METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A COLOR-BALANCED MULTIPLE PRINT ENGINE

• US 20060192984A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Francis A. Rowe, Jack N. Bartholmae, Michael W. Barry, Peter A. Zuber, Tompkins E. Neal
• Original Assignee: Francis A. Rowe, Jack N. Bartholmae, Michael W. Barry, Peter A. Zuber, Tompkins E. Neal
• Inventors: Rowe, Francis A., Zuber, Peter A., Barry, Michael W., Bartholmae, Jack N., Tompkins, E. Neal
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 1/00 Platen presses, i.e. presses in which printing is effected by at least one essentially-flat pressure-applying member co-operating with a flat type-bed
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00021 Plural substantially independent image forming units in cooperation, e.g. for duplex, colour or high-speed simplex
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/14 by electrographic printing, e.g. xerography; by magnetographic printing G06K15/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1859 involving data processing distributed amongst different data processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00015 Reproducing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00023 Colour systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00045 using a reference pattern designed for the purpose, e.g. a test chart
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00053 out of service, i.e. outside of normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00058 using a separate apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00087 Setting or calibrating picture signal circuits H04N1/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0009 Storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/29 involving production of an electrostatic intermediate picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32502 : in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32529 : of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32555 : Large jobs, i.e. performing identical parts of the same job on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 : Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/50 : Picture reproducers for halftone screening H04N1/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 : Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 : Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• 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 1/6052 : Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for color balancing page data, from a variety of input sources having non-consistent device color profiles, among a plurality of individually accessible print engines arranged in a system for color printing multiple copies of multiple page documents. Input page data is converted to a common color space, rasterized and routed to a selected print engine. Page data routed to each marking engine is color balanced to the selected marking engine where at least a portion of the color balancing occurs following the rasterizing of the page data.

Claims

1. A method for processing a print job for printing on a system having multiple marking engines, each marking engine having an associated color space, the method comprising:

receiving a print job defined according to a first color space; and

processing the received print job for routing to a selected marking engine to provide rasterized image data in the color space of the selected marking engine, wherein processing includes converting the print job data to the color space of the selected marking engine, and converting is performed on the rasterized image data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises inputting page data for the print job to a spooler.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing includes:

decoding the print job data into print strings; and

rasterizing the print job data to form bit-mapped page images;

compressing the bit-mapped page image data; and

storing the compressed page image data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein processing further includes:

compressing the bit-mapped page image data; and

storing the compressed page image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein converting comprises:

referencing all print engines to a common color space;

translating the print job data from the first color space to the common color space; and

balancing the print job data designated for a selected marking engine to the color space of the selected marking engine.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein referencing comprises:

selecting a system color space common to all marking engines in the system; and

entering the selected system color space specification into a formatter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein translating comprises:

mapping the print job data defined according to the first color space into a device-independent color space; and

mapping the print job data now defined in the device-independent color space into the common color space.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein balancing comprises correcting the print job data expressed in common color space format according to predetermined color calibration values corresponding to the selected marking engine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein correcting comprises:

mapping the print job data file to create mapping bit values corresponding to the color space of the selected marking engine; and

downloading the mapping bit values to the print adapter for the selected marking engine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein mapping comprises:

linearizing the response of the selected marking engine; and

creating a set of mapping bit values to calibrate the print job data for the selected marking engine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating comprises:

setting a look-up-table to a one-to-one ratio;

running a test pattern through the selected marking engine;

evaluating the test pattern image with a color measuring device;

determining mapping relationships between the color specification of the test pattern image and the common color space; and

storing the mapping relationships as a set of mapping bit values.

12. A method of matching the printed color outputs of a plurality of marking engines operable in combination in a printing system to produce defined portions of a print job routed to selected ones of the plurality of marking engines, wherein each marking engine includes a color space profile, the method comprising:

receiving the print job defined in a first color space;

converting the print job to an intermediate color space;

converting the print job to a system color space common to the plurality of marking engines operable in the system; and

modifying each portion of the print job such that each marking engine selected to print a defined portion of the print job performs a third color space conversion to conform its printed output to the common color space.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a processing step is performed following the conversion to a system color space to provide raster image processing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a routing step is performed following processing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising substituting a system color space downloaded via a network coupled to the printing system prior to performing the second converting step.

16. Apparatus for processing a print job for printing on a system having multiple marking engines, each marking engine having an associated color space, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a print job defined according to a first color space; and

means for processing the received print job, for routing to a selected marking engine, and to provide rasterized image data defined in the color space of the selected marking engine, wherein the means for processing includes means for converting the print job data to the color space of the selected marking engine, and converting is performed on the rasterized image data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for inputting page data for the print job to a spooler.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for processing includes:

means for decoding the print job data into print strings;

means for rasterizing the print job data to form bit-mapped page images.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for processing further includes:

means for compressing the bit-mapped page image data; and

means for storing the compressed page image data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for converting comprises:

means for referencing all print engines to a common color space;

means for translating the print job data from the first color space to the common color space; and

means for balancing the print job data designated for a selected marking engine to the color space of the selected marking engine.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for referencing comprises:

means for selecting a system color space common to all marking engines in the system; and

means for entering the selected system color space specification into a formatter.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for translating comprises:

means for mapping the print job data defined according to the first color space into a device-independent color space; and

means for mapping the print job data now defined in the device-independent color space into the common color space.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for balancing comprises means for correcting the print job data expressed in common color space format according to predetermined color calibration values corresponding to the selected marking engine.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for correcting comprises:

means for mapping the print job data file to create mapping bit values corresponding to the color space of the selected marking engine; and

means for downloading the mapping bit values to the print adapter for the selected marking engine.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for mapping comprises:

means for linearizing the response of the selected marking engine; and

means for creating a set of mapping bit values to calibrate the print job data for the selected marking engine.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for creating comprises:

means for setting a look-up-table to a one-to-one ratio;

means for running a test pattern through the selected print engine;

means for reading the test pattern image with a color measuring device;

means for determining mapping relationships between the color specification of the test pattern image and the common color space; and

means for storing the mapping relationships as a set of mapping bit values.

27. Apparatus for matching the printed color outputs of a plurality of marking engines operable in combination in a printing system to produce defined portions of a print job routed to selected ones of the plurality of marking engines, wherein each marking engine includes a color space profile, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the print job defined in a first color space;

means for converting the print job to an intermediate color space;

means for converting the print job to a system color space common to the plurality of marking engines operable in the system; and

means for modifying each portion of the print job such that each marking engine selected to print a defined portion of the print job performs a third color space conversion to conform its printed output to the common color space.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising means for processing the print job converted to a system color space to provide raster image processing.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising means for routing the rasterized print job images to selected ones of the plurality of marking engines.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising means for substituting an alternate color space downloaded via a network coupled to the printing system.