Replacing Defective Colorant in Image-Forming Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image-forming devices often suffer from defective components that fail to generate desired colors, leading to visible color discrepancies and degraded image quality, necessitating costly repairs or replacements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that modify pixel values in a raster associated with a defective colorant to use non-defective colorants, determined by a predetermined non-linear relationship based on local density, ensuring human-vision-equivalent color reproduction by converting halftoned pixel values to a count space and re-halftoning to generate new values without the defective colorant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a defective colorant is used in the image-forming device, then the device can continue to operate, but the image quality deteriorates due to visible color discrepancies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the defective colorant's visual appearance using non-defective colorants. By analyzing the defective colorant's properties and creating a synthetic representation using available healthy colorants, the system reproduces the intended visual effect without using the defective component, thus maintaining image quality while allowing continuous device operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the color parameters of pixels that would normally use the defective colorant. By adjusting hue, saturation, and other color parameters in the pixel data, the system compensates for the defective colorant's performance characteristics, transforming the output to match the desired color accuracy despite the hardware defect.
2Manufacturing precision
If the defective component is replaced, then the image quality improves, but the device requires costly repairs and loses operational time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of the image data before it reaches the defective colorant. By pre-calculating compensation values and creating alternative colorant combinations in advance, the system prepares replacement strategies that can be applied immediately when defects are detected, minimizing the need for actual hardware replacement and reducing device downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer between the image data and the defective colorant output. This intermediary system analyzes the defective colorant's actual performance and mediates by transforming the intended color output into equivalent representations using non-defective colorants, thereby avoiding direct hardware replacement while maintaining image quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If pixel values are modified to replace defective colorants, then image quality is maintained, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality analysis by examining each pixel's color requirements and the specific characteristics of the defective colorant at different locations. Rather than applying a uniform transformation, the system adjusts color parameters locally based on the pixel's position, the defective colorant's performance at that location, and the desired visual outcome, thereby maintaining accuracy while managing processing complexity through targeted rather than blanket modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for modifying the values of halftoned image pixels to replace a defective colorant with at least one non-defective colorant.