Patent ID: 6015206
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: G06K,H04N

Abstract:
A method of forming an image on a substrate, comprising the steps of:a) receiving a representation of an image defined according to a plurality of locations in the image, selected ones of the locations in the image each being one of a plurality of colors, the plurality of colors being black and at least one color other than black;b) providing a substrate having a plurality of locations thereon, the plurality of locations on the substrate generally corresponding to the plurality of locations in the image, and the plurality of locations on the substrate being generally aligned in columns and rows;c) identifying color boundary locations, the color boundary locations being the locations on the substrate corresponding to the locations in the image which are one of the at least one color other than black and contiguous to one of the locations in the image which is the color black;d) identifying a black boundary for each of the color boundary locations, each of the black boundaries including a column boundary and a row boundary,i) each of the column boundaries including at least two contiguous ones of the locations on the substrate, each of said at least two contiguous ones of the locations on the substrate included in the respective column boundary corresponding to one of the locations in the image which is the color black and being aligned in one of the columns with the respective color boundary location, and one of said at least two contiguous locations on the substrate included in the respective column boundary being contiguous to the respective color boundary location; andii) each of the row boundaries including at least two contiguous ones of the locations on the substrate, each of said at least two contiguous ones of the locations on the substrate included in the respective row boundary corresponding to one of the locations in the image which is the color black and being aligned in one of the rows with the respective color boundary location, and one of said at least two contiguous locations on the substrate included in the respective row boundary being contiguous to the respective color boundary location;e) delivering at least one ink to each of the locations on the substrate corresponding to one of the locations in the image which is one of the plurality of colors, the respective at least one ink being capable of generally forming the color of the respective corresponding location in the image on the substrate, the ink being delivered to the locations on the substrate corresponding to the black boundaries including ink having the color black and a plurality of inks that combine to form process black on the substrate, and being delivered in an alternating pattern, wherein the locations on the substrate corresponding to the black boundaries to which the black ink is delivered are diagonally arranged with respect to the columns and rows in black ink diagonal arrangements, and wherein the locations on the substrate corresponding to the black boundaries to which said plurality of inks that combine to form process black are delivered are diagonally arranged with respect to the columns and rows in process black diagonal arrangements, the black ink and process black diagonal arrangements across adjacent columns and rows being mutually exclusive; andf) generally receiving the respective at least one ink on each of the locations on the substrate corresponding to one of the locations in the image which is one of the plurality of colors, wherein said locations on the substrate which have generally received one of the respective at least one ink combine to form the image on the substrate.