Patent ID: 8411310

Claim:
A method for scanning and processing an image using the error diffusion screening technology, comprising: (1) scanning each pixel M i of an n th line in an original image one by one and then storing a scanning result of the pixel M i to an i th storage location; and (2) processing the stored result of the pixel M i by using error diffusion and scanning pixels of an n+1 th line in the original image until all pixels of the nth line have been processed and all pixels in the n+1 th line have been scanned and stored, wherein once processing for the pixel M i is completed, a scanning result of a pixel of the n+1 th line is stored to the i th storage location previously occupied by the pixel M i and wherein the step (2) further comprises: recording a processing direction parameter C of the n th line and a storing location parameter H for a beginning pixel of the n+1 th line; and determining the processing direction of the n+1 th line based on values of the parameters C and H, wherein C=0 indicates that pixels in the n th line are processed from beginning to end; C=1 indicates that pixels in the n th line are processed from end to beginning; H=0 indicates that the beginning pixel of the n+1 th line is stored in a first location of a storing device; and H=1indicates that the beginning pixel of the n+1 th line is stored in a last location of the storing device.