System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages comprising:
- a network having nodes, each one of said nodes comprising at least one rendering device;
means for distributing said input color image data from said one of said nodes to other said nodes;
means for producing a data structure in said network;
means for providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node;
means for producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node;
means for storing said information in said data structure;
means for transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure;
means for rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices;
means for selecting color preferences for color reproduction of said pages at said nodes;
means for storing said color preferences in said data structure; and
said producing means further comprises means for producing for each said node, responsive to said color calibration data of the rendering device and said color preferences, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node.
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Abstract
The system provides for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages or page constituents in a network having nodes (or sites). Each one of the nodes comprises at least one rendering device. The system distributes the input color image data from one of the nodes to other nodes, and provides a data structure (virtual proof) in the network. This data structure has components shared by the nodes and other components present only at each node. Next, the system has means for providing color calibration data at each node characterizing output colors (colorants) of the rendering device of the node, and means for producing at each node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. The information is then stored in the data structure in different ones of the shared and other components. Means are provided in the system for transforming at each node the input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to the information in the data structure. The rendering device of each node renders a color reproduction of the page constituents responsive to the output color image data, wherein colors displayed in the reproduction at the rendering device of each node appear substantially the same within the output colors attainable by the rendering devices. The system further has means for verifying at each node that the information for the rendering device of the node properly transformed the input color image data into the output color image data, and means for revising the information stored in the data structure at the node responsive to results of the verifying means. Shared components of the data structure may also store color preferences selected by a user. The information producing means of the system may further operate responsive to both the color calibration data and the color preferences. The rendering devices in the system can provide color reproductions having three or four colorants, and may provide more than four output colors (color inks).
262 Citations
69 Claims
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1. A system for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages comprising:
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a network having nodes, each one of said nodes comprising at least one rendering device; means for distributing said input color image data from said one of said nodes to other said nodes; means for producing a data structure in said network; means for providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; means for producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; means for storing said information in said data structure; means for transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; means for rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices; means for selecting color preferences for color reproduction of said pages at said nodes; means for storing said color preferences in said data structure; and said producing means further comprises means for producing for each said node, responsive to said color calibration data of the rendering device and said color preferences, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages comprising:
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a network having nodes, each one of said nodes comprising at least one rendering device; means for distributing said input color image data from said one of said nodes to other said nodes; means for producing a data structure in said network; means for providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; means for producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; means for storing said information in said data structure; means for transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; and means for rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices, wherein at least one of said rendering devices comprising one of a printing press and a proofer device. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages comprising:
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a network having nodes, each one of said nodes comprising at least one rendering device; means for distributing said input color image data from said one of said nodes to other said nodes; means for producing a data structure in said network; means for providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; means for producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; means for storing said information in said data structure; means for transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; means for rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices; and means for storing information in said data structure defining the network of nodes, the rendering devices of the nodes, and data flow between said nodes. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A system for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages comprising:
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a network having nodes, each one of said nodes comprising at least one rendering device; means for distributing said input color image data from said one of said nodes to other said nodes; means for producing a data structure in said network; means for providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; means for producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; means for storing said information in said data structure; means for transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; means for rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices, and wherein said means for providing color calibration data at each said node further comprises means for rendering calibration forms at the rendering device of the node defining the entire gamut of output colors attainable by the rendering devices in the network, and means for measuring said calibration forms with a color measuring instrument to provide calibration data characterizing the rendering device of the node in standard color units. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for controlling color reproduction at a plurality of nodes in a network, each said node having at least one rendering device, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a data structure in said network; providing at each said node common input color image data representing one or more pages; providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; storing said information in said data structure; transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; rendering at the rendering device of each said node color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices; selecting color preferences for color reproduction of said pages at said nodes; storing said color preferences in said data structure; and said producing step further comprises producing for each said node, responsive to said color calibration data of the rendering device and said color preferences, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method for controlling color reproduction at a plurality of nodes in a network, each said node having at least one rendering device, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a data structure in said network; providing at each said node common input color image data representing one or more pages; providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; storing said information in said data structure; transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; and rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices, wherein at least one of said rendering devices comprises one of a printing press and a proofer device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method for controlling color reproduction at a plurality of nodes in a network, each said node having at least one rendering device, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a data structure in said network; providing at each said node common input color image data representing one or more pages; providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; storing said information in said data structure; transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices; and storing information in said data structure defining the network of nodes, the rendering devices of the nodes, and data flow between said nodes. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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61. A method for controlling color reproduction at a plurality of nodes in a network, each said node having at least one rendering device, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a data structure in said network; providing at each said node common input color image data representing one or more pages; providing color calibration data at each said node characterizing output colors of the rendering device of the node; producing for each said node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node; storing said information in said data structure; transforming for each said node said input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to said information in said data structure; rendering at the rendering device of each said node a color reproduction of said pages responsive to said output color image data, wherein colors displayed in said reproduction at the rendering device of each said node appear substantially the same within output colors attainable by the rendering devices; and wherein said step of providing color calibration data at each said node comprises the steps of rendering calibration forms at the rendering device of the node defining the entire gamut of output colors attainable by the rendering devices in the network, and measuring said calibration forms with a color measuring instrument to provide calibration data characterizing the rendering device of the node in standard color units. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification