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US 8,132,887 B2Granted
Universal closed loop color control
AssigneeInnolutions, Inc.
InventorsMichael Friedman, Manojkumar Patel, Piyushkumar Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and processes for the accurate measurement and control of image color values on a printing press with or without the presence of a color bar. More particularly, a universal closed loop color control system and processes for controlling the color quality of color images printed on a substrate online or offline, with or without a color bar printed on the substrate. The system may be run in a “Color Bar Mode” and scan simple rectangular color patches corresponding to each ink key in the print units, or can run in “Gray Spot Mode” and maintain overall target ink density values on the substrate as well as gray balance if the job has critical half tone images, or if the color bar is obtrusive on the job.
Claims20
A process for measuring and controlling a color value of one or more colored image portions which are printed on a planar substrate, the process comprising:
- (a) providing one or more colored image portions which are printed on a planar substrate, each colored image portion comprising one or more colors produced by one or more colored inks;
- (b) providing one or more pairs of reference markers printed on the planar substrate in one or more ink zones and positioned adjacent to said one or more colored image portions, wherein each pair of reference markers comprises a primary reference marker and a secondary reference marker;
- wherein the primary reference marker comprises black ink and the secondary reference marker comprises one or more of cyan, magenta and yellow ink components;
- wherein each of said primary reference marker and said secondary reference marker has an ink density value, wherein said black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks each have an individual ink density value when present;
- (c) providing at least one imaging assembly, wherein the imaging assembly is capable of capturing digital representations of each of said reference markers;
- (d) controlling the positioning and linear movement of said imaging assembly across the planar substrate;
- (e) selecting and acquiring a digital image with the imaging assembly of the primary reference marker and the secondary reference marker within one or more pairs of reference markers in at least one ink zone;
- (f) analyzing the digital image of the primary reference marker and the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair to determine the ink density value for each reference marker within each imaged reference marker pair and the individual ink density values for each ink component of each reference marker;
- (g) comparing the ink density value of the primary reference marker and the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair and determining any difference between the ink density value of said primary reference marker and the ink density value of said secondary reference marker of said imaged reference marker pair, and optionally storing said difference in a memory;
- (h) optionally comparing the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair with a target ink density value for at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone, and determining any difference between the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair and the target ink density value for the at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone, and optionally storing said difference in a memory;
- (i) optionally adjusting the ink quantity of black and/or colored ink being printed onto the substrate such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in said reference marker pair, and/or such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the ink density value of a manually specified ink density value, and/or such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the target ink density value for at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone;
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- (j) optionally repeating steps (d)-(i) for at least one of any additional ink zones.
10 more elements
A process for controlling an amount of ink fed from a plurality of inking units in a multicolored printing press onto a planar substrate fed through the press, which substrate is in a web or sheet form, said substrate having one or more colored image portions printed thereon from the inking units, which image portions are printed across a width of the substrate in one or more ink zones, each colored image portion comprising one or more colors, wherein each color has an individual color value, the system being capable of functioning in the presence of or absence of a color bar, the process comprising:
- (a) providing one or more colored image portions which are printed on a planar substrate, each colored image portion comprising one or more colors produced by one or more colored inks;
- (b) determining whether a color bar is printed on the planar substrate, which color bar comprises a plurality of color patches, wherein at least one color patch is printed in each ink zone, wherein each color patch comprises one or more color layers;
- and determining whether one or more pairs of reference markers are printed on the planar substrate adjacent to said one or more colored image portions and in one or more ink zones, wherein each pair of reference markers comprises a primary reference marker and a secondary reference marker;
- wherein the primary reference marker comprises black ink and the secondary reference marker comprises one or more of cyan, magenta and yellow ink components;
- wherein each of said primary reference marker and said secondary reference marker has an ink density value, wherein said black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks each have an individual ink density value when present, and wherein the ink density value of the secondary reference marker optionally equals the combined individual ink density values of the cyan, magenta and yellow inks;
- (c) if one or more pairs of reference markers are present, conducting step (I), and if a color bar is present, but no reference markers are present, conducting step (II):
- (I) (i) providing at least one imaging assembly, wherein the imaging assembly is capable of capturing digital representations of each of said reference markers;
- (ii) controlling the positioning and linear movement of said imaging assembly across the planar substrate;
- (iii) selecting and acquiring a digital image with the imaging assembly of the primary reference marker and the secondary reference marker within one or more pairs of reference markers in at least one ink zone;
- (iv) analyzing the digital image of the primary reference marker and the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair to determine the ink density value for each reference marker within each imaged reference marker pair and the individual ink density values for each ink component of each reference marker;
- (v) comparing the ink density value of the primary reference marker and the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair and determining any difference between the ink density value of said primary reference marker and the ink density value of said secondary reference marker of said imaged reference marker pair, and optionally storing said difference in a memory;
- (vi) optionally comparing the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair with a target ink density value for at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone, and determining any difference between the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker of each imaged reference marker pair and the target ink density value for the at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone, and optionally storing said difference in a memory;
- (vii) optionally adjusting the ink quantity of black and/or colored ink being printed onto the substrate such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in said reference marker pair, and/or such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the ink density value of a manually specified ink density value, and/or such that the ink density value of the primary reference marker and/or the ink density value of the secondary reference marker in a reference marker pair is equivalent to the target ink density value for at least a portion of the one or more colored image portions on the substrate in at least one ink zone;
- and
- (viii) optionally repeating steps (ii)-(vii) for at least one of any additional ink zones;
- (II) (i) providing at least one imaging assembly, wherein the imaging assembly is capable of capturing digital representations of each of said reference markers;
- (ii) controlling the positioning and linear movement of said imaging assembly across the planar substrate;
- (iii) selecting and acquiring a digital image with the imaging assembly of one or more color patches in a first ink zone;
- (iv) analyzing the acquired digital image of the one or more color patches to determine an actual ink density value for each color patch;
- (v) comparing the actual ink density values of each color patch to a target ink density value for each color patch and determining any difference between the actual ink density value and the target ink density value for each color patch, and optionally storing said difference in a memory;
- and
- (vi) optionally adjusting the ink quantity being printed on the substrate such that the actual ink density value of the one or more color patches in the first ink zone is equivalent to the target ink density value for each corresponding color patch;
- and
- (vii) optionally repeating steps (ii)-(vi) for at least one additional color patch in at least one of any additional ink zones.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.