JP4509190B2 - Color image processing apparatus, color image processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a color image processing apparatus, a color image processing method, and a program.

  In a printer system, for example, color matching between an image displayed on a monitor used by a user and a print image when the image is output is important. The color matching is generally called color matching, and processing is performed using information called a profile which is color information depending on devices such as a printer, a monitor, and a scanner.

  In order to perform the color matching in a unified framework in an environment including a computer system and a print system, a profile format is defined in ICC (Inter Color Consortium).

  In ICC format, three types of matching options, perceptual, saturation, and colorimetric, are defined. The difference in the matching option is a difference in the color space compression method when performing color matching in different color spaces, and is used depending on the purpose of matching. “Perceptual” is matching that emphasizes hue, and is used particularly for color matching between a monitor and a print image. Saturation is a matching that places importance on saturation, and is used when matching is performed while preserving the highest possible saturation. The colormetric is used for matching while keeping the color difference as close as possible, and is used for color matching of logos and printed samples.

Also, for the printer system profile, for example, several types of toner loading are created, and a profile with a large amount of toner loading is used for image-based images, and toner is used for graphics and text-based images. Use different types of profiles, such as using a low profile type.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-222009

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, in the profile created in conformity with the ICC format, there are only three matching options that can be used in one profile: perceptual, saturation, and colorimetric. In order to add, it is necessary for the user to select two or more profiles and their matching options from the user interface of the driver, etc.

  Further, when selecting profiles with different toner loading amounts, it is necessary for the user to select the profiles in consideration of the matching option.

  Here, an example of selecting four or more matching options in the user interface of the conventional printer driver will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 5, reference numeral 51 denotes an example of a driver user interface window, in which the user selects a profile and a matching option. 52 is a part in the window for selecting a profile to be used. Using this part, the user designates the profile name to be used.

  53 is a portion in the window for displaying the matching option currently selected for the profile specified in 52 above. 54 is a pull-down button at the right end of the display unit 53 in the window. When the user selects the part with a pointing device such as a mouse, a pull-down menu including a list of matching options 55 is displayed. Is displayed. The user selects a desired matching option from the pull-down menu 55.

  Since there are only three options in the pull-down menu 55, when selecting three or more matching options, the user needs to consciously set the profile name and matching option in combination.

  When selecting profiles with different toner loading amounts, the user needs to specify the desired toner loading profile in 52 above.

  At this time, the user needs to select a profile for selecting the above three or more types of matching options and obtain a desired toner loading amount, and has to perform quite complicated profile handling.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is not limited to the selection of profiles having different amounts of toner, and a color image processing apparatus capable of selecting a desired color process while reducing the load on the user, and It is an object to provide a color image processing method.

Gray data processing selection means for selecting whether to convert gray data with an equal amount of RGB into CMYK mixed color or K single color,
Four or more of the matching options of the first ICC profile perceptual, saturation, colorimetric and the second ICC profile different from the first ICC profile are displayed in parallel. Matching option selection means for selecting a desired matching option from the displayed matching options,
And processing means for performing color processing using color conversion information of the ICC profile determined by the selection result by the gray data processing selection means and the selection result by the matching option selection means.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a color image processing apparatus and method that allow a user to select a desired color process with less load.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  In each of the embodiments described below, Color Laser Beam Printer (LBP) is used as an example of a printer device constituting the system. However, other printer devices such as Color Ink Jet Printer can be similarly implemented. Needless to say.

<First Embodiment>
The printer system according to the present embodiment is a print system that performs color matching using a plurality of profiles that store printer characteristic information. The printer system includes a unit that allows a user to select four or more matching options, and the selected matching options. Means for associating color information corresponding to a profile type and three types of matching options in the profile; means for performing image processing using the color information;
Means for converting the image processed data into output data for output by a printer;
Means for outputting using the output data.

  Thereby, it is possible to obtain a color processing system with less load related to settings for the user.

  In this embodiment, a printer profile is taken as an example, but the same can be applied to profiles relating to other devices such as a monitor and a scanner. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described in detail.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer driver, which is composed of software that implements the system. The printer driver 1 is normally installed on a user's PC, and processes data transmitted from an upper layer such as GDI that constitutes an application or a system (not shown), and finally transmits data to be sent to the printer. To create. Reference numeral 11 denotes a rendering unit in the printer driver 1 for performing rendering such as logical drawing. A color matching system module 12 is provided in the rendering unit and performs color matching at the time of rendering. Reference numeral 13 denotes a CMS engine in the CMS module for actually performing color matching processing using a profile described later.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes a controller constituting the printer, which processes data transmitted from the driver 1 and finally creates data to be sent to a printer engine described later. Reference numeral 3 denotes a printer engine constituting the printer, which processes data transmitted from the controller 2 and outputs the processed data to paper. Reference numeral 4 denotes a profile storage unit for storing a plurality of profiles, which will be described later, for performing color matching in the printer driver 1, and is usually prepared in a specific area on the user's PC. Reference numeral 41 denotes a profile 1 stored in the profile storage unit 4 and conforms to the ICC format. Similarly, 42, 43, and 44 are profiles 2, 3, and 4 stored in the profile storage unit 4, respectively, and conform to the ICC format. Here, the number of profiles stored in the profile storage unit 4 is four as an example, but the number is not particularly limited.

  Here, the relationship between the profile in ICC format, the matching option, and the color information corresponding to the matching option will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 3, 31 is the profile 1 in FIG. As described above, in the profile created in conformity with the ICC format, there are only three matching options that can be used in one profile: perceptual, saturation, and colorimetric, but these are 33, 34, and 35 colors, respectively. It is associated with information. That is, when the perceptual option is selected in the profile 31 in FIG. 3, color conversion is performed using the color information stored in 33. The color information here is composed of, for example, a 3-input 3-output 3-input 4-output LUT, but will not be described in detail here. Further, the mechanism in which the corresponding color information is used when the matching option is selected is based on the configuration defined by the ICC, and is not mentioned here. In FIG. 3, 32 is, for example, the profile 2 in FIG. Perceptual, saturation, and colormetric matching options that can be used in the profile 32 are associated with 36, 37, and 38 color information, respectively.

  That is, in each of the profiles 31 and 32, the three matching options are associated with the respective color information.

  Next, an example of selecting a matching option on the user interface of the printer driver will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes an example of a driver user interface window, in which the user selects a matching option.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes a portion in the window that displays the currently selected matching option. 23 is a pull-down button at the right end of the display unit 22 in the window. When the user selects the part with a pointing device such as a mouse, a pull-down menu including a list of matching options such as 24 is displayed. Is done. The user selects a desired matching option from the pull-down menu 24.

  Although there are usually only three types of pull-down menu 24, in the present embodiment, four or more types can be selected. That is, color matching processing can be realized using color information stored in different profiles by selecting the pull-down menu 24.

  The flow of profile handling when dealing with the four or more matching options will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S41, it is first determined whether or not the matching option displayed on the display unit 22 of FIG. 2, that is, the matching option currently selected by the user is monitor matching. If monitor matching is selected, in step S42, the perceptual of profile 1 is selected and the process ends. Thereby, when the data is processed thereafter, the CMS engine 13 in FIG. 1 uses the perceptual 33 which is the color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by 31 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S41 is not monitor matching, it is next determined in step S43 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is photographic. If photographic tone is selected, in step S44, the perceptual of profile 2 is selected and the process ends. Thereby, the CMS engine 13 uses the perceptual 36 which is the color conversion information in the profile 2 indicated by 32 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S43 is not a photo tone, it is next determined in step S45 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is “brightness”. If “Vividness” is selected, the saturation color conversion information of profile 1 is selected in step S46, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 13 uses the saturation 34 that is color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by 31 in FIG.

  In this embodiment, since four matching options are taken as an example, the same information is included in the saturation color conversion information 34 and 37 in the profile 1 indicated by 31 and the profile 2 indicated by 32 in FIG. . Therefore, in step S46, the saturation color conversion information of profile 2 may be used. In addition, when dealing with five or more matching options, the color conversion information 37 can be dealt with by making it different from 34. The same applies to colorimetric color conversion information 35 and 38 described later.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S45 is not “Vivid”, the colorimetric color conversion information of profile 1 is selected in step S47, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 13 uses the colormetric 35 that is the color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by 31 in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in a printing system that performs color matching using a plurality of profiles conforming to ICC format, a method of allowing a user to select four or more matching options, and the selected matching A method for associating color information corresponding to an option, a profile type, and three types of matching options in the profile; a method for performing image processing using the color information; and a method for outputting data after the image processing by a printer Since there is a method for converting to output data and a method for performing output using the output data, multiple types of profiles can be selected automatically without the user having to consciously reselect. And Therefore, it is possible to obtain a color processing system with less load for the user.

<Second Embodiment>
The printer system according to the present embodiment includes a first selection unit that allows a user to select four or more types of matching options in a printing system that performs color matching using a plurality of profiles storing printer characteristic information, and the matching options. A second selection means for allowing the user to select an arbitrary profile from the plurality of profiles with different attributes, combinations of selection results by the first selection means and the second selection means, profile types, and Means for associating color information corresponding to the three types of matching options, means for performing image processing using the color information, means for converting the image-processed data into output data for output by a printer, Means for outputting using the output data.

  Thereby, it is possible to obtain a color processing system with less load related to settings for the user. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described in detail.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 101 denotes a printer driver, which is composed of software that implements the present system. The printer driver 101 is normally installed on a user's PC, and processes data transmitted from an upper layer such as GDI that constitutes an application or a system (not shown), and finally transmits data to be sent to the printer. To create. A rendering unit 111 in the printer driver 101 is used for rendering such as logical drawing. A color matching system module 112 is provided in the rendering unit and performs color matching at the time of rendering. Reference numeral 113 denotes a CMS engine in the CMS module for actually performing color matching processing using a profile described later.

  Reference numeral 102 denotes a controller constituting the printer, which processes data transmitted from the driver 101 and finally creates data to be sent to a printer engine described later. Reference numeral 103 denotes a printer engine constituting the printer, which processes data transmitted from the controller 102 and outputs it to paper. A profile storage unit 104 stores a plurality of profiles, which will be described later, for performing color matching in the printer driver 101, and is usually prepared in a specific area on the user's PC. 141 is a profile 1 stored in the profile storage unit 104 and conforms to the ICC format. Similarly, reference numerals 142, 143, and 144 denote profiles 102, 103, and 104 stored in the profile storage unit 104, respectively, which conform to the ICC format.

  In this embodiment, the profiles 101 and 102 indicated by 141 and 142 are types with a large amount of toner, and the profiles 103 and 104 indicated by 143 and 144 are types with a small amount of toner. .

  Here, the relationship between the profile in ICC format, the matching option, and the color information corresponding to the matching option will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 8, 1301 is the profile 1 in FIG. 6, for example. As described above, in the profile created in conformity with the ICC format, there are only three matching options that can be used in one profile: perceptual, saturation, and colorimetric, but these are the colors of 1303, 1304, and 1305, respectively. It is associated with information. That is, when the perceptual option is selected in the profile 1301 in FIG. 8, color conversion is performed using the color information stored in 1303. The color information here is composed of an LUT such as 3 inputs and 4 outputs, but will not be described in detail here. Further, the mechanism in which the corresponding color information is used when the matching option is selected is based on the configuration defined by the ICC, and is not mentioned here. In FIG. 8, 1302 is the profile 102 in FIG. The perceptual, saturation, and colormetric matching options that can be used in the profile 1302 are associated with color information 1306, 1307, and 1308, respectively.

  That is, in any of the profiles 1301 and 1302, three matching options are associated with the respective color information.

  The profiles 1301 and 1302 are created as profiles with a large amount of toner. The following description will be made using the expression “toner paste amount”. However, the present invention is not limited to toner, and when the printer engine 103 is an ink jet printer, it is needless to say that the profiles 1301 and 1302 are profiles having a large ink amount.

  Reference numerals 1309 and 1310 denote the profiles 103 and 104 in FIG. The internal configuration is the same as that of the profiles 1301 and 1302, but the profile is created as a profile for performing color processing so that the amount of toner applied when the image is formed according to the image by the engine 103 is reduced. Different. Further, when the printer engine 103 is an inkjet printer, the profiles 1301 and 1302 are of a type with a small amount of ink, and of course, a type with a large amount of color material used and a profile with a small type are also included in this embodiment. It is.

  For example, when the input is an RGB signal, the type with a large amount of toner, for example, when processing gray data with the same RGB value, the result is a CMYK mixed color reproduction. When processing gray data with the same value, the result is reproduced in K single color. In addition to the difference in gray processing, for example, the maximum value limitation of CMYK distribution as a result of processing input values of secondary colors such as R, G, and B, and the maximum value limitation of CMYK distribution as a result of processing other mixed color data It may appear as a difference.

  Next, an example of selecting a matching option on the user interface of the printer driver will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 121 denotes an example of a driver user interface window, in which the user selects a matching option.

  Reference numeral 122 denotes a portion in the window that displays the currently selected matching option. 123 is a pull-down button at the right end of the display unit 122 in the window. When the user selects the part with a pointing device such as a mouse, a pull-down menu including a list of matching options such as 124 is displayed. Is done. The user selects a desired matching option from the pull-down menu 124.

  Although there are usually only three types of pull-down menu 124, in the present invention, four or more types can be selected. That is, color matching can be realized using color information stored in different profiles by selection from the pull-down menu 124.

  125 is a check box in the window 121 for selecting a toner loading amount type having an attribute different from that of the matching option. When the check box is checked, a type with a small toner loading amount is selected. A type with a large amount of ride will be selected. As another attribute, the user may select a profile (customized) in which the inking amount (ratio for replacing YMC with BK) of the profiles 1301 and 1302 is changed to a desired one. A check box for selection is displayed in the window 121. With this configuration, the user can select a matching option (color information) from four or more types of matching options, which will be described later, from a profile that the user has preferred ink reproducibility.

  The flow of profile handling when dealing with the above four or more matching options will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Here, first, in step S40, it is determined whether the type of toner loaded amount selected by the check box 125 in FIG.

  If the number of types is small, it is next determined in step S41 whether the matching option displayed on the display unit 122 of FIG. 7, that is, the matching option currently selected by the user is monitor matching. If monitor matching is selected, in step S42, the perceptual of the profile 101 is selected and the process ends. Accordingly, when processing data thereafter, the CMS engine 113 in FIG. 6 uses the perceptual 1303 that is the color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by 1301 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S41 is not monitor matching, it is next determined in step S43 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is photographic. If photographic tone is selected, in step S44, the perceptual of the profile 102 is selected, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 113 uses the perceptual 1306 that is the color conversion information in the profile 102 indicated by 1302 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S43 is not a photo tone, it is next determined in step S45 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is “brightness”. If “Vividness” is selected, the saturation color conversion information of profile 1 is selected in step S46, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 113 uses the saturation 1304 that is color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by reference numeral 1301 in FIG.

  Here, since four matching options are taken as an example in this embodiment, the same information is included in the saturation color conversion information 1304 and 1307 in the profile 1 indicated by 1301 and the profile 2 indicated by 1302 in FIG. . Therefore, in step S46, the saturation color conversion information of profile 2 may be used. In addition, when dealing with five or more matching options, the color conversion information 1307 can be dealt with by making it different from 1304. The same applies to colorimetric color conversion information 1305 and 1308 described later.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S45 is not “Vivid”, the colorimetric color conversion information of profile 1 is selected in step S47, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 113 uses colormetric 1305 which is color conversion information in the profile 1 indicated by 1301 in FIG.

  If the toner loading amount selected in the check box 125 in FIG. 7 is large in step S40, the matching option displayed in the display unit 122 in FIG. It is determined whether or not the matching option being used is monitor matching. If monitor matching is selected, in step S49, the perceptual of profile 3 is selected and the process ends. Accordingly, the CMS engine 113 in FIG. 6 uses the perceptual 1311 that is the color conversion information in the profile 3 indicated by 1309 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S48 is not monitor matching, it is next determined in step S410 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is photographic tone. If photographic tone is selected, in step S411, the perceptual of profile 4 is selected and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 113 uses the perceptual 1314 that is the color conversion information in the profile 4 indicated by 1310 in FIG.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S410 is not a photo tone, it is next determined in step S412 whether or not the matching option currently selected by the user is “brightness”. If “Vividness” is selected, the saturation color conversion information of profile 3 is selected in step S413, and the process ends. As a result, the CMS engine 113 uses the saturation 1312 that is the color conversion information in the profile 3 indicated by 1309 in FIG. As described above, the saturation color conversion information 1315 of the profile 4 may be used in step S413. The same applies to colorimetric color conversion information 1313 and 1316 described later.

  If the matching option currently selected by the user in step S412 is not “brightness”, the colorimetric color conversion information of profile 3 is selected in step S414, and the process ends. Thereby, the CMS engine 113 uses colormetric 1313 which is color conversion information in the profile 3 indicated by 1313 in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the printing system that performs color matching using a plurality of profiles conforming to ICC format, the first selection method that allows the user to select four or more types of matching options; A second selection method for allowing the user to select an arbitrary profile from the plurality of profiles by an attribute different from the matching option, a combination of the selection results obtained by the first selection method and the second selection method, a profile type, and A method of associating color information corresponding to the three types of matching options in the profile, a method of performing image processing using the color information, and converting the data after the image processing into output data for output by a printer And a method for performing output using the output data Because, actually profile is more, automatically be selected without user reselect consciously. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a color processing system with less load for the user.

  The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or apparatus. In this case, the storage medium storing the program according to the present invention constitutes the present invention. Then, by causing the system or apparatus to read the program from the storage medium, the system or apparatus operates in a predetermined method.

  According to the present embodiment, in actuality, a plurality of types of profiles are automatically associated with each other without conscious reselection by the user, so only a conventional matching option is added from the viewpoint of the user. In addition, it is possible to automatically select and process in combination with necessary toner loading information, and to obtain a color processing system with less load for the user.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a print system according to a first embodiment. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the user interface of the matching option selection in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the internal structure of the ICC profile which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the profile handling process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the user interface of the conventional matching option selection. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the printing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the user interface of the matching option selection in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the internal structure of the ICC profile which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the profile handling process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Printer Driver 11 Rendering Unit 12 CMS Module 13 CMS Engine

Claims (7)

Gray data processing selection means for selecting whether to convert gray data with an equal amount of RGB into CMYK mixed color or K single color,
Four or more of the matching options of the first ICC profile perceptual, saturation, colorimetric and the second ICC profile different from the first ICC profile are displayed in parallel. Matching option selection means for selecting a desired matching option from the displayed matching options,
A color image processing apparatus comprising: processing means for performing color processing using color conversion information of an ICC profile determined by a selection result by the gray data processing selection means and a selection result by the matching option selection means.   2. The color image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first ICC profile perceptual is monitor matching, and the second ICC profile perceptual is photographic tone.   The color image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color processing is performed using a three-input four-output LUT that is the color conversion information. Select whether to convert gray data with the same amount of RGB to CMYK mixed color or K single color,
Four or more of the matching options of the first ICC profile perceptual, saturation, colorimetric and the second ICC profile different from the first ICC profile are displayed in parallel. Select the desired matching option from the displayed matching options,
Color processing is performed using color conversion information of an ICC profile determined by a selection result of whether the RGB equivalent gray data is converted into a mixed color of CMYK or K single color and a selection result of the matching option. A color image processing method.   5. The color image processing method according to claim 4, wherein the perceptual of the first ICC profile is monitor matching, and the perceptual of the second ICC profile is photographic tone.   5. The color image processing method according to claim 4, wherein the color processing is performed using a 3-input 4-output LUT which is the color conversion information.   The program which implements the color image processing method of the said Claims 4-6 by being read by an image processing apparatus.

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