System and method for synchronizing the appearance of color images

• US 6,439,722 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: X-Rite Switzerland GmbH (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gretagmacbeth, LLC (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Braun, Thorsten, Seegers, Björn, Lamy, Francis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/520,453
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 351/239, 351/242, 351/243, 351/224, 351/246, 600/558, 345/601, 345/600, 345/602, 345/603, 345/604, 345/605, 382/162, 382/164, 382/167
• US Class Current: 351/243
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/032 Devices for presenting test symbols or characters, e.g. test chart projectors A61B3/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/066 for testing colour vision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607

Abstract

A system for color characterization of an self-illuminating imaging display device and synchronization of the appearance of color images displayed on a self-illuminating imaging device is disclosed which is configured to embed a color characterization program in a response to an initial browser based request for a color image to facilitate the color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device associated with the browser, forward the embedded response to a web browser, and generate a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device using the color characterization program. The system is further configured to modify a response to a subsequent browser based request for a color image by replacing the image tags associated with the color image with substitute image tags configured to effect a color transformation based upon the profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device, forward the modified response to the web browser, and transform the color image based upon the substitute image tags for display on the self-illuminating imaging device.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing the appearance of color images on a self-illuminating imaging device comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request for a color image from a web browser;

b) forwarding the request for a color image to a web server;

c) receiving a response to the request from the web server;

d) modifying the response to facilitate color transformation of the color image based upon the color characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device; and

e) forwarding the modified response to the web browser for color transformation and display on the self-illuminating imaging device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the response comprises the step of replacing the image tags associated with the color image with substitute image tags.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of downloading a color management program to the web browser to perform color transformations utilizing the substitute image tags.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transforming the color image based upon the substitute image tags.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the transformed color image on the self-illuminating imaging device.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a profile characterizing the color characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a set of color films each having a predetermined colorimetric reference value;

b) sequentially placing each of the color films on the screen of the self illuminating imaging device within a region of predefined color bounded by a region of solid color;

c) visually matching, in sequential order, each of the color films with the solid color boundary by adjusting the color settings of the self-illuminating imaging device; and

d) generating an optimum color transformation for the self-illuminating imaging device based upon the color settings for each of the color films.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of operatively associating the optimum color transformation with the web browser in the form of a profile represented by a set of numerical values describing the characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of storing the profile as a cookie on a workstation associated with the self-illuminating imaging device.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comparing the step of storing the profile as an ICC profile in the memory of the workstation.

11. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of downloading a color characterization program to the web browser to facilitate generation of the profile.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of embedding the color characterization program in an initial response forwarded to the web browser.

13. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of providing a color characterization program in the memory of a workstation operatively associated with the self-illuminating imaging device.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a color management program in the memory of a workstation operatively associated with the self-illuminating imaging device to perform color transformations utilizing the substitute image tags.

15. A method for color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request for a color image from a web browser;

b) forwarding the request for a color image to a web server;

c) receiving a response to the request from the web server; and

d) embedding a color characterization program in the response to facilitate color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of generating a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device using the color characterization program.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a set of color films each having a predetermined colorimetric reference value;

b) sequentially placing each of the color films on the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device within a region of predefined color bounded by a region of solid color;

c) visually matching, in sequential order, each of the color films with the solid color boundary by adjusting the color settings of the self-illuminating imaging device; and

d) generating an optimum color transformation for the self-illuminating imaging device based upon the color settings for each of the color films.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of operatively associating the optimum color transformation with the web browser in the form of the profile represented by a set of numerical values describing the characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the profile as a cookie on a workstation associated with the self-illuminating imaging device.

20. A system for color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device and synchronization of the appearance of color images on the self-illuminating imaging device comprising:

a) a characterization stage including;

i) means for embedding a color characterization program in a response to an initial browser based request for a color image to facilitate the color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device associated with the browser;

ii) means for forwarding the embedded response to a web browser;

iii) means for generating a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device using the color characterization program; and

iv) means for storing the profile as a cookie on a workstation associated with the self-illuminating imaging device, wherein the cookie represents a set of twelve numerical profiling values; and

b) a synchronization stage including;

i) means for modifying a response to a subsequent browser based request for a color image by replacing the image tags associated with the color image with substitute image tags configured to effect a color transformation based upon the profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device;

ii) means for forwarding the modified response to the web browser; and

iii) means for transforming the color image based upon the substitute image tags for display on the self-illuminating imaging device.

21. A system as recited in claim 20, wherein the means for generating a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device comprises a set of color films each having a predetermined calorimetric reference value for placement on the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device within a region of predefined color bounded by a region of solid color.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, further comprising a program for providing a region of predefined color bounded by a region of solid color on the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device, for each of a plurality of solid colors corresponding to the set of color films.

23. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the each color film in the set include means for temporarily securing the film to the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device within the region of predefined color.

24. A method for color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device and synchronizing the appearance of color images on a self-illuminating imaging device comprising the steps of:

a) providing a color characterization program for communication with a web browser to facilitate color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device operatively associated therewith; and

b) providing a color management program for communication with the web browser to perform color transformations on color images received by the web browser based upon the color characterization of the self-illuminating imaging device.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of providing the color characterization program comprises downloading the color characterization program to the web browser from a web server.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of providing the color characterization program comprises storing the color characterization program on a workstation operatively to the web browser.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of providing the color management program comprises downloading the color management program to the web browser from a web server.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the step of providing the color management program comprises storing the color management program on a workstation operatively to the web browser.

29. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of modifying a response to a request for a color image from the web browser by replacing image tags associated with the color image with substitute image tags configured to facilitate color transformation of the color image based upon the color characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device.

30. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of forwarding he modified response to the web browser for color transformation and display on the self-illuminating imaging device.

31. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of generating a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device using the color characterization program.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a set of color films each having a predetermined colorimetric reference value;

b) sequentially placing each of the color films on the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device within a region of nominal white color bounded by a region of solid color;

c) visually matching, in sequential order, each of the color films with the solid color boundary by adjusting the color settings of the self-illuminating imaging device; and

d) generating an optimum color transformation for the self-illuminating imaging device based upon the color settings for each of the color films.

33. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of operatively associating the optimum color transformation with the web browser in the form of the profile represented by a set of numerical values describing the characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device.

34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of storing the profile as a cookie on a workstation associated with the self-illuminating imaging device.

35. A method for color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request for a color image from a web browser;

b) forwarding the request for a color image to a web server;

c) receiving a response to the request from the web server; and

d) embedding a color characterization program in the response to facilitate color characterization of a self-illuminating imaging device using a set of color films each having a predetermined calorimetric reference value.

36. A method according to claim 35, further comprising the step of generating a profile characterizing the self-illuminating imaging device using the color characterization program and the set of color films.

37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

a) sequentially placing each of the color films on the screen of the self-illuminating imaging device within a region of nominal white color bounded by a region of solid color; and

b) visually matching, in sequential order, each of the color films with the solid color boundary by adjusting the color settings of the self-illuminating imaging device, whereby the color profile for the self-illuminating imaging device is based upon the color settings for each of the color films.

38. A system for synchronizing the appearance of color images on a self-illuminating imaging device comprising:

a) a workstation including a self-illumination imaging device;

b) a web browser operatively associated with the workstation; and

c) a color management program operatively associated with the web browser for performing color transformations, based upon the color characteristics of the self-illuminating imaging device, upon color images received by the web browser and displayed on the self-illuminating imaging device.

39. A system as recited in claim 38, wherein the color management program is downloaded to the web browser from a web server.

40. A system as recited in claim 38, wherein the color management program and the web browser are encoded on a computer-readable storage medium.

41. A system as recited in claim 38, wherein the color management program is resident in the memory of the workstation.

42. A method of characterizing an image display device comprising the steps of:

a) providing a set of color reference means each having a predetermined reference value associated therewith;

b) positioning each of the color reference means on a display surface;

c) visually matching each of the color reference means with a color image displayed on the display surface by the image display device by selectively adjusting the color settings of the image display device; and

d) generating a color profile for the image display device based upon the final color settings selected for each of the color reference means.

43. A method according to claim 42, wherein the step of providing a set of color reference means each having a predetermined reference value associated therewith comprises providing a set of color reference plates each having a predetermined spectral reflectance value associated therewith.

44. A method according to claim 42, wherein the step of providing a set of color reference means each having a predetermined reference value associated therewith comprises providing a set of transparent color reference films each having a predetermined colorimetric reference value associated therewith.

45. A method according to claim 43, wherein the step of positioning each of the color reference means on a display surface comprises positioning each color reference plate on a projection screen.

46. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of positioning each of the color reference means on a display surface comprises positioning each of the transparent color reference films on a display screen of a self-illuminating imaging device.

47. A method according to claim 42, wherein the step of generating a color profile for the image display device comprises generating a color profile for an image projection device.

48. A method according to claim 42, wherein the step of generating a color profile for the image display device comprises generating a color profile for a self-illuminating imaging device.

49. A method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of storing the color profile for the image display device on a computer workstation operatively associated with the image display device.