User tone reproduction curve ink limit warning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811771-B2
Application number	US-201615083459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

If elements (curves) of a tone reproduction curve increase application of marking material, the magnitudes of the elements of the tone reproduction curve are summed. If the summed magnitudes of the elements of the tone reproduction curve exceed marking material limits, a warning message is output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
an interface electrically connected to said one or more processors; and
said one or more processors determines if elements of a tone reproduction curve increase application of marking material,
if said elements of said tone reproduction curve increase application of said marking material, said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve, and determines if summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed marking material limits,
said interface outputs a warning message if said summed magnitudes exceed said marking material limits, and
said warning message being output at least one of:
at a time a user tone reproduction curve is created;
at a time a user tone reproduction curve is assigned to a job, a queue, or an exception page; and
at a time a job or sheet begins printing.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , said marking material limits comprise at least one of a machine-dependent marking material limit and a user-established marking material limit,
if said machine-dependent marking material limit and said user-established marking material limit are equal:
said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve by summing output values for each input value of said elements of said tone reproduction curve in the output increasing portion of the curve to produce a summed output value for each input value in the output increasing portion of the curve, and
said one or more processors determines if said summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed said marking material limits by determining if said summed output value for each input value in the output increasing portion of the curve exceeds said machine-dependent marking material limit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , said marking material limits comprise at least one of a machine-dependent marking material limit and a user-established marking material limit,
if said machine-dependent marking material limit is greater than said user-established marking material limit, said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve by:
for each of said elements of said tone reproduction curve, identifying maximum magnitudes by which said elements increase application of said marking material; and
summing said maximum magnitudes to produce a magnitude sum, and

said one or more processors determines if said summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed said marking material limits by:
identifying a difference between said machine-dependent marking material limit and said user-established marking material limit to produce a limit difference; and
determining if said magnitude sum exceeds said limit difference.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , said warning message being altered based on a policy to at least one of:
disallow or allow creation or import of over-limit tone reproduction curves;
disallow or allow assignment of over-limit tone reproduction curves to specific jobs or queues;
allow over-limit tone reproduction curve sheets to print;
display a menu option to an operator regarding whether an over-limit sheet should print; and
identify over-limit tone reproduction curve jobs as being faulty.

5. A printing apparatus comprising:
one or more processors;
an interface electrically connected to said one or more processors; and
printing elements electrically connected to said one or more processors,
if elements of a tone reproduction curve increase application of marking material, said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve, and determines if summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed marking material limits,
said interface outputs a warning message if said summed magnitudes exceed said marking material limits,
said warning message is output at least one of:
at a time a user tone reproduction curve is created;
at a time a user tone reproduction curve is assigned to a job, a queue, or an exception page; and
at a time a job or sheet begins printing, and

said printing elements print a print job altered by said tone reproduction curve on print media.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , said marking material limits comprise at least one of a machine-dependent marking material limit and a user-established marking material limit,
if said machine-dependent marking material limit and said user-established marking material limit are equal:
said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve by summing output values for each input value of said elements of said tone reproduction curve in the output increasing portion of the curve to produce a summed output value for each input value in the output increasing portion of the curve, and
said one or more processors determines if said summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed said marking material limits by determining if said summed output value for each input value in the output increasing portion of the curve exceeds said machine-dependent marking material limit.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , said marking material limits comprise at least one of a machine-dependent marking material limit and a user-established marking material limit,
if said machine-dependent marking material limit is greater than said user-established marking material limit, said one or more processors sums magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve by:
for each of said elements of said tone reproduction curve, identifying maximum magnitudes by which said elements increase application of said marking material; and
summing said maximum magnitudes to produce a magnitude sum, and

said one or more processors determines if said summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed said marking material limits by:
identifying a difference between said machine-dependent marking material limit and said user-established marking material limit to produce a limit difference; and
determining if said magnitude sum exceeds said limit difference.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , said warning message being altered based on a policy to at least one of:
disallow or allow creation or import of over-limit tone reproduction curves;
disallow or allow assignment of over-limit tone reproduction curves to specific jobs or queues;
allow over-limit tone reproduction curve sheets to print;
display a menu option to an operator regarding whether an over-limit sheet should print; and
identify over-limit tone reproduction curve jobs as being faulty.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, into an interface, creation or assignment of a tone reproduction curve used for printing by a printing apparatus having printing elements electrically connected to one or more processors, said one or more processors are electrically connected to said interface;
automatically determining if elements of said tone reproduction curve increase application of marking material by said printing elements, using said one or more processors;
if said elements of said tone reproduction curve increase application of said marking material automatically:
summing magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve using said one or more processors;
determining if summed magnitudes of said elements of said tone reproduction curve exceed marking material limits using said one or more processors; and
outputting, from said int

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Smith Mark A

Classifications

• H04N1/00015

  Reproducing apparatus · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/00076

  locally · CPC title

• H04N1/00068

  Calculating or estimating · CPC title

• G06K15/4075 Primary

  Determining remaining quantities of ink or toner · CPC title