Special Toner Adhesion Control in Electrophotographic Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic printing, the use of special toner can lead to an increased total toner amount, exceeding the allowable limit, which may result in the special toner image not achieving the intended visual effect, especially when the sum of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner amounts exceeds the allowed toner capacity in the print apparatus.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that determines the allowable amount of special toner based on the total adhesion amount of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner, and employs a two-path print-out process to effectively adhere and fuse the special toner after the primary toner colors, allowing for optimal toner distribution and visual effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If special toner is applied in color printing by electrophotography, then visual effect is enhanced, but total toner amount increases exceeding allowable limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different toner adhesion strategies to different regions of the image. Pixels are classified into four groups based on their toner requirements, and special toner is selectively applied only where needed rather than uniformly across the entire image, thus enhancing visual effect while controlling total toner consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the allowable toner amount parameter based on the actual toner composition of the image. By calculating the total toner amount from CMYK components and comparing it against apparatus limits, the system determines the remaining capacity for special toner, thereby optimizing the balance between visual effect and toner quantity constraints
2Device complexity
If special toner image is transferred along with CMYK toner images, then printing process is simplified, but toner adhesion quality deteriorates due to excessive total toner amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the printing process into multiple stages: first transferring CMYK toner images, then selectively transferring special toner images to specific pixel regions. This segmentation allows each toner type to be applied under optimized conditions, ensuring proper adhesion quality while maintaining process integration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary classification of pixels into four groups based on their special toner requirements before the actual printing process. This preliminary action enables the system to plan toner distribution in advance, ensuring that special toner is applied only where necessary to achieve the desired visual effect without exceeding toner limits
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes an allowable-amount-of-special-toner determining unit for determining an allowable amount of special toner from a total adhesion amount of toner of four colors including cyan, magenta, yellow, and black on an input image, a normal print-out unit for performing a normal print-out process, a two-path print-out unit for performing a two-path print-out process, a grouping unit for grouping pixels for which printing with the special toner is set into a first pixel group and a second pixel group based on the allowable amount of special toner; and a print-out-method selecting unit for selecting the normal print-out unit or the two-path print-out unit based on a percentage of the number of first-group pixels to the number of pixels for which printing with the special toner is set.