Color Management Server TRC Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In color management for production printing, maintaining valid color management resources such as calibration tone reproduction curves (TRCs) and ICC profiles becomes challenging due to the drifting color reproduction response of printing devices over time, leading to unwieldy management and potential printing errors.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to define and update calibration settings for printing devices, generate and store calibration TRCs using measurement data, and apply these TRCs during print jobs, allowing for editing and updating of TRC settings to ensure consistent color reproduction across multiple paper types and devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If calibration is performed for multiple paper types with different ink limits, then color accuracy for each paper type is improved, but the number of ICC profiles to manage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ICC profile into two separate components: a device-specific calibration TRC (tone reproduction curve) and paper-specific LUT (lookup table). This segmentation allows the calibration settings to be divided into device-level parameters that remain constant and paper-specific parameters that vary. By separating these concerns, the system avoids creating multiple complete ICC profiles for each paper type while still achieving accurate color reproduction for each paper type through selective application of appropriate LUTs alongside the single device calibration TRC.
2Reliability
If printing device color reproduction response drifts over time, then color management resources become invalid, but frequent recalibration increases management burden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calibration action at the device level to create a baseline calibration TRC that captures the device's color reproduction characteristics. This preliminary calibration is done once when the device is first calibrated or when significant drift is detected, rather than before every print job. The system then uses this pre-established calibration TRC in combination with paper-specific LUTs for subsequent printing operations, avoiding the need for frequent complete recalibration while maintaining color accuracy through the paper-specific adjustments.
3Manufacturing precision
If complete recalibration is performed for all paper types, then color accuracy is maintained, but processing time and resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the color management data into device-level calibration TRC and paper-specific LUTs. This segmentation enables selective updating where only the paper-specific LUTs need to be regenerated when paper characteristics change, while the device calibration TRC remains valid. This dramatically reduces processing time compared to complete recalibration of all paper types, as the system only needs to create or update the paper-specific LUTs while reusing the existing device calibration TRC.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary device calibration to establish a baseline calibration TRC that is reused across multiple paper types. This preliminary action is performed once rather than repeatedly for each paper type, significantly reducing total processing time. The system then efficiently generates paper-specific LUTs based on this pre-established calibration, maintaining color accuracy while minimizing the time and computational resources required for recalibration operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A color printing system includes a color management server and one or more printing devices. The color management server manages color printing resources among the printing devices. A test chart is printed at a printing device and used to capture calibration measurement data. Calibration settings are defined for the calibration measurement data. A tone reproduction curve (TRC) is generated based on the calibration measurement data and the calibration settings. The TRC is stored with the TRC settings and calibration measurement data to be used at a printing device. The TRC settings are edited and the TRC associated with the measurement data is updated or regenerated to reflect the edited settings. More than one TRC is updated with the new settings if it uses the measurement data.