Ink-Channel to NPac Mapping for HANS Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing color printing technologies face limitations in achieving precise color control due to the nonlinear relationship between colorants and the small number of ink levels allowed, necessitating the use of halftoning techniques which can complicate the integration of ink-channel resources into advanced halftone area Neugebauer separation (HANS) pipelines.
Innovation Solution
A mapping file is generated to bridge the dimensionality gap between ink-channel and Neugebauer Primary area coverage (NPac) domains, allowing for the integration of ink-channel content into HANS pipelines using logic circuits and hardware infrastructure, enabling automated conversion of lower-dimensional ink-channel data into higher-dimensional NPac data and facilitating ink channel inputs to be processed within the HANS pipeline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If halftoning techniques are used to achieve precise color control with limited ink levels, then color reproduction accuracy is improved, but the complexity of integrating ink-channel resources into HANS pipelines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mapping file as an intermediary component that bridges the ink-channel domain and the NPac domain. This mapping file contains pre-computed relationships that allow the HANS pipeline to utilize ink-channel resources without direct complex integration, thereby maintaining color reproduction accuracy while reducing integration complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The mapping file is generated in advance through preliminary computation of the relationship between ink-channel data and NPac data. This pre-computation allows the system to avoid complex real-time calculations during the actual printing process, simplifying the integration while preserving color accuracy
2Productivity
If ink-channel data is directly used in HANS pipelines, then processing efficiency is improved, but the dimensionality mismatch between ink-channel and NPac domains causes integration issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the dimensionality mismatch by introducing an additional dimensional layer through the mapping file. The mapping file contains multi-dimensional lookup tables that transform ink-channel data into NPac domain data, enabling direct processing while adapting to the different dimensional requirements of the HANS pipeline
3Manufacturing precision
If halftone patterns are used to deposit colorants in specific manners, then color control is improved, but the nonlinear relationship between colorants and ink amounts increases processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping file pre-computes the nonlinear relationships between ink-channel data and NPac domain representations of halftone patterns. By performing this complex computation in advance, the system maintains precise color control through accurate halftone pattern generation while simplifying the processing complexity during actual printing operations
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a memory to store ink-channel data that describe print resources for an ink-channel printing pipeline and Neugebauer Primary area coverage (NPac) data of an alternative printing pipeline. An NPac property stored in the memory describes a dimensional relationship between the NPac data of the alternative printing pipeline and the ink-channel data for the ink-channel printing pipeline. The system includes a processor to execute instructions stored in the memory. The instructions generate a mapping file based on the NPac property to map from an ink-channel space described by the ink-channel data to an NPac space described by the NPac data.