Systems and methods for efficient halftone where different dithering matrices are combined

A dithering method comprising:

• receiving, as a single input, a plurality of pixels comprising a first pixel span associated with a first content type and a second pixel span associated with a second content type;
• determining, for each pixel span, at least one associated dithering matrix based on a corresponding content type of the pixel span, so that the first and the second pixel spans are associated with different dithering matrices;
• and
• concurrently dithering the received plurality of pixels by executing a single SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) instruction with respect to the received plurality of pixels, wherein dithering comprises processing, on an SIMD type processor, the first and second pixel spans using elements of different dithering matrices depending on the corresponding content type,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined into a combined data structure by selecting elements of the matrices depending on an arrangement of the pixel spans in the single input.

A dithering method comprising:

• receiving a pixel run having a plurality of pixels associated with a plurality of distinct content types, the pixel run comprising a plurality of pixel spans each associated with one of the content types;
• determining a dithering mode based on the plurality of distinct content types identified for the pixel spans within the received pixel run;
• associating, for each pixel span, at least one dithering matrix based on a corresponding content type;
• and
• concurrently dithering the received plurality of pixel spans in accordance with the determined dithering mode by executing an SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) instruction on an SIMD type processor, the SIMD instruction operating concurrently on the plurality of pixel spans, taken as a single input, in accordance with different dithering matrices depending on the content type of the corresponding pixel span,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined depending on the determined dithering mode.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon, the program being executable by a processor to:

• receive a plurality of contiguous pixels, as a single input, comprising at least a first pixel span associated with a first content type and a second pixel span associated with a second content type;
• associate at least one dithering matrix with each of the pixel spans based on a corresponding content type, so that the first and the second pixel spans are associated with different dithering matrices;
• and
• process the single input of the received plurality of pixels using an SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) type processor by referring to different dithering matrices depending on the content type of the corresponding pixel spans,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined into a combined data structure by selecting elements of the matrices depending on an arrangement of the pixel spans in the single input.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon, the program being executable by a processor to dither pixel data, the program comprising:

• code for receiving a pixel run having a plurality of pixels associated with a plurality of distinct content types, the pixel run comprising a plurality of pixel spans each associated with one of the content types;
• code for determining a dithering mode based on the plurality of distinct content types identified for the pixel spans within the received pixel run;
• code for associating, for each pixel span, at least one dithering matrix based on a corresponding content type;
• and
• code for concurrently dithering the received plurality of pixel spans in accordance with the determined dithering mode by executing an SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) instruction on an SIMD type processor, the SIMD instruction operating concurrently on the plurality of pixel spans, taken as a single input, in accordance with different dithering matrices depending on the content type of the corresponding pixel span,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined depending on the determined dithering mode.

A printer device comprising a memory, an SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) processor and a program executable within the printer to:

• receive a plurality of contiguous pixels, as a single input, comprising at least a first pixel span associated with a first content type and a second pixel span associated with a second content type;
• associate at least one dithering matrix with each of the pixel spans based on a corresponding content type, so that the first and the second pixel spans are associated with different dithering matrices;
• and
• process the single input of the received plurality of pixels using an SIMD type processor by referring to different dithering matrices depending on the content type of the corresponding pixel spans,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined into a combined data structure by selecting elements of the matrices depending on an arrangement of the pixel spans in the single input.

A computerized apparatus comprising a memory, at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor comprising at least one SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) type processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor to:

• receive a pixel run having a plurality of pixels associated with a plurality of distinct content types, the pixel run comprising a plurality of pixel spans each associated with one of the content types;
• determine a dithering mode based on the plurality of distinct content types identified for the pixel spans within the received pixel run;
• associate, for each pixel span, at least one dithering matrix based on a corresponding content type;
• and
• concurrently dither the received plurality of pixel spans in accordance with the determined dithering mode by executing an SIMD instruction on the at least one SIMD type processor, the SIMD instruction operating concurrently on the plurality of pixel spans, taken as a single input, in accordance with different dithering matrices depending on the content type of the corresponding pixel span,
• wherein the different dithering matrices are combined depending on an arrangement of the pixel spans in the single input.