Print system and color print method

• US 20050036157A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hayaishi, Ikuo, Takabayashi, Nobuhisa
• Application Number:
  US10/492,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20050036157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40006 Compensating for the effects of ageing, i.e. changes over time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6033 using test pattern analysis H04N1/6055 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is color printing technology capable of accommodating variation(s) in printer color space(s). User(s) may place test pattern printout(s) 336 and test pattern master sheet(s) 337 next to each other on platen(s) of image scanner(s) 338, and may cause image scanner(s) 338 to scan such printout(s) 336 and master sheet(s) 337 in a single image scanning run. Captured image data output from image scanner(s) 338 may be acquired by print server machine(s) 2 and may be uploaded to center server machine(s) 8. Center server machine(s) 8 is or are such that any difference(s) in color(s) between test pattern printout(s) 336 and master sheet(s) 337 is or are detected based on such uploaded captured image data; furthermore, based on results of such detection, new printer ICC profile(s) is or are created which represents or represent the current color space(s) of printer(s) 3A, 3B being investigated, and corresponding printer ICC profile(s) within printer ICC profile database 330 is or are updated

Claims

1. A printing system comprising:

one or more print means;

one or more storage units storing one or more print means color profiles representing one or more color spaces for at least one of the print means;

one or more control means accepting image data for printing, using at least one of the print means color profile or profiles stored in at least one of the storage unit or units to carry out color matching with respect to at least a portion of the image data for printing, and using at least a portion of the image data with respect to which color matching has been carried out to control at least one of the print means; and

one or more update means updating at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate.

2. A printing system according to claim 1 further comprising:

one or more test pattern printing processing means accepting input of test pattern image data, at least a portion of the test pattern image data representing one or more test patterns, and providing at least a portion of the test pattern image data to at least one of the control means, at least a portion of the test pattern image data provided to at least one of the control means serving as at least a portion of the image data for printing; and

one or more color profile creating means creating at least one most-recent print means color profile representing at least one current color space of at least one of the print means based on one or more test pattern printouts output by at least one of the print means and/or information about at least one of the printout or printouts;

wherein at least one of the update means uses at least one of the created most-recent print means color profile or profiles to update at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units.

3. A printing system according to claim 2 further comprising:

one or more test pattern master sheets on which at least one of the test pattern or patterns is printed with at least one accurate color; and

one or more image capturing means scanning at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts and creating captured image data corresponding to at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts;

wherein at least one of the color profile creating means creates at least one of the most-recent print means color profile or profiles based on at least one color of at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one color of at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts represented by at least a portion of the captured image data.

4. A printing system according to claim 2 comprising one or more user systems, and one or more server systems capable of communicating with at least one of the user system or systems;

wherein at least one of the user system or systems comprises at least one of the print means, at least one of the storage unit or units, at least one of the control means, at least one of the update means, and at least one of the test pattern printing processing means; and

wherein at least one of the server system or systems comprises at least one of the color profile creating means.

5. A server system capable of communicating by way of one or more communication networks with one or more user systems, the one or more user systems comprising

one or more print means;

one or more storage units storing one or more print means color profiles representing one or more color spaces for at least one of the print means;

one or more control means accepting image data for printing, using at least one of the print means color profile or profiles stored in at least one of the storage unit or units to carry out color matching with respect to at least a portion of the image data for printing, and using at least a portion of the image data with respect to which color matching has been carried out to control at least one of the print means; and

one or more update means updating at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate,

the server system comprising;

one or more color profile creating means creating at least one most-recent print means color profile representing at least one current color space of at least one of the print means based on one or more image printouts output by at least one of the print means under the control of at least one of the control means and/or information about at least one of the printout or printouts; and

one or more sending means sending at least one of the created most-recent print means color profile or profiles to at least one of the user system or systems.

6. A user system capable of communicating by way of one or more communication networks with one or more server systems, the user system comprising:

one or more print means;

one or more storage units storing one or more print means color profiles representing one or more color spaces for at least one of the print means;

one or more control means accepting image data for printing, using at least one of the print means color profile or profiles stored in at least one of the storage unit or units to carry out color matching with respect to at least a portion of the image data for printing, and using at least a portion of the image data with respect to which color matching has been carried out to control at least one of the print means;

one or more receiving means receiving, from at least one of the server system or systems by way of at least one of the communication network or networks, one or more most-recent print means color profile representing at least one current color space of at least one of the print means, at least one of the most-recent print means color profile or profiles being created based on one or more image printouts output by at least one of the print means under the control of at least one of the print control means and/or information about at least one of the printout or printouts; and

one or more update means using at least one of the received most-recent print means color profile or profiles to update at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units.

7. A method comprising:

one or more steps in which one or more print means color profiles representing one or more color spaces for one or more print means is or are stored;

one or more steps in which image data for printing is accepted, at least one of the print means color profile or profiles stored in at least one of the storage unit or units is used to carry out color matching with respect to at least a portion of the image data for printing, and at least a portion of the image data with respect to which color matching has been carried out is used to control at least one of the print means; and

one or more steps in which at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units is updated at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate.

8. A computer program capable of being made available to one or more printing systems comprising one or more print means, the computer program being capable of causing one or more computers to carry out:

one or more steps in which one or more print means color profiles representing one or more color spaces for at least one of the print means is or are stored;

one or more steps in which image data for printing is accepted, at least one of the print means color profile or profiles stored in at least one of the storage unit or units is used to carry out color matching with respect to at least a portion of the image data for printing, and at least a portion of the image data with respect to which color matching has been carried out is used to control at least one of the print means; and

one or more steps in which at least one of the print means color profile or profiles within at least one of the storage unit or units is updated at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate.

9. A printing system comprising:

one or more print means;

one or more data sources outputting image data for printing;

one or more image filters accepting input thereto of at least a portion of the image data for printing output by at least one of the data source or sources, carrying out prescribed processing on at least a portion of the image data for printing input thereto, and outputting therefrom at least a portion of the image data for printing after the prescribed processing has been carried out thereon;

one or more storage units storing at least one of the image filter or filters;

one or more control means controlling at least one of the print means so as to print at least a portion of the image data for printing output by at least one of the image filter or filters; and

one or more update means updating at least one of the image filter or filters at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate;

wherein at least one of the image filter or filters corresponds to at least one of the print means.

10. A printing system according to claim 9 further comprising:

one or more test pattern printing processing means accepting input of test pattern image data, at least a portion of the test pattern image data representing one or more test patterns, and providing at least a portion of the test pattern image data to at least one of the control means, at least a portion of the test pattern image data provided to at least one of the control means serving as at least a portion of the image data for printing; and

one or more filter creating means creating at least one most-recent image filter corresponding to at least one current color space of at least one of the print means based on one or more test pattern printouts output by at least one of the print means and/or information about at least one of the printout or printouts;

wherein at least one of the update means uses at least one of the created most-recent image filter or filters to update at least one of the image filter or filters within at least one of the storage unit or units.

11. A printing system according to claim 10 further comprising:

one or more test pattern master sheets on which at least one of the test pattern or patterns is printed with at least one accurate color; and

one or more image capturing means scanning at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts and creating captured image data corresponding to at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts;

wherein at least one of the filter creating means creates at least one of the most-recent image filter or filters based on at least one color of at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one color of at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts represented by at least a portion of the captured image data.

12. A method comprising:

one or more steps in which image data for printing output by one or more data sources outputting image data for printing is input, prescribed processing is carried out on at least a portion of the input image data for printing, and one or more image filters output after the prescribed processing has been carried out is or are stored;

one or more steps in which one or more print means is or are controlled so as to print at least a portion of the image data for printing output by at least one of the image filter or filters; and

one or more steps in which at least one of the image filter or filters is updated at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate;

wherein at least one of the image filter or filters corresponds to at least one of the print means.

13. A computer program capable of being made available to one or more printing systems comprising one or more print means and one or more data sources outputting image data for printing, the computer program being capable of causing one or more computers to carry out:

one or more steps in which at least a portion of the image data for printing output by at least one of the data source or sources is input, prescribed processing is carried out on at least a portion of the input image data for printing, and one or more image filters output after the prescribed processing has been carried out is or are stored;

one or more steps in which at least one of the print means is controlled so as to print at least a portion of the image data for printing output by at least one of the image filter or filters; and

one or more steps in which at least one of the image filter or filters is updated at regular intervals and/or whenever appropriate.

14. A computer system comprising one or more image processing means carrying out specific image processing on image data input thereto, the system comprising:

one or more test pattern master sheets on which one or more test patterns is or are printed with at least one accurate color;

one or more image capturing means scanning at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and one or more printouts of at least one of the test pattern or patterns, at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts being placed together on one or more platens, and creating captured image data in which included together there are results of capture for both at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts; and

one or more means employing at least a portion of the captured image data to control and/or adjust at least one of the image processing means.

15. A method capable of being used in the context of a computer system comprising one or more image processing means carrying out specific image processing on image data input thereto, the method comprising:

one or more steps in which one or more test pattern master sheets on which one or more test patterns is or are printed with at least one accurate color and one or more printouts of at least one of the test pattern or patterns are placed together on one or more platens, and at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts are scanned;

one or more steps in which captured image data is created, results of capture carried out in at least one of the scanning step or steps for both at least one of the test pattern master sheet or sheets and at least one of the test pattern printout or printouts being included in the captured image data; and

one or more steps in which at least a portion of the captured image data is employed to control and/or adjust at least one of the image processing means.