Method of detecting principal subject images and determining exposures in color printing
First Claim
1. A method of detecting a principal subject image of a color original which comprises:
- measuring component color densities of each of a number of picture elements into which a color original is divided, said measured component color densities representing the colors of said picture elements;
specifying a part of said color original by use of an image specifying means, said specified part being within a principal subject image of said color original;
comparing the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of each of said picture elements with the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of one of said picture elements which is within said specified part in order to detect picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element; and
defining the extent of said principal subject image as encompassing the detected picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Three color densities of a color original are measured for a number of picture elements into which the color original is divided. A part of the color original that includes at least one picture element is selected, with whose color based on the measured densities thereof the color of each picture element based on the measured densities is compared to detect picture elements having colors identical or similar to the color of the selected part of the color original. The picture elements of the identical or similar colors can define an extent of image which determines a principal subject image and the remainder of which is background. For the individual image, at least one characteristic value peculiar to the image is then calculated by utilizing the measured color densities of picture elements, and on the basis of the characteristics values the scene of the original is classified to select one of a plurality of previously provided exposure calculating formulas in order to determine the proper exposure for obtaining color prints of proper color balance and density.
34 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of detecting a principal subject image of a color original which comprises:
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measuring component color densities of each of a number of picture elements into which a color original is divided, said measured component color densities representing the colors of said picture elements; specifying a part of said color original by use of an image specifying means, said specified part being within a principal subject image of said color original; comparing the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of each of said picture elements with the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of one of said picture elements which is within said specified part in order to detect picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element; and defining the extent of said principal subject image as encompassing the detected picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of determining printing exposures for color printing by using one exposure calculating formula selected from a plurality of exposure calculating formulas in accordance with values characteristic of a principal subject image and a background image of a color original which comprises:
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measuring component color densities of each of a number of picture elements into which a color original is divided, said measured component color densities representing the colors of said picture elements; specifying a part of said color original by use of an image specifying means, said specified part being within a principal subject image of said color original; comparing the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of each of said picture elements with the measured component color densities, or the color represented by said measured component color densities, of one of said picture elements which is within said specified part in order to detect picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element; defining the extent of said principal subject image as encompassing the detected picture elements having a color identical or similar to the color of said one picture element, and defining the extent of a background image of said color original as encompassing the remainder of said picture elements into which said color original is divided; and obtaining at least one kind of value characteristic of each of said principal subject image and said background image based on the measured component color densities of the picture elements of the respective images, said obtained values being for use in selecting said one exposure calculating formula. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification