Efficient document rendering with enhanced run length encoding

Document imaging and transmission systems (typically MFPs) require both effective and efficient image rendering methods that support standard data formats for a variety of document types, and allow for real time implementation. Since most conventional raster formats (e. g. TIFF, PDF, JPEG) are designed for use with either black and white text, or continuous-tone images, more specialized rendering methods are often required for representing mixed content documents. The baseline TIFF format supports a few binary compression options: PackBits, CCITT G3 and G4. Conventionally, halftoning algorithms, such as error diffusion, can be used to create a binary representation of a document image in the TIFF format. However, PackBits, CCITT G3 and G4 compression generally do not produce desired compression on halftone images. In this paper, we propose an efficient error diffusion algorithm optimized for PackBits compression. This method, which we refer to as POED (PackBits optimized error diffusion), is a form of threshold modulation error diffusion which takes advantage of the byte-oriented run length structure of PackBits compression by encouraging repetition of bytes in the resulting binary image. To maintain the sharpness of text, a binary segmentation algorithm is provided to switch off the adaptive error diffusion procedure and switch on the Floyd Steinberg error diffusion procedure in text regions. The POED method with PackBits compression yields higher compression ratios than the conventional error diffusion method, while maintaining desirable visual quality with low computational and memory requirements. We show experimental results to compare our method with the Floyd Steinberg error diffusion method.