Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Controller
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-12-18
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Controller
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331042
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to setting of a correction parameter depending on a characteristic of an image forming unit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In conventional color printers such as an ink-jet printer for printing a natural color image, a variation in a printed color can occur when ink or a head for emitting ink is replaced, because of a lot-to-lot variation in the density of ink or the emission characteristic of the head. The variation in color can be a serious problem in particular when a color printer is used for design work or the like in which high reproducibility of color is required.
In one known technique for avoiding the above problem, a plurality of patches having different intensity levels are printed for each ink color using a printer, and the intensity levels of the printed patches are measured using an image scanner or an intensity level meter. Look-up tables are then produced for each color, and the intensities of output levels of the printer are adjusted to desired values using the look-up tables. This technique makes it possible to achieve high color reproducibility when ink or a head is replaced.
However, in the above conventional technique, it is required that an image scanner or an intensity level meter for measuring the intensity of printed patches be included in a system or a printer itself. This causes the following problems:
(1) The apparatus becomes complicated.
(2) The size of the apparatus becomes large.
(3) The cost of the apparatus increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for implementing a calibration capability in a printer itself without using a scanner or an intensity level meter thereby achieving high color reproducibility.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a technique for calibrating an image forming unit which forms an image using a high-density recording agent and a low-density recording agent for a particular color, without causing an increase in the number of charts and without causing an increase in the labor time or effort of a user.
According to an aspect of the present invention, to achieve the above objects, there is provided an image processing method comprising the steps of: outputting, using an image forming unit, a chart including a plurality of patches used to determine a correction parameter; inputting a command issued by a user to specify a particular patch in the chart; and producing the correction parameter in accordance with the command issued by the user, the image processing method being characterized in that each of the plurality of patches includes an image reproduced using process black and an image reproduced using a black recording agent.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing method for an image forming unit which forms an image using a high-density recording agent and a low-density recording agent for a particular color, the image processing method including the step of generating a correction parameter depending on a variation in a characteristic of the image forming unit, the image processing method being characterized in that a chart including a plurality of patches used to determine the correction parameter is output via the image forming unit using the high-density recording agent without using the low-density recording agent and then the correction parameter is generated in accordance with the chart.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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Barlow John
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Huffman Julian D.
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