The invention relates to a color processing system and method, more particularly to a color processing system that uses a color management module for managing a storage memory for converting display colors of an image data into printing colors and the color converting method thereof.
When it is desired to print an image data on a piece of paper by a printing device, a color processing system enables the image data to undergo a color conversion process. Thus, the display colors (basic R, G, B colors of light) of the image data are firstly converted into CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) printing colors prior to being printed, and secondly the image data is printed in the CMYK colors in the overlap manner so that the finished product (or printout) may have CMYK colors.
Note that the storage memory 4 in the conventional color processing system 2 is a non-volatile memory. The data transmission between the color management module 6 and the storage memory 4 is relatively slow, i. e. the color management module 6 is required to conduct a comparing action upon receipt of each image data with respect to each and everyone of those reference data 402 stored within the storage memory 4 in order to find out the respective reference data, thereby resulting in a relatively long processing time and hindering the color conversion process.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a color processing system that uses a color management module for converting the display colors of an image data into color regions having the printing colors so as to upgrade the ability of a printing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, a color converting method is proposed for converting display colors of an image data into corresponding printing colors, several pieces of reference data corresponding to the display colors and the printing colors being stored in a storage memory, the color converting method includes the steps: capturing the display colors of the image data from an exterior thereof; determining whether a piece of reference data corresponding the captured display colors is located within a cache; converting the captured display colors of the image data into color regions having the printing colors in case the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors is present within the cache; turning to the storage memory in order to capture the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors in case the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors is absent from the cache; and
storing the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors in the cache in order to facilitate conversion of the captured display colors of the image data into the color regions having the printing colors.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a color processing system is proposed and includes: a storage memory stored with several pieces of reference data corresponding to display colors and printing colors respectively: a cache; a CMM (color management module) for converting display colors of an image data into color regions having the printing colors, the CMM including a data capture module and a color match module, wherein the data capture module is electrically coupled to the storage memory and the cache while the color match module is electrically coupled to the data capture module, the color match module capable of capturing display colors of an image data from an exterior thereof and a piece of reference data corresponding to the display colors from the cache via the data capture module, in case the piece of reference data corresponding the captured display colors being located within the cache, the captured display colors of the image data are converted by the color match module into color regions having the printing colors; and wherein, in case the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors is absent from the cache, the direction thereof is turned to the storage memory in order to capture the piece of reference data corresponding to the captured display colors so as to store the piece of reference data in the cache in order to facilitate conversion of the captured display colors of the image data into the color regions having the printing colors.
Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The cache 34 is as a matter of fact a non-volatile memory within which several pieces of reference data 3202 are stored in advance. The pieces of reference data 3202 are corresponding to the display colors and the printing colors respectively.
The color management module (CMM) 36 is used for converting the display colors (R,G,B colors) into color regions having the printing colors (CMYK colors) prior to the printing operation. The CMM 36 includes a data capture module 3602 and a color match module 3604, wherein the data capture module 3602 is electrically coupled to the storage memory 32 and the cache 34. The cache 34 can best be a volatile memory, such as a D flip-flop or a SRAM (static random access memory).
The color match module 3604 is electrically coupled to the data capture module 3602. The color match module 3604 is capable of capturing display colors of an image data from an exterior thereof and a piece of reference data corresponding to the display colors from the cache 34 via the data capture module 3602.
In case the piece of reference data 3202 corresponding the captured display colors is located within the cache 34, the captured display colors (RGB) of the image data are converted by the color match module 3604 into color regions having the printing colors (CMYK).
In case the piece of reference data 3202 corresponding to the captured display colors (RGB) is absent from the cache 34, the capturing direction is turned towards the storage memory 32 in order to capture the piece of reference data 3202. Under this condition, the piece of reference data 3202 can be stored within the cache 34 in order to facilitate conversion of the captured display colors (RGB) of the image data into the color regions having the printing colors (CMYK).
In step S02, the display colors of the image data are captured from an exterior thereof.
In step S04, find out or determine whether a piece of reference data 3202 corresponding the captured display colors is located within the cache 34. The cache 34 can be a volatile memory, such as a D flip-flop or a SRAM (static random access memory). In case the piece of reference data 3202 corresponding to the captured display colors is present within the cache 34, the captured display colors (R, G, B) of the image data are converted into color regions having the printing colors (CMYK), according to the step S06.
In step S08, in case the piece of reference data 3202 corresponding to the captured display colors (R,G,B) is absent from the cache 34, the capturing direction is turned towards the storage memory 32 in order to capture the piece of reference data 3202 therefrom.
In step S10, the piece of reference data 3202 corresponding to the captured display colors is stored within the cache 34 in order to facilitate conversion of the captured display colors (R,G,B) of the image data into the color regions having the printing colors (CMYK).
Referring to
To summarize the above paragraphs, it is observable that since the CMM is used for capturing the piece of reference data 3202 from the cache 34, the capturing time is shorten when compared to the prior art capturing time, which, in turn, results in quick color conversion of the image data. Therefore, the printing performance of the printing device provided with the color processing system of the present invention is consequently upgraded.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.