Image Forming Apparatus Special Color Area Test Printing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In special color printing, high material costs necessitate reducing ink usage while maintaining accurate representation of colors, and existing techniques fail to efficiently check print results without actual printing on a medium.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus that identifies special color areas in process color data, generates data for test printing by setting process color ink application to zero in non-special color areas, and executes test printing to reduce ink consumption while maintaining color accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If special color printing is performed using corporate color or special color, then the tint accuracy is improved, but the material cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetint accuracyVSAvoidmaterial cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by performing test printing only on special color areas rather than the entire image. The control unit identifies special color regions and generates test print data that applies process color ink only to those specific areas, reducing overall ink consumption while maintaining tint accuracy for special colors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Loss of substance

If a preview function is used to check print results on a monitor, then ink consumption is reduced, but the accuracy of color representation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink consumptionVSAvoidcolor representation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a physical test print copy that accurately reproduces the special color areas. Instead of relying on monitor preview which may not accurately represent final print colors, the system generates a test print that physically copies the intended output, allowing accurate color verification with minimal ink usage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit changes the application amount parameter of process color ink specifically for special color areas in the test print data, setting it to the same level as normal printing while setting other areas to zero or reduced levels. This parameter adjustment ensures accurate color representation in critical areas while minimizing overall ink consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If test printing is performed on the entire image, then color accuracy is verified, but ink and medium consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor accuracyVSAvoidink and medium consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image into special color areas and non-special color areas. The control unit processes these segments differently by applying process color ink only to special color areas in the test print, while excluding or reducing ink application in non-special areas. This segmentation enables color accuracy verification for critical special colors without wasting ink on areas that will use special color ink anyway

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240372958A1Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2024.11.07 CANON KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus performs printing of only a special color area by extracting an area to which a special color ink is to be applied or an area to which a decorative printing, such as a texture, is to be performed and not applying ink on an area other than the extracted area.