among the plurality of pixels, with a predefined threshold value;
• generate a black pixel indicative of a pixel with printing material, when the value of the pixel is below the predefined threshold value;
• determine an error between the value of the pixel and a value of the black pixel;
• further determine a quantization error by multiplying a value of the error with a gain value, wherein the gain value is varied to control a rate of consumption of the printing material;
• and
• distribute a weighted value of the quantization error among neighborhood pixels of the pixel, for generating a printed version or a copied version of the image;
• wherein the printing material saving system is further to:
• generate a white pixel indicative of a pixel without printing material, when the value of the pixel is above the predefined threshold value;
• determine an error between the value of the pixel and a value of the white pixel;
• and
• distribute the error among the neighborhood pixels, based on predetermined weighted values assigned to the neighborhood pixels, a predetermined weighted value being indicative of a proportion of the error to be assigned to a neighborhood pixel, wherein the predetermined weighted values are assigned based on a proximity of a neighborhood pixel to the pixel.