System and methods for processing color data in converting color data from one color space to another color space

1. A processor-implemented method for processing at least one document comprising color data in a first color space, the method comprising the processor-implemented steps of:

determining whether the color data is in a first standard color space characterized by a sequence of bytes in a standard profile format;

if the color data is determined not to be in the first standard color space:

inspecting the color data to determine if a first color space conversion operation for a portion of the color data is specified using at least one of a color space dictionary or a transformation matrix, wherein the first color space conversion operation converts the color data from the first color space to an intermediate standard color space; and

converting the color data to the first standard color space if the first color space conversion operation is specified using at least one of the color space dictionary or the transformation matrix;

generating an input profile corresponding to a second the color conversion operation, wherein the input profile comprises information to convert color data from the first standard color space to the intermediate standard color space; and

performing the second color space conversion operation on the color data in the first standard color space to the intermediate standard color space using the generated input profile.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented on a print controller coupled to a printer.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , k wherein the method is implemented on a computer.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the method is performed by a printer driver running on the computer.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the generated input profile is embedded in the document.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the document is a PDF or PostScript document.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the color data is specified in one of CalGray or CalRGB.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate standard color space is CIE-XYZ.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented using a pre-processing front end on a printer.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the standard intermediate standard color space corresponds to the profile connection space used by the printer.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the generated profile is an ICC profile.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that contains instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform steps in a method for processing at least one document comprising color data in a first color space, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the color data is in a first standard color space characterized by a sequence of bytes in a standard profile format;

if the color data is determined not to be in the first standard color space:

inspecting the color data to determine if a first color space conversion operation for a portion of the color data is specified using at least one of a color space dictionary or a transformation matrix, wherein the first color space conversion operation converts the color data from the first color space to an intermediate standard color space; and

converting the color data to the first standard color space if the first color space conversion operation is specified using at least one of the color space dictionary or the transformation matrix;

generating an input profile corresponding to a second color conversion operation, wherein the input profile comprises information to convert color data from the first standard color space to the intermediate standard color space; and

performing the second color space conversion operation on the color data in the first standard color space to the intermediate standard color space using the generated input profile.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method is implemented on a print controller coupled to a printer.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method is implemented on a computer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the method is performed by a printer driver running on the computer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the generated profile is embedded in the document.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the document is a PDF or PostScript document.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the color data isi specified in one of CalGray, CalRGB, or CIEBased.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the intermediate standard color space is CIE-XYZ.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method is implemented using a pre-processing front end on a printer.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the standard intermediate standard color space corresponds to the profile connection space used by the printer.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the generated profile is an ICC profile.