Printer Driver Transparency Region Detection for Color Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in determining transparency during the printing process, leading to color aberrations and picture quality degradation, especially when different transparency patterns are applied, due to the lack of clear transparency attributes in print data and the complexity of existing algorithms.
Innovation Solution
A print control terminal device and method that detects transparency regions in documents by analyzing rendering commands and inserts transparency information into pixel data, allowing for improved picture quality by applying specific algorithms to transparency regions during the printing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If transparency patterns are applied to documents, then decorative effects are improved, but color aberration occurs when different transparency patterns are applied to objects having the same transparency level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different transparency processing methods to different regions of the document based on their specific characteristics. By detecting transparency patterns and applying localized processing (such as adjusting transparency levels or applying different rendering algorithms) to specific regions rather than applying uniform processing throughout, the system maintains decorative effects while preventing color aberrations in regions where they would occur.
2Manufacturing precision
If transparency multiple number is increased to prevent color aberration, then color accuracy is improved, but picture quality degrades due to unwanted stripes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts transparency parameters (such as transparency levels, multiple numbers, and rendering algorithms) based on the detected transparency patterns in different regions. Instead of using a fixed high transparency multiple number that causes stripes, the system changes parameters adaptively - using lower multiples in regions where they cause quality degradation while maintaining sufficient multiples in regions where color accuracy is critical, thus balancing both requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If existing transparency algorithms are applied, then picture quality is improved, but the algorithms are difficult to apply during actual printing process due to lack of transparency attribute definition in print data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs transparency detection and attribute extraction in advance, during the document processing stage before printing. By analyzing the document data and extracting transparency information (such as identifying transparent objects, their locations, and characteristics) beforehand, the system prepares processing instructions that can be directly applied during printing without complex real-time analysis, thus simplifying the overall process while maintaining picture quality.
4Measurement precision
If transparency is detected by analyzing rendering commands, then transparency detection accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and focuses analysis only on the critical rendering commands that indicate transparency, rather than processing every rendering command in detail. By identifying and isolating specific command patterns (such as specific sequence of rendering commands that indicate transparency) for targeted analysis, the system achieves high detection accuracy while minimizing processing time by avoiding unnecessary analysis of non-transparent regions.
Data Source
AI summary
A print control terminal device, which is connected to an image forming apparatus, includes: a User Interface (UI) unit which receives a print command for a target document; a printer driver unit which detects a transparency region, which is a region to which transparency is applied, from the target document by analyzing one or more rendering commands for each object included in the target document, and generates print data by inserting transparency information into pixel data corresponding to the detected transparency region; and a communication interface unit which transmits the generated print data to the image forming apparatus.