# US 2014/0153009 A1 · Color converting apparatus and color converting method for designated-color printing, and computer readable recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153009 A1 - Document ID: US20140153009A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/085,730 - Filed: 2013-11-20 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.; Casio Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.; Casio Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masaki KOBAYASHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153009A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/1208: {resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview} - G06F 3/1244: {Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding} - G06F 3/1284: {Local printer device} - H04N 1/56: Processing of colour picture signals (H04N1/52 takes precedence) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A color converting apparatus is used for designated-color printing. The apparatus is provided with a color space converting unit for converting a designated-color designated by a printing command to a converted-color in a color space represented by brightness, saturation and hue of color, and a color classifying unit for classifying the converted-color to one of plural classified-colors on the basis of the brightness, saturation and hue of said converted-color. Color correlating-relationship information is prepared, which sets correlating relationship between the plural classified-colors and one or more printing colors. The apparatus is further provided with a classified-color/printing-color correlating unit for selecting one printing color correlated with the one classified-color from among one or more printing colors, based on the color correlating-relationship information and for correlating the selected printing color with the printing command. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A color converting apparatus for designated-color printing, comprising: a color space converting unit, which converts a designated-color designated by a printing command to a converted-color in a color space represented by brightness, saturation and hue of color; a color classifying unit, which classifies the converted-color to one of plural classified-colors on the basis of the brightness, saturation and hue of said converted-color; and a classified-color/printing-color correlating unit, which selects one printing color correlated with the one classified-color from among one or more printing colors, based on color correlating-relationship information, wherein the color correlating-relationship information sets correlating relationship between the plural classified-colors and one or more printing colors, and correlates the selected printing color with said printing command. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The color converting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a color correlating-relationship information setting unit, which sets the color correlating-relationship information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The color converting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a halftone controlling unit, which calculates first printing density of the one printing color based on the brightness of the classified-color in the color space, when it is previously set that a halftone is used for the one printing color, and sets the calculated first printing density to the one printing color. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The color converting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a halftone setting unit, which decides whether a halftone of the one printing color is used or not. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The color converting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: an original-density maintain controlling unit, which multiplies the first printing density calculated by the halftone controlling unit by a coefficient to obtain second printing density, wherein the coefficient is previously determined for the one classified-color, when it is previously set that a halftone is used for the one printing color and further it is set that original density of the one classified-color is maintained, and sets the obtained second printing density to the one printing color. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The color converting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: an original-density maintain setting unit, which decides whether the original density of the one classified-color is maintained or not, when it is previously set that a halftone is used for the one printing color. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The color converting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the color classifying unit classifies the converted-color to a classified-color of a black color, when the brightness of the converted-color in the color space is not larger than a predetermined threshold value of brightness, and classifies the converted-color to a classified-color of a gray color, when the brightness of the converted-color in the color space is equivalent to the predetermined threshold value of brightness or larger, and further the saturation of the converted-color in the color space is not larger than a predetermined threshold value of saturation, and classifies the converted-color to one classified-color other than classified-colors of a black color and/or a gray color from among plural classified colors, based on the hue of the converted-color in the color space, when the brightness of the converted-color in the color space is equivalent to the predetermined threshold value of brightness or larger, and further the saturation of the converted-color in the color space is larger than the predetermined threshold value of saturation. ### Claim 8 A method of converting color for designated-color printing, comprising: a color-space converting step of converting a designated-color designated by a printing command to a converted-color in a color space represented by brightness, saturation and hue of color; a color classifying step of classifying the converted-color to one of plural classified-colors on the basis of the brightness, saturation and hue of said converted-color; and a classified-color/printing-color correlating step of selecting one printing color correlated with the one classified-color from among one or more printing colors, based on color correlating-relationship information, wherein the color correlating-relationship information sets correlating relationship between the plural classified-colors and one or more printing colors, and of correlating the selected printing color with said printing command. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a computer to perform the following steps: a color-space converting step of converting a designated-color designated by a printing command to a converted-color in a color space represented by brightness, saturation and hue of color; a color classifying step of classifying the converted-color to one of plural classified-colors on the basis of the brightness, saturation and hue of said converted-color; and a classified-color/printing-color correlating step of selecting one printing color correlated with the one classified-color from among one or more printing colors, based on color correlating-relationship information, wherein the color correlating-relationship information sets correlating relationship between the plural classified-colors and one or more printing colors, and of correlating the selected printing color with said printing command. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer is connected with a printing apparatus, and the program is executed as apart of a program of a printer driver, which processes the printing command output from an application program executed on the computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer is a built-in computer of a printing apparatus, and the program is executed in the printing apparatus to process the printing command entered from the computer connected to the printing apparatus or the printing command generated when data-for-printing stored in a recording medium connected to the printing apparatus is subjected to a printing process.