US 6,027,201 A · Recalibrating a multi-color imaging system

Abstract

An apparatus and method for recalibrating a multi-color imaging system are provided. The multi-color imaging system is capable of applying different colorants to a substrate based on a plurality of input color values. The input color values control amounts of the colorants to be applied to the substrate by the imaging system. A subset of the input color values is selected and used to control the imaging system to apply one or more of the different colorants to the substrate, thereby forming a plurality of different color patches on the substrate. The subset of input color values is selected such that one or more of the different color patches is formed by application of a combination of at least two of the different colorants to the substrate. Color values are measured for each of the different color patches, and compared to reference color values, representing a calibrated condition of the imaging system. An error value is calculated. The error value represents a deviation of the measured color values from the reference color values. The input color values for each colorant then are independently adjusted to reduce the error value to a predetermined degree.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program arranged such that, upon execution of the computer program, a processor performs a method for recalibrating a multi-color imaging system, wherein the imaging system is capable of forming different colors based on input color values, and wherein the input color values control amounts of the colors formed by the imaging system, the method comprising:

controlling the imaging system to form different color combinations by combining two or more of the different colors;
controlling a measuring device to measure color values for each of the different color combinations;
comparing each of the measured color values to corresponding reference color values, the reference color values representing a calibrated condition of the imaging system;
calculating an error value representing a deviation of the measured color values from the reference color values;
and
adjusting one or more of the input color values to reduce the error value to a predetermined degree, wherein the adjustment of the input color values for one of the colors is performed independently of the adjustment of the input color values for others of the colors.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recalibrating a multi-color imaging system

Life of this patent

Recalibrating a multi-color imaging system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22