Randomized superpixels to enhance multilevel image quality in economical, fast incremental-printing error diffusion

A method for printing an image;

• said method comprising:
• for at least each one of particular calorimetric levels that will be found in rendering the image, defining plural different superpixels;
• generating or receiving data for the image;
• rendering the image by a process that finds, for positions within the image:
• colorimetric levels, and
• a randomized value corresponding to substantially each found calorimetric level;
• applying the randomized value to select a superpixel from the plural superpixels for each found colorimetric level;
• and
• printing the image using the selected superpixels;
• and wherein:
• the rendering step operates in a computational space that has:
• one dimension for each colorant available;
• plus
• at least one dummy dimension which generates said randomized value;
• and
• operation of the rendering step in the at least one dummy dimension comprises using at least one least-significant bit that:
• results from the rendering step in a colorant dimension, but
• is substantially decorrelated from the colorimetric levels found by the rendering step.

A method for printing an image;

• said method comprising:
• for at least each one of particular calorimetric levels that will be found in rendering the image, defining plural different superpixels;
• generating or receiving data for the image;
• rendering the image by a process that finds, for positions within the image:
• calorimetric levels, and
• a randomized value corresponding to substantially each found calorimetric level;
• applying the randomized value to select a superpixel from the plural superpixels for each found calorimetric level;
• and
• printing the image using the selected superpixels;
• and wherein:
• the rendering step operates in a computational space that has:
• one dimension for each colorant available;
• plus
• at least one dummy dimension which generates said randomized value;
• operation of the rendering step in the at least one dummy dimension comprises deriving or maintaining a matrix of randomized values;
• and
• the applying step comprises mapping a particular location in the matrix to a particular position in the image, to choose a random value at said particular location in the matrix for selection of a superpixel to use at said particular position in the image.

A method for printing an image;

• said method comprising:
• for each of particular available colorimetric levels, defining plural different superpixels;
• generating or receiving data for the image;
• rendering the image by a process that finds colorimetric levels for positions within the image;
• deriving or maintaining a matrix of randomized values;
• mapping a particular location in the matrix to a particular position in the image, to choose a randomized value at said particular location in the matrix for selection of a superpixel to use at said particular position in the image;
• and
• printing the image using the selected superpixels.

A method for printing an image;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• defining, for each one of particular available colorimetric levels, plural different superpixels;
• generating or receiving data for the image;
• rendering the image by a process that finds colorimetric levels for positions within the image;
• selecting a superpixel from the plural superpixels for the found calorimetric level;
• controlling the defining or selecting step, or both, to impart a blue-noise property to the selected superpixels as an aggregate;
• and
• printing the image using the selected superpixels.

Apparatus for printing an image;

• said apparatus comprising:
• means for defining plural different superpixels for each one of particular available calorimetric levels;
• means for generating or receiving data for the image;
• means for rendering the image by a process that finds calorimetric levels for positions within the image;
• means for generating or receiving a randomized value for each of the positions within the image;
• means for applying the randomized value, in common for all color planes, to select for each color plane a respective superpixel from the plural superpixels for the found calorimetric level;
• and
• means for printing the image using the selected superpixels.