Color signal processing and color profile creation for color image reproduction

• US 7,564,604 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shirasawa, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Madeleine A
• Application Number:
  US11/009,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 358/529, 358/530, 358/520, 358/523, 358/518, 358/515, 358/521, 358/525, 358/504, 358/1.9, 382/167, 382/162, 382/165, 382/166
• US Class Current: 358/529
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/027 Test patterns and calibration arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/54 Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

A signal processing method for converting input color value information (Lab) represented in a uniform color space into a set of five output color levels of black, light black, and three chromatic colors (CMYKLk) is provided. A black output level (K) is determined based on the input color value information. Then, a light black output level (Lk) is determined based on the black output level and the input color value information. Output levels of the three chromatic colors (CMY) are also determined such that the determined output levels are colorimetrically consistent with the input color value information.

Claims

1. A signal processing method for converting color value information represented in a uniform color space into a set of five output color levels of black, light black, and three chromatic colors, the method comprising:

determining a black output level based on the color value information;

determining a light black output level based on the black output level and the color value information;

determining output levels of the three chromatic colors such that the determined output levels are colorimetrically consistent with the color value information;

acquiring a plurality of the sets of the five output color levels of the five color components for a plurality of the color values;

evaluating at least ink consumption and granularity of a reproduced image based on the acquired sets of the five output color levels; and

performing nonlinear optimization for optimizing the black output level based on the evaluation result.

2. The signal processing method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a plurality of color samples by varying the five output color levels;

performing calorimetric measurement on the color samples to acquire the color value information represented in the uniform color space;

creating a mapping function for converting a combination of the color value information and the black output level into the light black output level; and

determining the light black output level using the mapping function.

3. The color signal processing method of claim 2, wherein the mapping function is created to satisfy a maximum black condition with a zero output level in one of the three chromatic colors.

4. The signal processing method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a mapping function for converting the color value information to the output color levels of the three chromatic colors, using a color sample reproduced from the set of the output color levels with one of the chromatic colors having a zero level, to satisfy a maximum black condition.

5. The signal processing method of claim 1, wherein the granularity is evaluated using a four-dimensional lookup table having four inputs of two of the three chromatic color output levels, the black output level, and the light black output level.

6. The signal processing method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a constraint to reproduce the color values located on an achromatic color axis using only the black component and the light black component.

7. The signal processing method of claim 1, wherein the nonlinear optimization includes recalculation of the output levels of only the black component and the light black component.

8. A signal processing method for converting color value information represented in a uniform color space into a set of five output color levels of black, light black, and three chromatic colors, the method comprising:

determining a light black output level based on the color value information;

determining a black output level based on the light black output level and the color value information;

determining output levels of the three chromatic colors such that the determined output levels are calorimetrically consistent with the color value information;

acquiring a plurality of the sets of the five output levels of the five color components for a plurality of color values;

evaluating at least ink consumption and granularity of a reproduced image based on the acquired sets of the five output color levels; and

performing nonlinear optimization for optimizing the light black output level based on the evaluation result.

9. The signal processing method of claim 8, further comprising:

outputting a plurality of color samples by varying the five output color levels;

performing colorimetric measurement on the color samples to acquire the color value information represented in the uniform color space;

creating a mapping function for converting a combination of the color value information and the light black output level into the black output level; and

determining the black output level using the mapping function.

10. The color signal processing method of claim 9, wherein the mapping function is created to satisfy a maximum black condition with a zero output level in one of the three chromatic colors.

11. The signal processing method of claim 8, further comprising:

creating a mapping function for converting the color value information to the output color levels of the chromatic colors, using a color sample having a zero output level in one of the chromatic colors, to satisfy a maximum black condition.

12. The signal processing method of claim 8, wherein the granularity is evaluated using a four-dimensional lookup table having four inputs of two of the three chromatic color output levels, the black output level, and the light black output level.

13. The signal processing method of claim 8, further comprising:

adding a constraint so as to reproduce the color values located on an achromatic color axis by only the black component and the light black component.

14. The signal processing method of claim 8, wherein the nonlinear optimization includes recalculation of the output levels of only the black component and the light black component.