COLOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120013631A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Hughes, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

Management of color of image files in digital devices is described. A color management system can extract metadata from an image file based on a type of the image file. The color management system then creates a color profile based on the metadata extracted. The color management system further creates a virtual device, and assigns the color profile created to the virtual device. As such, multiple color profiles can be associated with a single physical device using the concept of virtual devices. Furthermore, the extraction of metadata and generation of color profiles can also be centralized in the color management system, which may be integrated into an operating system executable on a computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

extracting, by a color management system executable on a computing device, metadata from a first image file based on a type of the first image file;

creating, by the color management system, a color profile based on the metadata extracted;

creating, by the color management system, a virtual device; and

assigning, by the color management system, the color profile created to the virtual device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the color management system, the first image file from an application running on the computing device; and

determining, by the color management system, the type of the first image file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calibrating, by the color management system, the color profile created in response to user instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a device, which has created the first image file, is not physically connected to the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes at least one of a maker of a device that has created the first image file, a model identifier of the device, a serial number of the device, and settings of the device when creating the first image file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the color management system, a filename of a second image file from a second application;

searching, by the color management system, in a database for color profiles usable to display the second image file; and

returning, by the color management system, color profiles found to the second application, wherein a user of the second application is allowed to select one of the color profiles found.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the color management system, a filename of a second image file from a second application;

retrieving, by the color management system, a default color profile usable to display the second image file; and

returning, by the color management system, the default color profile to the second application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating, by the color management system, a second color profile based on metadata of a second image file;

creating, by the color management system, a second virtual device; and

assigning, by the color management system, the second color profile to the second virtual device, wherein the second image file and the first image file have been created by the same physical device.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processing device to execute a color management system to extract metadata from a first image file based on a type of the first image file, to create a color profile based on the metadata extracted, to create a virtual device, and to assign the color profile created to the virtual device; and

a storage device to store the color profile created.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device executes an application, and the color management system receives the first image file from the application and determines the type of the first image file.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device executes the color management system to calibrate the color profile created in response to user instructions.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a device, which has created the first image file, is not physically connected to the processing device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the metadata includes at least one of a maker of a device that has created the first image file, a model identifier of the device, a serial number of the device, and settings of the device when creating the first image file.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device executes the color management system to receive a filename of a second image file from a second application, to search in the storage device for color profiles usable to display the second image file, and to return color profiles found to the second application, wherein a user of the second application is allowed to select one of the color profiles found.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device executes the color management system to receive a filename of a second image file from a second application, to retrieve a default color profile usable to display the second image file, and to return the default color profile to the second application.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device executes the color management system to create a second color profile based on metadata of a second image file and a second virtual device, and to assign the second color profile to the second virtual device, wherein the second image file and the first image file have been created by the same physical device.

17. A computer-readable storage medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processing device, will cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

extracting metadata from a first image file based on a type of the first image file;

creating a color profile based on the metadata extracted;

creating a virtual device; and

assigning the color profile created to the virtual device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the color management system, the first image file from an application running on the computing device; and

determining, by the color management system, the type of the first image file.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

calibrating, by the color management system, the color profile created in response to user instructions.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein a device, which has created the first image file, is not physically connected to the computing device.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the metadata includes at least one of a maker of a device that has created the first image file, a model identifier of the device, a serial number of the device, and settings of the device when creating the first image file.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the color management system, a filename of a second image file from a second application;

searching, by the color management system, in a database for color profiles usable to display the second image file; and

returning, by the color management system, color profiles found to the second application, wherein a user of the second application is allowed to select one of the color profiles found.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the color management system, a filename of a second image file from a second application;

retrieving, by the color management system, a default color profile usable to display the second image file; and

returning, by the color management system, the default color profile to the second application.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

creating, by the color management system, a second color profile based on metadata of a second image file;

creating, by the color management system, a second virtual device; and

assigning, by the color management system, the second color profile to the second virtual device, wherein the second image file and the first image file have been created by the same physical device.