Image processing system and method employing combined black and white and gray scale image data

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Abstract of the Disclosure In order to reduce data storage and, transmission bandwidth requirements a high resolution, gray scale image is represented in two separate image forms, namely, a high resolution, high sampling density black and white image and a lower resolution lower, sampling density gray scale image. Generating separate black and white and gray scale image data allows the use of either image form independently. The high resolution black and white image data and the low resolution gray scale image data may be recombined subsequently to produce reconstructed high resolution gray scale image data representing the image.