Color Profiling via Spectral Extraction and Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional color profile creation for color output devices is time-consuming, error-prone, and resource-intensive due to the large number of color patches required, which increases measurement time and costs, and occupies excessive space on output media.
Innovation Solution
Reducing the number of color samples by printing and measuring spectral responses for solid color patches, calculating spectral responses for overprint combinations, and providing these values to profiling software to generate color profiles, thereby minimizing the size and time needed for profiling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional test charts with large numbers of color patches are used, then color profile accuracy is improved, but measurement time and error risk increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement data needed for profile generation by measuring spectral responses at specific locations (including white points and color patches) rather than measuring all conventional test chart patches. This selective extraction maintains profile accuracy while dramatically reducing measurement time and error risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses calculated spectral responses for overprint combinations instead of directly measuring each combination. By computing the spectral response for multi-color overprints based on individual colorant measurements, the system avoids time-consuming measurements of numerous overprint patches while maintaining accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If conventional test charts with large numbers of color patches are used, then color profile accuracy is improved, but measurement error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement data needed for profile generation by measuring spectral responses at specific locations (including white points and color patches) rather than measuring all conventional test chart patches. This selective extraction maintains profile accuracy while dramatically reducing measurement time and error risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses calculated spectral responses for overprint combinations instead of directly measuring each combination. By computing the spectral response for multi-color overprints based on individual colorant measurements, the system avoids time-consuming measurements of numerous overprint patches while maintaining accuracy.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional test charts are printed on output media, then color profile creation is enabled, but media usage and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement data needed for profile generation by measuring spectral responses at specific locations (including white points and color patches) rather than measuring all conventional test chart patches. This selective extraction maintains profile accuracy while dramatically reducing measurement time and error risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the test chart by using a reduced set of essential patches instead of conventional comprehensive charts. This parameter change allows profile creation with minimal media usage while maintaining the necessary measurement data for accurate color profiling.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional test charts are printed on output media, then color profile creation is enabled, but production downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement data needed for profile generation by measuring spectral responses at specific locations (including white points and color patches) rather than measuring all conventional test chart patches. This selective extraction maintains profile accuracy while dramatically reducing measurement time and error risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the test chart by using a reduced set of essential patches instead of conventional comprehensive charts. This parameter change allows profile creation with minimal media usage while maintaining the necessary measurement data for accurate color profiling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces measurement time, error risk, and media usage while allowing for efficient profiling of color output devices, enabling smaller test charts to be printed alongside regular jobs without costly downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a measurement device, such as a calorimeter, spectrophotometer, spectrocolorimeter, or other similar device is used to obtain spectral or colorimetric data that describes each printed patch
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a color profile for a color output device including a plurality of colorants, the methods and apparatus printing a plurality of color patches on an output medium, measuring a spectral or colorimetric response for each of the printed patches and for the output medium, calculating spectral or colorimetric responses for overprint combinations of the colorants based on the measured spectral or colorimetric responses, calculating colorimetric values in a profiling target based on the calculated and measured responses, and providing the calculated colorimetric values to profiling software for generation of the color profile.