Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Attribute control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2002-06-11
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Attribute control
C382S167000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06404509
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for a color correction suitably used for correcting a color balance, and further to a technique for discriminating a printing device in an image printing system comprising the printing device and an image processing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a color printing device such as an ink jet printer, a color image is printed by using inks of three colors such as cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) or inks of four colors in which black (K) is added to these three colors. It is possible that a print head from which these color inks are ejected is formed integral for ejecting all color inks. However, a yield factor is deteriorated, so that a plurality of print heads are frequently used for each color. In a print head of integral form, a balance of a color ink ejecting amount can be maintained among respective color ink, although there is a difference such that the color ink ejecting amount is increased or decreased in general. However, a balance among respective color ink is lost due to unevenness in every print head in case of using a plurality of print heads.
Accordingly, a conventional color printing device proposed in Japanese Examined Patent Application No. HEI 6-79853 has a construction such that a driving signal is adjustable to every driving circuit driving a print head, whereby a balance among respective color ink can be kept by setting this driving signal at a factory or the like.
Such a conventional color printing device has a problem that the device cannot deal with a case where deviation occurs in a color ink ejecting amount due to age softening of a print head. Further, it also has a problem that an adjustment at a factory is required every device to increase manufacturing process, thereby being troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a color correction device and color correction method capable of correcting a deviation in a color balance dependent on a hardware in an image outputting device including a color printing device without performing a direct adjustment to the hardware.
A color correction device provided by the present invention is the one for an image output device which outputs the color image by performing an image output every element color based upon color image data in which a color image is separated into every predetermined elemernt color at the same time the strength and weakness thereof is shown, having a construction of comprising deviation receiving means for receiving a deviation of output characteristics every element color in the image output device and color correction means for correcting the color image data by performing a color conversion so as to eliminate the deviation of output characteristics received by the deviation receiving means.
In the present invention having such a construction, on the assumption of the image output device which outputs the color image by performing an image output every element color based upon color image data in which a color image is separated into every predetermined elemernt color at the same time the strength and weakness thereof is shown, the deviation receiving means receives the deviation of output characteristics every element color in the image output device and color correction means corrects the color image data by performing a color conversion so as to eliminate the deviation of output characteristics received by the deviation receiving means.
Therefore, when a color image is outputted by the image output device based upon the color image data which is subject to the color conversion by the color correction means, the outputted color image is reproduced with a color faithful to the original color image since the color originally outputted deviationally due to characteristics of the image output device is corrected in advance by foreseeing the deviation. Specifically, it is admitted that the color deviation occurs in the image output device, and from the viewpoint of this, color image data with respect to the image output device is corrected by foreseeing the color deviation.
According to the present invention, a color correction device can be provided which is capable of correcting without performing a direct adjustment to a hardware by performing the color conversion so as to eliminate the deviation in output characteristics of every element color. Further, the deviation in the hardware is admitted, thereby capable of adjusting by a user. As a result, an adjustment at a factory is not required as well as it can easily deal with the age softening. Moreover, the influence given to the printing result by a paper color of a print paper is substantially the same as the deviation in output characteristics in the hardware, so that the original color can be reproduced without being influenced with the paper color.
The technique for performing the color conversion so as to eliminate the deviation after receiving the deviation as described above is not limited to a substantial apparatus. It can easily be understood that it is functioned as a method. Accordingly, a color correction method provided by the present invention is the method for an image output device which outputs the color image by performing an image output every element color based upon color image data in which a color image is separated into every predetermined elemernt color at the same time the strength and weakness thereof is shown, having a construction of receiving deviation of output characteristics every element color in the image output device and correcting the color image data by performing a color conversion so as to eliminate the received deviation of output characteristics.
Specifically, it is sure that the technique is not limited to a substantial apparatus but is effective as a method. According to the present invention, a color conversion method can be provided which is capable of correcting without performing a direct adjustment to a hardware by performing the color conversion so as to eliminate the deviation in output characteristics of every element color.
The deviation receiving means is the one for receiving the deviation in output characteristics of every element color of the aforesaid image output device, so that the receiving technique is not specifically limited. Briefly, the deviation may be an accurate value in accordance with a measurement or may be a value selected among compared subjects.
Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide one example of receiving a deviation in output characteristics. The deviation receiving means provided by the present invention has a construction of receiving data of the deviation possessed by the image output device.
In the present invention having such a construction, the deviation receiving means receives the data of the deviation from the image output device in case where the image output device itself possesses the data of the deviation in output characteristics of every element color. For example, in case where the color correction device is constituted by a computer or the like, the color correction device communicates with an image output device connected thereto such as a printer for receiving data of the deviation possessed by the image output device. In this case, it goes without saying that the data of the deviation possessed by the image output device maybe received, and further, an indirect technique may be used wherein ID such as a serial number specifying the image output device is received for receiving the data of the deviation by accessing another data base at the ID.
In this way, high reliability can be obtained by using the data of the deviation possessed by the image output device, affording an effect of eliminating unclearness.
Further, the receiving of the deviation is not limited to an automatic receiving between devices. A further object of the present invention is to provide a color correction device according to more specific example for receiving the deviation.
The color
Kuwata Naoki
Maruyama Takashi
Osawa Michinao
Mancuso Joseph
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Tran Douglas
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