Automatic Output Metadata Determination Based On Output Device and Substrate

• US 20180069989A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Martinsen, Ronald R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,530,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00267 with a viewing or projecting apparatus, e.g. for reading image information from a film H04N1/00262 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6094 depending on characteristics of the input medium, e.g. film type, newspaper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6097 depending on the characteristics of the output medium, e.g. glossy paper, matt paper, transparency or fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3256 colour related metadata, e.g. colour, ICC profiles for use made of colour related metadata see the appropriate place, e.g. H04N1/60, H04N1/60 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

Various different output devices (e.g., printers, display devices) can be used to output content on various different substrates (e.g., paper, projector screens, painted walls or wallpaper). A data store stores output metadata for various output device and substrate combinations. The output metadata for an output device and substrate combination describes various different aspects of how that output device is to output color on that substrate. A computing device coupled to an output device obtains an identifier of the output device and an identifier of the substrate. The computing device communicates uses these identifiers to retrieve from the data store (e.g., directly or via a service) the output metadata for the output device and the substrate. The computing device uses the output metadata to generate output parameters for use when outputting content to the substrate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically obtaining an identifier of a substrate on which content is to be output, the identifier of the substrate being obtained from packaging of the substrate;

identifying an output device to be used to output the content on the substrate;

accessing a data store to retrieve output metadata, the output metadata corresponding to both the substrate and the output device; and

using the output metadata to determine output parameters for the output device to output the content on the substrate.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, the using the output metadata to determine output parameters comprising communicating the output metadata to an output device driver for determination of the output parameters.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, the method implemented by a printer driver.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, the output metadata including a type of the substrate and a color profile for the substrate.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, the identifying the output device comprising receiving a user input specifying the output device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, the obtaining the identifier of the substrate comprising reading a quick response (QR) code on the packaging of the substrate, the quick response code encoding the identifier of the substrate.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, the obtaining the identifier of the substrate comprising reading a bar code on the packaging of the substrate, the bar code encoding the identifier of the substrate.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, the obtaining the identifier of the substrate comprising capturing an image of the packaging of the substrate and communicating the captured image to a service including the data store.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, the output device comprising a printer.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, the identifier of the output device comprising a manufacturer and model of the output device.

11. A computing device comprising:

an output parameter identification system configured to obtain an identifier of a substrate on which content is to be output, to identify a display device to be used to output the content on the substrate, and to access a data store to retrieve output metadata, the output metadata corresponding to both the substrate and the display device; and

a display device driver configured to use the output metadata to determine output parameters for the display device to output the content on the substrate.

12. The computing device as recited in claim 11, the output parameter identification system being included as part of the display device driver.

13. The computing device as recited in claim 11, the display device comprising a projector and the substrate comprising a screen onto which the projector displays content.

14. The computing device as recited in claim 11, the output metadata including a color profile for the substrate.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, a request for print metadata corresponding to a particular substrate and a particular printer, the request including an identifier of the particular printer and an identifier of the particular substrate, the identifier of the particular substrate having been automatically obtained from packaging of the substrate or the particular printer;

accessing a print metadata store including multiple entries, each entry identifying print metadata for an identified substrate and an identified printer;

comparing the received identifier of the particular printer to the identifiers of printers in the multiple entries and comparing the received identifier of the particular substrate to the identifiers of substrates in the multiple entries to identify an entry corresponding to the particular printer and the particular substrate; and

communicating, to the computing device, the print metadata included in the entry corresponding to the particular printer and the particular substrate.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, the identifier of the particular substrate comprising a captured image of packaging of the substrate, and each of the multiple entries including an image of packaging of the identified substrate for the entry.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, the identifier of the substrate comprising an identifier encoded in a quick response (QR) code on the packaging of the substrate.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, the identifier of the substrate comprising an identifier encoded in a bar code on the packaging of the substrate.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, the print metadata including a type of the substrate and a color profile for the substrate.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, the print metadata including a link to a color profile for the substrate.