IP Library Granted Patent US 12,734,823
Granted Patent B2
US 12,734,823 · App. 18/594,974 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Mechanism for generating sub range transfer functions

Inventors: Mikel Stanich (Boulder, CO); Scott R. Johnson (Boulder, CO); James Chauvin (Boulder, CO); Pallavi Premkumar (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
B41J2/2132B41J2/2056B41J29/393
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,734,823
App. No.
18/594,974
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes at least one physical memory device to store calibration logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the calibration logic to receive operating point data corresponding to an image processing system, receive a full range transfer function corresponding to an image processing system and generate a sub range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system for each of a plurality of digital count values based on the operating point data and the full range transfer function.

Claims (31)

1 . A system comprising:

at least one physical memory device to store calibration logic; and

one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the calibration logic to:

receive operating point data corresponding to an image processing system;

receive a full range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system; and

generate a sub range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system for each of a plurality of digital count values based on the operating point data and the full range transfer function, wherein the sub range transfer function comprises a plurality of digital count values calibrated to a first optical density target value indicated by the operating point data and a transfer function is applied to image data during printing of the image data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a digital count value comprises a color value representing a pel in a bitmap.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the full range transfer function comprises a plurality of digital count values calibrated to a second optical density target value greater than the first optical density target value.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the second optical density target value comprises a maximum calibration optical density of the image processing system.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the sub range transfer function is further generated for each of the plurality of digital count values based on the second optical density target value and a minimum optical density value of the image processing system.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the minimum optical density value comprises an optical density value associated with an unprinted area of a print substrate and the maximum optical density value comprises an optical density associated with a printed area of the print substrate; and wherein the print substrate corresponds to the image processing system.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sub range transfer function comprises a first look up table and the full transfer function comprises a second lookup table.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical memory device to store a graphical user interface (GUI) and the one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the graphical user interface to display a plurality of options for selecting the operating point data.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the calibration logic receives the operating point data from the GUI.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more print engines.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an input domain of the sub range transfer function matches an input domain of the full range transfer function, and a maximum value of an output range of the sub range transfer function is smaller than a maximum value of an output range of the full range transfer function.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an input domain of the sub range transfer function matches a range of contone levels in the image processing system, and an output range of the sub range transfer function matches a domain of the full range transfer function.

13 . At least one non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to:

receive operating point data corresponding to an image processing system;

receive a full range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system; and

generate a sub range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system for each of a plurality of digital count values based on the operating point data and the full range transfer function, wherein the sub range transfer function comprises a plurality of digital count values calibrated to a first optical density target value indicated by the operating point data and a transfer function is applied to image data during printing of the image data.

14 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operating point data is received from a graphical user interface (GUI).

15 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the sub range transfer function is further generated for each of the plurality of digital count values based on a second optical density target value and a minimum optical density value of the image processing system.

16 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the minimum optical density value comprises an optical density value associated with an unprinted area of a print substrate and a maximum optical density value comprises an optical density associated with a printed area of the print substrate; and wherein the print substrate corresponds to the image processing system.

17 . A method comprising:

receiving operating point data corresponding to an image processing system;

receiving a full range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system; and

generating a sub range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system for each of a plurality of digital count values based on the operating point data and the full range transfer function, wherein the sub range transfer function comprises a plurality of digital count values calibrated to a first optical density target value indicated by the operating point data and a transfer function is applied to image data during printing of the image data.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the operating point data is received from a graphical user interface (GUI).

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the sub range transfer function is further generated for each of the plurality of digital count values based on a second optical density target value and a minimum optical density value of the image processing system.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the minimum optical density value comprises an optical density value associated with an unprinted area of a print substrate and a maximum optical density value comprises an optical density associated with a printed area of the print substrate; and wherein the print substrate corresponds to the image processing system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2024
From: STANICH, MIKEL; JOHNSON, SCOTT R.; CHAUVIN, JAMES; PREMKUMAR, PALLAVI
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066639/0959 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250276532A1 · Sep 4, 2025
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