System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system provides for controlling color reproduction of input color image data representing one or more pages or page constituents in a network having nodes (or sites). Each one of the nodes comprises at least one rendering device. The system distributes the input color image data from one of the nodes to other nodes, and provides a data structure (virtual proof) in the network. This data structure has components shared by the nodes and other components present only at each node. Next, the system has means for providing color calibration data at each node characterizing output colors (colorants) of the rendering device of the node, and means for producing at each node, responsive to the color calibration data of the rendering device of the node, information for transforming the input color image data into output color image data at the rendering device of the node. The information is then stored in the data structure in different ones of the shared and other components. Means are provided in the system for transforming at each node the input color image data into output color image data for the rendering device of the node responsive to the information in the data structure. The rendering device of each node renders a color reproduction of the page constituents responsive to the output color image data, wherein colors displayed in the reproduction at the rendering device of each node appear substantially the same within the output colors attainable by the rendering devices. The system further has means for verifying at each node that the information for the rendering device of the node properly transformed the input color image data into the output color image data, and means for revising the information stored in the data structure at the node responsive to results of the verifying means. Shared components of the data structure may also store color preferences selected by a user. The information producing means of the system may further operate responsive to both the color calibration data and the color preferences. The rendering devices in the system can provide color reproductions having three or four colorants, and may provide more than four output colors (color inks).
103 Citations
82 Claims
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1-54. -54. (canceled)
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55. A digital system capable of capturing a color image and providing information for improved rendering of said image by one or more color rendering devices comprising:
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one or more sensors capable of capturing an image to provide electrical signals responsive to light of said image;
a microprocessor capable of enabling the conversion of said signals into digital image data represented as coordinates in a color space, wherein said conversion includes at least one or more gamut operations upon said image captured by said one or more sensors; and
memory for storing said digital image data in a file having a header with at least information representing said gamut operations, wherein said information of said header is capable of being utilized in the production of a color transformation for reproduction of said image by a color rendering device, in which said color transformation is capable of expanding the gamut of said digital image data for said reproduction. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A method for controlling color reproduction between a digital system capable of capturing color images and one or more color rendering devices comprising the steps of:
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capturing an image optically upon one or more sensors that are capable of converting light of said image into electrical signals;
converting said signals into digital image data represented as coordinates in a color space and producing information comprising one or more relationships between the color gamut of said captured image and the gamut of said digital image data wherein said conversion of said signals comprises at least one gamut operation capable of compressing colors of said captured image; and
storing in memory at least said digital image data and said information, wherein said information is stored, along with at least one of default settings or user preferences for color reproduction, in a file header for said digital image data, and wherein contents of said header are utilized in the production of a color transformation for reproduction of said image on a color rendering device, said color transformation being capable of expanding the gamut of said digital image data for said reproduction. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method of color image processing comprising the steps of:
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capturing an image with a camera;
processing said image digitally to produce image data in coordinates of a color space, wherein said processing is capable of compressing colors of said image, according to one or more invertible gamut operations, in one or more dimensions of said color space;
storing said image data in a file having a separable header comprising at least information of said gamut operations; and
providing said file to one or more other systems capable of further processing and storing or rendering, wherein said further processing is capable of expanding the gamut of colors of said image data at least partly according to said information of said header.
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Specification