Patent Application
20110299100
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 2010-52833, filed on Jun. 4, 2010, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept generally relates to a print controlling terminal and a color correction method, and more particularly, to a print controlling terminal which is capable of matching colors of an output image of a monitor with colors of an output image of an image forming apparatus by changing an International Color Consortium (ICC) profile of the monitor, and a color correction method applying the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus refers to an apparatus that prints print data generated from a print controlling terminal such as a computer on a recording paper, and examples of such an image forming apparatus include a copy machine, a printer, a facsimile or a Multi-Function Peripheral (MFP) which combines the functions of all apparatuses into one.
Since the color gamut of an image forming apparatus is smaller than the color gamut of a monitor, a color-matching process is required in order for the image forming apparatus to print RGB images on the print controlling terminal. Accordingly, each manufacturer provides an ICC profile suitable for each product so that color-matching can be performed using the provided ICC profile.
However, while color reproduction information in an ICC profile provided by a manufacturer does not change, output properties of a monitor are changing over time due to its element properties. In addition, as color temperature, brightness, and contrast can be adjusted by a user, output colors may be different from those output on the monitor. Therefore, there is a limit to the degree of accuracy in reproducing colors by a printer only using an ICC profile provided by a manufacturer.
The present general inventive concept provides a print controlling terminal which is capable of matching colors of an output image of a monitor with colors of an output image of an image forming apparatus by changing an International Color Consortium (ICC) profile of the monitor, and a color correction method applying the same.
Additional aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept.
A color correction method, according to an exemplary embodiment, includes displaying an expected print image of a test image of the image forming apparatus on a monitor, outputting the test image to the image forming apparatus, performing color matching between the output test image and an expected print image on the monitor, changing an ICC profile of the monitor according to the performed color matching, and generating a print data using the changed ICC profile.
The performing color matching may perform color matching by adjusting at least one of color temperature, brightness, and contrast of the expected print image.
The displaying the expected print image may convert the test image into an image in a CIELAB color space using an ICC profile of the image forming apparatus, inversely convert the test image which is converted into the image in a CIELAB color space into a new image of RGB color space using a pre-stored ICC profile of the monitor, and display the inversely converted test image as an expected output image.
The changing the ICC profile may estimate at least one of color temperature, brightness, and contrast of the monitor and change an ICC profile of the monitor using the estimated properties.
The changing the ICC profile may change an ICC profile of the monitor by correcting a color space value of a pre-stored ICC profile of the monitor using the estimated color temperature.
The changing the ICC profile may correct contrast and brightness of the pre-stored ICC profile using a following equation:
Herein, ‘Y’ refers to output brightness, ‘g’ refers to gain, ‘d’ refers to input digital value, ‘o’ refers to offset, and ‘r’ refers to gamma.
The test image may include a user's favorite color.
The generating the print data may generate a color conversion table using a changed ICC profile of the monitor and an ICC profile of the image forming apparatus and generate print data using the generated color conversion table.
The method may further include storing the generated color conversion table.
A print controlling terminal, according to an exemplary embodiment, includes a video driver unit which displays an expected print image of a test image of the image forming apparatus on a monitor, a communication interface unit which outputs the test image to the image forming apparatus, an input unit which performs color matching between the output test image and an expected print image on the monitor, a changing unit which changes an ICC profile of the monitor according to the performed color matching, and a driver unit which generates a print data using the changed ICC profile.
The input unit may perform color matching by adjusting at least one of color temperature, brightness, and contrast of the expected print image.
The video driver unit may convert the test image into an image in a CIELAB color space using an ICC profile of the image forming apparatus, inversely convert the test image which is converted into the image in a CIELAB color space into a new image of RGB color space using a pre-stored ICC profile of the monitor, and display the inversely converted test image as an expected output image.
The changing unit may estimate at least one of color temperature, brightness, and contrast of the monitor and change an ICC profile of the monitor using the estimated properties.
The changing unit may change an ICC profile of the monitor by correcting a color space value of a pre-stored ICC profile of the monitor using the estimated color temperature.
The changing unit corrects contrast and brightness of the pre-stored ICC profile using a following equation:
Herein, ‘Y’ refers to output brightness, ‘g’ refers to gain, ‘d’ refers to input digital value, ‘o’ refers to offset, and ‘r’ refers to gamma.
The test image may include a user's favorite color.
The driver unit may generate a color conversion table using a changed ICC profile of the monitor and an ICC profile of the image forming apparatus and generate print data using the generated color conversion table.
The print controlling terminal may further include a storage unit which stores the generated color conversion table.
A print controlling terminal, according to another exemplary embodiment, includes a video driver unit which displays a user interface window comprising a first area where an expected print image of a test image of the image forming apparatus is displayed and a second area where at least one of color temperature, brightness and contrast of a monitor is input based on the displayed expected print image and an output test image of the image forming apparatus for color matching, a changing unit which changes an ICC profile of the monitor according to the performed color matching, and a driver unit which generates print data using the changed ICC profile.
The user interface window may further include a third area where a plurality of test images are displayed and a fourth area where a test image output on the image forming apparatus from among the plurality of test images is displayed.
A color correction method, according to another exemplary embodiment, includes comparing an output result of a test image by the image forming apparatus to a displayed expected print image on a monitor, changing an ICC profile of the monitor based on the comparison, and generating a print data using the changed ICC profile.
A print controlling terminal, according to another exemplary embodiment, includes a controller to control displaying an expected print image of a test image of the image forming apparatus on a monitor, to control outputting the test image to the image forming apparatus, and to perform color matching between the output test image and an expected print image on the monitor, a changing unit to change an ICC profile of the monitor according to the performed color matching, and a driver unit to generate a print data using the changed ICC profile.
The terminal may further include an input unit to receive a user input which is provided to the controller to perform the color matching.
These and/or other embodiments of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.
Referring to
The communication interface unit 110 is connected to an image forming apparatus 50, and transmits print data to the image forming apparatus 50. Specifically, the communication interface unit 110 is provided to connect the print controlling terminal 100 to an external apparatus. The communication interface unit 110 may be connected to the image forming apparatus 50 not only through a Local Area Network (LAN) and Internet network, but also through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. In addition, the communication interface unit 110 may transmit print data generated from the driver unit 160 to the image forming apparatus 50. The driver unit 160 will be explained later.
The video driver unit 130 supports interface between the print controlling terminal 100 and the monitor 10, and transmits data regarding an image to the monitor 10 so that the image can be displayed on the monitor 10. Herein, the monitor 10 refers to an apparatus which displays an image provided from the print controlling terminal 100, and may be one of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), etc.
In addition, the video driver unit 130 may control the monitor 10 to display a soft proofing result on a test image. Herein, the soft proofing is a technology of reproducing output colors of a test image on a monitor when the test image is output by the image forming apparatus 50. Specifically, the soft proofing may be performed by converting the test image into an image in a CIELAB color space using the ICC profile of the image forming apparatus 50, inversely converting the test image into a new image of RGB color space using the ICC profile of the monitor 10, and displaying the inversely converted test image as an expected output image.
The input unit 120 has a plurality of function keys through which a user can set and select various functions supported by the terminal 100, and the input unit 120 may receive various settings or selections from the user. In addition, the input unit 120 may display a user interface window to perform color-matching. The user interface window will be explained later with reference to
The input unit 120 also performs color-matching. Specifically, the input unit 120 may adjust color temperature, brightness and contrast of an expected print image so that the colors of the expected print image output on the monitor 10 by the user may be the same as the colors of the actual output image. In
The storage unit 140 stores the ICC profile of the monitor 10 and the ICC profile of the image forming apparatus 50. In addition, the storage unit 140 may store an ICC profile and a color conversion table which are changed in the changing unit 150 that will be explained later. The storage unit 140 may be realized as an internal storage medium or an external storage medium of the print controlling terminal 100, such as a removable disk including a USB memory and a web server through a network.
Herein, the ICC profile is standards promulgated by the International Color Consortium to reproduce original colors of an image on an input/output apparatus regardless of color reproduction properties of the input/output apparatus and various image conversion, and the ICC profile is a digital file which defines the relations between a device-dependent color space and a device-independent color space in the form of a mathematical modeling or a look-up table.
The device-dependent color space is a color coordinate which represents a digital control signal value as a specific bit number, such as 8 bit and 10 bit, to quantitatively define colors expressed by an input/output apparatus, and RGB, CMY, and CMYK color spaces are usually used according to a color representation method of an output apparatus and the number of primary colors. Since the device-dependent color space represents colors of an input/output apparatus only as a combination of digital control signal values, the device-dependent color space cannot reflect the original colors presented by the input/output apparatus. In addition, an image having the same color coordinates in the device-dependent color space is represented in different colors when the image is output by an output apparatus which has different color reproduction properties.
The device-dependent color space is a color space coordinate which represents color stimulus values perceived by human eyes quantitatively, and may reflect the same color values regardless of color reproduction properties of an output apparatus. A color coordinate such as sRGB, CIEXYZ, and CIELAB are mainly used.
The ICC profile may be generated through software related to a measuring device such as a color spectrum or a spectroradiometer. However, in the exemplary embodiment, the print data is generated by changing the ICC profile of the monitor 10 based on a comparison between the actual output result and the soft proofing result and using the changed ICC profile.
The changing unit 150 changes an ICC profile of a monitor according to performed color-matching. Specifically, the changing unit 150 may estimate (or calculate) color temperature, brightness, and contrast properties of the monitor 10, and change the ICC profile of the monitor (or generate new ICC profile) using the estimated properties.
The driver unit 160 supports interface between the print controlling terminal 100 and the image forming apparatus 50, and converts data that a user wishes to print into a print data in a language that can be recognized by the image forming apparatus 50.
In addition, the driver unit 160 may generate print data using a changed ICC profile. Specifically, the driver unit 160 may change data that a user wishes to print into a print data by generating a color conversion table using the changed ICC profile of the monitor 10 and the ICC profile of the image forming apparatus 50 and then using the generated color conversion table.
The controller 170 controls each component of the print controlling terminal 100. Specifically, the controller 170 controls to change the ICC profile of the monitor as described above if a user command is input or a predetermined time arrives. If the ICC profile is changed, the controller 170 may control the driver unit 160 to generate print data using the changed ICC profile to perform subsequent print commands.
Referring to
Referring to
Subsequently, CMYK color space conversion is performed on the changed RGB value at operation 330. Specifically, an input RGB value may be converted into a CIELAB value which is an output color of a monitor using the changed ICC profile, and the converted CIELAB value which is a monitor output color with regard to the input RGB value may be converted into a CMYK value to be used as an input to a printer using the ICC profile of the printer. Such CMYK color space conversion may be performed simply by using a color conversion table.
Binarization is applied to a value which has been converted into a CMYK color space through half-toning at operation 340. The binarized image is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 50, where it can then be printed.
Accordingly, a user may change the properties of a current monitor through the above-described processes and may generate print data having the most similar colors with the colors displayed on the monitor 10 considering the changed monitor properties. The color correction method illustrated in
Subsequently, soft proofing is performed on the selected test image, and the soft proofing result can be displayed at operation 420. Herein, the soft proofing represents an operation to reproduce output colors of a test image on a monitor when the test image is output by a printer. The soft proofing operation will be explained in detail with reference to
First of all, if a user selects a test image appropriate for performing color correction (operation 510), the RGB test image is converted into a CIELAB color space using the ICC profile of the printer to reproduce output colors of the printer on a monitor at operation 520.
Subsequently, the RGB image in the converted CIELAB color space is inversely converted into a new R′ G′ B′ image using the ICC profile of the monitor at operation 530, and the inversely converted image is output on the monitor at operation 540.
Referring back to
The ICC profile regarding a monitor can be changed according to the performed color matching at operation 440. The detailed operation of changing the profile regarding a monitor will be explained later with reference to
A color conversion table may be generated using the changed ICC profile (operation 450). Specifically, a color conversion table may be generated using the changed ICC profile of a monitor and the ICC profile of an image forming apparatus, and the generated color conversion table may be stored.
Referring to
If it is determined that the colors are not consistent, a user can correct color values of the monitor image by adjusting “color temperature,” “contrast,” and “brightness” of the image on the monitor (at operation 630) and compare the colors again. If the colors are consistent, output properties of the monitor are estimated using the image correction information of the monitor (at operation 640) and a new monitor ICC profile can be generated at operation 650.
In order to correct “color temperature” of the monitor, “color temperature,” “contrast,” and “brightness” of each RGB channel from among color information of the ICC profile should be adjusted. In general, a CIExy color space (CIE-proposed color space) value of a monitor RGB channel has the same color space as the RGB channel in an sRGB reference color space as illustrated in table 1 below.
However, the color space value of white appears differently according to the type of monitor, and if a user adjusts a setting value of “color temperature” of the monitor, RGB color space does not change, but the white color space value changes. This is because white appears with an RGB channel, and the RGB ratio is changed by a brightness value instead of a color space value of the RGB channel of the monitor. In order to estimate such properties, the color space value of an RGB channel may be corrected in a CIEXYZ color space by applying the following equation.
The change in the brightness of RGB is estimated by multiplying each RGB channel by a specific gain value. In this case, the gain value is performed in an area for “color temperature” correction 741 illustrated in
Meanwhile, “contrast” and “brightness” properties of a monitor are related to the brightness properties of output RGB with regard to the digital RGB input signal of the monitor. The input/output properties generally perform modeling based on a Gain Offset Gamma model. That is, output brightness can be estimated by using gain, offset, and coefficient of gamma value for the input digital value of each channel as in Equation 2 below.
Referring to the above equation 2, ‘Y’ refers to output brightness, ‘g’ refers to gain, ‘d’ refers to input digital value, ‘o’ refers to offset, and ‘r’ refers to gamma.
If a user changes a setting value of “contrast” of a monitor, “input/output properties” of the monitor shows properties as illustrated in an input/output curve in
However, if a user changes a setting value of “brightness” of the monitor, unlike when a setting value of “contrast” of the monitor changes, the “input/output properties” curve does not change, and only an absolute “brightness” value increases. Therefore, a tone curve is not be affected by a setting value of “brightness” after it is regularized in 0˜1. Accordingly, the properties of the monitor according to a setting value of “brightness” of the monitor can be estimated by using the offset value of a GOG model. In this case, the offset value can be obtained in the area for “brightness” correction 743 (see
A new monitor ICC profile may be generated by using the estimated properties of “color temperature,” “contrast,” and “brightness” of the monitor after color matching.
Specifically, the RGB color space value in the existing monitor ICC profile can be corrected with the gain value of “color temperature” which is estimated in Equation 1, and “contrast” and “brightness” can be corrected by converting the tone curve reference table of the ICC profile based on Equation 2.
Referring to
Specifically, the third area 710 is an area to display a plurality of test images including each preferred color to reflect a user's intention for color conversion.
The fourth area 720 is an area to display an original image of the selected test image from among the test images in the third area 710, and the first area 730 is an area to display the result of soft proofing on the test image selected by the user.
Accordingly, the user may compare the output image 750 of an original test image selected for color matching, which is output by a printer, with the soft proofing image 730, and perform color matching by adjusting correction information regarding “color temperature” 741, “contrast” 742, and “brightness” 743, which are related to the output properties of a monitor so that the colors of the two images displayed in the second area 740 can be consistent with each other.
Although various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these example embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-52833 | Jun 2010 | KR | national |
