Patent · US Active

Tinted edge enhancement using harmonic halftones for the boundary pixels

US7688473B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 26, 2004
Grant dateMar 30, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 9, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N1/4058
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image processing method for producing enhanced halftone edges, particularly suited to those edges which only lie upon the background as apposed to those edges which abut other halftone screens. It utilizes a step of defining border pixels and a step of halftoning those border pixels in a different manner than the halftoning applied to the interior region of the tint or image segment. The preferred halftone for the border pixels will be related to the interior halftone by some number of common spatial frequency harmonics. Examples of common-harmonic screening for an edge include, but are not limited to: (a) same screen with different tone reproduction characteristics (boosted edge values); (b) same screen angles and frequencies with a different spot function, possibly phase shifted; (c) a dot screen whose frequency vectors can be generated by the frequency vectors of the interior screen; (d) a line screen whose frequency vectors can be generated by the frequency vectors of the interior screen. This generation process is directed to ensuring that the two screens will be “harmonically matched” where at least one of the fundamental frequency vectors and harmonics…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.