System for distributing and controlling color reproduction at multiple sites

• US 6,750,992 B1
• Filed: 01/12/1999
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RAH Color Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Richard A. Holub
• Inventors: Holub, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/228,995
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 358/504, 358/406, 348/23, 348/31, 348/842, 348/824, 348/794, 348/602, 348/180, 348/253-254, 345/204, 345/207
• US Class Current: 358/504
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/465 taking into account the colour perception of the eye; using tristimulus detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/524 Calibration of colorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32523 a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32545 Distributing a job or task among a plurality of input devices or a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6052 Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers
• 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 1/6066 dependent on the gamut of the image to be reproduced
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals

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).

Claims

1. A color measuring apparatus for a color display having a screen, said apparatus comprising:

a first member adjacent the outer periphery of said display and an aperture through which said screen is viewable; and

a sensor having at least one lens attached to said first member in which said sensor is capable of measuring color of said screen through said lens.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the color of said screen is in one or more color channels, and said sensor is capable of measuring color in at least one of said color channels.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is at an angle with respect to the screen of said display.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for receiving color measurements from said sensor representative of color emitted from said display.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a computer system coupled to said color display and said sensor which outputs images corresponding to calibration forms on said color display and receives color measurements from said sensor from said images.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 further wherein comprises said computer system means for generating color calibration data characteristic of said color display in accordance with said color measurements.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said computer system, said sensor, and said color display represent parts of one node of a network of nodes and said computer system comprises means for virtual proofing between said color display and rendering devices at other ones of said nodes of said network.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said sensor is automatically calibrated in response to said computer system.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor receives light from said screen absent specularly reflected light from said screen.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first having member represerts an interior, and said sensor has a line of sight which reflects from the screen into the interior of said frame.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said interior of the frame is black in color.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is located with respect to said screen in a non-touching relationship.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first member represents a cowel which shields the screen to reduce the amount of ambient light to said screen.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is one of a unitary calorimeter and an imagical.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is a spectral sensor capable of resolving a wavelength range of the color of said screen.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said spectral sensor comprises a grating monochromator and a linear photo-diode array.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said spectral sensor comprises a spectral filter and a diode array.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is a multiple color filter colorimeter.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is a single color channel sensor.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is a single channel meter which measures gamma of the color display in at least one color channel.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor has a photo-diode array which receives light representing color from said screen through said lens.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor has a fiber-optic pickup which receives light representing color from said screen through said lens.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said lens represents a lens system.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least part of said first member has an interior which is black in color.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is located to provide an unobstructed view through said aperture.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first member further comprises means for attaching said sensor to said first member such that said sensor is located to provide an unobstructed view.

27. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is attachable to said first member to be capable of measuring at least a central portion of said screen.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first member comprises a frame surrounding the outer periphery of the display.

29. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor, first member, and outer periphery of the display are integral with each other.

30. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said computer system further comprises means for generating color data in device independent units in accordance with said color measurements.

31. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said network represents one of a local area network, wide area network, Internet, and telecommunication network.

32. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said computer system further comprises network interfacing means for enabling the node to communicate with one or more other said nodes in said network.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said network interfacing means comprises one of a modem, satellite link, leased communication line, ISDN, SMDS, ATM, TCP/IP, and token ring.

34. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said computer system, said sensor, and said color display are parts of a node of a network of nodes in which said network represents one of a local area network, wide area network, Internet, and telecommunication network.

35. A color measuring system for a color display having a screen through at least one lens comprising:

a first member providing a frame surrounding the outer periphery of said display and an aperture through which said screen is viewable;

means attached to said frame of said first member for measuring color of said screen; and

means for receiving color measurements from said sensor representative of color emitted from said display.

36. A method for measuring color of a color display having a screen comprising the steps of:

providing a first member adjacent the outer periphery of said display having an aperture through which said screen is viewable;

attaching to said first member a sensor at an angle with respect to said screen in which said sensor has at least one lens; and

measuring color of said screen with said sensor.