Patent ID: 9210292
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus that, in order to print an image on a print medium according to binary data defining printing or non-printing of a dot, processes pieces of multivalued data corresponding to multiple inks using dither patterns representing threshold values for comparing with values of the multivalued data, the image processing apparatus comprising: a first quantization unit configured to use a first dither pattern to quantize multivalued data for a first ink in such a way as to reduce the number of levels of the multivalued data for the first ink; a second quantization unit configured to use a second dither pattern that is different from the first dither pattern to quantize the multivalued data for the first ink in such a way as to reduce the number of levels of the multivalued data for the first ink; a third quantization unit configured to use a third dither pattern to quantize multivalued data for a second ink that has different color from the first ink in such a way as to reduce the number of levels of the multivalued data for the second ink; a fourth quantization unit configured to use a fourth dither pattern that is different from the third dither pattern to quantize the multivalued data for the second ink in such a way as to reduce the number of levels of the multivalued data for the second ink; and a selection unit configured to, on the basis of a combination of the multivalued data for the first ink and the multivalued data for the second ink, select one of a quantization result from the first quantization unit and a quantization result from the second quantization unit to be used for printing of the first ink, and select one of a quantization result from the third quantization unit and a quantization result from the fourth quantization unit to be used for printing of the second ink, wherein: a dispersibility of an arrangement of dots, that are printed by a printing unit with the first ink based on the quantization result of quantizing a multivalued data having a predetermined gradation level by using the first dither pattern, is higher than a dispersibility of an arrangement of dots, that are printed by the printing unit with the first ink based on the quantization result of quantizing the multivalued data having the predetermined gradation level by using the second dither pattern; and a dispersibility of an arrangement of dots, that are printed by a printing unit with the second ink based on the quantization result of quantizing a multivalued data having a predetermined gradation level by using the third dither pattern, is higher than a dispersibility of an arrangement of dots, that are printed by the printing unit with the second ink based on the quantization result of quantizing the multivalued data having the predetermined gradation level by using the fourth dither pattern.