Document-to-printer color gamut matching

• US 7,355,745 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HP Inc.
• Inventors: Zeng, Huanzhoa, Hudson, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamb; Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Menberu; Beniyam
• Application Number:
  US09/835,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 345589-591, 345/593, 358/1.9, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/296, 358/518, 358/530, 358/501, 382162-163, 715/528
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6058 Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut

Abstract

A document-to-printer color gamut matching system enables comparison of at least two color maps in a manner that allows selection of the printer that will result in the best print output. Information related to the document to be printed and information describing the color gamut(s) that each available printer is capable of printing is compared. Each color gamut is evaluated to determine suitability for use with the document. The document-to-printer gamut matching system may provide the author of the document with a number of candidate printers best matched to the printing of the document depending on the rendering intent of the author; may select a printer based on a measurement of best fit; or may generate a custom color map to result in a color gamut that is satisfactory.

Claims

1. A method for printing, comprising:

obtaining color space requirements of a document to be printed, wherein the requirements define a boundary of a color space associated with the document;

obtaining a rendering intent from an author;

selecting a printer from among a plurality of printers based on a best fit as determined by the color space requirements of the document, the rendering intent of the author and gamuts of each of the plurality of printers, wherein each gamut defines a boundary of a device colors space indicating colors printable by the printer; and

determining if color mapping is needed, and if so selecting a color map from a selection comprising;

a first color map based on an absolute colorimetric rendering intent; and

a second color map based on perceptual rendering intent;

wherein selecting based on the best-fit comprises;

comparing the color space requirements of the document with a device colors space of each of two or more printers; and

comparing how well each printer would respond to an author'"'"'s indicated preference for absolute colorimetric rendering intent or perceptual rendering intent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the color map additionally comprises:

giving an author an opportunity to select a color map that balances preservation of color accuracy against color separation; and

using the selected color map in printer selection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of color maps additionally comprises:

a third color map, which balances not mapping device colors to preserve their accuracy against mapping device colors to preserve color separation between device colors and colors mapped into the device colors space, wherein the balancing comprises mapping device colors by less distance within the device colors space than they are mapped by the second mapping.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising:

mapping colors within the document according to the selected color map; and

printing the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if color mapping is needed is based on the color space requirements of the document, the rendering intent of the author and the device colors space of the selected printer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the printer based on best-fit, comprises:

comparing volumes of the color space requirement of the document to the gamuts of each of the plurality of printers;

comparing a percentage of colors within the document included in each of the gamuts of each of the plurality of printers;

or

comparing area within the document associated with colors in each of the gamuts of each of the plurality of printers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein gamuts of each of the plurality of printers are obtained from a library of printer gamut information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein gamuts of each of the plurality of printers are obtained directly from the printers themselves.

9. A print system, comprising:

a documents requirement module configured to obtain a color space requirements of a document to be printed, wherein the requirements define a boundary of a color space associated with the document;

a preferences interface configured to obtain a rendering intent from an author; and

an evaluation module configured for selecting a printer from among a plurality of printers based on a best fit as determined by the color space requirements of the document, the rendering intent of the author and gamuts of each of the plurality of printers, wherein each gamut defines a boundary of a device colors space indicating colors printable by the printer;

wherein the evaluation module determines if color mapping is needed, and if so uses a color map from a selection comprising;

a first color map based on absolute colorimetric rendering intent; and

a second color map based on perceptual rendering intent;

wherein the evaluation module determines the best fit by a method comprising;

comparing the color space requirements of the document with a device colors space of each of two or more printers; and

comparing how well each printer would respond to an author'"'"'s indicated preference for absolute colorimetric rendering intent or perceptual rendering intent.

10. The print system of claim 9, wherein the selection additionally comprises:

a third color map, configured combine characteristics of the first and second color maps.

11. The print system of claim 9, wherein the print system is configured to allow selection between the color maps, and the selection comprises:

selecting the color map based on absolute colorimetric rendering intent when user input indicates a preference to preserve color accuracy within the device colors space; and

selecting a color map based on perceptual rendering intent when user input indicates a preference to preserve color separation between colors within the device colors space and colors outside the device colors space.

12. The print system of claim 9, wherein the evaluation module obtains the gamuts of each of the plurality of printers from:

a library of printer gamut information;

or

directly from the plurality of printers.

13. The printer system of claim 9, wherein the printer system is configured to allow selection between the first and second color map based on an author'"'"'s indicated preference for absolute colorimetric rendering intent or perceptual rendering intent.

14. The printer system of claim 9, additionally comprising:

a sensor array configured to evaluate printed documents and update the boundary defining the device colors space of each printer.

15. A print system configured to select a printer to print a document, comprising:

a plurality of printers, wherein a gamut of each printer is defined by a boundary indicating a device colors space comprising colors printable by the printer;

a sensor array configured to evaluate printed documents and update the boundary defining the device colors space for each printer;

a print server configured to select a printer from among the plurality of printers, wherein the selecting is based on a best fit analysis as determined by color space requirements of the document, a rendering intent of an author and gamuts of each of the plurality of printers; and

a custom gamut mapping module, comprising;

a first color map based on absolute colorimetric rendering intent, wherein colors outside the boundary of a device colors space are mapped to the boundary of the device colors space, and colors within the device colors space are not mapped to preserve their accuracy; and

a second color map based on perceptual rendering intent, wherein colors outside the boundary of the input color space are mapped into the device colors space, and colors within the device colors space are mapped to preserve color separation between the them and the colors mapped into the device colors space;

wherein the best-fit analysis, comprises;

comparing the color space requirements of the document with an input color space of each of two or more printers; and

selecting a printer from among those compared according to a criterion based in part on an author'"'"'s indicated preference for absolute colorimetric rendering intent or perceptual rendering intent.

16. The print system of claim 15, wherein the custom gamut mapping module additionally comprises:

a third color map configured to map device colors by less distance in the device colors space than the colors are mapped by the second mapping.

17. The print system of claim 15, wherein the print system is configured to allow selection between the color maps, and the selection comprises:

selecting the color map based on absolute colorimetric rendering intent when user input indicates preference to preserve color accuracy within the device colors space; and

selecting a color map based on perceptual rendering intent when user input indicates preference to preserve color separation between colors within the device colors space and colors outside the device colors space.

18. The print system of claim 15, wherein the print system is configured to allow selection between the color maps, and the selection additionally comprises:

selecting a color map that balances preservation of color accuracy and color separation when indicated by user input.

19. The print system of claim 15, wherein determining if color mapping is needed is based on the color space requirements of the document, the rendering intent of the author and the device colors space of the selected printer.

20. The print system of claim 15, wherein the best-fit analysis, comprises:

using an algorithm to determine best fit, wherein the algorithm is selected in response to input from the author.