Apparatus, system, and product for converting designated image area with object for printing in a spot color into printing data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11039039-B2
Application number	US-202016844232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 18, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus for performing printing in a plurality of colors. The image forming apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive first print data in which an object to be printed in a spot color is designated in a first area in a document to be printed and second print data of the document to be printed from an information processing apparatus; convert the second print data received by the communication unit into image data of a predetermined color; extract an image of the first area from the image data obtained by conversion of the drawing unit; convert the image of the first area extracted by the spot color image control unit into the spot color; and generate image data of the spot color in which the image of the first area converted by the conversion unit is placed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus for performing printing in a plurality of colors, the image forming apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to:
receive first print data in which an object to be printed in a spot color is designated in a first area in a document to be printed and second print data of the document to be printed from an information processing apparatus;
convert the second print data received, into image data of a predetermined color;
extract an image of the first area from the image data obtained by conversion of the second print data;
convert the image of the first area extracted, into the spot color; and
generate image data of the spot color in which the image of the first area converted is placed.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry receives the first print data including the first area and a second area in the document to be printed from the information processing apparatus, and
places the image of the first area converted, in the second area to generate the image data of the spot color.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processing circuitry deletes the image of the first area from the image data of the predetermined color.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry overprints the image data of the spot color with respect to the image data of the predetermined color.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spot color is transparent to visible light.

6. A printing system comprising:
an information processing apparatus configured to request printing of a document displayed by application software to an image forming apparatus,
the information processing apparatus including processing circuitry configured to:
receive an object to be printed in a spot color by designation of a first area in a document to be printed;
convert information regarding the first area into first print data in which the object to be printed in the spot color is designated in the first area in the document to be printed;
convert the document to be printed into second print data; and
transmit the first print data and the second print data to the image forming apparatus; and

the image forming apparatus including processing circuitry configured to:
receive the first print data and the second print data from the information processing apparatus;
convert the second print data received, into image data of a predetermined color;
extract an image of the first area from the image data obtained by conversion of the second print data;
convert the image of the first area extracted, into the spot color; and
generate image data of the spot color in which the image of the first area converted is placed.

7. A non-transitory storage medium storing computer readable program code for causing an information processing apparatus to execute a process of requesting printing of a document displayed by application software to an image forming apparatus, the process comprising:
receiving an object to be printed in a spot color by designation of a first area in a document to be printed;
converting information regarding the first area received by the receiving into first print data;
converting the document to be printed into second print data; and
transmitting the first print data and the second print data to the image forming apparatus.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 ,
wherein the process includes:
receiving designation of a second area in the document to be printed; and
converting the information regarding the first area and information regarding the second area received by the receiving into the first print data.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 7 ,
wherein the process includes:
displaying a preview screen of the document to be printed; and
receiving designation of the first area on the preview screen.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8 ,
wherein the process includes:
displaying a preview screen of the document to be printed; and
receiving designation of the first area and the second area on the preview screen.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10 ,
wherein the process includes:
receiving designation of the second area larger or smaller than the first area or a rotation angle of the second area with respect to the first area; and
converting the information regarding the second area including a size of the second area or the rotation angle into the first print data.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10 ,
wherein the process includes converting coordinates of the first area and the second area into coordinates after combination when a setting for combined printing of the document to be printed is received.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10 ,
wherein the designation of the first area and the second area on the preview screen of the document to be printed is received by a first printer driver called from the application software,
the information regarding the first area and the information regarding the second area are stored into a storage region of the information processing apparatus by the first printer driver,
the information regarding the first area and the information regarding the second area are read from the storage region in the information processing apparatus by a second printer driver called from the application software,
the information regarding the first area and the information regarding the second area are converted into first print data by the second printer driver, and
the document to be printed is converted into the second print data by the second printer driver.

Assignees

• Kunimi Keiji
• Ataku Yutaka
• Tamura Noboru
• Kobayashi Ryo
• Matsuura Hiroki
• Taga Yoshio
• Nomura Kaname
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kunimi Keiji
• Ataku Yutaka
• Tamura Noboru
• Kobayashi Ryo
• Matsuura Hiroki
• Taga Yoshio
• Nomura Kaname

Classifications

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• H04N1/6072

  adapting to different types of images, e.g. characters, graphs, black and white image portions · CPC title

• H04N1/00482

  outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution · CPC title

• H04N1/6008

  with primary colour signals, e.g. RGB or CMY(K) · CPC title

• H04N1/0044

  for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet · CPC title