US5553199A — Method and apparatus for calibrating a four color…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy; b) forming a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy; c) for each printable black level, forming a fixed black data structure; and d) for a specific output color value: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy; b) forming a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy; c) for each printable black level, forming a fixed black data structure; and d) for a specific output color value: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said steps of finding the minimum and maximum black levels, and determining the three printing color levels are performed using convex interpolation on the respective data structures.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said minimum black data structure includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with maximum levels of each of the three colors respectively.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said maximum black data structure includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with full black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of each of the three colors respectively.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the desired black level is determined by: K=K.sub.min +f.sub.K (K.sub.max -K.sub.min), where K is the desired black level, K min and K max are the black levels determined by the minimum and maximum black strategy respectively, and f K is the desired fractional black correction between the minimum and maximum black levels in the range zero to one.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 86 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a data structure representing a minimum black strategy which includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with maximum levels of each of the three colors respectively; and b) for a specific output color value determining the black level and the three printing color levels from the data structure.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 86 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a data structure representing a minimum black strategy which includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with maximum levels of each of the three colors respectively; and b) for a specific output color value determining the black level and the three printing color levels from the data structure.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 84 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a data structure representing a maximum black strategy which includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with full black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of each of the three colors respectively; and b) for a specific output color value determining the black level and the three printing color levels from the data structure.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 84 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a data structure representing a maximum black strategy which includes a portion representing colors that can be produced with full black and three portions representing colors that can be produced with a minimum amount of each of the three colors respectively; and b) for a specific output color value determining the black level and the three printing color levels from the data structure.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy; b) forming a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy; c) for each printable black level, forming a fixed black data structure; and d) forming a look up table by performing the following steps on a regular lattice of output color values: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising the steps of: a) forming a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy; b) forming a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy; c) for each printable black level, forming a fixed black data structure; and d) forming a look up table by performing the following steps on a regular lattice of output color values: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of: processing the color value for each pixel of a digital image by interpolating between lattice points of the look up table.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 128 words

Apparatus for calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising: a) a memory containing a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy, a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy, and fixed black data structures for each printable black level; b) means for processing a specific output color value to obtain a black level and color levels, including: i) means for finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) means for determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) means for determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 128 words

Apparatus for calibrating a four color printer capable of printing three colors and black, comprising: a) a memory containing a minimum black data structure representing a minimum black strategy, a maximum black data structure representing a maximum black strategy, and fixed black data structures for each printable black level; b) means for processing a specific output color value to obtain a black level and color levels, including: i) means for finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures; ii) means for determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; and iii) means for determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure corresponding to the desired black level.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 136 words

Apparatus for calibrating a four color printer, comprising: a) a memory containing a lookup table produced by the following steps on a regular lattice of output color values: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures where the minimum black data structure represents a minimum black strategy and the maximum black data structure represents a maximum black strategy; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure, formed for each printable black level, corresponding to the desired black level; and b) means for processing the color value for each pixel of a digital image by interpolating between the lattice points of the look up table.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 136 words

Apparatus for calibrating a four color printer, comprising: a) a memory containing a lookup table produced by the following steps on a regular lattice of output color values: i) finding the minimum and maximum black levels using the minimum and maximum black data structures where the minimum black data structure represents a minimum black strategy and the maximum black data structure represents a maximum black strategy; ii) determining a desired black level between the minimum and maximum black levels according to a defined black strategy; iii) determining the three printing color levels from the fixed black data structure, formed for each printable black level, corresponding to the desired black level; and b) means for processing the color value for each pixel of a digital image by interpolating between the lattice points of the look up table.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 190 words

A method of calibrating an N color printer, where N is greater than or equal to four, comprising the steps of: a) dividing the color gamut of the N color printer into a set of four color sub-gamuts; b) for each of the sub-gamuts, i) forming a data structure where one of the colorants is at its minimal level; ii) forming a data structure where said one colorant is at its maximal level; iii) forming data structures for each printable level of said colorant; c) for a specific output color value, i) identifying one or more sub-gamuts containing the output color value; ii) determining the minimum and maximum levels of said one colorant for each of the identified sub-gamuts; iii) determining the desired level of said one colorant between said minimum and maximum levels according to a defined strategy for each of the identified sub-gamuts, and determining the level of the other three color values for each of the identified sub-gamuts to produce a set of colorant levels for each identified sub-gamut; and iv) obtaining a final set of colorant levels from the colorant levels produced in the previous step.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 190 words

A method of calibrating an N color printer, where N is greater than or equal to four, comprising the steps of: a) dividing the color gamut of the N color printer into a set of four color sub-gamuts; b) for each of the sub-gamuts, i) forming a data structure where one of the colorants is at its minimal level; ii) forming a data structure where said one colorant is at its maximal level; iii) forming data structures for each printable level of said colorant; c) for a specific output color value, i) identifying one or more sub-gamuts containing the output color value; ii) determining the minimum and maximum levels of said one colorant for each of the identified sub-gamuts; iii) determining the desired level of said one colorant between said minimum and maximum levels according to a defined strategy for each of the identified sub-gamuts, and determining the level of the other three color values for each of the identified sub-gamuts to produce a set of colorant levels for each identified sub-gamut; and iv) obtaining a final set of colorant levels from the colorant levels produced in the previous step.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of calibrating an N color printer claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of obtaining a final set of colorant levels comprises averaging the sets of colorant levels produced from said identified sub-gamuts.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-09-03	2000-03-04	2000-09-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-09-03	2004-03-04	2004-09-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-09-03	2008-03-04	2008-09-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for calibrating a four color printer

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