Automatic optimization of hardcopy output

• US 6,257,693 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William J., Hickman, Mark S., Miller, Steven O., Wetchler, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIEH, SHIH WEN
• Application Number:
  US08/827,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 347/19, 347/5, 347/9, 347/14, 347/101, 347/102, 347/104, 347/16, 358/462, 395/101, 395/111, 395/117, 395/112
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/102 using ink jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/107 Mask selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1825 Adapting the print data to an output condition, e.g. object trapping trapping on rasterized data H04N1/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1852 involving combining data of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1855 Combining raster data and graphic primitives
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0011 characterised by a particular command or data flow, e.g. Page Description Language, configuration commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0062 combining generic and host data, e.g. filling a raster
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0065 Page or partial page composition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone

Abstract

A method of automatically optimizing the controllable parameters related to producing printed material on a hardcopy output device is provided, along with a hardcopy output device configured for implementing this method. Users require different types of printed objects to have different characteristics. Specifically, business graphics need to be sharp and vivid, photographic images should look realistic, and text must be black, crisp and clear. By extracting, analyzing and conditioning data generated during a printing stream, the various regions of text, graphics and photographic images on a sheet are distinguished, characterized, and printed. The resulting hardcopy output has a custom balancing of color which is pleasing to the human eye for each type of image printed, and which has print characteristics tailored for the specific elements on the page.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the printing of a hardcopy using a hardcopy printing device, comprising the steps of:

supplying a printing medium page to the printing device;

instructing the printing device to print on the page a selected image having plural elements selected from the group comprising textual material, graphic images, and photographic images, with each of the plural elements of the selected image having at least one attribute;

distinguishing at least one element by a first attribute thereof; and

in response to the distinguishing step, adjusting the instructing step for the entire page and for each of the plural elements.

2. A method according to claim 1 further including the step of distinguishing a first group of elements each having the first attribute in common.

3. A method according to claim 1 further including the step of distinguishing at least one element by a second attribute thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the distinguishing step comprises:

distinguishing a first element group comprising each element having the first attribute;

defining a first regional group of the page within which the elements of the first group are printed;

distinguishing a second element group having at least one element distinguished by a second attribute thereof; and

defining a second regional group of the page within which all elements of the second group are printed.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the distinguishing step further comprises comparing the first and second element groups to define a third region of the page.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the comparing step comprises defining the third region in common with the first and second regional groups.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the comparing step comprises defining the third region as an area having one of the first and second regional groups exclusive of the other regional group.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first attribute comprises ink color.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first attribute comprises object type.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first attribute is selected from the group comprising black ink, color ink, photographic image, textual image, and line art image.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the distinguishing step further comprises distinguishing plural element groups each having at least one element, with each element of a group having an attribute in common.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the distinguishing step further comprises distinguishing plural zones of the page; and

the adjusting step comprises adjusting the instructing step to print at least two zones with different printing techniques.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the different printing techniques comprises printing with different percentages of shingling.

21. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a graphic object, and the first attribute of the graphic object is selected from the group comprising size, border color, fill color, and line thickness.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a textual object, and the first attribute is selected from the group comprising text size, text color, and text spacing.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a textual object and at least one of the plural elements comprises a colored region, and wherein the first attribute comprises the location on the page of the textual object with respect to the colored region.

24. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a color image, and the first attribute is selected from the group comprising potential bleed colors, and primary colors.

25. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a monochrome image, and the first attribute comprises a grayscale image.

26. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a line art image comprising a plurality of lines, and wherein the first attribute comprises lines.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a table, and wherein the first attribute comprises the group consisting of line art and tables.

28. A method according to claim 26 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a textual image, and wherein the first attribute comprises the group consisting of line art and text.

29. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements is a textual image and at least one of the plural elements is a non-text object, and wherein the first attribute comprises text.

30. A method according to claim 1 wherein the plural elements comprises a first element and a second element, and wherein first attribute comprises the location on the page of the first element with respect to the second element.

31. A method according to claim 1 wherein the plural elements further comprises a first element and a second element that intersects a portion of the first element, and wherein first attribute comprises the location on the page of the intersection of the first element with the second element.

32. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plural elements comprises a first image selected from the group comprising a line art image, a table, or a textual image, and wherein the adjusting step comprises implementing edge enhancement to the first image.

14. A method of controlling the printing of a hardcopy using a hardcopy printing device, comprising the steps of:

supplying a printing medium page to a printing device;

instructing the printing device to print on the page a selected image having plural elements selected from the group comprising textual material, graphic images, and photographic images, with each of the plural elements of the selected image having at least one attribute;

distinguishing the elements by their attributes to define plural zones for the entire page; and

in response to the distinguishing step, adjusting the instructing step for the entire page to use different printing techniques in at least two zones of the page.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the different printing techniques comprises printing with different percentages of shingling.

16. A hardcopy printing device for printing a selected image having plural elements on a printing medium page, the device comprising:

a chassis;

a print medium handling system housed in the chassis for supplying the printing medium page to a printing zone;

a printing mechanism which selectively deposits colorant on the page in response to a control signal; and

a controller which generates the control signal in response to a data input defining a page description comprising a selected image with plural elements selected from the group comprising textual material, graphic images, and photographic images, with each of the plural elements of the selected image having at least one attribute, with the data input having portions extracted and adjusted to characterize a first element group comprising at least one element with a first attribute, and with the control signal generated by the controller for the entire page and for each of the plural elements.

17. A hardcopy printing device according to claim 16 wherein the controller characterizes a second element group comprising at least one element with a second attribute.

18. A hardcopy printing device according to claim 17 wherein the control signal comprises a first signal portion for printing the first element group with a first printing technique, and a second signal portion for printing the second element group with a second printing technique.

19. A hardcopy printing device according to claim 18 wherein the first and second printing techniques comprise respective first and second levels of shingling.

20. A hardcopy printing device according to claim 16 wherein the device comprises an inkjet printer.