# US 8,570,591 B2 · Color conversion device, color conversion method and computer readable medium calculate a minimum required black amount in regard to colors that are reproduced by an output device that actually outputs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,570,591 B2 - Document ID: US8570591B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/621,932 - Filed: 2009-11-19 - Published: 2010-10-28 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-24 - Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Yoshitaka Kuwada - Inventors: Yoshitaka Kuwada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570591B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/6022: {Generating a fourth subtractive colour signal, e.g. under colour removal, black masking} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A color conversion device include a limit value setting unit that sets, in accordance with a color gamut, a limit value of a color material total amount that is used in an output device that uses color materials of M colors including black, where M is an integer equal to or larger than 4, and outputs an image; and a black amount determining unit that calculates a total amount limit value corresponding to the color gamut for each black amount on the basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut by the limit value setting unit and determines a black amount from a conversion target-independent color signal of a device-independent color space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A color conversion device, comprising: a limit value setting unit that sets, in accordance with a color gamut, a limit value of a color material total amount that is used in an output device that uses color materials of M color components including black where M is an integer equal to or larger than 4 and outputs an image; and a black amount determining unit that calculates a total amount limit value corresponding to the color gamut for each black amount on a basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut by the limit value setting unit and determines a black amount from a conversion target-independent color signal of a device-independent color space, wherein a virtual plane color signal group creating unit that creates a lower outline color signal that satisfies the total amount limit value that has been calculated for each black amount on the basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The color conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the black amount determining unit includes a black amount calculation model creating unit that calculates an independent color signal in a corresponding device-independent color space from the lower outline color signal and creates a model for calculating a black amount from the independent color signal and a black amount of a lower outline to which that independent color signal belongs, and a black amount calculating unit that uses the model that has been created by the black amount calculation model creating unit and calculates the black amount from the conversion target-independent color signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The color conversion device according to claim 2, further comprising: a forward converting unit that converts a target device color signal of an N-dimensional color space in a target output device that uses color materials of N colors including black, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 4, into the conversion target-independent color signal of the device-independent color space; an optimum black amount calculating unit that calculates an optimum black amount from the black amount that has been determined by the black amount determining unit and the black amount of the target device color signal; and an inverse converting unit that calculates color components other than black of the M-dimensional output color signal whose components are colors of color materials that the output device uses from the optimum black amount that has been calculated by the optimum black amount calculating unit and the conversion target-independent color signal, wherein the color conversion device outputs an output color signal created by the color components that have been calculated by the inverse converting unit and the optimum black amount. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The color conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the limit value in an achromatic baseline differs from the limit value of other color gamuts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The color conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising: a forward converting unit that converts a target device color signal of an N-dimensional color space in a target output device that uses color materials of N color components including black, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 4, into the conversion target-independent color signal of the device-independent color space; an optimum black amount calculating unit that calculates an optimum black amount from the black amount that has been determined by the black amount determining unit and the black amount of the target device color signal; and an inverse converting unit that calculates color components other than black of the M-dimensional output color signal whose components are colors of color materials that the output device uses from the optimum black amount that has been calculated by the optimum black amount calculating unit and the conversion target-independent color signal, wherein the color conversion device outputs an output color signal created by the color components that have been calculated by the inverse converting unit and the optimum black amount. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The color conversion device according to claim 5, wherein the limit value in an achromatic baseline differs from the limit value of other color gamuts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The color conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the limit value in an achromatic baseline differs from the limit value of other color gamuts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The color conversion device according to claim 1, wherein use amount is limited for each color material in the output device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a color conversion program that causes a computer to execute the functions of the color conversion device according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 A color conversion device comprising: a forward converting unit that converts a target device color signal of an N-dimensional color space in a target output device that uses color materials of N colors including black, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 4, into a conversion target-independent color signal of a device-independent color space; a black amount determining unit that determines a black amount from the conversion target-independent color signal that has been converted by the forward converting unit, wherein a virtual plane color signal group creating unit that creates a lower outline color signal that satisfies the total amount limit value that has been calculated for each black amount on the basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut; an optimum black amount calculating unit that calculates an optimum black amount from the black amount that has been determined by the black amount determining unit and the black amount of a target device color signal; and an inverse converting unit that calculates color components from the optimum black amount and the conversion target-independent color signal, the color components being color components except black of an M-dimensional output color signal containing color materials of M color components including black, where M is an integer equal to or larger than 4, which is actually used by a target output device, wherein the color conversion device outputs an output color signal created by the color components and the optimum black amount, the black amount determining unit uses a model for calculating the black amount to determine the black amount from the conversion target-independent color signal, the model is created by an independent color signal in the device-independent color space calculated from the lower outline color signal and the black amount of the lower outline to which the independent color signal belongs, a lower outline color signal satisfies the calculated total amount limit value, and a total amount limit value is calculated in accordance with the color gamut for each black amount on the basis of a limit value in which an upper limit of a total amount of the color materials that are used in the target output device has been set in accordance with the color gamut. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The color conversion device according to claim 10, wherein the total amount limit value is obtained by subtracting an upper limit value of the black amount from the limit value that is set in the achromatic baseline and adding the black amount to the subtracted value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The color conversion device according to claim 11, wherein the black amount determining unit calculates the total amount limit value for each black amount on the achromatic baseline in the device-independent color space on the basis of the limit value that has been set in the achromatic baseline, and determines the total amount limit value for each black amount such that the total amount limit value becomes closer to the limit value in the outline of the color gamut as it becomes closer to the limit value in the outline of the color gamut toward the outline of the color gamut in the corresponding black amount on the basis of the total amount limit value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The color conversion device according to claim 10, wherein the black amount determining unit calculates the total amount limit value for each black amount on the achromatic baseline in the device-independent color space on the basis of the limit value that has been set in the achromatic baseline, and determines the total amount limit value for each black amount such that the total amount limit value becomes closer to the limit value in the outline of the color gamut as it becomes closer to the limit value in the outline of the color gamut toward the outline of the color gamut in the corresponding black amount on the basis of the total amount limit value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The color conversion device according to claim 10, wherein use amount is limited for each color material in the output device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a color conversion program that causes a computer to execute the functions of the color conversion device according to claim 10. ### Claim 16 A color conversion method, comprising: setting, in accordance with a color gamut, a limit value of a color material total amount that is used in an output device that uses color materials of M colors including black, where M is an integer equal to or larger than 4, and outputs an image; and calculating a total amount limit value corresponding to the color gamut for each black amount on the basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut by the limit value setting, and determining a black amount from a conversion target-independent color signal of a device-independent color space, wherein the black amount determining includes creating a lower outline color signal that satisfies the total amount limit value that has been calculated for each black amount on the basis of the limit value that has been set in accordance with the color gamut. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The color conversion method according to claim 16, wherein the black amount determining includes calculating an independent color signal in the corresponding device-independent color space from the lower outline color signal and creating a model for calculating a black amount from the independent color signal and the black amount of the lower outline to which that independent color signal belongs, and using the model that has been created by the black amount calculation model creating and calculating the black amount from the conversion target-independent color signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The color conversion method according to claim 16, further comprising: converting a target device color signal of an N-dimensional color space in a target output device that uses color materials of N colors including black, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 4, into the conversion target-independent color signal of the device-independent color space; calculating an optimum black amount from the black amount that has been determined by the black amount determining and the black amount of the target device color signal; and calculating color components other than black of the M-dimensional output color signal whose components are colors of color materials that the output device uses from the optimum black amount that has been calculated by the optimum black amount calculating and the conversion target-independent color signal, wherein the color conversion method outputs an output color signal created by the color components that have been calculated by the inverse converting and the optimum black amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The color conversion method according to claim 16, further comprising: converting a target device color signal of an N-dimensional color space in a target output device that uses color materials of N colors including black, where N is an integer equal to or larger than 4, into the conversion target-independent color signal of the device-independent color space; calculating an optimum black amount from the black amount that has been determined by the black amount determining and the black amount of the target device color signal; and calculating color components other than black of the M-dimensional output color signal whose components are colors of color materials that the output device uses from the optimum black amount that has been calculated by the optimum black amount calculating and the conversion target-independent color signal, wherein the color conversion method outputs an output color signal created by the color components that have been calculated by the inverse converting and the optimum black amount.