US5892891A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for printing color images with extra colorants in addition to primary colorants
Assignee: Xerox Corp
•
Filing: 1996-11-20
•
Granted: 1999-04-06
•
Expires: 2016-11-20
Abstract
Abstract In a "hi-fi" color printing system, wherein colorants of hi-fi colors beyond the regular CMYK primary colorants are available, a main gamut obtainable with the CMYK colorants only is mutually exclusive with at least one extended gamut in which a hi-fi colorant is used and a complementary one of the CMY colorants is excluded. Because the main and extended gamuts are mutually exclusive, no more than four colorants are used in any part of the image, and no more than four halftone screens need be used to obtain any desired color.
Inventors
- 👤 Edul N. Dalal
- 👤 Thyagarajan Balasubramanian
- 👤 R. Victor Klassen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:22
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/54
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
In a printing apparatus capable of printing a desired color as a combination of a set of colorants, a method of selecting colorants for printing a desired color- comprising the steps of: defining combinations of colorants comprising at least a first colorant, second colorant, and third colorant as a main gamut, the main gamut substantially evenly surrounding an origin in device-independent color space; defining an extended gamut as including colors printable with a fourth colorant combined with at least the first colorant but excluding the second colorant; locating the desired color in a device-independent color space wherein the main gamut does not intersect with the extended gamut, thereby determining whether the desired color is in the main gamut or the extended gamut; if the desired color is in the main gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants including the first colorant and second colorant hut excluding the fourth colorant; and if the desired color is in the extended gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants including the first colorant and the fourth colorant hut excluding the second colorant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a printing apparatus capable of printing a desired color as a combination of a set of colorants, a method of selecting colorants for printing a desired color- comprising the steps of: defining combinations of colorants comprising at least a first colorant, second colorant, and third colorant as a main gamut, the main gamut substantially evenly surrounding an origin in device-independent color space; defining an extended gamut as including colors printable with a fourth colorant combined with at least the first colorant but excluding the second colorant; locating the desired color in a device-independent color space wherein the main gamut does not intersect with the extended gamut, thereby determining whether the desired color is in the main gamut or the extended gamut; if the desired color is in the main gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants including the first colorant and second colorant hut excluding the fourth colorant; and if the desired color is in the extended gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants including the first colorant and the fourth colorant hut excluding the second colorant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, the step of printing a desired color in the main gamut including printing with the first colorant and second colorant but excluding the fourth colorant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
The method of claim 1, further including the steps of for printing a desired color in the main gamut, printing a halftone screen of the first colorant and printing a halftone screen of the second colorant oriented at a predetermined angle relative to the halftone screen of the first colorant, and for printing a desired color in the extended gamut, printing a halftone screen of the first colorant and printing a halftone screen of the fourth colorant oriented at said predetermined angle relative to the halftone screen of the first colorant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the second colorant is substantially cyan, and the fourth colorant is substantially red to orange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: retaining signals representing both the second colorant and fourth colorant, each signal including a plurality of bits, a preselected one of the plurality of bits indicating whether the signal represents the second colorant or the fourth colorant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: retaining signals representing both the second colorant and fourth colorant, each signal including a plurality of bits forming a number, the number being within a first range if the signal represents the second colorant, and the number being within a second range if the signal represents the fourth colorant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
161 words
In a printing apparatus capable of printing a desired color as a combination of colorants, a method of selecting colorants for printing a desired color, comprising the steps of: defining combinations of CMY colorants as a main gamut; defining an extended gamut as including colors printable with a non-CMY hi-fi colorant combined with at least a first CMY colorant and excluding a second CMY colorant; locating the desired color in a device-independent color space wherein the main gamut does not intersect with the extended gamut, thereby determining whether the desired color is in the main gamut or the extended gamut; if the desired color is located in the main gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected only from the CMY colorants; and if the desired color is located in the extended gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants comprising the hi-fi colorant and excluding the second CMY colorant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
161 words
In a printing apparatus capable of printing a desired color as a combination of colorants, a method of selecting colorants for printing a desired color, comprising the steps of: defining combinations of CMY colorants as a main gamut; defining an extended gamut as including colors printable with a non-CMY hi-fi colorant combined with at least a first CMY colorant and excluding a second CMY colorant; locating the desired color in a device-independent color space wherein the main gamut does not intersect with the extended gamut, thereby determining whether the desired color is in the main gamut or the extended gamut; if the desired color is located in the main gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected only from the CMY colorants; and if the desired color is located in the extended gamut, printing the desired color with at least one colorant selected from a group of colorants comprising the hi-fi colorant and excluding the second CMY colorant.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 7, the step of printing a desired color in the main gamut including printing with at least one CMY colorant but excluding the hi-fi colorant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
The method of claim 7, further including the steps of for printing a desired color in the main gamut, printing a halftone screen of the first CMY colorant and printing a halftone screen of a second CMY colorant oriented at a predetermined angle relative to the halftone screen of the first colorant, and for printing a desired color in the extended gamut, printing a halftone screen of the first CMY colorant and printing a halftone screen of the hi-fi colorant oriented at said predetermined angle relative to the halftone screen of the first CMY colorant.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the second CMY colorant is substantially cyan, and the hi-fi colorant is substantially red to orange.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: retaining signals representing the second CMY colorant and the hi-fi colorant, each signal including a plurality of bits, a preselected one of the plurality of bits indicating whether the signal represents the second CMY colorant or the hi-fi colorant.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: retaining signals representing the second CMY colorant and the hi-fi colorant, each signal including a plurality of bits forming a number, the number being within a first range if the signal represents the second CMY colorant, and the number being within a second range if the signal represents the hi-fi colorant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4275413A
Cited
US4500919A
Cited
US4812899A
Cited
US4893179A
Cited
US5047844A
Cited
US5136372A
Cited
US5087126A
Cited
US5208663A
Cited
US5140411A
Cited
US5077604A
Cited
US5510910A
Cited
US5528386A
Cited
US5734800A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-04-05 | 2002-10-05 | 2003-04-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-04-05 | 2006-10-05 | 2007-04-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-04-05 | 2010-10-05 | 2011-04-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |