Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Michael M Chang

Dongpei Su

Kenneth Allen Schmidt

Sheng Li

Kendrick Esperanza Wong

Stephen L Schafer

Javier A Morales

Alfred Abkarian

Larry Lubman

Eric Pugh

Edwin Philip Lockwood

Mohamed Al Sayed Mostafa

Guo Li

Steve A Doria

Mohamed Mostafa

Alexander Daniel Friedman

A device such as a color printer includes a main memory, a cache memory, and a convolutional neural network configured to convert pixels from a first color space to a second color space. The convolutional neural network is organized into execution-separable layers, and loaded one or more layer at a time (depending on cache size) from the main memory to the cache memory, whereby the pixels are processed through each of the layers in the cache memory, and layers that have completed processing are evicted to make room for caching next layer(s) of the network.

Complex color space conversion using convolutional neural networks

A color printing system manages ICC profiles by controlling ink use without performing the ICC profile creation operations. To obtain an ink limit for an ICC profile, a table associated with the ICC profile is parsed to determine the ink limit. The ink limit is decreased or increased. For an ink limit decrease, a color over the decreased ink limit is adjusted to meet the new ink limit. The ICC profile is updated accordingly. For an ink limit increase, the combination of primary colors are boosted by a percentage amount. Checks are made with regard to the volume-based ink limit and an quality check operation to accepted the boosted amount. The ICC profile is updated accordingly.

Methods and system for ink limit adjustments to ICC profiles for color printing

A color printing system includes a printing device and other components that use color printing resources, such as calibration and ICC profiles, to complete color printing operations. These color printing resources are used for a large number of paper types stored in a paper catalog. The paper types can be further placed into paper groups within the paper catalog. The paper groups may be formed by assigning new papers into the paper catalog to those having paper types with existing calibration data and ICC profiles. These relationships are shown in a paper catalog map. The print shop can use the paper catalog map for selling paper types, providing different capabilities for paper types, and other information.

Method for using a paper catalog map with a paper catalog for printing operations

A hybrid ink limit is applied during the creation of an ICC profile. The hybrid ink limit takes into account a percentage total area coverage (TAC) ink limit and a volume-based ink limit. The percentage TAC ink limit is specified using an input from an operator. The volume-based ink limit is retrieved based upon the media for the ICC profile. Both ink limits are applied to primary color combinations for color patches to be printed in a test chart used to capture measurement data to create the ICC profile. A combination of primary colors at exceeds either ink limit is adjusted to meet the ink limit. The adjusted combination is used in the test chart to generate the measurement data for the ICC profile. After creation of the ICC profile, the volume-based ink limit is applied to the ICC profile color combinations to identify those combinations still over the ink limit.

Methods and system for applying hybrid ink limits in ICC profile creation

A color printing system includes a printing device and other components that use color printing resources, such as calibration and ICC profiles, to complete color printing operations. These color printing resources are used for a large number of paper types stored in a paper catalog. The paper types can be further placed into paper groups within the paper catalog. The paper groups may be formed by assigning new papers into the paper catalog to those having paper types with existing calibration data and ICC profiles. These relationships are shown in a paper catalog map. The print shop can use the paper catalog map for selling paper types, providing different capabilities for paper types, and other information. The paper catalog map also may be used to select a paper type from a primary paper type and a secondary paper type.

Methods for using a paper catalog map with a paper catalog to manage paper types for color printing operations

A color management system for a printing system includes a color management service that controls quality control operations, such as calibration and quality checks, over a plurality of printing devices. The color management service generates a target print job having a quality control target made of color patches. The color management service also encodes metadata within the target print job using a control strip. The control strip encodes the metadata using different color patches and color intensities. The control strip is scanned at the printing device to decode the metadata and enable a user interface to complete the quality control operation.

Color measurement system for printing devices

A color printing system uses color printing management tiers to control color printing resources at a printing device. The color printing management tiers include a media type color management tier, an ink limited calibration tier, and a calibration and ICC profile creation tier. A print job includes a parameter that is used to select the management tier for color conversion operations for the print job. The parameter can include an attribute or a media type for the print job. The applicable tone reproduction curve (TRC) or ICC profile is retrieved according to the selected management tier. The TRC or ICC profile is adjusted according to an input applicable to the respective management tier. The TRC or ICC profile also is selected from a plurality of TRCs or ICC profiles, respectively.

Methods and printing system for multi-tier color management

A color printing system uses color printing management tiers to control color printing resources at a printing device. The color printing management tiers include a media type color management tier, an ink limited calibration tier, and a calibration and ICC profile creation tier. A print job includes a parameter that is used to select the management tier for color conversion operations for the print job. The parameter can include an attribute or a media type for the print job. The applicable tone reproduction curve (TRC) or ICC profile is retrieved according to the selected management tier. The TRC or ICC profile is adjusted according to an input applicable to the respective management tier.

Example embodiments relate to dynamic sharing of ICC profiles. A computing device may receive data representing a paper type, a customer precision requirement, and supporting parameters and perform a search of a paper catalog using the data for an existing ICC profile that satisfies the customer precision requirement. Search parameters used during the search of the paper catalog may depend on a level of the customer precision requirement. Responsive to identifying an ICC profile during the search of the paper catalog that satisfies the customer precision requirement and can be used by the printer make and model associated with the original request, the computing device may transmit the ICC profile to the requesting printer via a network. In some instances, the computing device may determine the paper catalog lacks an ICC profile that satisfies the customer precision requirement and transmit an indication that no existing ICC profile is available.

Methods and systems for dynamic sharing of ICC profiles

Color conversion attempt to reproduce an input CMYK combination on a print media using an output CMYK combination. In a 2-step process, ICC profiles are used for the color conversion. In some instances, a 1-step process may be used that avoids the use of the ICC profiles and provides a faster processing time. A color progression checker determines whether the 1-step process may be used for color conversions based on standard deviations of the colorants along paths within a three-dimensional look-up table for a destination ICC profile. If a certain number of standard deviations exceed 20%, then the 1-step process for color conversion may not be effective.

Methods and system for checking ICC profile characteristics

Example embodiments relate to creating ICC printer profiles with unorthodox ink limits. A printing device may initially print a color profile chart represented by color combinations that are equal to or below an ink limit and generate a first ICC profile based on the color profile chart. The first ICC profile uses a first color set to map input colors of a source color space to output colors of a destination color space. At least one color of the first color set, however, may be represented by a color combination that exceeds the ink limit and thus the printing device may determine a second color set based on the first color set. For the second color set, each color is represented by a color combination that is equal to or below the ink limit. A second ICC profile may be generated to use the second color set.

Methods and systems for creating ICC printer profiles with unorthodox ink limits

An example system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause the system to perform various functions. The functions include, for each sample print of a plurality of sample prints, receiving respective color-measurement data indicative of color measurement patches printed on the sample print. The functions also include determining, using the respective color-measurement data for the sample prints, a respective color gamut volume for each sample print. Further, the functions include ordering the sample prints in order of increasing color gamut volume using the respective color gamut volumes for the sample prints. Still further, the functions include providing for display a presentation order for the sample prints, with the sample prints of the plurality of sample prints being arranged in order of increasing color gamut volume.

Preparation tool for color print presentation

An example system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause the system to perform various functions. The functions include obtaining a source profile associated with a print job and a destination profile associated with the print job. The functions also include, based on the source profile and the destination profile, generating a color conversion object that maps input colors of a source color space to output colors of a destination color space. In addition, the functions include training a neural network using the color conversion object so as to obtain weights associated with two or more hidden layers of nodes of the neural network. Further, the functions include receiving color data corresponding to pixels of the print job, and converting the color data from the source color space to the destination color space using the neural network.

Color conversion using neural networks

An example embodiment may involve causing a page of a document to be printed on a printing device, wherein the printing device is in an AM halftoning mode and prints the page using an AM halftone; displaying, on the display unit, a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a selectable option to switch the printing device from the AM halftoning mode to an FM halftoning mode; receiving an indication that the selectable option has been selected; possibly in response to receiving the indication that the selectable option has been selected, causing the printing device to switch from the AM halftoning mode to the FM halftoning mode; and causing the page of the document to be printed again on the printing device, wherein the printing device is in the FM halftoning mode and prints the page using an FM halftone.

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El Segundo, CA, United States of America

Michael M Chang