Toner Coverage Estimation via Color Plane Bitmap Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating toner coverage on printed pages are inaccurate, leading to varying costs for different print jobs, as they rely on rough estimates rather than actual toner usage data, especially in multi-color printing where toner usage can vary significantly.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that estimate toner coverage by receiving image data, converting it to contone bitmaps, generating color plane bitmaps, calculating pixel coverage values, and printing these values onto the page, allowing for accurate toner usage calculation through scanning and image processing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rough estimate of five percent toner coverage is used across all pages, then printing cost comparison between different printers is simplified, but the actual toner coverage varies significantly from estimates, leading to inaccurate cost prediction for different print jobs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image data into multiple color planes (C, M, Y, K) and calculates toner coverage for each plane separately. This segmentation allows precise measurement of actual toner usage by analyzing pixel coverage in each color channel, rather than using a single rough estimate for all printers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter from a fixed rough estimate (5%) to dynamic calculated values based on actual image data. By converting image data to contone bitmaps and calculating pixel coverage percentages for each color plane, the system adapts the toner coverage parameter to reflect actual usage requirements for each specific print job.
2Measurement precision
If actual toner coverage calculation methods are implemented, then accurate toner usage estimation is achieved, but the process complexity increases due to multiple processing steps including image data conversion, color plane separation, and pixel coverage calculation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal processing framework that handles multiple color planes (CMYK) through a single standardized calculation method. The same image processing pipeline and pixel coverage calculation algorithm are applied to each color plane, making the system multi-functional while maintaining consistent processing logic across different color channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates color plane contone bitmaps as intermediate copies from the original image data. These copied representations allow coverage calculation without modifying the original image, enabling precise measurement while preserving the ability to perform additional processing or analysis on the source data.
3Measurement precision
If color plane contone bitmaps are generated and pixel coverage values are calculated for each toner color, then precise toner usage data is obtained, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary conversion of image data to contone bitmaps and generates color plane separations before the actual coverage calculation. This preliminary processing organizes the data into a structured format that facilitates efficient pixel-by-pixel analysis, reducing the computational burden during the final coverage measurement phase.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for estimating single or multi-colored toner coverage on a printed page. One method includes generating color plane bitmaps corresponding to each color in a contone bitmap and calculating pixel coverage values for each of the color plane contone bitmaps. Another method includes receiving image data to be printed, generating color separations for the image data corresponding to available toner colors, printing each color separation on a printed page, scanning each printed page comprising the color separation and calculating toner coverage on each of the scanned printed pages.