Print smoothness on clear toner enabled systems
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorGuo-Yau Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining an amount of clear toner to be applied to a document image to improve smoothness in an output print rendered using a xerographic device capable of applying clear toner to the image in the image path. Using clear toner to improve smoothness enables a GCR strategy in which more black can be used. This, in turn, decreases the incremental cost for clear toner. The teachings hereof present attractive trade-offs for print shops specializing in color document reproduction and other customers of high-end xerographic devices capable of applying clear toner. Various embodiments are disclosed.
Claims17
A method for determining where to apply clear toner to an image of a document to improve smoothness in an output print, the method comprising:
- receiving an image of a document intended to be rendered on a document reproduction device capable of applying clear toner to an output print;
- analyzing said document image to detect at least one object contained within said document;
- determining an amount of halftone dot area coverage in at least one region of said object;
- determining a rate of color transition in said region of said object;
- and
- in response to said determined rate of color transition being below a predetermined transition threshold in a spatial domain, applying clear toner to said object region.
A system for determining where to apply clear toner to an image of a document to improve smoothness in an output print, the system comprising:
- a controller which regulates the application of clear toner to a document image in the image path of a document reproduction device;
- a memory and a storage medium;
- and
- a processor in communication with said controller, and memory and storage medium, said processor executing machine readable instructions for performing the method of:
- receiving an image of a document intended to be rendered on a document reproduction device capable of applying clear toner to an output print;
- analyzing said document image to detect at least one object contained within said document;
- determining an amount of halftone dot area coverage in at least one region of said object;
- determining a rate of color transition in said region of said object;
- and
- in response to said determined rate of color transition being below a predetermined transition threshold in a spatial domain, signaling said controller to apply clear toner to said object region.
A computer implemented method for determining where to apply clear toner to an image of a document to improve smoothness in an output print, the method comprising:
- receiving an image of a document intended to be rendered on a document reproduction device capable of applying clear toner to an output print;
- analyzing said document image to detect objects contained within said document, said detected objects comprising any of:
- a constant color object, smooth shading object, and an image object;
- and
- for each detected object in said document image:
- determining an amount of halftone dot area coverage in at least one region of said object;
- determining a rate of color transition in said region of said object;
- and
- in response to said determined rate of color transition being below a predetermined transition threshold in a spatial domain:
- ink-limiting said amount of clear toner to be applied such that an amount of excessive toner to be applied is removed;
- and
- signaling said document reproduction device to apply said ink-limited clear toner to said object region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.