International Business Machines Corporation

Rainbow Displays, Inc.

Ho Chong Lee

Jack Louis Zable

William Chesley Decker

Mikel J Stanich

Donald P Seraphim

Dean W Skinner

Edward Frank Helinski

Larry David Teklits

Larry T Sehringer

John R O'Toole

Alex T Shalkey

David H Rickenbach

Gerhard Robert Thompson

Shunji Suzuki

Patrick J Fitzgibbons

Koichi Miwa

Lawrence A Stone

William D Clark

Donald Frederick Jensen

John Carl Tamulis

Joseph Pinter

Paul Gerard Wilkin

Thomas J Kotasek

Robert Edward Boyanowski

Gerhard A Wolfert

Winston Hsong Chen

Ganesh Subbarayan

Christopher D Turock

Paul C Van Note

Kevin G McKenna

Gary D VanBurger

Robert F Kuhn

Michael Robert Brechko

Michikazu Noquchi

A system for configuring a first printer according to the grayscale printing characteristics of a second printer is described. Grayscale printing characteristics of a first and a second printer are characterized, and a transform between the grayscale printing characteristics of the first printer and the grayscale printing characteristics of the second printer is generated. This transform is used to modify the first printer grayscale commands so as to emulate the grayscale printing characteristics of the second printer.

Printer calibration scheme

Density calibration for a printer is achieved using a standard grey scale vignette master and a stored gray scale vignette image that the printer operator can invoke from the operator panel of a printer. The vignette image provides a precalibrated scale that is used in conjunction with the &bull;standard&bull; image to determine the proper optical density. The density is then set by the printer control panel based upon the value obtained by visually matching the two grey scale vignettes.

Gray scale calibration tool for setting the density of a printer

A method of punching a via or through hole in a polymer-metal laminate workpiece in a punch press. The punch press has a punch tool, a driver coil for driving the punch tool through the polymer-metal laminate workpiece, and a stopper for stopping the punch travel of the punch tool and mechanically returning the punch tool to its starting position. The method includes the steps of applying an electrical current pulse through the driver coil to electromagnetically drive the punch downward to and through the workpiece, and then elastically colliding the punch tool with the stopper to stop and return the punch tool on an upward return stroke. Subsequently a second, braking pulse is applied through the driver coil to electromagnetically brake the punch. The second electrical current is applied after the start of the punching pulse, for a time and magnitude sufficient to brake the punch press.

Electromagnetic bounce back braking for punch press and punch press process

There is provided an improved method for laminating the components of a tiled display such as an AMLCD tiled display. In conventional laminating processes, forces are applied to the two parallel glass plates (i.e., the cover and back plates) separated by a liquid adhesive film. The two plates are squeezed together over their entire area forcing liquid laterally out from between the glass plates and tiles until the desired spacing or gap (filled with liquid adhesive) between the cover and back plates and the tiles is obtained. However, this process may require several hours to complete for large panels and, in addition the process is susceptible to trapping air bubbles in the adhesive. Consequently, the traditional process is not well suited for the mass production of large panels. The &ldquo;pseudo&rdquo; rolling-like lamination process of the present invention replaces the traditional lamination process and requires significantly less time.

Process and tool for maintaining three-dimensional tolerances for manufacturing tiled AMLCD displays

A method for applying the sealing material onto the corner regions of the substrate to realize the liquid crystal cell with large display region. A protrude region,is formed on each of the side regions adjacent to a display region of a first substrate,. A difference of level is formed at each boundary of the side region and the corner region on one surface of the first substrate,for providing the corner region with a height which is lower than a height of the side region. A sealing material,is applied on the side regions and the corner regions on the one surface of the first substrate,by a tool for dispensing the sealing material,. When a second substrate,is positioned on the applied sealing material,on one surface of the first substrate,, a distance between the first substrate,and the second substrate,is decreased and the sealing material,applied on the first substrate,is collapsed.

Method for sealing corner regions of a liquid crystal display

Toner/ink is saved while still being able to print any given color value within the full color gamut of a given printer. Combinations of varying percentages of a printer's toners/inks (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) are determined for maximum black substitution with varying percentages of under color addition (UCA) (e.g., 0%, 50%, 80%, and 100%). Patches of varying combinations of CMYK using maximum black substitution and a given percentage of UCA are printed out, and the color value (L*a*b*) of each patch is measured. Tables are generated having the percentage amounts of C,M,Y, and K and the corresponding measured color value. A first table represents maximum black substitution with 0% UCA. If a desired color value falls within this table, the corresponding CMYK combination represents the most toner/ink that can be saved. If a desired color value does not fall within the first table, subsequent tables representing increasing percentage amounts of UCA are examined. If the color is not found in any of the tables, the requested CMYK is unaltered. When the table is found, the corresponding CMYK combination, found through inversion and interpolation, saves some toner/ink while still being able to print the desired color value contained within that particular color gamut. The method is typically used to build a CMYK-to-CMYK transform table which the printer can use to print multi-color images with the minimum possible toner/ink usage and without sacrificing the image quality.

System, method, and program for saving toner/ink in a color printer without sacrificing image quality

A unique combination of four colorants (C&prime;M&prime;Y&prime;K&prime;) of a given printer that is equivalent to an externally defined four colorant combination (CMYK) by having the same color values (e.g., L*a*b* values). A fourth colorant, e.g., black, (K) of the externally defined four colorant combination is mapped to an equivalent fourth colorant (K&prime;) of the printer by matching optical density, reflectance, L* or similar color value. The L* value is found for various percentages of the fourth colorant of the printer by printing varying percentages of the fourth component and measuring its L*a*b* values and, assuming a* and b* are near zero, using the L* value. These values are inputted into an interpolation program. Then, patches of varying percentages of each one of the three color components of the printer (CMY) are printed out at varying percentages. The L*a*b* values for each patch are measured and inputted into an inversion/interpolation program along with the corresponding percentages of colorants of each patch. The externally defined four component colorant having L*a*b* values also used in the inversion/interpolation program, which creates a color transform table from CMY with various percentages of K of the externally defined four dimensional colorant to C&prime;M&prime;Y&prime; with various percentages of K&prime; of the four dimensional colorant of the printer by matching L*a*b* values.

Enhanced system, method and program for converting an externally defined four dimensional colorant (CMYK) into an equivalent four dimensional colorant defined in terms of the four inks (C&prime;M&prime;Y&prime;K&prime;) that are associated with a given printer

Density calibration for a printer is achieved using a standard grey scale vignette master and a stored gray scale vignette image that the printer operator can invoke from the operator panel of a printer. The vignette image provides a pre-calibrated scale that is used in conjunction with the &square;standard&square; image to determine the proper optical density. The density is then set by the printer control panel based upon the value obtained by visually matching the two grey scale vignettes.

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for configuring a first printer to print according to the grayscale printing characteristics of a second printer is described. The method comprises the steps of characterizing the grayscale printing characteristics of the first printer and the second printer, defining a transform between the grayscale printing characteristics of the first printer and of the second printer, and modifying the first printer threshold matrix in accordance with the transform. The article of manufacture comprises a computer-readable medium tangibly embodying the above described method steps. The apparatus comprises a scanner or densitometer for characterizing the grayscale printing characteristics of the first printer and the second printer, a processor for determining a transform between the grayscale printing characteristics of the first printer and those of the second printer, and for modifying the first printer threshold matrix in accordance with the transform.

Half-tone screen calibrations

A method of generating artifact-free threshold matrices for digital printing devices is provided. The method includes, for example, the steps of establishing a threshold matrix by examining at least one color level for artifacts and removing the color level from the threshold matrix if it has artifacts. The method further includes the steps of examining a range of color levels for artifacts and removing the color levels from the threshold matrix which have artifacts and evenly distributing the remaining color levels over a range of color levels from a first color level to a last color. The examination of color levels for artifacts may be implemented manually or through an automated computer controlled process. The automated process includes digitally acquiring the color level and performing a Fourier transform on the color level to determine its spectral components. The spectral components are analyzed to determine the presence or absence of artifacts. Color levels having artifacts may be removed from a threshold matrix via one of several removal procedures. Once the threshold matrix is defined by artifact-free color levels, it is then integrated or stored into a printer or display device.

Method of eliminating artifacts in display devices

The system, method, program, and print pattern of this invention allows print misregistration to be detected and controlled through density measurements. A special print pattern is used for which a correlation between a density measurement of the print pattern and an amount of misregistration can be made. Initially, for a given printer, and for each printing station within the printer, the special print pattern is printed using two printing stations at varying amounts of misregistration of one of the printing stations. The density of each special print pattern printed at the varied amount of misregistration is measured. A correlation is made between density and amount of misregistration of the one printing station relative to the other printing station. Whenever misregistration is desired to be determined, the special print pattern is printed, the density is measured, and the correlation is applied to the measured density to determine a misregistration amount.

System, method, program, and print pattern for performing registration calibration for printers by measuring density

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for converting an externally defined four dimensional colorant, e.g., CMYK, to an equivalent four dimensional colorant, e.g., C'M'Y'K, having components of a printer. A measurement is made of first color values, e.g., L.sup.* a.sup.* b, of a first set of patches having predetermined combinations of varying percentages of three primary colors, e.g., CMY, printed by the printer. Each combination of known CMY values are correlated with corresponding color values, e.g., L.sup.* a.sup.* b, as input to a first inversion program for determining CMY values for any given color value (L.sup.* a.sup.* b). A measurement is also made of second color values, e.g., L.sup.* a.sup.* b, of a second set of patches having predetermined varying percentages of a fourth colorant (K) printed by the printer. The first inversion program is used to determine CMY values corresponding to the color values, L.sup.* a.sup.* b, for the varying percentages of the fourth colorant (D). These determined CMY values corresponding to the second set of patches (D) and the known CMY values of the first set of patches are used to determine an equivalent fourth colorant substitution for the first patches having new CMY (C'M'Y') values and a corresponding percentage of the fourth colorant (D). Each combination of the C'M'Y' and K are correlated with associated color values as input to a second inversion program for determining C'M'Y'K values for any given color values or equivalent values.

System, method and program for converting an externally defined colorant

The system, method, and program of this invention is capable of taking as input a three dimensional colorant (e.g., CMY, L*a*b*) and determining an equivalent combination of colors made up of four or more colorants that are used by a given printer. A plurality of patches are printed having predetermined known combinations of varying percentages of three primary colors (e.g., CMY). Another set of patches are printed having predetermined varying percentages of a fourth color (e.g., black). The L*a*b* of these patches are measured. An inversion program is used to determine equivalent CMY component percentage values for the varying percentages of the fourth component based upon similar actually measured L*a*b* values. These determined CMY component percentage values and the known percentages of CMY are used to substitute the fourth colorant (K) for each of the original CMY combinations, known as fourth colorant substitution or black substitution.

System, method, and program for converting three dimensional colorants

A system, method, and program of the invention determine a unique combination of four colorants (C'M'Y'K') of a given printer that is equivalent to an externally defined four colorant combination (CMYK) by having the same color values (e.g., L*a*b* values). L*a*b* values associated with each three component combination (CMY) with the fourth component value (K) equal to zero of the externally defined four colorant combination (CMYK) are used in an inversion/interpolation program The printer also prints out a matrix of predetermined varying combinations of the three colorants of the printer (CMY)p with the fourth colorant K equal to zero. L*a*b* values are measured for each patched. These values and the corresponding three colorant combination values are inputted into the inversion/interpolation program. For any given externally defined three colorant combination (CMY), or L*a*b* value, a corresponding three colorant combination (C'M'Y') of the printer can be determined from the inversion/interpolation program by matching L*a*b* values. Then, a fourth colorant, e.g., black, (K) of the externally defined four colorant combination is mapped to an equivalent fourth colorant (K') of the printer by matching color values (e.g., L*). For example, the L* value is found for various percentages of the fourth colorant through standard tables where C=0, M=0, Y=0. The L* value is found for various percentages for the fourth colorant of the printer by printing varying percentages of the fourth component and measuring its L*a*b* values and, assuming a* and b* are near zero, using the L* value. As such, the conversion takes place in two steps, from CMY to C'M'Y' and from K to K'.

System, method and program for converting an externally defined four

A system, method, and program for generating a color rendering dictionary file or look-up table for an equivalent device dependent four component colorant combination for a given printer from a given device independent three dimensional color space. First input parameters are comprised of varying percentage amounts of an additional fourth colorant and corresponding measured color values for varied percentage amounts of the additional fourth colorant. Second input parameters are comprised of varying percentage amounts of three base colorants and corresponding measured color values for varied percentage amounts of the three base colorants. Percentage amounts of the three base colorants (three colorant values) for each varied percentage amount of the additional fourth colorant are determined from the sets of measured color values. The percentage amounts of the three base colorants with the additional fourth colorants are determined, such that the fourth colorants are equivalent to the varied percentage amounts of the base colorants. The determined four colorant values are then correlated with the measured color values of each of the equivalent varied amounts of the three base colorants. A look-up or color dictionary is used to find correlated four colorant values for any given color.

Growing community of inventors

Endicott, NY, United States of America

Ho Chong Lee