# US 10,482,360 B2 · Method for improving hybrid halftoning and apparatus therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,482,360 B2 - Document ID: US10482360B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/551,825 - Filed: 2015-12-08 - Published: 2018-02-08 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-17 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Seul-ki Jang; Ji-young Yi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482360B2 ## CPC - G06K 15/1881: {Halftoning (halftoning of still images in general H04N1/405, H04N1/52)} - G06V 10/44: Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components - G06V 30/18105: {related to colour} - H04N 1/4052: {by error diffusion, i.e. transferring the binarising error to neighbouring dot decisions} - H04N 1/4092: {Edge or detail enhancement} - H04N 1/52: Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening - H04N 1/58: Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression, e.g. colour misregistration correction (H04N1/62 takes precedence) - G06F 3/1208: {resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview} - G06F 3/1247: {by conversion to printer ready format} - G06K 2215/0094: Colour printing - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Provided is a method by which an image forming apparatus forms an image, the method including detecting a boundary area in a portion of image data; determining a direction of the boundary area, a dominant color of the boundary area, and an edge intensity of the boundary area; determining enhancement information with respect to the boundary area based on the direction, the dominant color, and the edge intensity; and forming an image with respect to the image data based on the determined enhancement information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method by which an image forming apparatus forms an image, the method comprising: detecting a boundary area in a portion of image data; determining a direction of the boundary area, a dominant color of the boundary area, and an edge intensity of the boundary area; determining enhancement information with respect to the boundary area based on the direction, the dominant color, and the edge intensity; and forming an image with respect to the image data based on the determined enhancement information, wherein error diffusion is applied to an area where text is displayed, and dithering is applied to an area where a background of the text is displayed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary area is a boundary area between two areas to which different half-toning methods are applied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the direction of the boundary area is information expressible as a 2-dimensional vector in the portion of the image data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dominant color of the boundary area is determined from information about one or more colors of the boundary area based on a pre-set equation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the edge intensity of the boundary area varies according to concentrations of the one or more colors of the boundary area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary area is a boundary area between an error diffusion area and a screening area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the error diffusion area is an area for expressing detail information, and the screening area is an area for expressing information other than the detail information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the enhancement information with respect to the boundary area comprises at least one selected from the group of a color and a concentration of a line formed in the boundary area. ### Claim 9 An image forming apparatus comprising: a network interface that receives data related to a user format document from outside; a memory that stores data regarding the received user format document; a control unit; and a printing module that prints the user format document based on determined enhancement information, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a boundary area in a portion of image data, determine a direction of the boundary area, a dominant color of the boundary area, and an edge intensity of the boundary area, and determine enhancement information with respect to the boundary area based on the direction, the dominant color, and the edge intensity, and wherein error diffusion is applied to an area where text is displayed, and dithering is applied to an area where a background of the text is displayed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the boundary area is a boundary area between two areas to which different half-toning methods are applied. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the direction of the boundary area is information expressible as a 2-dimensional vector in the portion of the image data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the dominant color of the boundary area is determined from information about one or more colors of the boundary area based on a pre-set equation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the edge intensity of the boundary area varies according to concentrations of the one or more colors of the boundary area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the boundary area is a boundary area between an error diffusion area and a screening area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the enhancement information with respect to the boundary area comprises at least one selected from the group of a color and a concentration of a line formed in the boundary area.