Print Controller Bleed Suppression via Black Ink Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing devices require significant memory to determine candidate pixels for bleed suppression, as they need to reference all four color components (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) stored in a band buffer, making the process inefficient in terms of memory usage.
Innovation Solution
A print controller that calculates target and peripheral pixel black values using specific functions and thresholds, allowing for the determination of candidate pixels for bleed suppression based on RGB image data stored in a band buffer, reducing the need to store and process all four color components simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all four color components (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) are stored in the band buffer for bleed suppression determination, then accurate bleed suppression can be achieved, but memory usage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the black component data from the four color components for storage in the band buffer. By taking out only the essential black pixel information needed for bleed suppression determination, the system achieves accurate bleed suppression while significantly reducing memory usage compared to storing all four color components.
2Productivity
If RGB image data is read into the band buffer for processing, then processing speed improves, but the band buffer must be sized to accommodate the full image data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the black component information from the RGB image data for storage in the band buffer. This extraction approach allows the system to maintain fast processing speeds by keeping data in memory while significantly reducing the band buffer size compared to storing complete RGB or CMYK image data.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional bleed suppression processes are used, then black ink bleeding is suppressed, but the process requires complex reference to multiple color channels increasing processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes only the black component data for bleed suppression determination, eliminating the need to reference multiple color channels. This approach effectively suppresses black ink bleeding while significantly simplifying the processing logic compared to conventional methods that must analyze interactions between multiple color components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A print controller includes controlling means, storage means, subject pixel data determining means, converting means, and adjusting means. The controlling means controls printing means to print an image on a recording medium by using a black ink and M chromatic color inks. The black ink reproduces black defined in a first color space. Each chromatic color ink reproduces one of M chromatic colors in the first color space and has permeability to the recording medium different from the permeability of the black ink. The storage means stores a part of image data having a plurality of sets of pixel data. Each set of pixel data has a set of N color values indicating one of N colors that are defined in a second color space. N is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and smaller than (M+1). The subject pixel data determining means determines whether one pixel data set is subject pixel data to be subjected to bleed suppression and includes: a target pixel data setting means for setting the one pixel data set as target pixel data; peripheral pixel data setting means for setting, as peripheral pixel data, pixel data set corresponding to a pixel located within a prescribed range from a target pixel; target-pixel color value acquiring means for acquiring the N color value set of the target pixel data; peripheral-pixel color value acquiring means for acquiring the N color value set of the peripheral pixel data; and determining means for determining whether the target pixel data is the subject pixel data based on the N color value sets. The converting means converts, for each pixel data set, the N color values to a set of (M+1) color values including a black value and M color values. The adjusting means adjusts, for each subject pixel data, the (M+1) color value set by decreasing the black value.