Color-consistent three level differential gloss images

• US 20080192297A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Fuss, William A., Eschbach, Reiner, Wang, Shen-Ge
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32256 in halftone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4058 with details for producing a halftone screen at an oblique angle H04N1/4056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3211 of a company logo or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/323 for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A method for creating a differential gloss image includes providing first and second anisotropic halftone structures. The first and second anisotropic structures have different orientations. One of the first and second anisotropic structures is applied to image data in a first region of an image to be halftoned. The other of the first and second anisotropic structures may be applied to image data in a second region of an image to be halftoned. A mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures is applied to image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned, whereby when printed, the three regions each have a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the other two regions.

Claims

1. A method for creating a differential gloss image comprising:

providing first and second anisotropic halftone structures, the first and second anisotropic structures having different orientations;

applying one of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in a first region of an image to be halftoned;

applying the other of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in a second region of an image to be halftoned; and

applying a mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned, whereby when printed, the first, second, and third regions each have a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the other two regions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein to each region, a mass of halftone structures is applied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in the third region comprises alternating first and second halftone structures.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in the third region comprises applying a substantially uniform distribution of each of the first and second halftone structures in the third region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applying of the mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in the third region comprises applying a mask which designates the first and second halftone structures to alternating sub-regions of the third region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third regions comprises a watermark which is visually detectable in the image, when printed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the watermark comprises at least one of an indicia, a logo, a trademark, a bar code, a date/time stamp, a monetary value, a serial number, a tracking number, a program code, and a repeating pattern of visually discernable shapes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first anisotropic structure orientation and the second anisotropic structure orientation are 90 degrees apart.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first anisotropic structure has a 45 degree orientation to a process direction of the image and the second anisotropic structure has a 45 degree orientation to the process direction of the image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, printing the halftoned image comprising the first and second regions on a print media substrate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the applying of the one of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in the first region of an image to be halftoned includes applying a first halftone screen, which generates the first halftone structure, to the image data in the first region; and

the applying of the other of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in the second region of an image to be halftoned includes applying a second halftone screen, which generates the second halftone structure, to the image data in the second region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the applying a mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to the image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned comprises at least one of;

toggling between the first screen and the second screen;

and

applying a third screen which functions as a combination of the first and second screens, the third screen generating the first and second halftone structures.

13. A tangible computer program product which includes instructions, which when executed on a computer, perform the method of claim 1.

14. A printed item comprising:

a substrate;

a differential gloss image printed on the substrate, the differential gloss image comprising a first region comprising a first anisotropic halftone structure, a second region comprising a second anisotropic halftone structure, different in orientation from the first anisotropic halftone structure, and a third region, abutting at least one of the first and second regions, comprising a mixture of the first anisotropic halftone structure and the second anisotropic halftone structure, whereby the third region has a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the first and second regions.

15. The printed item of claim 14, wherein two of the first, second, and third regions comprise a watermark.

16. The printed item of claim 15, wherein the watermark depicts at least one of an indicia, a logo, a trademark, a bar code, a date/time stamp, a monetary value, a serial number, a tracking number, a program code, and a repeating pattern of visually discernable shapes.

17. The printed item of claim 14, wherein the item comprises at least one of a coupon, a ticket, a certificate, a banknote, a passport, an award, a diploma, and a decorative item.

18. The printed item of claim 14, wherein the printed image includes more than three regions including at least one of:

a plurality of the first regions;

a plurality of the second regions; and

a plurality of the third regions.

19. An apparatus for generating a differential gloss image comprising:

a component which provides first and second anisotropic halftone structures, the first and second anisotropic structures having different orientations; and

a component which selectively applies the first anisotropic halftone structure and the second anisotropic structure to image data in regions of an image to generate a differential gloss pattern, the component configured for applying the first anisotropic halftone structure to image data in a first region of an image to be halftoned, for applying the second anisotropic halftone structure to image data in a second region of an image to be halftoned, and for applying a mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures to image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned, whereby when printed, the first, second, and third regions each have a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the other two regions.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an image output terminal which prints the differential gloss image.

21. A method for creating a differential gloss image comprising:

providing first and second anisotropic halftone screens, the first and second anisotropic screens generating halftone structures having different orientations;

applying one of the first and second screens to image data in a first region of an image to be halftoned;

optionally, applying the other of the first and second screens to image data in a second region of an image to be halftoned; and

applying a combination of the first and second screens to image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned, whereby when printed, the first region, second region, where present, and third region each have a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the other region or regions.