# US 11,445,089 B2 · Selective reduction of print substance consumption

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- Number: US 11,445,089 B2
- Document ID: US11445089B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/609,473
- Filed: 2018-05-15
- Published: 2021-12-30
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-15
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Morgan T. Schramm; Wesley R. Schalk; Ranjit Bhaskar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445089B2

## CPC

- H04N 1/405: Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
- H04N 1/4051: {producing a dispersed dots halftone pattern, the dots having substantially the same size (different sizes H04N1/4057)}
- H04N 1/52: Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image file is prepared for printing. The image file is received. The image file includes a cell having pixels. A pixel of the pixels of the cell corresponds with a command to apply a print substance to a medium. For the pixel, the command to apply the print substance is selectively replaced with a command to not apply the print substance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving an image file prepared for printing, the image file including a halftone cell having a plurality of pixels, a pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponding with a command to apply a print substance to a medium; and
for the pixel of the plurality of pixels, selectively replacing the command to apply the print substance with a command to not apply the print substance,
wherein the image file and a mask are processed as a filter in a pipeline.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the image file includes a plurality of cells, and the plurality of cells correspond with a rendered halftone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponds with a command to apply a print substance to the medium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the image file includes a plurality of cells each having a plurality of pixels and selectively replacing the command to apply the print substance with a command to not apply the print substance for the plurality of pixels from the image file.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the command to not apply the print substance is included in a mask having a plurality of commands to not apply the print substance, and applying the mask to the image file includes selectively replacing commands to apply the print substance with commands to not apply the print substance.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the commands to not apply the print substance in the mask provides a selected configuration of unprinted pixels in the image file.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the halftone cell includes a pattern of pixels in the plurality of pixels, and selectively replacing includes replacing commands to apply the print substance with commands to not apply the print substance for the pattern of pixels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein each pixel of the pattern of pixels corresponds with a command to apply a subtractive print substance to the medium and selectively replacing commands to apply the print substance with commands to not apply the print substance includes providing a command to apply a black print substance to a pixel in the pattern of pixels.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein providing the command to apply the black print substance includes providing the command to apply the black substance to a number of pixels less than a number of pixels in the pattern of pixels.

### Claim 10

A non-transitory computer readable medium to store computer executable instructions to control a processor to:
receive an image file prepared for printing, wherein the image file includes a cell having a plurality of pixels, wherein a pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponds with a command to apply a print substance to a medium; and
for the pixel of the plurality of pixels, selectively replace the command to apply the print substance to the medium with a command to not apply the print substance,
wherein the image file and a mask are processed as a filter in a pipeline.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the command to not apply the print substance to the pixel is included in a mask.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the image file is received as a bitstream.

### Claim 13

A printing device, comprising:
a controller to:
receive an image file prepared for printing, wherein the image file includes a halftone cell having a plurality of pixels, wherein a pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponds with a command to apply a print substance to a medium; and
for the pixel of the plurality of pixels of the image file, selectively replace the command to apply the print substance with a command to not apply the print substance; and
a print engine operably coupled to the controller to deliver a print substance to the medium based on the image file having the command to not apply the print substance,
wherein the image file and a mask are processed as a filter in a pipeline.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The printing device of claim 13 wherein the controller implements a pipeline to provide a target image from the image file and a mask with the command to not apply the print substance.