A three-dimensional halftoning method is disclosed, wherein a halftone matrix including values is provided and subdivided into a plurality of sub-matrices, each sub-matrix including values of the halftone matrix in a respective sub-range. For a current slice of a three-dimensional representation of an object, a sub-matrix of the plurality of sub-matrices of the halftone matrix is selected and halftoning of the current slice is performed using the selected sub-matrix. Furthermore, an additive manufacturing method and system are described.

A three-dimensional halftoning method is disclosed, wherein a halftone matrix including values is provided and subdivided into a plurality of sub-matrices, each sub-matrix including values of the halftone matrix in a respective sub-range. For a current slice of a three-dimensional representation of an object, a sub-matrix of the plurality of sub-matrices of the halftone matrix is selected and halftoning of the current slice is performed using the selected sub-matrix. Furthermore, an additive manufacturing method and system are described.

A binary image of an input image is generated, and a character region within the binary image and a region surrounding each character are acquired as character segmentation rectangle information. A thinning process is executed on a region within the binary image which is identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information to acquire a thinned image. An edge detected image of the region identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is acquired. Whether each character identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is a character to be separated from a background by the binarization process or not is determined based on a result of a logical AND of the thinned image and the edge detected image.

A binary image of an input image is generated, and a character region within the binary image and a region surrounding each character are acquired as character segmentation rectangle information. A thinning process is executed on a region within the binary image which is identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information to acquire a thinned image. An edge detected image of the region identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is acquired. Whether each character identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is a character to be separated from a background by the binarization process or not is determined based on a result of a logical AND of the thinned image and the edge detected image.

A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium are disclosed for mitigating dot placement errors for a given print job. The method includes processing tone values on a per pixel basis to determine whether to implement plane dependence. Plane independence is implemented if the tone value exceeds a predetermined threshold. The method may be performed on a pixel by pixel basis and/or a print object or region basis. Determining whether to implement plane dependence may involve de-asserting or partially de-asserting a plane dependence component of an executed half-toning instruction between sequentially processed color planes of a printing system.

Sharpness of image data in a low-frequency component, which is deceased by an image forming apparatus, is recovered and the recovered image data is converted into halftone image data. Halftone processing includes calculating edge intensity in a local region, dividing the local region into a first pixel group and a second pixel group based on a pixel value of each pixel, determining a distribution order of dots based on a pixel value of each pixel, a threshold value, and the edge intensity such that dots are likely to be distributed to the first pixel group and dots are unlikely to be distributed to the second pixel group, and determining an output value for each pixel in the local region by distributing dots to some pixels included in the local region as much as a number of dots to be output to the local region while referring to the distribution order.

Sharpness of image data in a low-frequency component, which is deceased by an image forming apparatus, is recovered and the recovered image data is converted into halftone image data. Halftone processing includes calculating edge intensity in a local region, dividing the local region into a first pixel group and a second pixel group based on a pixel value of each pixel, determining a distribution order of dots based on a pixel value of each pixel, a threshold value, and the edge intensity such that dots are likely to be distributed to the first pixel group and dots are unlikely to be distributed to the second pixel group, and determining an output value for each pixel in the local region by distributing dots to some pixels included in the local region as much as a number of dots to be output to the local region while referring to the distribution order.

A system for distributing auto-stereoscopic images, a parallax blocking mask and methods for producing a parallax blocking mask. A parallax blocking mask is provided as an “add-on” for an existing image display device having a flat panel type display screen. The mask is tailored to the needs of the existing device and delivered to a remote user of the display device. The user mounts the mask to the display device so that the mask overlies the display screen. 3D content in the form of composite stereoscopic images derived from one or more stereoscopic image pairs, and application software, are downloaded to the display device over the Internet, and the application software interleaves the composite stereoscopic images for display on the display screen while the mask is in place. Use of a parallax blocking mask having variable edge transitions, a duty cycle less than fifty percent, or both, is disclosed.

A system for distributing auto-stereoscopic images, a parallax blocking mask and methods for producing a parallax blocking mask. A parallax blocking mask is provided as an “add-on” for an existing image display device having a flat panel type display screen. The mask is tailored to the needs of the existing device and delivered to a remote user of the display device. The user mounts the mask to the display device so that the mask overlies the display screen. 3D content in the form of composite stereoscopic images derived from one or more stereoscopic image pairs, and application software, are downloaded to the display device over the Internet, and the application software interleaves the composite stereoscopic images for display on the display screen while the mask is in place. Use of a parallax blocking mask having variable edge transitions, a duty cycle less than fifty percent, or both, is disclosed.

Provided are: a main memory 14 that stores image data, a peripheral region 44 being set to a certain value; and a CPU 12 that performs tonal steps conversion processing on the image data. The CPU 12 includes: a plurality of cores 16 that have a parallel processing function due to a plurality of threads 18 and that execute the tonal steps conversion processing in parallel; and a data cache memory 22 and program cache memory 20 that are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of threads 18. The core 16 specifies a region smaller than a size of the data cache memory 22, of the image data as an operand region 48, and causes the image data corresponding to said operand region 48 to be acquired from the main memory 14 into the data cache memory 22 and executes the tonal steps conversion processing on said operand region 48 without distinction of a central region 42 and the peripheral region 44.