Method and apparatus for creating and displaying faithful color images on a computer display

• US 5,614,925 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Braudaway, Gordon W., Delp, Helen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Application Number:
  US08/464,928
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 345/153-155, 348/180, 348/470, 348/474, 348/557, 348/558, 348/517, 348/519, 348/520, 348/630, 348/631, 348/488, 348/453, 348/496, 348/503, 395/131
• US Class Current: 345/593
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/06 using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables

Abstract

Faithful color images are created in an efficient manner for display on a specific computer display. A standard computer system generates a palette calibration table, based on information about a standard display. The standard computer system then creates a device independent image from the palette calibration table and from an original image. The palette calibration table and device independent image are then transmitted to a specific computer system. The specific computer system receives the palette calibration table and device independent image from the standard computer system. It calculates a display specific palette from the palette calibration table and from information about the specific display. The specific computer system then generates the faithful color image for display by sending the device independent image and the display specific palette to the display adapter in the specific computer system.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a palette calibration table from a standard computer system;

receiving a display independent image from a standard computer system;

calculating a display specific palette from said palette calibration table and from information about said specific computer display;

generating said faithful color image from said display specific palette and from said display independent image; and

displaying said faithful color image on said specific computer display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating step further comprises the steps of:

determining an XYZ-RGB transformation matrix M for said specific display;

computing RGB tristimulus values for said specific display from said XYZ-RGB transformation matrix M and said palette calibration table; and

transforming said RGB values using a normalized luminance table to obtain said display specific palette.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said normalized luminance table used by said transforming step further comprises the steps of:

measuring luminance tristimulus values Y for said specific display;

normalizing said luminance tristimulus values Y; and

computing said normalized luminance table from said luminance tristimulus values Y normalized in said normalizing step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

sending said display specific palette to a display adapter in said specific computer system;

sending said display independent image to said display adapter; and

combining said display specific palette and said display independent image in said display adapter.

5. A method in a standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

generating a palette calibration table and a display independent normalized palette table from information about a standard display;

creating a display independent image from said display independent normalized palette table and from an original image;

transmitting said palette calibration table to said specific computer display via a communications path; and

transmitting said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

determining CIE XYZ* values from a group of displays;

averaging said CIE XYZ* values determined in said determining step;

obtaining a standard palette; and

generating said palette calibration table from said CIE XYZ* values averaged in said averaging step and said standard palette.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a standard palette;

determining CIE XYZ* values from said standard display; and

generating said palette calibration table from said CIE XYZ* values and said standard palette.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said creating step further comprises the steps of:

determining a XYZ-RGB matrix M* for said standard display;

obtaining a standard palette;

creating said display independent palette table from said XYZ-RGB matrix M* and said standard palette;

creating an RGB image from said original image;

creating said display independent image from said RGB image and said display independent palette table.

9. A method in a standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

generating a palette calibration table from information about a standard display;

creating a display independent image from a display independent normalized palette table and from an original image;

storing said palette calibration table on a transportable media; and

storing said display independent image on a transportable media.

10. A method for displaying a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

in a standard computer system,

generating a palette calibration table from information about at least one standard display;

creating a display independent image;

sending said palette calibration table to said specific computer display;

sending said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path;

in said specific computer system,

receiving a palette calibration table from a standard computer system;

receiving a display independent image from a standard computer system;

calculating a display specific palette from said palette calibration table and from information about said specific computer display;

generating said faithful color image from said display specific palette and from said display independent image; and

displaying said faithful color image on said specific computer display.

11. A transportable storage media having information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising:

a palette calibration table generated from information about a standard display; and

a display independent image created from said calibration table and from an original image.

12. A specific computer system having a specific computer display, said specific computer display capable of displaying a faithful color image, comprising:

means for receiving a palette calibration table from a standard computer system;

means for receiving a display independent image from a standard computer system;

means for calculating a display specific palette from said palette calibration table and from information about said specific computer display;

means for generating said faithful color image from said display specific palette and from said display independent image; and

means for displaying said faithful color image on said specific computer display.

13. A standard computer system capable of creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, said standard computer system comprising:

means for generating a palette calibration table from information about a standard display;

means for creating a display independent image from a display independent normalized palette table and from an original image;

means for transmitting said palette calibration table to said specific computer display via a communications path; and

means for transmitting said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path.

14. A network of computer systems capable of creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, said specific computer system being one of said network of computer systems, said network comprising:

a standard computer system, said standard computer system being one of said network of computer systems and comprising;

means for generating a palette calibration table from information about at least one standard display;

means for creating a display independent image from said calibration table and from an original image;

means for sending said palette calibration table to said specific computer display;

means for sending said display independent image to said specific computer display;

said specific computer system comprising;

means for receiving a palette calibration table from a standard computer system;

means for receiving a display independent image from a standard computer system;

means for calculating a display specific palette from said palette calibration table and from information about said specific computer display;

means for generating said faithful color image from said display specific palette and from said display independent image; and

means for displaying said faithful color image on said specific computer display.

15. A method in a first standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a palette calibration table from a second standard computer system;

creating a display independent image from said palette calibration table and from an original image; and

transmitting said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path.

16. A method in a first standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a palette calibration table from a second standard computer system;

creating a display independent image from said palette calibration table and from an original image; and

storing said display independent image on a transportable media.

17. A method in a standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

generating a palette calibration table from information about a standard display;

creating a display independent image from information about a standard display and from an original image;

transmitting said palette calibration table to said specific computer display via a communications path; and

transmitting said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path.

18. A method in a first standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

creating a display independent image from information about a standard display and from an original image;

receiving a palette calibration table from a second standard computer system; and

transmitting said display independent image to said specific computer display via a communications path.

19. A method in a first standard computer system for creating information used to display a faithful color image on a specific computer display connected to a specific computer system, comprising the steps of:

creating a display independent image from information about a standard display and from an original image;

receiving a palette calibration table from a second standard computer system; and

storing said display independent image on a transportable media.

20. A computer system, said computer system comprising:

a palette calibration table; and

a display independent image, said palette calibration table and said display independent image having been created from information about a standard display.