METHOD OF GENERATING A MULTIPLEXED IMAGE FOR PRINTING

1 . A method of generating a multiplexed image for printing that can be observed in a plurality of modes and can be printed using a laser marking apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of input images;

combining the plurality of input images to form a multiplexed input image;

retrieving a multiplexed palette from a memory, the multiplexed palette including a plurality of images that can be printed on a substrate surface by varying one or more parameters of the laser marking apparatus, each image being observable in the plurality of modes and having a plurality of color values corresponding to the plurality of modes;

determining a finite shape of the multiplexed palette in a combined color space based on the color values of the plurality of images;

determining a maximum volume hyperrectangle enclosed in the finite shape of the multiplexed palette;

performing gamut mapping to map color values of the multiplexed input image to color values inside the maximum volume hyperrectangle; and

obtaining the multiplexed image for printing based on the gamut-mapped color values of the multiplexed input image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing a number of dimensions of the combined color space by appropriate processing of multiplexed color values of the multiplexed palette.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a change of basis for at least one of the plurality of modes to obtain at least one changed basis, the combined color space being defined at least in part by the at least one changed basis;

transforming the color values corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of modes to the at least one changed basis; and

performing the steps of determining the finite shape, determining the maximum volume hyperrectangle, and performing the gamut mapping in the combined color space being defined at least in part by the at least one changed basis.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising performing a principal component analysis in the at least one of the plurality of modes to obtain the combined color space.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising transforming the gamut-mapped color values of the multiplexed input image in the at least one of the plurality of modes back to an original basis.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the multiplexed image using the multiplexed palette and the gamut-mapped color values of the multiplexed input image.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a predetermined number (N) of images to be used for generating a reduced palette;

determining a set of the plurality of images including the predetermined number (N) of images and having a maximum color gamut value of all sets of the plurality of images including the predetermined number (N) of images; and

using the determined set of the plurality of images to form the reduced palette;

wherein the step of determining the finite shape is performed on the basis of the reduced palette.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining the set of the plurality of images having the maximum color gamut value comprises:

determining a full color gamut value of the plurality of images of the multiplexed palette;

for each image of the plurality of images, determining a reduced color gamut value of the plurality of images not including said image and calculating a ratio between the reduced color gamut value and the full color gamut value;

determining the predetermined number (N) of smallest ratios; and

determining the images associated with the predetermined number (N) of smallest ratios as the set of the plurality of images having the maximum color gamut value.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

selecting a halftoning technique to be used; and

determining the full color gamut value and the reduced color gamut values based on the selected halftoning technique.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

selecting a gamut description to be used for the gamut mapping; and

determining the full color gamut value and the reduced color gamut values based on the selected gamut description.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein color gamut values are calculated as an area of the finite shape in a chromaticity diagram or another two-dimensional color space or as a volume of the finite shape in a three-dimensional color space.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined number (N) is between 3 and 50.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

printing the plurality of images using the laser marking apparatus; and

obtaining multiplexed color values of the plurality of images by measurement.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters of the laser marking apparatus comprise one or more of: laser power; scanning speed; laser focus; laser spacing; repetition rate; laser polarization; laser wavelength; or pulse duration.

15 . A laser marking apparatus comprising:

the memory of claim 1 ; and

a control unit configured to perform the method of claim 1 .

16 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising performing the principal component analysis in combination with reducing a number of dimensions of the combined color space by appropriate processing of multiplexed color values of the multiplexed palette.

17 . The method of claim 6 , wherein printing the multiplexed image comprises printing the multiplexed image by halftoning.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined number (N) is between 6 and 16.