Color management system having interchangeable gamut mapping methods

• US 6,978,043 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kohler, Timothy L., Haikin, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Application Number:
  US10/449,191
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 382162-167, 358515-540, 345589-601
• US Class Current: 382/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6058 Reduction of colour to a range of reproducible colours, e.g. to ink- reproducible colour gamut

Abstract

A color management module which accepts input color image data and transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, wherein the color management module includes an interface to an externally provided, pluggable gamut mapping module which is accessed by the color management module to map the input color image data from an input color gamut into an output color gamut.

Claims

1. A computer-executable color management program module stored in a computer readable medium which accepts input color image data and transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, the color management program module comprising:

code defining an interface externally receiving one of a plurality of gamut mapping algorithms;

code for obtaining a color profile, wherein the color profile includes a gamut boundary description, information for selecting one of the gamut mapping algorithms and a gamut mapping parameter; and

code for transforming color data from device-independent color space into device-dependent color space by using the color profile and the selected gamut mapping algorithm based on the information,

wherein the selected gamut mapping algorithm maps the color data into a gamut which is defined by the gamut boundary description based on the gamut mapping parameter, and

wherein the device-independent color space is viewing condition-independent, and wherein the code for transforming color data uses a color appearance model.

4. A color management program module according to claim 1, further comprising:

code for transforming color data from the device-independent color space into a device-dependent color space by using the color profile and a selected one of the gamut mapping algorithms which is selected based on the information in the color profile.

2. A color management apparatus which accepts input color image data and transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, the color management apparatus comprising:

an interface externally receiving one of a plurality of gamut mapping algorithms;

a program memory for storing process steps; and

a processor for executing the process steps stored in the program memory,

wherein the process steps include;

an obtaining step of obtaining a color profile which includes a gamut boundary description, information for selecting one of the gamut mapping algorithms and a gamut mapping parameter, and

a transformation step of transforming color data from device-independent color space into device-dependent color space by using the color profile and the selected gamut mapping algorithm based on the information, wherein the selected gamut mapping algorithm maps the color data into a gamut which is defined by the gamut boundary description based on the gamut mapping parameter, and wherein the device-independent color space is viewing condition-independent, and wherein the transformation step transforms color data using a color appearance model.

3. A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to accept input color image data and transform the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, said computer-executable process steps comprising:

a receiving step of externally receiving, via an interface, one of a plurality of gamut mapping algorithms;

an obtaining step of obtaining a color profile which includes a gamut boundary description, information for selecting one of the gamut mapping algorithms and a gamut mapping parameter; and

a transformation step of transforming color data from device-independent color space into device-dependent color space by using the color profile and the selected gamut mapping algorithm based on the information,

wherein the selected gamut mapping algorithm maps the color data into a gamut which is defined by the gamut boundary description based on the gamut mapping parameter, and

wherein the device-independent color space is viewing condition-independent, and wherein the transformation step uses a color appearance model.

5. A color management program module according to claim 3, further comprising:

code for transforming color data from the device-independent color space into a device-dependent color space by using the color profile and a selected one of the gamut mapping algorithms which is selected based on the information in the color profile.

6. A computer-executable color management program module stored in a computer readable medium which transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, the color management program module comprising:

code defining an interface for externally receiving a pluggable gamut mapping algorithm;

code for transforming input color image data from input device-dependent color space into device-independent color space;

code for mapping the color image data represented in the device-independent color space into a gamut boundary of the output device by using the received pluggable gamut mapping algorithm; and

code for transforming the gamut mapped color image data from the device-independent color space into an output device-dependent color space by using the output device color profile,

wherein the gamut mapping is performed by using the externally provided pluggable gamut mapping algorithm and gamut boundary information of the output device contained in the output device color profile, and

wherein the pluggable gamut mapping algorithm contains a function.

7. A color management program module according to claim 6, wherein the device-independent color space is viewing condition-independent, and wherein the codes for transforming color data use a color appearance model.

8. A color management method for transforming an input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, the color management method comprising the steps of:

externally receiving a pluggable gamut mapping algorithm;

transforming input color image data from input device-dependent color space into device-independent color space;

mapping the color image data represented in the device-independent color space into a gamut boundary of the output device by using the received pluggable gamut mapping algorithm; and

transforming the gamut mapped color image data from the device-independent color space into an output device-dependent color space by using the output device color profile,

wherein gamut mapping is performed by using the externally provided pluggable gamut mapping algorithm and gamut boundary information of the output device contained in the output device color profile, and

wherein the pluggable gamut mapping algorithm contains a function.

9. A computer-executable color management program module stored in a computer readable medium which transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, the color management program module comprising:

code defining an interface for externally receiving a gamut mapping condition;

code for transforming input color image data from input device-dependent color space into device-independent color space;

code for mapping the color image data represented in the device-independent color space into a gamut boundary of the output device by using said gamut mapping condition; and

code for transforming the gamut mapped color image data from the device-independent color space into an output device-dependent color space by using the output device color profile,

wherein the device-independent color space is viewing condition-independent, and

wherein the transformation step uses a color appearance model.