System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites

• US 7,312,897 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RAH Color Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: RAH Color Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Holub, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/246,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358 115- 116, 358518-523, 358504-505, 358/400, 358/500
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/465 taking into account the colour perception of the eye; using tristimulus detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/524 Calibration of colorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32523 a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32545 Distributing a job or task among a plurality of input devices or a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6052 Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6058 Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6066 dependent on the gamut of the image to be reproduced
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals

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).

Claims

1. A user interface for controlling color reproduction at multiple sites in which each of said sites has at least one color output device and said user interface is operable at a computer, said user interface comprising:

a graphical user interface enabling the selection of one or more sites;

memory accessible by the computer having data representing an identity or location of said selected one or more sites for use in enabling communication with said sites; and

said graphical user interface further enables a selection of one or more color conversions of image data for each of the color output devices at at least two of said sites, wherein at least one of said color conversions is in accordance with the gamuts or a relationship between the gamuts of the color output devices.

2. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said graphical user interface enables the user to direct the connection of said sites for communication through a network.

3. The user interface according to claim 2 wherein said network represents one or more of a Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, telecommunications network including transmission via satellite or Local Area Network (LAN).

4. The user interface according to claim 2 wherein one or more of said sites communicate via said network through at least partly wireless communication.

5. The user interface according to claim 4 wherein said wireless communication is satellite enabled.

6. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said one or more color conversions is in accordance with user preferences for color reproduction by at least one of the color output devices.

7. The user interface according to claim 6 wherein said user preferences are expressed at least in part by annotations to the image data which are capable of being presented via said graphical user interface to the user and are separable from said image data.

8. The user interface according to claim 6 wherein said user preferences influence one or more aspects of the utilization of one or more neutral colorants.

9. The user interface according to claim 6 wherein said user preferences include at least a selection of gamut sealing operations.

10. The user interface according to claim 9 wherein said scaling operations are capable of expanding at least part of a color gamut.

11. The user interface according to claim 6 wherein said user preferences include at least one aspect of the utilization of colorants in excess of three.

12. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said user is able to visualize characteristics via said graphical user interface of said one or more color conversions of image data for one or more of said color devices at one or more of said sites.

13. The user interface according to claim 12 wherein said characteristics comprise the gamuts of one or more color devices.

14. The user interface according claim 13 wherein said one or more of said color conversions which is in accordance with said gamuts or a relationship between said gamuts further comprises at least one of gamut scaling operations or the results of applying said operations in the reproduction of color image data or a graphical comparison of the gamuts of two or more devices.

15. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said graphical user interface further enables the user to initiate verification that said one or more color conversions properly transforms said image data at one or more of said sites.

16. The user interface according to claim 15 wherein said verification is based at least in part upon instrumental measurements.

17. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said at least one of said color conversions comprises gamut operations that are at least one of invertible and reciprocal.

18. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein said graphical user interface further enables said user to select a sequence of processing steps upon said color image data.

19. The user interface according to claim 1 wherein at least two of said sites are remotely located with respect to one another.

20. A method for providing control to a user for processing color images comprising the steps of:

providing an interface through which said user is able to select one or more sites, each having one or more color output devices;

providing information regarding identity or location of said one or more sites useable for communication with said sites; and

selecting one or more color conversions of input color image data into output color image data for the color output devices at at least two of said sites, wherein at least one of said color conversions is in accordance with the gamuts or a relationship between the gamuts of said color output devices.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said user is capable of directing the connection of said sites for communication through a network.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein said network represents one or more of a Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, telecommunications network capable of transmission via satellite or Local Area Network (LAN).

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein colors are substantially the same within output colors attainable by the color output devices at said selected one or more sites when at least two of said sites are selected.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein said at least one of said one or more color conversions comprises gamut operations that are at least one of invertible or reciprocal.

25. The method according claim 20 wherein said at least one of said color conversions is in accordance with g&

nuts or a relationship between gamuts further comprises;

at least one of gamut scaling operations or the results of applying said gamut scaling operations in the reproduction of color image data or data enabling comparison of the gamuts of two or more of said color devices, said one of said color conversions being shareable with at least one other site.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein said information for transforming enables proofing by at least one of said color output devices of the color reproduction which another color output device is capable of rendering.

27. The method according to claim 20 further comprising the step of verifying whether said information for transforming properly transforms said color image data at one or more of said sites.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein said verifying step further comprises the steps of rendering a color image and recording data of said rendered image in device independent units with a unitary colorimeter or an imaging colorimeter.

29. The method according to claim 28 further comprising the steps of:

determining color errors responsive to said recorded data; and

determining whether to revise said information for transforming according to one or more of an adjustment to linearization curves for one or more individual colorant channels, a computation of a color-to-color'"'"' transformation, or a re-calibration that includes the color-mixture properties of said color device.

30. The method according to claim 27 wherein said verifying step further comprises the step of revising said information for transforming responsive to a profile editing tool.

31. The method according to claim 20 wherein at least two of said sites are remotely located with respect to one another.

32. A method for providing control to a user for processing color images comprising the steps of:

providing an interface through which said user is able to select one or more sites, each having one or more color input or output devices, wherein at least one of said sites is capable of being remotely located with respect to said user;

providing information regarding identity or location of said one or more sites useable for communication with said sites; and

providing information for transforming input color image data into output color image data for the color input or output devices at said sites comprising at least information representing the gamuts or a relationship between the gamuts of said color devices, wherein said information for transforming comprises at least user preferences for color reproduction by at least one of the color devices.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein said user preferences include at least one aspect of the utilization of one or more neutral colorants.

34. The method according to claim 32 wherein said user preferences include at least a selection of gamut scaling operations.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein said scaling operations arc capable of expanding at least some of the colors in a gamut mapping for a color output device.

36. The method according to claim 32 wherein said user preferences include at least one aspect of the utilization of colorants in excess of three.

37. The method according to claim 32 wherein said user preferences are capable of being expressed at least in part by annotations to the image data, said annotations being displayable with but separable from said image data and shareable between two or more said sites.

38. A user interface capable of improving reproduction of color image data at multiple sites wherein each of said sites has at least one color input or output device and said user interface is operable by a user at a computer system having memory, said user interface comprising:

at least identity or location information, color transformation information, and user preferences for color reproduction, and said user is enabled to operate said user interface to select at least said user preferences, wherein;

said identity or location information represents information regarding said sites useable for communication with said sites, in which said communication is capable of transmission through at least a network;

said color transformation information enables said user to select one or more conversions of said color image data for reproduction by at least one device, in which said color transformation information comprises one or more components that are useable by multiple devices and one or more other components specific to one device; and

said user preferences for color reproduction are capable of being expressed at least partly by annotations to said color image data, said annotations being separable from said color image data and displayable with said color image data at one or more of said sites.

39. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said memory of said computer system further comprises data representing colors of said color image data which are out-of-gamut for at least one of said rendering devices.

40. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said user interface is implemented on said computer system with re-usable objects.

41. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said color transformation information comprises specifications for one or more aspects of utilization of black in reproduction of said color image data.

42. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said memory of said computer system further comprises information concerning said rendering devices including one or more of color measurement instruments available for said rendering devices, time of last calibration of said device or a database of historical calibration data.

43. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said computer system operating said user interface enables said user to import or export color profiles from or to other network sites.

44. The user interface according to claim 39 further capable of providing information to said user associated with the colors of said color image data that are out-of-gamut for said rendering device.

45. The user interface according to claim 40 wherein said re-usable objects are configurable by said user.

46. The user interface according to claim 40 wherein the computer system operable at each of said sites utilizes an operating system and processor, and said user interface operable on the computer system at each of said sites is not limited to one type of said operating system or said processor.

47. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said user is enabled to configure a sequence of color conversions of said color image data.

48. The user interface according to claim 47 wherein said sequence of color conversions enables proofing of said color image data.

49. The user interface according to claim 48 wherein said proofing comprises soft proofing.

50. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein users at one or more of said sites are capable of working simultaneously in exchanging said annotations.

51. The user interface according to claim 38 further comprising tutorial information capable of assisting said user.

52. The user interface according to claim 51 wherein said user accesses said tutorial information interactively.

53. The user interface according to claim 38 further comprising support for colorants in excess of four.

54. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein said color transformation components specific to one device comprise transfer functions.

55. The user interface according to claim 38 wherein at least one of said one or more color conversions represents a profile.

56. The user interface according to claim 38 further comprising security settings storable in said memory of said computer system, and said user is enabled to operate said user interface to select at least said user preferences and said security settings, wherein said security settings are capable of controlling access to one or more aspects of said communication between said sites.

57. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for providing control to a user for processing color images comprising:

a screen through which the user is able to select one or more sites according to information regarding identity or location of said one or more sites, each of said one or more sites having one or more color output devices; and

one or more screens enabling the user to control conversion of color image data for each of said color output devices for said one or more selected sites in accordance with user preferences for one or more gamut operations in which at least one of said operations is capable of expanding a gamut in at least one dimension of color.

58. A computer-readable medium according to claim 57 further comprising one or more modules for implementing said conversion of image data.

59. The computer-readable medium according to claim 57 wherein said identity or location information enables communication with said selected one or more sites, in which said communication is one of directly or through a network interface capable of enabling remote communication.

60. The computer-readable medium according to claim 57 wherein said conversion comprises at least one color-mixture transformation and at least one set of transfer functions applicable to one or more of the color channels of each of said color output devices, in which one of said color-mixture transformation or said transfer functions are capable of being generated locally or communicated as parts of a standard profile.

61. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for providing control to a user for processing color images comprising:

a screen through which the user is able to select one or more sites according to information regarding identity or location of said one or more sites, each of said one or more sites having one or more color output devices;

one or more screens enabling the user to control conversion of color image data for each of said color output devices for said one or more selected sites in accordance with user preferences for color reproduction; and

one or more modules enabling the user to select verification of color reproduction of each of said color output devices in accordance with a reference expressible in device independent units.