Patent Document ID: 9760980
Application ID: 14668250
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method of selectively blurring an image, the method comprising: receiving image data representing a halftone pattern image including a halftone pattern, the halftone pattern including dots used to simulate shades of color; dividing the image data into a plurality of image blocks; determining variations in color between adjacent pixels within a first image block, the first image block including the halftone pattern; determining a first amount of high frequency components associated with the first image block, each of the high frequency components corresponding to a portion of the first image block having a first number of variations exceeding a first threshold; determining a second amount of low frequency components associated with the first image block, each of the low frequency components corresponding to a portion of the first image block having a second number of variations below a second threshold; determining that a first ratio of the high frequency components to the low frequency components associated with the first image block exceeds a third threshold; selecting an area of the image data, the selected area comprising the first image block; identifying a transition band, the transition band located within the selected area and along an edge of the selected area bordering a remainder of the image data outside the selected area; identifying first pixels included in the transition band, the first pixels being within a first distance from the edge of the selected area; identifying second pixels included in the selected area and excluded from the transition band; blurring the first pixels a third amount to reduce a frequency of variation between the first pixels, wherein the blurring modifies a first pixel value of a first pixel of the first pixels using pixel values of adjacent pixels; and blurring the second pixels a fourth amount to reduce a frequency of variation between the second pixels, wherein the blurring modifies a second pixel value of a second pixel of the second pixels using pixel values of adjacent pixels and wherein the third amount weights the first pixel value relative to the adjacent pixel values higher than the fourth amount weights the second pixel value relative to the adjacent pixel values.