Preview data generating apparatus, method to generate preview data, and computer usable medium therefor

• US 8,411,101 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCulley, Ryan D
• Application Number:
  US12/372,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A preview data generating apparatus to generate preview data, which is used to display a preview image representing an image to be printed on a recording medium, in reflection of a color of the recording medium, is provided. The preview data generating apparatus includes a base color input unit to input a base color being the color of the recording medium, a print data input unit to input print data in a printable format, which is used to print the image, a data conversion unit to convert the print data into a displayable format suitable for a display device, and a base color incorporated data generating unit to generate the preview data representing the image to be printed by incorporating the displayable-formatted data and the base color.

Claims

1. A preview data generating apparatus configured to generate preview data, which is used to display a preview image representing an image to be printed on a recording medium, in reflection of a color of the recording medium, comprising:

a base color input unit configured to input a base color being the color of the recording medium;

a print data input unit configured to input print data in a printable format, which is used to print the image;

a data conversion unit configured to convert the print data into a displayable format suitable for a display device; and

a base color incorporated data generating unit to generate the preview data representing the image to be printed by incorporating the displayable-formatted data and the base color,

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit generates white preview data representing whiteness of the preview image;

wherein the print data input unit inputs scale values for a plurality of colors of pixels included in the print data, the plurality of colors including white;

wherein the data conversion unit converts the scale values for the plurality of colors of pixels inputted by the print data input unit into scale values for the colors of pixels in the displayable format;

wherein the preview data generated by the base color incorporated data generating unit is configured with R, G, B color components, which are red, green, and blue respectively;

wherein the preview data generating apparatus further comprises an extractor unit to extract scale values of C, M, Y colors, which are cyan, magenta, and yellow respectively, from the print data to convert into CMY data; and

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit generates colored preview data, which represents a multi-colored preview image, by;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the C color from the scale value of the R color component in the white preview data;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the Y color from the scale value of the B color component in the white preview data; and

subtracting the extracted scale value of the M color from the scale value of the G color component in the white preview data.

2. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the print data input unit inputs scale values for whiteness of pixels included in the print data;

wherein the data conversion unit converts the scale values for whiteness of pixels inputted by the print data input unit into scale values for whiteness in the displayable format; and

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit generates the white preview data representing whiteness of the preview image with the base color incorporated based on the scale values for whiteness of pixels in the displayable-formatted data and the base color so that;

a scale value of whiteness of a pixel in the white preview data becomes maximum when a scale value of whiteness of a corresponding pixel in the print data indicates maximum;

a scale value of whiteness of a pixel in the white preview data becomes lower to be closer to the color of the recording medium as a scale value of whiteness of a corresponding pixel in the print data diminishes; and

a scale value of whiteness of a pixel in the white preview data becomes minimum when a scale value of whiteness of a corresponding pixel in the print data indicates minimum.

3. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the base color input unit inputs the base color in scale values of R, G, and B;

wherein the print data input unit inputs the print data in a binary-format;

wherein the data conversion unit converts the binary-formatted print data indicating the binary scale values of whiteness into 256-scaled displayable-formatted data indicating the scale values of whiteness in 256 scales; and

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit generates the white preview data based on the 256-scaled displayable-formatted data converted by the data conversion unit and the scale values of the RGB of the base color inputted by the base color input unit.

4. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the print data input unit inputs binary-scaled CMYKW-formatted print data, which includes scale values of C, M, Y, K, W colors, which are cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and white;

wherein the data conversion unit converts the binary-scaled CMYKW print data into 256-scaled CMYKW displayable data;

wherein the extractor unit converts the 256-scaled CMYKW displayable data into 256-scaled CMY data, in which scale values of the CMYK colors in the 256-scaled CMYKW displayable data are represented in CMY colors and the K color is represented in combination of the CMY colors;

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit generates the colored preview data in the scale values of RGB by converting the 256-scaled CMY data with reference to a predetermined color conversion table.

5. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the base color incorporated data generating unit includes a preview data combining unit to generate combined preview data, in which the white preview data and the colored preview data are combined.

6. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the preview data combining unit combines the white preview data and the colored preview data through a multiplying process.

7. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the activation of the preview data combining unit is switchable based on presence and absence of K data, which indicates color scales of the K color in the print data.

8. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the preview data combining unit is activated when the K data is included in the print data.

9. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a preview data selection unit by which one of the white preview data and the colored preview data to be generated by the base color incorporated data generating unit is selected.

10. The preview data generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print data includes information concerning the base color.

11. A method to generate preview data, which is to be used to display a preview image representing an image to be printed on a recording medium, in reflection of a color of the recording medium;

comprising;

inputting a base color being the color of the recording medium;

inputting print data in a printable format, which is used to print the image, by inputting scale values for a plurality of colors of pixels included in the print data, the plurality of colors including white;

converting the print data into a displayable format suitable for a display device by converting the scale values for the plurality of colors of pixels inputted by the print data input unit into scale values for the colors of pixels in the displayable format;

extracting scale values of C, M, Y colors, which are cyan, magenta, and yellow respectively, from the print data to convert into CMY data;

generating white preview data representing whiteness of the preview image; and

generating the preview data representing the image to be printed by incorporating the displayable-formatted data and the base color, the preview data being configured with R, G, B color components, which are red, green, and blue respectively, the generating occurring by;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the C color from the scale value of the R color component in the white preview data;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the Y color from the scale value of the B color component in the white preview data; and

subtracting the extracted scale value of the M color from the scale value of the G color component in the white preview data.

12. A non-transitory computer usable medium to comprise computer readable instructions to control a computer to generate preview data, which is to be used to display a preview image representing an image to be printed on a recording medium, in reflection of a color of the recording medium, by executing steps of:

inputting a base color being the color of the recording medium;

inputting print data in a printable format, which is used to print the image by inputting scale values for a plurality of colors of pixels included in the print data, the plurality of colors including white;

converting the print data into a displayable format suitable for a display device by converting the scale values for the plurality of colors of pixels inputted by the print data input unit into scale values for the colors of pixels in the displayable format;

extracting scale values of C, M, Y colors, which are cyan, magenta, and yellow respectively, from the print data to convert into CMY data;

generating white preview data representing whiteness of the preview image; and

generating the preview data representing the image to be printed by incorporating the displayable-formatted data and the base color, the preview data being configured with R, G, B color components, which are red, green, and blue respectively, the generating occurring by;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the C color from the scale value of the R color component in the white preview data;

subtracting the extracted scale value of the Y color from the scale value of the B color component in the white preview data; and

subtracting the extracted scale value of the M color from the scale value of the G color component in the white preview data.