Color compensating method of color image and color image generating apparatus
First Claim
1. A color correcting method for a color image generating apparatus for overlapping materials of 3 or 4 colors to obtain a multicolor image, said method comprising steps of:
- setting a predetermined relationship between a first test stripe of a first color and a second test stripe of a second color to be printed, said predetermined relationship providing a reference for determining color drift in said apparatus;
printing a test chart for determining whether color drift exists in said apparatus, said test chart including at least one 2-color combination of 2 of said 3 or 4 colors of the first test stripe of said first color and the second test stripe of said second color,determining a relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination; and
if the relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination does not correspond to said predetermined relationship, controlling a record start position of said image generating apparatus in a main-scan direction and a record start position in a sub-scan direction to correct the relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination to said predetermined relationship to thereby reduce color drift in said apparatus.
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Abstract
A color correcting method for a color image generating apparatus for overlapping 3 or 4 color materials according to color image data of 3 separated colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) or of 4 separated colors of Y, M, C and black (K) to obtain a multicolor image, wherein the apparatus includes a color detector, a test pattern is printed in a vertical/horizontal stripe form of 2-color combinations of 2 of the 3 or 4 colors and is measured by the color detector to find a hue value, a relative overlap deviation of the colors Y, M, C or Y, M, C, K is calculated from the found hue value, and an irradiation start position of a semiconductor laser in a main-scan direction and an irradiation start position of the semiconductor laser in a feed direction are controlled to correct the relative overlap deviation. Or a color correcting method and apparatus in which a color correction coefficient or one of a plurality of color correction tables previously prepared for overlap deviations corresponding to the color drift is selected and set in color correcting means for color correction, or color drifts in a continuous print mode and in a non-continuous print mode are corrected.
102 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A color correcting method for a color image generating apparatus for overlapping materials of 3 or 4 colors to obtain a multicolor image, said method comprising steps of:
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setting a predetermined relationship between a first test stripe of a first color and a second test stripe of a second color to be printed, said predetermined relationship providing a reference for determining color drift in said apparatus; printing a test chart for determining whether color drift exists in said apparatus, said test chart including at least one 2-color combination of 2 of said 3 or 4 colors of the first test stripe of said first color and the second test stripe of said second color, determining a relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination; and if the relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination does not correspond to said predetermined relationship, controlling a record start position of said image generating apparatus in a main-scan direction and a record start position in a sub-scan direction to correct the relationship between the first test stripe and the second test stripe in the at least one 2-color combination to said predetermined relationship to thereby reduce color drift in said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A color correcting method for a color image generating apparatus for overlapping 3 or 4 color materials according to color image data of 3 separated colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) or of 4 separated colors of Y, M, C and black (K), respectively, to obtain a multicolor image,
wherein a test chart including at least one 2-color combination of 2 of said 3 or 4 colors or a grid test pattern is printed and measured by a color detector to find a hue value and a color drift of said color image data is calculated from the found hue value, said method further comprising: -
referencing a color reproduction model containing correction coefficients corresponding to said color drift, said correction coefficients being determined based on a signal from said color detector; generating a color correction table from at least one correction coefficient of said model; and correcting at least one color of said color image data using said color correction table to thereby correct said color drift. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A color laser beam printer comprising:
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a video signal generating circuit which generates a video signal of image data; a generating circuit which generates a laser beam modulated with the video signal; a scanning unit which scans the laser beam in a width direction of a photosensitive body; a developing unit which sequentially forms electrostatic latent images of colors on the photosensitive body by the scanned laser beam and sequentially develops the formed electrostatic latent images with use of toners corresponding to the colors; a body which collectively transfers onto a recording medium the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive body; and a fixing unit which fixes the toner images transferred onto the recording medium, wherein a test chart, including at least one 2-color combination of 4 colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K), is recorded and detected by a color detector to determine a hue value, and wherein a relationship between the colors in said at least one 2-color combination of Y, M, C and K is calculated based on a variation in the hue value, and color correction is carried out based on a laser irradiation start position or a color correction table or based on a combination of said laser irradiation start position and said color correction table. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A color laser beam printer comprising:
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a video signal generating circuit which generates a video signal of image data; a generating circuit which generates a laser beam modulated with the video signal; a scanning unit which scans the laser beam in a width direction of a photosensitive body; a developing unit which sequentially forms electrostatic latent images of colors on the photosensitive body by the scanned laser beam and sequentially develops the formed electrostatic latent images with use of toners corresponding to the colors; an intermediate transfer body which sequentially overlaps the toner images of the respective colors to form a blended-color toner image; a body which collectively transfers onto a recording medium the toner images of the respective colors formed on the intermediate transfer means; and a fixing unit which fixes the toner images transferred onto the recording medium, wherein a test chart including at least one 2-color combination of 4 colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K) is recorded and detected by a color detector installed close to a surface of the intermediate transfer body to determine a hue value, and wherein a relationship between the colors in said at least one plurality of 2-color combinations of Y, M, C and K is calculated based on a variation in the hue value, and correction is carried out based on a laser irradiation start position or a color correction table or based on a combination of said laser irradiation start position and said color correction table.
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22. A color image generating apparatus wherein a laser beam or LED light modulated with an electric signal indicative of color information on a color image is scanned in a width direction of a photosensitive body to sequentially form electrostatic latent images of different colors thereon, the formed electrostatic latent images of the colors are sequentially developed with use of toners of the corresponding colors, the developed toner images of the colors are sequentially overlapped to form a blended-color toner image on an intermediate transfer body, and the formed toner images of the colors are collectively transferred and fixed onto a recording medium, said apparatus comprising:
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a detecting circuit which detects a color drift when toner enters between said photosensitive body and said intermediate transfer body; a finding circuit which finds a color drift tendency when a plurality of sheets are printed on a basis of data from said detecting circuit; and a correcting circuit which corrects the color drift based on said color drift tendency.
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23. A color image generating apparatus comprising:
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a video signal generating circuit which generates a video signal of image data; a generating circuit which generates a laser beam modulated with the video signal; a scanning circuit which scans the laser beam in a width direction of a photosensitive body; a developing circuit which sequentially forms electrostatic latent images of colors on the photosensitive body by the scanned laser beam and sequentially develops the formed electrostatic latent images with use of toners corresponding to the colors; an intermediate transfer body which sequentially overlaps the toner images of the respective colors to form a blended-color toner image; a transfer unit which collectively transfers onto a recording medium the toner images of the respective colors formed on the intermediate transfer body; and a fixing unit which fixes the toner images transferred onto the recording medium; a detecting circuit which detects a color drift when toner enters between said photosensitive body and said intermediate transfer body; a finding circuit which finds a color drift tendency when a plurality of sheets are recorded on a basis of data from said detecting circuit; a memory for storing therein said color drift tendency; and a correcting circuit which corrects the color drift on a basis of said color drift tendency stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method for correcting color in a color image printing apparatus, comprising steps of:
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setting a predetermined relationship between a first color and second color to be printed by said apparatus, said predetermined relationship providing a reference for determining color error in said apparatus; printing information containing the first color and the second color; determining a relationship between the first color and the second in said information; and performing color correction based on a comparison of the relationship determined between the first color and the second color in said information to said predetermined relationship. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification