Color Data Inspection Using Reduced Color Space Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image inspection systems face a significant slowdown in inspection speed due to the time-consuming process of collectively converting normal and spot colors into another color space, resulting in excessive data amounts and prolonged conversion processing times.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that converts normal and spot colors into a color space with a decreased number of colors separately and then combines the converted color data, utilizing a processor to calculate and output the color data for inspection, thereby reducing the data amount and conversion time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If color conversion is performed by collectively converting normal color and spot color into another color space, then color data for inspection can be obtained, but a large amount of time is required for conversion processing and inspection speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the color conversion process by separating normal colors (CMYK) and spot colors into distinct conversion paths. Normal colors are converted using a direct lookup table method, while spot colors are converted using a separate calculation method. This segmentation allows each color type to be processed independently and simultaneously, significantly reducing the total conversion time while maintaining accurate color data for inspection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If spot color is added in addition to normal color, then color representation capability is improved, but data amount of printing data becomes excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter representation of spot color data by converting spot color values into a different color space (such as L*a*b*) that requires fewer parameters or more efficient encoding. This parameter transformation reduces the overall data amount while preserving the ability to represent a wide range of colors including both normal and spot colors accurately.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a processor configured to calculate color data for inspection by converting printing data that is data as a base of an image to be printed and includes a normal color which is a normally used color and a spot color which is a color other than the normal color, into color data of another color space in which the number of colors is decreased, for each of the printing data of the normal color and the printing data of the spot color and then, combining the color data after the conversion, and output the calculated color data for inspection.