System and method for proofing a page for color discriminability problems based on color names

• US 8,456,694 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Beretta, Giordano Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Cordero, Marivelisse Santiago
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Huo Long
• Application Number:
  US11/123,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,951 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/518
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00015 Reproducing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00023 Colour systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00047 using an image not specifically designed for the purpose
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00063 using at least a part of the apparatus itself, e.g. self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00074 Indicating or reporting details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00087 Setting or calibrating picture signal circuits H04N1/40
• 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 2201/326 relating to the rendering or output medium, device or process, e.g. monitor, paper or printer profile

Abstract

An automated method for proofing a page for color discriminability problems includes converting a first color of a first object appearing on the page and a second color of a second object appearing on the page to coordinates of a color naming system. The method includes identifying a first color name of the first color and a second color name of the second color based on the coordinates. The method includes identifying whether the first color and the second color are discriminable based on the first color name and the second color name.

Claims

1. An automated computer-implemented method for proofing a page for color discriminability problems, the method comprising:

converting with a computer a first color of a first object appearing on the page and a second color of a second object appearing on the page to coordinates of a color naming system;

identifying with the computer a first color name of the first color and a second color name of the second color based on the coordinates; and

identifying with the computer whether the first color and the second color are discriminable based on the first color name and the second color name.

2. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are converted from device dependent values to device independent values, and then converted from the device independent values to the coordinates of the color naming system.

3. The automated method of claim 2, wherein the device independent values are CIE tristimulus values.

4. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first object is text and the second object is a colored background object.

5. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first object is an image and the second object is a colored background object.

6. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second objects at least partially overlap on the page.

7. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the first color name and the second color name are different.

8. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the first color name and the second color name are separated in the color naming system by a threshold number of color names.

9. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if a difference between a lightness value associated with the first color name and a lightness value associated with the second color name is greater than a threshold value.

10. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first object is an image, and wherein the step of converting a first color of a first object comprises averaging colors of the image to obtain a representative color for the image.

11. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the first object is an image, and wherein the step of converting a first color of a first object comprises averaging colors of a periphery portion of the image to obtain a representative color for the image.

12. The automated method of claim 1, and further comprising:

generating with the computer an error indication if it is determined that the first color and the second color are not discriminable.

13. The automated method of claim 1, and further comprising:

determining with the computer a new discriminable color combination for the first and the second colors if it is determined that the first color and the second color are not discriminable.

14. The automated method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining a new discriminable color combination comprises:

selecting with the computer a new color name from the color naming system for at least one of the first color and the second color.

15. The automated method of claim 13, and further comprising:

displaying a suggestion to a user to use the new color combination for the first and the second objects.

16. The automated method of claim 13, and further comprising:

automatically changing with the computer the first and the second colors to the new color combination.

17. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the page is generated by an automated page layout system.

18. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the page is generated in a variable data printing process.

19. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the color naming system is based on the Coloroid color system.

20. A system for automatically identifying color discriminability problems of objects appearing on a page, the system comprising:

a memory for storing the page; and

a processor coupled to the memory for converting a first color associated with a first object on the page and a second color associated with a second object on the page to coordinates of a color naming system, and identifying whether the first color and the second color are discriminable based on identified names for the first and second colors in the color naming system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first color and the second color are converted by the processor from device dependent values to device independent values, and then converted from the device independent values to the coordinates of the color naming system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the device independent values are CIE tristimulus values.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are different.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are separated in the color naming system by a threshold number of color names.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if a difference between lightness values associated with the identified names is greater than a threshold value.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the first object is an image, and wherein converting a first color associated with a first object on the page comprises averaging colors of the image to obtain a representative color for the image.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine a new discriminable color combination for the first and the second colors if it is determined that the first color and the second color are not discriminable.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the new discriminable color combination is determined by selecting a new color name from the color naming system for at least one of the first color and the second color.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the color naming system is based on the Coloroid color system.

30. A system for proofing a page for color discriminability problems, the page including a first object and a second object, the system comprising:

means for identifying a first color name of a first color associated with the first object and a second color name of a second color associated with the second object; and

means for determining whether the first color and the second color are discriminable based on the identified first color name and the second color name.

31. The system of claim 30, and further comprising:

means for converting the first color and the second color to coordinates of a color naming system; and

wherein the means for identifying is configured to identify the first color name and the second color name based on the coordinates in the color naming system of the first color and the second color.

32. The system of claim 31, and further comprising:

means for converting the first color and the second color from device dependent values to device independent values; and

wherein the means for converting the first color and the second color to coordinates of a color naming system is configured to convert the device independent values for the first color and the second color to the coordinates of the color naming system.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are different.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are separated in a color naming system by a threshold number of color names.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if a difference between lightness values associated with the identified names is greater than a threshold value.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of identifying color discriminability problems of objects appearing on a page to be printed, comprising:

identifying a first color name of a first color associated with a first object appearing on the page;

identifying a second color name of a second color associated with a second object appearing on the page; and

determining whether the first color and the second color are discriminable based on the first color name and the second color name.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises:

converting the first color and the second color to coordinates of a color naming system; and

wherein the first color name and the second color name are identified based on the coordinates of the color naming system.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

converting the first color and the second color from device dependent values to device independent values; and

converting the device independent values for the first color and the second color to the coordinates of the color naming system.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are different.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if the identified names for the first and second colors are separated in a color naming system by a threshold number of color names.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the first color and the second color are deemed to be discriminable if a difference between lightness values associated with the identified names is greater than a threshold value.