Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graph generating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2001-05-01
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graph generating
C345S440000, C345S440000, C345S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226011
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a color conversion processing method for a color image output apparatus and, more particularly, to a color conversion processing method which enables a color matching process to deal with a plurality of types of drawing objects supplied to a color image output apparatus. The present invention also relates to a method for expanding a program module which can be dynamically linked with other programs, and a color conversion processing method using such a method for expanding a program module. The present invention further relates to a processor readable medium which stores a program causing a computer to perform such a color conversion processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color matching system using device independent colors is studied so as to provide color image data to a color printer, the color image data accurately representing a color image displayed on a color display monitor. The purpose of provision of such a color matching system is to obtain the same color image from different devices. Generally, a signal matching a visual sense of a human being such as the CIE 1931 XYZ signal or the L*a*b* signal is used as a color signal which is independent for each device.
However, a color representation which is preferable to a human being differs for different types of images such as a natural color image (photographic image), a character image or an illustration image. Accordingly, in order to obtain color image information which includes various types of images, an architecture which can switch a color processing according to a document structure included in a color image is required.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-107312 discloses a color information processing method and apparatus which is related to a technique for changing a color processing in accordance with a document structure included in the color image. In the method and apparatus of this patent document, attribute information of a color matching which is appropriate for one of various types of images is set by application software, and a device driver or a color matching processing unit in a printer performs a suitable color matching process in accordance with the attribute information.
However, in the color image outputting system disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document, the attribute information of a color matching for each type of image is set on the application software side. Thus, there is a problem in that only a single color matching process can be applied when the application software is not provided with a function to add the attribute information of a color matching process. Specifically, if the application software is not provided with the above-mentioned function, the Windows 95, for example, can apply only a single color matching process.
Additionally, there is a problem in that a result of output differs for each application software even for the same color image since how to the attribute information is set is also dependent on the application software.
Additionally, at the present time, most applications are not provided with the function to add the attribute information of a color matching process for each type of image. Thus, there is a problem in that it is practically impossible to change the method of color matching for each type of image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful color conversion method and apparatus in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a technique for automatically performing a color matching process which can respond to a type of object to be processed on the printer driver side.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided according to one aspect of the present invention a color conversion method for converting first color image information into second color image information output to a color image outputting apparatus, the color conversion method comprising the steps of:
inputting the first color image information including at least one object to be drawn;
determining whether or not the first color image information includes an instruction for designating a color matching method;
discriminating a type of each object included in the first color image information when the first color image information does not include the instruction for designating a color matching method;
selecting one of a plurality of color matching methods suitable for the type of each object in accordance with previously prepared correspondence information between each type of object and each color matching method; and
performing a color matching process on each object in the first color image information by using the color matching method selected in the selecting step so as to convert the first color image information into the second color image information.
According to the above-mentioned invention, an appropriate color matching process can be performed for each object even if a color matching method is not designated in color image information, and a high-quality color image can be output from the color image outputting apparatus such as a color printer.
Additionally, there is provided according another aspect of the present invention a color conversion method for converting first color image information into second color image information output to a color image outputting apparatus, the color conversion method comprising the steps of:
inputting the first color image information including at least one object to be drawn;
determining whether or not the first color image information includes attribute information of a color matching process for each object in the first color image information;
discriminating a type of each object included in the first color image information when the first color image information does not include the attribute information of a color matching process to be applied to each object in the first color image information;
selecting one of a plurality of color matching methods suitable for the type of each object in accordance with previously prepared correspondence information between each type of object and each color matching method;
adding attribute information of the selected color matching method to the corresponding object; and
performing a color matching process on each object in the first color image information by using the color matching method selected in the selecting step so as to convert the first color image information into the second color image information.
According to this invention, a color matching process can be performed for each object even if attribute information of the color matching method is not designated for each object in a color matching control system by using the attribute information of each object.
In the color conversion method according to the present invention, the selecting step may include the steps of:
determining whether or not a first drawing command attached to the first color image information is based on an original color signal peculiar to the color image outputting apparatus; and
restructuring the first drawing command by setting a color space, when the first drawing command is not based on the original color signal, so that the first drawing command can be converted into a second drawing command which is based on the original color signal,
wherein the performing step includes the step of outputting the second drawing command to the color image outputting apparatus.
According to this invention, a color matching can be performed even if a color matching is turned off in a color matching control system using a drawing command.
Additionally, in the color conversion method according to the present invention, the discriminating step may include the step of determining whether or not each object in the first color image information corresponds to a bit map image, and the selecting step may include the step of providing an instruc
Kanaya Mitsuhisa
Sakuyama Hiroyuki
Shirasawa Hisao
Yano Takanori
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Padmanabhan Mano
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Zimmerman Mark
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