Color reproducing device

• US 6,466,334 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Komiya, Yasuhiro, Yamaguchi, Masahiro, Ishii, Kensuke, Ohyama, Nagaaki, Obi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/149,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 358/501, 358/504, 358/518, 358/1.9, 382/167
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6086 by scene illuminant, i.e. conditions at the time of picture capture, e.g. flash, optical filter used, evening, cloud, daylight, artificial lighting, white point measurement, colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6088 by viewing conditions, i.e. conditions at picture output

Abstract

In a color reproduction device, an input profile that is referenced in converting an input image from an image input device into a device-independent color image is created based on image input device information, shooting- and observation-time lighting data, and subject data, allowing accurate conversion of the input image to the device-independent color image. In reproducing the image by an image output device, the spectral reflectance of the subject itself is calculated from image input device information and shooting-time lighting data, thereby reducing the effect of the shooting-time lighting. The colors of the subject under observation lighting are calculated from observation-time lighting data. A color reproduced image is estimated accurately on the basis of the subject data even if the input image has little information.

Claims

1. A color reproduction device that converts an input image of a subject shot by an image input device into an output image having improved color reproduction for output by an image output device, said color reproduction device comprising:

color correction means for color converting the input image shot by the image input device into the output image using information concerning a color reproduction environment when the input image is shot by the image input device and when the output image output by the image output device is observed, information concerning the image input device, and information concerning the image output device; and

image outputting means for outputting the output image produced by the color correction means to the image output device;

wherein the information concerning the color reproduction environment comprises subject characteristic information including statistical information about a spectrum of the subject to be shot.

18. The color reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the information concerning the image input device comprises information concerning characteristics of the image input device used in shooting the subject and settings of functions of the image input device, and the information is created each time a subject is shot.

2. A color reproduction device that converts an input image of a subject shot by an image input device into an output image having improved color reproduction for output by an image output device, said color reproduction device comprising:

color correction means for color converting the input image shot by the image input device into the output image using information concerning a color reproduction environment when the input image is shot by the image input device and when the output image output by the image output device is observed, information concerning the image input device, and information concerning the image output device; and

image outputting means for outputting the output image produced by the color correction means to the image output device;

wherein the color correction means comprises;

a device-independent color image conversion unit including;

(i) an input profile creation section for creating an input profile that conforms to the information concerning the image input device and the information concerning the color reproduction environment, and (ii) an input profile operation section for converting the input image into a device-independent color image by referencing the input profile; and

a device value conversion unit including;

(i) an output profile creation section for creating an output profile that conforms to the information concerning the image output device, and an output profile operation section for converting the device-independent color image into an output image composed of output values that match characteristics of the image output device.

3. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the device-independent color image conversion means comprises:

a select section for selecting appropriate information for each of the information concerning the image input device and the information concerning the color reproduction environment;

an input profile creation section for creating an input profile in a matrix form based on the selected information; and

an input profile operation section for converting the input image into a device-independent color image by matrix operations using the input profile in the matrix form.

4. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein:

the input profile operation section receives the input image from one of the image input device, a network that connects to external devices, and a storage medium,

the input profile creation section receives the input image from one of the image input device, the network, and the storage medium, and the information concerning the image input device and the information concerning the color reproduction environment from a dedicated input device,

the output profile creation section receives the information concerning the output device from one of the dedicated input device, the network, and the storage medium, and

each of the operation and creation sections includes an input information select section.

5. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the output profile operation section includes means for selectively outputting the output image to one of the image output device, a storage medium and a network.

6. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the image input device is provided with image data detecting means for detecting image data from an optical image of the subject through a photoelectric effect and a spectroscope for detecting spectral data, thereby concurrently measuring the image data and the spectral data on lighting used in shooting the subject with the image input device or statistical data on the spectrum of the subject.

7. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the color correction means includes an information database for storing at least one of the information concerning the image input device, the information concerning the color reproduction environment, and the information concerning the image output device, and, at a time of creation of an input profile or output profile, the color correction means receives desired data.

8. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, further comprising a color correction preprocessing section for converting image data captured by the image input device into a lighting convertible data structure using at least one of the information concerning the image input device, spectral data on lighting used in shooting the subject with the image input device, and statistical data on a spectrum of the subject, and wherein the color correction means processes the image data in the lighting convertible data structure to produce color image data under desired observation lighting.

9. The color reproduction device according to claim 8, wherein the lighting convertible data structure comprises a plurality of image data assigned to band numbers, shooting-time lighting data, and shooting characteristic data concerning the image input device.

10. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the image input device comprises a lens, an image pickup device for converting an optical image of the subject into an electrical signal, a signal processor for processing image information including the electrical signal, and a lighting sensor for detecting lighting in a shooting site.

11. The color correction device according to claim 10, wherein a recording medium is removably attachable to the color correction means, and the color correction means comprises an output profile select section for selectively outputting from a plurality of output profiles which have been set up beforehand an output profile that is suitable for image data stored in the recording medium, a lighting detector for detecting lighting around the image output device for reproducing an image inputted from the image input device, an observation lighting select section for selectively outputting color correction data necessary for color correction from lighting data read from the recording medium and a detected signal from the lighting detector, and a color correction section for correcting the image data read from the recording medium based on the color correction data.

12. The color reproduction device according to claim 11, wherein the removable recording medium has recorded thereon image data for commodities classified according to colors and observation-time lighting data.

13. The color reproduction device according to claim 12 wherein the image output device combines an image recorded on the recording medium and the image input by the image input device to form an image in which a part corresponding to the image recorded on the recording medium bears a color corresponding to a same observation light as the image input by the image input device.

14. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the image input device comprises a spectroscope for detecting a spectrum of an image captured by a lens, an image pickup device for converting the image into an electrical signal, and a turret placed in front of the image pickup device and having a plurality of bandpass filters for capturing a plurality of spectral images.

15. The color reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the device value conversion means comprises subtractors for subtracting bias values dependent on environment light surrounding the image output device and offset light of the image output device from the device-independent color image and, after the subtraction, converts the device-independent color image to an output image in the output profile operation section by referencing an output profile.

16. A color reproduction device that converts an input image of a subject shot by an image input device into an output image having improved color reproduction for output by an image output device, said color reproduction device comprising:

color correction means for color converting the input image shot by the image input device into the output image using information concerning a color reproduction environment when the input image is shot by the image input device and when the output image output by the image output device is observed, information concerning the image input device, and information concerning the image output device; and

image outputting means for outputting the output image produced by the color correction means to the image output device;

wherein the information concerning the color reproduction environment comprises data on a spectrum of lighting when the subject is shot by the image input device and data on a spectrum of lighting in a place where an image of the subject shot is observed, and the information is created each time a subject is shot.

17. The color reproduction device according to claim 16, wherein the information concerning the image input device comprises information concerning characteristics of the image input device used in shooting the subject and settings of functions of the image input device, and the information is created each time a subject is shot.

19. A color reproduction device that converts an input image of a subject shot by an image input device into an output image having improved color reproduction for output by an image output device, said color reproduction device comprising:

color correction means for color converting the input image shot by the image input device into the output image using information concerning a color reproduction environment when the input image is shot by the image input device and when the output image output by the image output device is observed, information concerning the image input device, and information concerning the image output device; and

image outputting means for outputting the output image produced by the color correction means to the image output device;

wherein the color correction means comprises a first color correction means for producing a device-independent color image based on the input image, the information concerning the color reproduction environment and the information concerning the image input device, and a second color correction means for making color conversion on the device-independent color image based on the information concerning the image output device to produce the output image, and

wherein transmission of the device-independent color image from the first to the second color correction means is made via a storage medium or a network.

20. A color reproduction device that converts an input image of a subject shot by an image input device into an output image having improved color reproduction for output by an image output device, said color reproduction device comprising:

color correction means for color converting the input image shot by the image input device into the output image using information concerning a color reproduction environment when the input image is shot by the image input device and when the output image output by the image output device is observed, information concerning the image input device, and information concerning the image output device; and

image outputting means for outputting the output image produced by the color correction means to the image output device;

wherein the color correction means comprises;

an input/output profile creation section for creating an input/output profile based on the information concerning the image input device, the information concerning the color reproduction environment, and the information concerning the image output device; and

an input/output profile operation section for converting the input image to the output image by referencing the input/output profile.

21. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, wherein:

the input profile operation section receives the input image from one of the image input device, a network that connects to external devices, and a storage medium,

the input profile creation section receives the input image from one of the image input device, the network, and the storage medium, and the information concerning the image input device and the information concerning the color reproduction environment from a dedicated input device,

the output profile creation section receives the information concerning the output device from one of the dedicated input device, the network, and the storage medium, and

each of the operation and creation sections includes an input information select section.

22. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, wherein the image input device is provided with image data detecting means for detecting image data from an optical image of the subject through a photoelectric effect and a spectroscope for detecting spectral data, thereby concurrently measuring the image data and the spectral data on lighting used in shooting the subject with the image input device or statistical data on the spectrum of the subject.

23. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, wherein the color correction means includes an information database for storing at least one of the information concerning the image input device, the information concerning the color reproduction environment, and the information concerning the image output device, and, at a time of creation of an input profile or output profile, the color correction means receives desired data.

24. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, further comprising a color correction preprocessing section for converting image data captured by the image input device into a lighting convertible data structure using at least one of the information concerning the image input device, spectral data on lighting used in shooting the subject with the image input device, and statistical data on a spectrum of the subject, and wherein the color correction means processes the image data in the lighting convertible data structure to produce color image data under desired observation lighting.

25. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, wherein the image input device comprises a lens, an image pickup device for converting an optical image of the subject into an electrical signal, a signal processor for processing image information including the electrical signal, and a lighting sensor for detecting lighting in a shooting site.

26. The color reproduction device according to claim 20, wherein the image input device comprises a spectroscope for detecting a spectrum of an image captured by a lens, an image pickup device for converting the image into an electrical signal, and a turret placed in front of the image pickup device and Having a plurality of bandpass filters for capturing a plurality of spectral images.