Printer for creating a print profile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9094646-B2
Application number	US-62139509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2009
Priority date	Dec 22, 2008
Publication date	Jul 28, 2015
Grant date	Jul 28, 2015

Abstract

A printer of the present invention prohibits print-media replacement or operations of the printer, when executing a profile creation mode of creating profile data that is used for color conversion processing performed on image data that is to be printed by a print unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer including a print unit comprising:
a receiving unit that receives, from an external apparatus, image data that is to be printed by the print unit on a print media set to the printer;
a setting unit that sets a profile creation mode for creating profile data that is used for color conversion processing performed on image data that is to be printed by the print unit on the print media set to the printer, wherein, in the profile creation mode, the print unit prints a test image that is used for creating the profile data on the print media set to the printer, the printed test image is measured and then a measured result is transmitted to outside of the printer; and
a restriction unit that restricts (a) a replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media and/or (b) a printing process of the printer except for a process for creating the profile data while printing the test image by the print unit, measuring the printed test image, and then transmitting a measured result to outside of the printer, if the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit,
wherein the test image data is generated by the profile creation software, and
wherein the restriction unit restricts, if the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit, a printing process of image data which is not image data that has been transmitted from the profile creation software.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the profile creation software is stored in an information processor connected to the printer.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction unit cancels, if the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit, a printing process of the image data which is not image data that has been transmitted from the profile creation software.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit that stores the image data received while the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit,
wherein, if the printer has been released from the profile creation mode, the restriction unit causes the print unit to print the image data stored in the storage unit.

5. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the restrict unit notifies, if the image data is not image data that has been transmitted from the profile creation software, that the printer is in profile creation mode to a user who transmitted the image data.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an accepting unit that accepts a user's instruction of setting the profile creation mode.

7. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media is restricted by notifying that the printer is in the profile creation mode.

8. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media is restricted by not accepting a print-media replacement operation.

9. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media is restricted by mechanically locking a storage unit in which a print medium has been placed.

10. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction unit restricts printer calibration while the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit.

11. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction unit restricts print-head replacement while the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit.

12. A method for controlling a printer that includes a print unit, comprising:
receiving, from an external apparatus, image data that is to be printed by the print unit on a print media set to the printer;
setting a profile creation mode for creating profile data that is used for color conversion processing performed on image data to be printed by the print unit on the print media set to the printer, wherein, in the profile creation mode, the print unit prints a test image that is used for creating the profile data on the print media set to the printer, the printed test image is measured and then a measured result is transmitted to outside of the printer; and
restricting (a) a replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media and/or (b) a printing process of the printer except for a process for creating the profile data while printing the test image by the print unit, measuring the printed test image, and then transmitting a measured result to outside of the printer, if the profile creation mode is set,
wherein the test image data is generated by the profile creation software, and
wherein, if the profile creation mode is set, the printing process of image data, which is not image data that has been transmitted from the profile creation software, is restricted.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the profile creation software is stored in an information processor connected to the printer.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein, if the profile creation mode is set, printing of the image data, which is not image data that has been transmitted from the profile creation software, is cancelled.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
storing, in a storage unit, the image data received while the profile creation mode is set,
wherein, if the printer has been released from the profile creation mode, the print unit prints the image data stored in the storage unit.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for executing the method of the claim 12 .

17. A system comprising:
a first generation unit that generates a test image data;
a first receiving unit that receives, from an external apparatus, image data that is to be printed by a print unit on a print media set to the printer, wherein the first receiving unit receives the test image data generated by the first generation unit;
a setting unit that sets a profile creation mode for creating profile data that is used for color conversion processing performed on image data that is to be printed by the print unit on the print media set to the printer, wherein, in the profile creation mode, the print unit prints a test image that is used for creating the profile data on the print media set to the printer, the printed test image is measured and then a measured result is transmitted to outside of the printer;
a restriction unit that restricts (a) a replacement of the print media set to the printer with another print media and/or (b) a printing process of the printer except for a process for creating the profile data while printing the test image by the print unit, measuring the printed test image, and then transmitting a measured result to outside of the printer, if the profile creation mode is set by the setting unit;
a measurement unit that performs color measurement for image data printed by the printing unit;
a second receiving unit that receives color measurement data of the image data measured by the measurement unit; and
a second generation unit that generates a profile based on the color measurement data received by the second receiving unit.

18. A printer including a print unit comprising:
a receiving unit that receives, from an external apparatus, image data that is to be printed by the print unit on a print media set to the printer;
a setting unit that sets a profile creation mode for creating profile data that is used for color conversion processing performed on image data that is to be printed by the print unit on the print media set to the printer, wherein, in

Assignees

• Hamada Tetsuya
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hamada Tetsuya

Classifications

• H04N1/603 Primary

  controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer · CPC title