Multilevel halftone screen and sets thereof

1. A halftone screen represented by data stored in a data storage system, the halftone screen being compatible with a multilevel halftoning process and comprising:

a first plurality of screen dot nuclei, each of the first plurality of screen dot nuclei existing in each of a first plurality of planes of the halftone screen, and each of the first plurality of screen dot nuclei maintaining a same or substantially a same location in each of the first plurality of planes; and

a first plurality of screen dot peripheral regions, each bordering or surrounding a corresponding screen dot nucleus of the first plurality of screen dot nuclei,

wherein each of the first plurality of planes is associated with one or more input intensity values.

2. The halftone screen of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of screen dot nuclei is associated with an output exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the first plurality of screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies less than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding screen dot nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

3. The halftone screen of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of screen dot nuclei is associated with an output exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the first plurality of screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies greater than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding screen dot nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

4. The halftone screen of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of screen dot nuclei form a stochastic pattern in each of the first plurality of planes of the halftone screen.

5. The halftone screen of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of screen dot nuclei form a regular pattern in each of the first plurality of planes of the halftone screen.

6. The halftone screen of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of screen dot nuclei are arranged to have a frequency exhibiting a green noise power spectrum.

7. The halftone screen of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second plurality of screen dot nuclei, each of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei being present in each of a second plurality of planes of the halftone screen, and each of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei having a same or substantially a same location in each of the second plurality of planes; and

a second plurality of screen dot peripheral regions, each bordering or surrounding a corresponding screen dot nucleus of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei,

wherein each of the second plurality of planes is associated with one or more input intensity values, all of which are greater than the intensity values associated with the first plurality of planes, and

wherein at least some of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei have different locations than the first plurality of screen dot nuclei.

8. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein each of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei is associated with an exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the second plurality of screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies less than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

9. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein each of the second plurality of screen dot nuclei is associated with an exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the second plurality of screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies greater than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

10. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein there are more screen dot nuclei in the second plurality of screen dot nuclei than in the first plurality of screen dot nuclei.

11. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein there are more screen dot nuclei in the first plurality of screen dot nuclei than in the second plurality of screen dot nuclei.

12. The halftone screen of claim 8 , wherein the first plurality of planes having the first plurality of screen dot nuclei are associated by the first plane data with input intensity values in a toe region of a tone scale.

13. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein the second plurality of screen dot nuclei represented by the second nuclei data form a regular pattern in each of the first plurality of planes of the halftone screen.

14. The halftone screen of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of screen dot nuclei represented by the first nuclei data form a stochastic pattern in each of the first plurality of planes of the halftone screen, and wherein the halftone screen further comprises:

a plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei, each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei being present in a first transitional plane or each of a plurality of first transitional planes of the halftone screen, and each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei having a same or substantially a same location in each of the plurality of first transitional planes, if more than one are present; and

a plurality of first transitional screen dot peripheral regions, each bordering or surrounding a corresponding screen dot nucleus of the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei,

the first transitional plane or each of the plurality of first transitional planes is associated with one or more input intensity values, all of which are greater than the intensity values associated with the first plurality of planes, and all of which are less than the intensity values associated with the second plurality of planes, and

wherein the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei have same or substantially same locations as the second plurality of screen dot nuclei.

15. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei is associated with an exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies less than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

16. The halftone screen of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot nuclei is associated with an exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity, and wherein each of the plurality of first transitional screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies greater than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding nucleus' output exposure intensity value.

17. A computer-implemented multilevel halftone method comprising the steps of:

receiving first data describing an intensity of a pixel;

receiving second data describing a location associated with the pixel;

identifying, based at least upon the first data, one of a plurality of planes of a halftone screen according to claim 1 ;

identifying, based at least upon the second data, an exposure intensity associated with the pixel from the identified one of the plurality of planes, the exposure intensity indicative to a multilevel printing device of how to print a representation of the pixel; and

outputting the identified exposure intensity.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the pixel is a rasterized-image-processed pixel.

19. A computer-implemented multilevel halftone method comprising the steps of:

receiving first data describing an intensity of a pixel;

receiving second data describing a location associated with the pixel;

identifying, based at least upon the first data, one of a plurality of planes of a halftone screen according to claim 7 ;

identifying, based at least upon the second data, an exposure intensity associated with the pixel from the identified one of the plurality of planes, the exposure intensity indicative to a multilevel printing device of how to print a representation of the pixel; and

outputting the identified exposure intensity.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the pixel is a rasterized-image-processed pixel.

21. A multilevel printing system configured at least to execute a multilevel halftone process using a halftone screen according to claim 1 , and to print an image based upon exposure intensities generated according to the multilevel halftone process.

22. The multilevel printing system of claim 21 , wherein the multilevel printing system comprises an electrophotographic printing device.

23. The multilevel printing system of claim 21 , wherein the multilevel printing system comprises a computer-to-plate printing device.

24. A multilevel printing system configured at least to execute a multilevel halftone process using a halftone screen according to claim 7 , and to print an image based upon exposure intensities generated according to the multilevel halftone process.

25. The multilevel printing system of claim 24 , wherein the multilevel printing system comprises an electrophotographic printing device.

26. The multilevel printing system of claim 24 , wherein the multilevel printing system comprises a computer-to-plate printing device.

27. A plurality of halftone screens, each screen associated with a color separation, and at least one screen of which being a halftone screen in accordance with claim 1 .

28. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 27 , wherein each screen is associated with a different color separation.

29. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 28 , wherein no two of the plurality of halftone screens have a frequency within 10 lines per inch of each other.

30. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 28 , wherein no two of the plurality of halftone screens have a frequency within 20 lines per inch of each other.

31. A plurality of halftone screens in accordance with claim 6 , each screen associated with a color separation.

32. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 31 , wherein each screen is associated with a different color separation.

33. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 32 , wherein no two of the plurality of halftone screens have a frequency within 10 lines per inch of each other.

34. The plurality of halftone screens of claim 32 , wherein no two of the plurality of halftone screens have a frequency within 20 lines per inch of each other .

35. A halftone screen represented by data stored in a data storage system, the halftone screen being compatible with a multilevel halftoning process and comprising:

a plurality of first screen dot nuclei, each of the plurality of first screen dot nuclei existing in each of a first plurality of planes of the halftone screen, each of the plurality of first screen dot nuclei maintaining a same or substantially a same location in each of the first plurality of planes, and each of the plurality of first screen dot nuclei being associated with an output exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity;

a plurality of first screen dot peripheral regions, each bordering or surrounding a corresponding first screen dot nucleus of the plurality of first screen dot nuclei, wherein each of the plurality of first screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies less than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding first screen dot nucleus' output exposure intensity value;

a plurality of second screen dot nuclei, each of the plurality of second screen dot nuclei existing in each of a second plurality of planes of the halftone screen, each of the plurality of second screen dot nuclei maintaining a same or substantially a same location in each of the second plurality of planes, each of the plurality of second screen dot nuclei being in a different location than the plurality of first screen dot nuclei, and each of the plurality of second screen dot nuclei being associated with an output exposure intensity value representing a multilevel printer exposure intensity; and

a plurality of second screen dot peripheral regions, each bordering or surrounding a corresponding second screen dot nucleus of the plurality of second screen dot nuclei, wherein each of the plurality of second screen dot peripheral regions is associated with one or more output exposure intensity values that represent (an) exposure intensity/ies greater than or equal to the exposure intensity represented by the corresponding second screen dot nucleus' output exposure intensity value,

wherein at least some of the second plurality of planes are planes in the first plurality of planes, wherein the second plurality of planes and the first plurality of planes combine to form a superset of planes, wherein each of the superset of planes is associated with one or more input intensity values, and

wherein a size of the first screen dot nuclei peripheral regions is blended with a size of the second screen dot peripheral regions.

36. The halftone screen of claim 35 , wherein the size of the first screen dot nuclei peripheral regions is blended with a size of the second screen dot peripheral regions using weighting factors.

37. The halftone screen of claim 36 , wherein the weighting factors vary from plane to plane in the superset of planes.

38. The halftone screen of claim 35 , wherein the size of the first screen dot nuclei peripheral regions approximately balance out with the size of the second screen dot peripheral regions in a plane in the superset of planes associated with one or more input intensity values associated with a mid-tone region of a tone scale.

39. The halftone screen of claim 35 , wherein at least some of the first plurality of planes are associated with input intensity values associated with a toe region of a tone scale.

40. The halftone screen of claim 35 , wherein at least some of the second plurality of planes are associated with input intensity values associated with a shadow region of a tone scale.