Method and apparatus for color management

• US 20050273523A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Qiao, Yue, Rijavec, Nenad, Stone, David Earl, Aschenbrenner, Jean Margaret, Hohensee, Reinhard Heinrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• 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 (CR). 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 comprising:

receiving a document for outputting;

determining that a color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document for outputting; and

adding a command into an output data stream for outputting the document at a target output device, the command for invoking the associated CMR during output of the at least part of a component at the target device, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a name of the CMR associated with at least part of a component;

using the name to locate the CMR in memory; and

adding the CMR to the output data stream.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein using the name to locate the CMR in memory comprises:

searching for the CMR in the document for outputting;

responsive to not finding the CMR in the document for outputting, searching for the CMR in a collection of CMR'"'"'s.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises:

responsive to determining that the at least part of a component is associated with a device independent CMR, replacing the association to be with device specific CMR, specific to the target output device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises:

obtaining attributes of the at least part of a component; and

associating a CMR with the at least part of a component and which is selected based on the obtained attributes.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

using the obtained attributes to create the CMR which is associated with the at least part of a component.

7. 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.

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

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the command specifies a scope for the invocation of the CMR.

10. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a document receiver for receiving a document for outputting;

an association determiner for determining that a color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document for outputting; and

a command adder for adding a command into an output data stream for outputting the document at a target output device, the command for invoking the associated CMR during output of the at least part of a component at the target device, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a name obtainer for obtaining a name of the CMR associated with at least part of a component;

a name user for using the name to locate the CMR in memory; and

a CMR adder for adding the CMR to the output data stream.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determiner comprises:

a replacer, responsive to determining that the at least part of a component is associated with a device independent CMR, for replacing the association to be with device specific CMR, specific to the target output device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determiner comprises:

an attribute obtainer for obtaining attributes of the at least part of a component; and

a CMR associator for associating a CMR with the at least part of a component and which is selected based on the obtained attributes.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising

an attribute user for using the obtained attributes to create the CMR which is associated with the at least part of a component.

15. An article of manufacture comprising 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 comprising:

receiving a document for outputting;

determining that a color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document for outputting; and

adding a command into an output data stream for outputting the document at a target output device, the command for invoking the associated CMR during output of the at least part of a component at the target device, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, the method further comprising:

obtaining a name of the CMR associated with at least part of a component;

using the name to locate the CMR in memory; and

adding the CMR to the output data stream.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein determining comprises:

responsive to determining that the at least part of a component is associated with a device independent CMR, replacing the association to be with device specific CMR, specific to the target output device.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein determining comprises:

obtaining attributes of the at least part of a component; and

associating a CMR with the at least part of a component and which is selected based on the obtained attributes.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, the method further comprising using the obtained attributes to create the CMR which is associated with the at least part of a component.

20. A method 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 a document for outputting;

determining that a color management resource (CMR) is associated with at least part of a component from the document for outputting; and

adding a command into an output data stream for outputting the document at a target output device, the command for invoking the associated CMR during output of the at least part of a component at the target device, the CMR comprising details for use when rendering the colors of the at least part of a component during its output.

21. The method of claim 20, the program code comprising further instructions for:

obtaining a name of the CMR associated with at least part of a component;

using the name to locate the CMR in memory; and

adding the CMR to the output data stream.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the instructions for determining comprising instructions for:

in response to determining that the at least part of a component is associated with a device independent CMR, replacing the association to be with device specific CMR, specific to the target output device.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the instructions for determining comprises instructions for:

obtaining attributes of the at least part of a component; and

associating a CMR with the at least part of a component and which is selected based on the obtained attributes.

24. The method of claim 20, the program code comprising further instructions for:

using the obtained attributes to create the CMR which is associated with the at least part of a component.

25. A method comprising:

obtaining a color management resource (CMR) comprising details for use when rendering colors during output of the at least part component of an output document;

storing the CMR for later retrieval;

storing information relating to the CMR including a name and location of the CMR in storage in a searchable list of CMR information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein obtaining a CMR comprises:

receiving a color profile of a known format; and

using the color profile to create a CMR.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the CMR is independent of an output device, and the method further comprises:

linking the stored information to information relating to a different CMR which is specific to an output device.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a component for inclusion in a output document;

obtaining attributes of at least part of the component; and

using the obtained attributes to select a CMR from the searchable list and associate it with the at least part of a component.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the details relate to at least one of a color conversion, a link color conversion, a halftone screen, and a calibration curve.

30. A data processing apparatus comprising:

an obtainer for obtaining a color management resource (CMR) comprising details for use when rendering colors during output of the at least part component of an output document;

a CMR storer for storing the CMR for later retrieval;

an information storer for storing information relating to the CMR including a name and location of the CMR in storage in a searchable list of CMR information.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the obtainer comprising:

a profile receiver for receiving a color profile of a known format; and

a CMR creator for using the color profile to create a CMR.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the CMR is independent of an output device, and the method further comprises:

an information linker for linking the stored information to information relating to a different CMR which is specific to an output device.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

a component receiver for receiving a component for inclusion in a output document;

an attribute obtainer for obtaining attributes of at least part of the component; and

an attribute user for using the obtained attributes to select a CMR from the searchable list and associate it with the at least part of a component.

34. An article of manufacture comprising 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 comprising:

obtaining a color management resource (CMR) comprising details for use when rendering colors during output of the at least part component of an output document;

storing the CMR for later retrieval;

storing information relating to the CMR including a name and location of the CMR in storage in a searchable list of CMR information.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 34 wherein obtaining a CMR comprises:

receiving a color profile of a known format; and

using the color profile to create a CMR.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the CMR is independent of an output device, and the method further comprises:

linking the stored information to information relating to a different CMR which is specific to an output device.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 34, the method further comprising:

receiving a component for inclusion in a output document;

obtaining attributes of at least part of the component; and

using the obtained attributes to select a CMR from the searchable list and associate it with the at least part of a component.

38. A method 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;

obtaining a color management resource (CMR) comprising details for use when rendering colors during output of the at least part component of an output document;

storing the CMR for later retrieval;

storing information relating to the CMR including a name and location of the CMR in storage in a searchable list of CMR information.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein obtaining a CMR comprises:

receiving a color profile of a known format; and

using the color profile to create a CMR.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the CMR is independent of an output device, and the program code comprises further instructions for:

linking the stored information to information relating to a different CMR which is specific to an output device.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the program code comprises further instructions for:

receiving a component for inclusion in a output document;

obtaining attributes of at least part of the component; and

using the obtained attributes to select a CMR from the searchable list and associate it with the at least part of a component.