Method and apparatus for dynamically generating a stochastic threshold table
AssigneeMarvell International Ltd.
InventorDouglas G Keithley
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Abstract
Various techniques for generating transformed tables by applying transformations indicated in a transformation table to a first threshold halftone table that is unsuitable for tiling an image as part of an image half-toning process are described. A block of the transformed tables represent a second threshold halftone table that is suitable for the half-toning process, wherein the second threshold halftone table is larger than the first threshold halftone table, such that the block is too large to be stored in the memory. A half-toned image of the image is generated based at least in part on the second threshold halftone table.
Claims20
A method of implementing a half-toning process in a printing device, the method comprising:
- accessing, from a memory of a processor in the printing device, (i) a transformation table, and (ii) a first threshold halftone table unsuitable for the half-toning process;
- applying transformations indicated in the transformation table to the first threshold halftone table;
- based upon applying transformations, generating transformed tables, wherein the transformed tables comprise transformations of the first threshold halftone table;
- tiling an image with the transformed tables, wherein a block of the transformed tables represents a second threshold halftone table suitable for the half-toning process, wherein the second threshold halftone table is larger than the first threshold halftone table;
- and
- based at least in part on the second threshold halftone table, generating a half-toned image of the image.
A printing device comprising an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) including a processor that includes a memory, wherein the ASIC is configured to:
- store (i) a transformation table and (ii) a first threshold halftone table in the memory, wherein the first threshold halftone table is unsuitable for tiling an image to be processed to generate a half-toned image suitable for printing by the printing device;
- access the transformation table from the memory, the transformation table including transformation values;
- successively tile the image with transformed halftone tables, wherein each transformed halftone table is generated by applying the transformation values to the first threshold halftone table;
- and
- generate the half-toned image suitable for printing by the printing device based at least in part on one or more blocks of the transformed tables representing a second threshold halftone table suitable for generation of the half-toned image, wherein the second threshold halftone table has a size that is too large for storage in the memory.
A method of implementing a half-toning process in a printing device, the method comprising:
- accessing at least a portion of a transformation table and at least a portion of a first threshold halftone table stored in a memory of a processor on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the transformation table includes transformation values, and wherein the first threshold halftone table is unsuitable for tiling an image for generating a corresponding half-toned image suitable for printing by the printing device;
- successively tiling the image with transformed threshold halftone tables, wherein each transformed threshold halftone table is generated by applying the transformation values to the first threshold halftone table;
- representing one or more blocks of the transformed threshold halftone tables as a second threshold halftone table suitable for generation of the half-toned image for printing by the printing device, and wherein each of the one or more blocks has a size that is too large for storage in the memory;
- and
- based at least in part on the tiling and the second threshold halftone table, generating the half-toned image suitable for printing by the printing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.