Method for dynamic optimization of refinement patches for color printer characterization
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsRaja Bala, Yonghui Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method generates a set of color patches that can be used to characterize a color printer. An accurate reference printer model is selected. A base set of calibration patches is printed and measured. The measurements are used to generate a model that can be used to predict the color produced by the reference printer for any combination of its colorants. The base set of patches is supplemented by a set of patches chosen to reduce the maximum color error produced by using the model compared to the predictions of a reference printer model. The supplemented set of patches is used to generate a more accurate model of the printer. The supplemented set of patches is used to recalibrate other instances of the printer.
Claims19
A method for selecting a set of color patches for color printer characterization comprising:
- printing and measuring a base set of color patches, each patch defining a combination of printer colorants;
- building a basic printer model using the measured color values of the printed base set of color patches;
- selecting a color from a candidate set of colors, the selected color having a largest color difference between the color values predicted by a predefined reference printer model and the basic printer model;
- adding the selected color to a refinement set of color patches;
- refining the basic printer model using the refinement set of color patches and the base set of color patches;
- and
- repeating, until a termination criterion is satisfied, selecting a color, adding the selected color to the refinement set, and refining the basic printer model using the refinement set of color patches and the base set of color patches.
A method for calibrating a color printer comprising:
- printing and measuring a base set of color patches, each patch comprising a predetermined combination of printer colorants;
- building a basic printer model, using the measured color value of each patch of the printed base set of color patches, the basic printer model predicting the color produced by any combination of printer colorants;
- generating a list of color differences between colors predicted by a predetermined reference printer model and colors predicted by the basic printer model;
- selecting a colorant combination corresponding to a color with a largest color difference between the colors predicted by a predetermined reference printer model and the colors predicted by the basic printer model;
- and
- refining the basic printer model using the selected colorant combination.
A method for generating a set of color patches for characterization of a color production process comprising:
- printing a base set of color patches, each patch defining a combination of colorants used in the color production process;
- building a basic color model, using measured color values of the printed base set of color patches, the basic color model predicting a color generated by a given set of colorants;
- selecting a color that has a largest color difference between color values predicted by a predefined reference color model and color values predicted by the basic color model;
- adding the selected color to a refinement set of color patches;
- refining the basic color model using the refinement set of color patches and the base set of color patches;
- and
- repeating, until a predefined termination criterion is satisfied, selecting colors, adding colors to the refinement set of color patches, and refining the basic color model with the refinement set of color patches and the base set of color patches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.