Method and apparatus for reproducing a color image based on monochrome images derived therefrom
First Claim
1. A method for converting a colour image to a set of monochrome image components for separate processing, said method comprising the steps:
- (a) separating said colour image into said set of monochrome image components whereby each said image component corresponds to a different colour plane of said colour image, said set of image components configured for forming a reconstructed colour image having an appearance of said colour image when said image components are combined in said colour planes corresponding thereto;
(b) associating each said monochrome image component with said colour plane corresponding thereto; and
, (c) outputting each said monochrome image component for said separate processing.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided, first for converting a colour image to a set of monochrome or, preferably, grayscale image components and then for producing a reconstructed colour image from such set of monochrome or grayscale image components assumed to derive from an original colour image. Preferably, the image components are Red, Green and Blue grayscale image components, such that each is associated with a different colour plane of the original colour image. The original colour image is separated into the image components by means of a colour plane separator component which extracts the independent colour plane images (Red, Green and Blue). Advantageously, the grayscale image components derived from the original image may be stored, printed and otherwise processed on an individual basis while still preserving the collective information needed to reproduce the original image. More specifically, each image component may be separately printed on a document, for example in a covert manner, using ultraviolet (or infrared) ink, in order to provide increased security to a document. To produce a reconstructed colour image from the separately printed grayscale image components each image is scanned and associated with a colour corresponding to the colour plane associated therewith. The colour-associated image components are then processed and forwarded to an output device for combining them in their associated colours to form the reconstructed colour image.
121 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method for converting a colour image to a set of monochrome image components for separate processing, said method comprising the steps:
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(a) separating said colour image into said set of monochrome image components whereby each said image component corresponds to a different colour plane of said colour image, said set of image components configured for forming a reconstructed colour image having an appearance of said colour image when said image components are combined in said colour planes corresponding thereto;
(b) associating each said monochrome image component with said colour plane corresponding thereto; and
,(c) outputting each said monochrome image component for said separate processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for producing a reconstructed colour image from a set of monochrome image components assumed to derive from an original colour image whereby each said monochrome image component is associated with a different colour plane of said original colour image, said method comprising the steps:
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(a) providing said set of monochrome image components;
(b) associating each said monochrome image component with a colour corresponding to said colour plane associated therewith; and
,(c) forwarding to an output device each said monochrome image component in association with said colour associated therewith for combining said image components in said associated colours to form said reconstructed colour image. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. Apparatus for converting a colour image to a set of monochrome image components for separate processing, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a colour plane separator component configured for separating said colour image into said set of monochrome image components whereby each said image component corresponds to a different colour plane of said colour image, said set of image components configured for forming a reconstructed colour image having an appearance of said colour image when said image components are combined in said colour planes corresponding thereto;
(b) processing means configured for associating each said monochrome image component with said colour plane corresponding thereto; and
,(c) output means configured for outputting each said monochrome image component for said separate processing. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. Apparatus for producing a reconstructed colour image from a set of monochrome image components assumed to derive from an original colour image whereby each said image component is associated with a different colour plane of said original colour image, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) input means configured for providing said set of monochrome image components;
(b) processing means configured for associating each said monochrome image component with a colour corresponding to said colour plane associated therewith; and
,(c) output means configured for forwarding each said monochrome image component in association with said colour associated therewith to an output device for combining said image components in said associated colours to form said reconstructed colour image. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification