Method and apparatus for color management

• US 7,430,062 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Infoprint Solutions Company LLC (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Qiao, Yue, Rijavec, Nenad, Stone, David Earl, Aschenbrenner, Jean Margaret, Hohensee, Reinhard Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beckley; Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US11/077,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 358/502, 358/1.9, 358/1.15, 358/504, 358/2.1, 358/1.12, 358/3.06, 358/3.2, 358/261, 358/515, 358/518, 358/519, 358/3.23, 715/528, 715/202, 382/167, 382/276, 382/162, 400/61, 362/162, 347/224, 347/253, 719/327, 710/5, 710/15, 705/26, 345/601, 701/114, 101/484
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1807 relating to the print image preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

The management of color presented at end point devices such as a display or printer is based on the implementation of a Color Management Resource (CMR). A CMR is an architected resource stored accessibly to a print server or other processor that is used to carry all of the color management information required to render a print file, document, page, or data object.

Claims

1. A method of operating an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) system comprising:

creating an AFP document for outputting;

adding a component to the AFP document;

adding an association for associating the component with a first color management resource (CMR) to the AFP document;

receiving an output data stream which defines the AFP document for output;

determining that the CMR is associated with at least part of a component from the AFP document, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output;

determining that a second CMR is associated with at least part of a subcomponent of the at least part of the component from the AFP document;

invoking the second CMR to replace the first CMR during output of the at least part of the subcomponent; and

reinvoking the first CMR during output of the at least part of the component.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

referencing the first CMR if the receiver of the AFP document or a subsequent receiver of the AFP document has a copy of the first CMR that can be added to an output data stream created from the AFP document, or used when outputting the AFP document, or alternatively adding the first CMR to the AFP document.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

controllably adding a command to the AFP document for associating the first CMR during the output of a least a part of the component, or alternatively adding a command to invoke the second CMR specifying a scope for the invocation of the second CMR, wherein the scope may specify the second CMR to be used for a plurality of components and/or subcomponents.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first CMR is one of an instruction CMR which defines processing which is to be done on the at least part of the component, or an audit CMR which defines processing which has been done on the at least part of the component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the details relate to at least one of a color conversion, a link color conversion, a halftone screen, and a calibration curve.

6. A data processing apparatus defining an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) system comprising:

a receiver for receiving an output data stream which defines an AFP document for output;

an association determiner for determining that a first (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the AFP document, the first CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output;

wherein the association determiner determines that a second CMR is associated with at least part of a subcomponent of the at least part of the component from the AFP document;

a CMR invoker for invoking a second CMR during output of the at least part of the subcomponent; and

said CMR invoker re-invokes the first CMR when output of the at least part of the subcomponent is complete.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the apparatus controllably adds a command to the AFP document for associating the first CMR during the output of a least a part of a component, or alternatively adding a command to invoke the first CMR specifying a score for the invocation of the second CMR, wherein the score may specify a CMR to be used for a plurality of components and/or subcomponents.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the details relate to at least one of a color conversion, a link color conversion, a halftone screen, and a calibration curve.

9. An article of manufacture defining an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) system wherein the article of manufacture comprises a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of operating the AFP system comprising:

receiving an output data stream which defines an AFP document for output;

determining that a first color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of the component during its output;

invoking the first CMR during output of the at least part of the component;

determining that a second CMR is associated with at least part of a subcomponent of the at least part of the component of the AFP document;

invoking the second CMR to replace the first CMR during output of the at least part of the subcomponent; and

re-invoking the first CMR when output of the at least part of the subcomponent is complete.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 wherein the first CMR is one of an instruction CMR defining processing to be done on the at least part of the component, or an audit CMR defining processing that has been done on the at least part of the component.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9 wherein the details relate to at least one of a color conversion, a link color conversion, a halftone screen, and a calibration curve.

12. A method of operating an Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) system comprising:

producing computer executable program code; and

providing the program code to be deployed to and executed on a computer system;

the program code comprising instructions for;

receiving an output data stream which defines an AFP document for output;

determining that a first color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of the component during its output;

invoking the first CMR during output of the at least part of the component;

determining that a second CMR is associated with at least part of a subcomponent of the at least part of the component of the AFP document;

invoking a second CMR to replace the first CMR during output of at least part of the subcomponent;

re-invoking the first CMR when output of the at least part of the subcomponent is complete; and

wherein the first CMR is one of an instruction CMR defining processing to be done on at least a part of the component, or an audit CMR which defines rendering that has been done on the at least a part of the component.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the details in the first CMR relate to at least one of:

a color conversion, a link color conversion, and a halftone screen and a calibration curve.