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EP0665682A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Colour image processing method

Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1995-01-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-01-30
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Abstract

Abstract The host computer 2 defines a color gamut as a solid of a three dimensional space to represent a color reproduction area of a color reproduction device, and instructs to display the color gamut in accordance with combinations of information on the color reproduction area on the basis of a second and a third axes extending to both the positive and negative directions in a plane perpendicular to a first axis of the defined three dimensional space and coordinates of the first axis. For example, the information on the color reproduction area in the plane perpendicular to the first axis can be represented by a two dimensional area, a two dimensional coordinate area, bit map data, or two dimensional vector data, thereby the color gamut for realizing a color gamut checking function is easily confirmed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shuichi C/O Canon K.K. Kumada

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 12:26
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41B; B41B15/00; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/56; H04N1/60; H04N1/6058

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim 81 words
A color gamut expression method of expressing a color gamut of a color reproduction device, in which the color gamut is defined by a solid in a three dimensional space, wherein the defined color gamut is expressed by combinations of color gamut data designated on the basis of a second and a third axes extending to both the positive and negative directions on a plane perpendicular to a first axis of the three dimensional space and coordinates of the first axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 119 words
An image processing method comprising: a storage step of storing information on a color gamut defined by a solid in a three dimensional space; an input step of inputting color image data; a determination step of determining whether or not the color image data is within the color gamut; and a processing step of processing colors of the color image in accordance with a result determined at said determination step, wherein the color gamut is determined by combinations of color gamut data on the basis of a second and a third axes extending to both the positive and negative directions on a plane perpendicular to a first axis of the three dimensional space and coordinates of the first axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determination is performed after interpolation of information on the color gamut.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the information on the color gamut on the plane perpendicular to the first axis is stored as data representing the first axis at a predetermined interval.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined interval is a minimum interval which the data of the first axis can hold.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a two dimensional area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a two dimensional coordinate area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a bit map data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by two dimensional vector data.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 18 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the color reproduction device is a printer.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 45 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the color gamut is a three dimensional L* a* b* color space, the first axis is a L* axis, the second axis is an a* axis, and the third axis is a b* axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 46 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein, in a case where the input color image data is not within the color gamut, a color space of the input color image data is compressed so as to fit within the color gamut of the color reproduction device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 36 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein, regarding the determined result of the color gamut of the color reproduction device, the solid of the three dimensional space is displayed on a display of a color monitor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 53 words
An image processing method comprising steps of: defining a color gamut of a color reproduction device by a solid in a three dimensional space; dividing the three dimensional space into a plurality of unit spaces; and showing whether or not each unit space is within the color gamut by way of binary data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 115 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing information on a color gamut defined by a solid in a three dimensional space; input means for inputting color image data; determination means for determining whether or not the color image data is within the color gamut; and processing means for processing colors of the color image in accordance with a result determined by said determination means; wherein the color gamut is determined by combinations of color gamut data on the basis of a second and a third axes extending to both the positive and negative directions on a plane perpendicular to a first axis of the three dimensional space and coordinates of the first axis.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 27 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image processing means converts the input image data so that the data is within the determined color gamut.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 34 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the information on the color gamut on the plane perpendicular to the first axis is stored as data representing the first axis at a predetermined interval.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined interval is a minimum interval which the data of the first axis can hold.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 29 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a two dimensional area.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 30 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a two dimensional coordinate area.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 29 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by a bit map data.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 29 words
Image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information on the color gamut in the plane perpendicular to the first axis is represented by two dimensional vector data.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 20 words
Image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the color reproduction device is a printer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 31 words
Image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the color gamut by said determination means is defined in a three dimensional L* a* b* color space.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 25 words
Image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the color space of the input color image data is RGB data.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 46 words
Image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein, regarding the determined result of the color gamut of the color reproduction device by said determination means, the solid of the three dimensional space is displayed on a display of a color monitor.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 90 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing information on a color gamut of a color reproduction device; and reading means for reading the information, stored in said storage means, of the color gamut of the color reproduction device, wherein the color gamut is determined by combinations of a color gamut data on the basis of a second and a third axes extending to both the positive and negative directions on a plane perpendicular to a first axis of the three dimensional space and coordinates of the first axis.
Claim 28
Independent Claim 60 words
A method of storing and/or displaying a color gamut, which comprises defining the color gamut as a three dimensional volume and representing the color gamut as a combination of two dimensional color gamut data systems each extending at a given angle to an axis of the three dimensional volume and a coordinate along the said axis for each data surface.
Claim 29
Independent Claim 89 words
A method of processing an image, comprising storing information on a color gamut so that the color gamut is defined as a three dimensional volume and the color gamut is represented as a combination of two dimensional color gamut data surfaces each extending at a given angle to an axis of the three dimensional volume and a coordinate along the said axis for each data surface, comparing color image data with the stored color gamut and processing the color image data in accordance with the results of the comparison.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 91 words
Apparatus for processing an image, comprising means for storing information on a color gamut so that the color gamut is defined as a three dimensional volume and is represented as a combination of two dimensional color gamut data surfaces each extending at a given angle to an axis of the three dimensional volume and a coordinate along the said axis for each data surface, means for comparing color image data with the stored color gamut and means for processing the color image data in accordance with the results of the comparison.

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