Spot color application in printer device

• US 20030030828A1
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Soler, Pau, Vilanova, Ferran
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6013 by simulating several colour corrected versions of the same image simultaneously on the same picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6033 using test pattern analysis H04N1/6055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/626 Detection of non-electronic marks, e.g. fluorescent markers

Abstract

To translate a physical color to a color space of a printer device, a color patch is scanned using a printer'"'"'s internal scanner. The printer then automatically prints that scanned color, together with a range of variations of that color, on the print media on which printing is to occur. A user may quickly and easily select a color match from the range of colors printed, by visual inspection. The user enters the selected color into the printer, using for example a number or position code, or by marking the selected color on the print media, which is then re-scanned by the printer. Thus, an iterative prior art manual procedure of color modification using color data determined by spectrophotometers is avoided.

Claims

1. A method of matching a printed color to a color sample at a printer device, said printer device comprising a color scanner device, said method characterized by comprising the steps of:

offering a color sample to said color scanner device;

generating a color characterization data from said color sample;

generating a plurality of variation color data corresponding to a plurality of variations of said color sample;

printing on a print medium said plurality of variations of said color;

selecting an individual color of said plurality of variations of said color; and

inputting a data describing a selected said individual color.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing information describing said selected individual color as a color book data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of generating a color characterization data from said color sample comprises:

said scanner device generating said color characterization data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of generating a plurality of variation color data comprises:

generating a plurality of variation colors corresponding to colors at coordinates in color space around said color characterization data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of printing said plurality of variations of said color comprises:

printing a plurality of colors in a two dimensional array on a print medium, said plurality of colors corresponding to a plurality of color co-ordinates around said color characterization data in color space.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting an individual color comprises:

marking a selected color spot by means of applying a different color ink on or near said color spot; and

inspection of said plurality of color variations of said color printed on said print medium.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of inputting a data describing a selected individual color comprises:

determining a data identifying a selected color spot corresponding to one of said plurality of variations of said color printed on said print medium; and

inputting said data identifying said selected color spot into a printer device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said step of inputting a data describing a selected individual color comprises:

scanning an array of printed color spots, each said color spot corresponding to a color variation in color space around said color characterization data to obtain a scanned color spot data; and

from said scanned in color spot data, identifying a selected color spot as being a color spot physically marked to distinguish it from other said color spots of said array.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of inputting a data describing a selected individual color comprises:

determining a data identifying a selected color spot corresponding to one of said plurality of variations of said color printed on said print medium;

inputting said data identifying said selected color spot, into a printer device; and

matching said identification data with a color characterization data of said selected color.

10. A printer device capable of matching a printed color with a color sample, said printer device comprising:

a color scanner device for scanning at least one color from said color sample and generate a color characterization data characterizing a color of said color sample;

an interface capable of inputting a color characterization data describing a color of said color sample;

a printer mechanism for printing color ink onto a print medium;

a color generation component for generating a plurality of variation colors placed at positions in color space, around a position of a color specified by an input color characterization data; and

a color book memory for storing data describing a selected said color.

11. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

a scanner device for scanning at least one color from said color sample, wherein said scanner device is configured to scan in a color of a color sample and generate a color sample characterization data.

12. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, comprising a scanning device arranged to scan in at least one color data, wherein:

said scanner operates to scan an array of color spots, corresponding to a plurality of color variations occupying positions in color space around a color space location corresponding to said sample color.

13. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

an interface capable of receiving color characterization data from a color sensor device.

14. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, comprising a scanning algorithm, said scanning algorithm operating to:

input scan data corresponding to a two dimensional array of color spots printed onto a print medium;

recognize an individual said color spot selected by a user from said scan data; and

store a color characterization data corresponding to said recognized selected color spot.

15. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, operable to:

recognize a position of a said input color characterization data in three dimensional color space;

generate a plurality of variation color data in said three dimensional color space, said variation color characterization data generated at positions in said three dimensional data space around said input color characterization data; and

print a plurality of color spots, corresponding to said plurality of generated variation color characterization data, in a two dimensional format on a print medium.

16. The printer device as claimed in claim 10, operable to:

recognize a position of a said input color characterization data in three dimensional color space;

generate a plurality of variation color data in said three dimensional color space, said variation color characterization data generated at positions in said three dimensional data space around said input color characterization data;

print a plurality of color spots, corresponding to said plurality of generated variation color characterization data, in a two dimensional format on a print medium; and

print a plurality of identification data for identifying individual color spots within said printed two dimensional array on said print medium.

17. A method of matching a printed color to a color sample, said method characterized by comprising the steps of:

generating a color characterization data from said color sample, by offering a color sample to scanner device, and generating said color characterization data in said scanner device;

generating a plurality of variation color data corresponding to a plurality of variations of said color sample, by printing a plurality of colors in a two dimensional array on a print medium, said plurality of colors corresponding to a plurality of color coordinates around said color characterization signal;

printing on a print medium said plurality of variations of said color sample;

selecting an individual color of said plurality of variations of said color sample;

inputting a data describing a selected said individual variation color, by scanning an array of printed color spots, each said color spot corresponding to color variation in color space around said color characterization data, to obtain a scanned color spot data; and

storing said selected individual color as a color book data.

18. A printer device capable of matching a printed color with a color sample, said printer device comprising:

an interface capable of Inputting color characterization data describing a color of said color sample;

a color generation component for generating a plurality of variation colors placed in positions in color space around a position of a color specified by said input color characterization data;

a scanner device for scanning at least one color from said color sample, and generate a color sample characterization data corresponding to said color of said color sample;

a color book memory for storing data describing a said color;

a printer mechanism operable to print a plurality of color spots corresponding to said plurality of generated variation color in a two dimensional format on said print medium; and

a scanning algorithm operable to scan a two dimensional array of color spots printed onto a print media by said printer device and to recognise an individual said color spot selected by a user.