Color processing for converting an input color gamut into an output color gamut in accordance with a set combination of ink droplet diameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8976413-B2
Application number	US-201213665136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	May 16, 2012
Publication date	Mar 10, 2015
Grant date	Mar 10, 2015

Abstract

A color processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit, a setting unit, and a color converting unit. The obtaining unit obtains a predetermined corresponding relationship between total amount limit information regarding limitation of a total amount of inks of colors, and a combination in which, among droplet diameters of inks of colors ejectable to satisfy the total amount limit information, droplet diameters of at least two or more inks are made uniform, and the types of droplet diameters of inks of the colors are two or fewer types. The setting unit sets the combination of droplet diameters corresponding to the accepted ink total amount limit information, on the basis of the obtained corresponding relationship. The color converting unit converts a color in an input color gamut reproducible by an input device into a color in an output color gamut in accordance with the set combination of droplet diameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A color processing apparatus comprising:
an obtaining unit configured to obtain a corresponding relationship between:
total amount limit information regarding a limit of a total amount of inks of a plurality of colors; and
a combination of droplet diameters in which, from among droplet diameters of the inks ejectable to satisfy the total amount limit information, droplet diameters of two or more inks have a same size and, collectively, there are two or less types of droplet diameters selected from among at least a first type having a first size range, a second type having a second size range, and a third type having a third size range;

a setting unit configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters corresponding to the total amount limit information; and
a color converting unit configured to convert, in accordance with the set combination of droplet diameters, a color in an input color gamut that is reproducible by an input device into a color in an output color gamut,
wherein the setting unit is configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters so that a lowest lightness on an achromatic color axis in a predetermined color space in the output color gamut is less than or equal to lightness of a highest-chroma color in the output color gamut.

2. The color processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount limit information includes a total amount limit value of inks of the plurality of colors, and the plurality of colors include black, and
wherein the setting unit is configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters so that the diameter of a black droplet is a maximum size of the respective size range.

3. The color processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount limit information includes a total amount limit value of inks of the plurality of colors, and the plurality of colors include black, and
wherein the setting unit is configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters so that the diameter of a black droplet is smaller than the diameter of a droplet in a color other than black.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
obtaining a corresponding relationship between total amount limit information regarding a limit of a total amount of inks of a plurality of colors, and a combination of droplet diameters in which, from among droplet diameters of the inks ejectable to satisfy the total amount limit information, droplet diameters of two or more inks have a same size and, collectively, there are two or less types of droplet diameters selected from among at least a first type having a first size range, a second type having a second size range, and a third type having a third size range;
setting, based on the corresponding relationship between the total amount limit information and the combination of droplet diameters, the combination of droplet diameters corresponding to the total amount limit information; and
converting, in accordance with the set combination of droplet diameters, a color in an input color gamut that is reproducible by an input device into a color in an output color gamut,
wherein the combination of droplet diameters is set so that a lowest lightness on an achromatic color axis in a predetermined color space in the output color gamut is less than or equal to lightness of a highest-chroma color in the output color gamut.

5. A color processing apparatus comprising:
an obtaining unit configured to obtain a corresponding relationship between:
total amount limit information regarding a limit of a total amount of inks of a plurality of colors; and
a combination of droplet diameters in which, from among droplet diameters of the inks ejectable to satisfy the total amount limit information, droplet diameters of two or more inks have are uniform and, collectively, there are two or less types of droplet diameters;

a setting unit configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters corresponding to the total amount limit information; and
a color converting unit configured to convert, in accordance with the set combination of droplet diameters, a color in an input color gamut that is reproducible by an input device into a color in an output color gamut,
wherein the setting unit is configured to set, based on the corresponding relationship obtained by the obtaining unit, the combination of droplet diameters so that a lowest lightness on an achromatic color axis in a predetermined color space in the output color gamut is less than or equal to lightness of a highest-chroma color in the output color gamut.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwafuchi Toshihiro
• Kawashima Hidetoshi

Classifications

• H04N1/4055

  producing a clustered dots or a size modulated halftone pattern · CPC title

• B41J2/2128

  by means of energy modulation (control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits or control circuits B41J2/04501) · CPC title

• H04N1/6019 Primary

  using look-up tables (H04N1/6025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/6058

  Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut · CPC title