Patent ID: 8064101
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for accelerating the production of a copy of a document by a peripheral device, the method comprising: employing an image sensor to obtain pixel data from a document to be copied, the image sensor comprising detection arrays, wherein each element in the detection arrays takes on a binary value; determining whether each pixel is white by comparing said pixel to limit values set forth in limit registers; generating a white space map prior to producing said copy from the determination of whether each pixel is white, wherein said white space map comprises regions of said image, and wherein each of said regions is characterized as requiring or not requiring any ink or toner; processing said regions characterized as requiring ink or toner according to said white space map by performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of photo and text separation, filtering, color space conversion, and halftoning; and omitting from processing said regions characterized as not requiring subsequent image processing according to said white space map.