Color Separation Table Generation for Unsupported Print Media

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing technologies face challenges in determining the optimal colorant amount for a print medium without a supporting color profile, leading to inaccurate image reproduction due to ink overflow or bleeding, and require significant technical knowledge and time to generate test patterns.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that acquire the attributes of a print medium, generate and output images with varying total colorant amounts, allowing users to easily determine the maximum colorant amount and generate a new color separation table using existing tables, enabling optimal printing results without extensive technical knowledge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a color separation table is generated without a supporting color profile for a print medium, then printing can be performed on the medium, but the colorant amount cannot be optimized leading to ink overflow or bleeding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting capability on unsupported print mediaVSAvoidcolorant amount control accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating test patterns with multiple different colorant amounts before actual printing. These test patterns are created in advance to determine the optimal colorant amount for the specific print medium, allowing the color separation table to be accurately generated without requiring a pre-existing color profile for that medium.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If test patterns with multiple colorant amounts are generated to determine optimal colorant amount, then accurate colorant amount can be determined, but significant technical knowledge and time are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolorant amount determination accuracyVSAvoiduser operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically generating test patterns and determining the optimal colorant amount without requiring users to have extensive technical knowledge. The apparatus autonomously performs the complex tasks of creating multiple test patterns, analyzing them, and generating the appropriate color separation table, making the process accessible to ordinary users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If multiple test patterns are printed to determine acceptable colorant amount, then accurate colorant amount can be found, but the process is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolorant amount determination accuracyVSAvoidtime required for colorant amount determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating and storing color separation tables for various colorant amounts. When a user needs to determine the optimal colorant amount for a specific print medium, the system can quickly retrieve and utilize pre-computed data, significantly reducing the time required compared to manually printing and analyzing multiple test patterns from scratch.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8804195B2Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and color separation table generation method for outputting an image used for determining the acceptable colorant amount of a print medium

Publication Date: 2014.08.12 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing method according to an aspect of the present invention includes an attribute acquisition step of acquiring an attribute of a print medium, a reference information acquisition step of acquiring reference information corresponding to the attribute of the print medium, and an image outputting step of outputting a plurality of images having different total colorant amounts on the basis of the reference information.