Seiko Epson Corporation

Rochester Institute of Technology

Yoshifumi Arai

Takashi Ito

Yuko Yamamoto

Nao Kaneko

Roy Stephen Berns

Lawrence A Taplin

Satoshi Yamazaki

Kimito Katsuyama

Masashi Kanai

Shuichi Kataoka

Susumu Murayama

Hikaru Kurasawa

Michinao Osawa

Takayuki Fukuda

Lawrence A Munsell Color Science Labor Taplin

Roy S Munsell Color Science Laboratory Berns

A calibration curve creating method includes: (a) acquiring observation data of a plurality of samples of a test object; (b) acquiring content of a target component of each sample; (c) estimating a plurality of independent components when the observation data of each sample is separated into the plurality of independent components, and acquiring a mixing coefficient corresponding to the target component for each sample; and (d) acquiring a regression equation of a calibration curve. (c) includes acquiring an independent component matrix by performing a first preprocessing including normalization of the observation data, a second preprocessing including whitening, and an independent component analysis process in this order. &#x3b2; divergence is used as an independence index of the independent component analysis process, and a robust regression method is used in (d).

Calibration curve creating method and calibration curve creation apparatus

An estimation device is configured to estimate a feature value of a specific component contained in a sample and includes: a spectral estimation parameter storage module; a calibration parameter storage module; a multiband image acquirer; an optical spectrum operator configured to compute an optical spectrum from a multiband image using a spectral estimation parameter; and a calibration processor configured to compute the feature value from the optical spectrum using a calibration parameter.

Feature value estimation device and corresponding method, and spectral image processing device and corresponding method

A device measures a spectral distribution with respect to each of a plurality of color charts, sets default values to band specification data, and computes a camera output signal based on spectral sensitivity of the multiband camera and spectral feature of light from each of the plurality of charts. The device computes a candidate value of a spectral estimation parameter from the measured spectral distribution of each color chart and the computed camera output signal. The device successively varies the band specification data from the default values to make an evaluation function approach a target value, determines a spectral estimation parameter corresponding to the band specification data when the evaluation function reaches the target value. The evaluation function is defined to correlate the measured spectral distribution of each color chart to a spectral estimation value computed from the candidate value of the spectral estimation parameter and the camera output signal.

Spectral estimation parameter generation device, method of generating spectral estimation parameter, and spectral estimation device

A server receives simulation condition input from a client computer, and in accordance with the simulation condition input creates display-use data indicating the result of the simulation, and sends the display-use data to the client. The print simulator of the server first converts the image data to ink quantities, and then converts the ink quantities to spectral reflectance of the print. Then, using the spectral reflectance of the print together with the print observation condition and the display device observation condition, there is created display-use data for simulating the appearance of the print under the print observation condition, under the display device observation condition.

Simulation of print via a network

A printing control device which performs printing control for printing by using color materials of a plurality of types, includes: acquiring unit that acquires a color material set which is a combination of the color materials used for printing; and creation unit that creates a color conversion profile which prescribes conversion rules for converting image data expressed by a first color space into image data expressed by a second color space which differs from the first color space and which is a color space expressed by a color material amount set which is a combination of usage amounts for the respective color materials constituting the color material set.

Printing control according to combinations of color materials

A system is configured to calculate an evaluation index of sample ink amount data from a color difference evaluation index and an image quality evaluation index and create a profile on the basis of a sample with a high rating value. When the image quality evaluation index is predicted, the image quality evaluation index corresponding to any sample ink amount data is estimated based on a profile produced on the basis on actual evaluation. A printer driver is configured to create a plurality of profiles by using different indices in this system and to perform color conversion by using the plurality of profiles. The plurality of profiles are appropriately selected according to the user's needs, printing conditions, and type of printing object image.

Production of color conversion profile for printing

A second printing control unit is provided. If the setting information is the information of setting for avoiding the use of Cl ink (uncolored ink), the second printing control unit refers to the same color conversion table as is used by a first printing control unit. Thereby the second printing control unit color-converts input image data into image data comprising gradation data corresponding to at least the amounts of colored inks in C, M, Y, R, V, and K consumed. The second printing control unit can carry out such control as to cause a printer (printing device) to use only the C, M, Y, R, V, and K colored ink and print a print image, using the image data.

Printing control device, printing control method, and medium recording printing control program

In one example, there is designed a system for calculating an evaluation index for sample ink amount data from a color difference evaluation index and an image quality evaluation index, and creating a profile based on a highly rated sample. In this system, the printer driver is designed to use different indexes to create plural profiles, and to perform color conversion using these plural profiles. These plural profiles may be selected appropriately according to user needs, printing conditions, type of image targeted for printing, and the like.

A color patch that was printed based on a plurality of test ink quantity sets prepared in advance is image inputted; a graininess index is calculated based on the inputted color patch image; the graininess index on a printing medium obtained when printing is performed according to an arbitrary ink quantity set is predicted based on a graininess profile produced based on the corresponding relationship between the test ink quantity set and the graininess index.

Predicting graininess index on printing medium when printing according to any ink quantity set based on a graininess profile

A spectral printing model converter is used to convert ink amount data to spectral reflectance of a color patch to be printed according to the ink amount data. A plurality of sample ink amount data each representing a set of ink amounts of plural inks is provided, and each sample ink amount data is converted into spectral reflectance of a virtual sample patch to be printed with the ink amounts represented by the sample ink amount data using the spectral printing model converter. An evaluation index is calculated for each sample ink amount data, where the evaluation index includes a color difference index and an image quality index of the virtual sample patch to be printed according to the sample ink amount data. The color difference index represents a color difference between a sample color which is calculated from the spectral reflectance and a comparative color which is selected as a basis for comparison. Plural sample ink amount data is then selected based on the evaluation index, and a profile defining correspondence between colorimetric value data and ink amount data is produced based on the selected plural sample ink amount data.

A method for producing a profile specifying the correspondence relationship of values in different color spaces, includes a step of acquiring a first correspondence relationship that is a correspondence relationship of a plurality of ink amounts and color values, a step of acquiring a plurality of grid points that are a plurality of grid points in a predetermined color space and for which a relative relationship between the adjacent grid points is defined, a step of acquiring a second correspondence relationship that is a correspondence relationship of the plurality of grid points and color values, a step of acquiring a third correspondence relationship that is a correspondence relationship of the plurality of grid points and ink amounts based on the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship, and a step of producing a profile specifying the third correspondence relationship.

Production of color space conversion profile based on correspondence of grid points and ink amounts

A method and apparatus for producing a color conversion profile for use in a color inkjet printer, a color laser printer, or the like. In one embodiment, a spectral printing model converter is used to sample ink amount data to spectral reflectance Rsmp(&#x3bb;). Using this spectral reflectance Rsmp(&#x3bb;), colorimetric values CV, CVunder two different viewing conditions are calculated, and an evaluation index EI that includes an index of color difference between the colorimetric values CV, CVis calculated. I another embodiment, an evaluation index EI that includes an index of color difference between sample color represented by sample ink amount data and reference color obtained from a reference color patch is calculated. Sample ink amount data having the best evaluation index EI is then selected as a representative sample. Profiles are created from the plurality of selected representative samples.

Production of a color conversion profile utilizing comparison of spectral reflectance data and comparative colors

A method of producing a color conversion table capable of enhancing continuity in an image-data color conversion, an image processing device and a method using the color conversion table, a program and a recording medium. The image processing device performs an image processing by using a color conversion table produced by using functions for evaluating a smoothing level at each element of lattice point data after color conversion by a color conversion table. Functions for evaluating the above smoothing level include a function based on the twisted quantity of ink-quantity vector, a function based on a twisted quantity at a virtual CMY, a function based on a deviation from a target ink quantity, a function based on a deviation from a target virtual CMY, a function based on a failure to meet an ink quantity limitation, a function based on ink quantity reduced to minus, and a function based on ink generation.

Method of producing color conversion table, image processing device, image processing method, program and recording medium

For correlating the specified colors and ink amount, the specified color data showing the color values of the specified colors are acquired, the ink amount data showing optional ink amount are converted into color values, evaluation index including the first evaluation index for evaluating the color difference between the color value of the specified colors under the standard observation condition and the color value of the ink amount and the second evaluation index for evaluating the color difference among color values obtained under a plurality of observation conditions are acquired, the question of whether the evaluation by the evaluation index meets the predetermined evaluation standard or not is evaluated, the conversion of the ink amount data and the acquisition of the evaluation index are repeated by correcting the ink amount until the evaluation standard is met, and the ink amount data of the ink amount having met the evaluation standard and the specified color data are correlated.

Determination of the combination of ink amount for realizing the specified colors

A profile is created for making correspondence between a lattice point in an ink color space composed of ink colors and a lattice point in a device-independent color space by: defining a virtual force acting on a focused lattice point in a device-independent color space and obtaining the focused lattice position in a stable state reached when the virtual force acts on the focused lattice point; and working based on a transform model for transforming a lattice point in the ink color space into a lattice point in the device-independent color space to obtain a lattice point in an ink color space corresponding to a focused lattice position in the stable state and creating the profile by making correspondence between both.

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Nagano-ken, Japan

Yoshifumi Arai