System for producing a color hardcopy having the color and the tone reproduction characteristics of a photograph

Claim 2

A color image reproduction system, comprising: a) color monitor for displaying a color digital image having the color and tone reproduction characteristics of an image captured by a color digital imaging device; b) color hard copy output printer; and c) transform means for transforming said color digital image to color hard copy output printer control signals for producing a color hard copy having the color and tone reproduction characteristics of a photograph, the transform means including: i) transform means for transforming the color digital image to video scene exposures; ii) transform means for transforming the video scene exposures to photographic scene exposures; iii) transform means for transforming photographic scene exposures to channel-independent densities; iv) transform means for transforming channel-independent densities to reproduced photographic densities; and v) transform means for transforming the reproduced photographic densities to control signals for driving the color hard copy output printer.

Claim 3

The color reproduction system claimed in claim 1, wherein said transform means comprises a three dimensional lookup table embodying a composed sequence of said transform means i)-v).

Claim 4

The color image reproduction system claimed in claim 1, wherein said color hard copy output printer produces a color transparency.

Claim 5

The color image reproduction system claimed in claim 1, wherein said color hard copy output printer produces a reflection print.

Claim 6

The color image reproduction system claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the color and tone characteristics of the color digital image prior to transformation.

Claim 9

A computer program product for reproducing a color digital image RGB having the color and tone reproduction characteristics of an image captured by a color digital imaging device, displayed on a color monitor, on a color hard copy output printer, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: a) adjusting the color balance and tone scale of the digital image RGB to produce an adjusted color digital image RGB'; and b) transforming the adjusted color digital image RGB' to color hard copy output printer control signals that will produce a color hard copy having the color and tone characteristics of a photograph by: i) generating a transform for transforming the color digital image to video scene exposures; ii) generating a transform for transforming the video scene exposures to photographic scene exposures; iii) generating a transform for transforming photographic scene exposures to channel-independent densities; iv) generating a transform for transforming channel-independent densities to reproduced photographic densities; v) generating a transform for transforming the reproduced densities to control signals for driving the color hard copy output printer vi) composing the transforms generated in the previous steps to produce a composed transform; and vii) applying the composed transform to the adjusted digital image RGB'.

Claim 10

A computer program product for reproducing a color digital image RGB having the color and tone reproduction characteristics of an image captured by a color digital imaging device, displayed on a color monitor, on a color hard copy output printer, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: a) adjusting the color balance and tone scale of the digital image RGB to produce an adjusted color digital image RGB'; and b) transforming the adjusted color digital image RGB' to color hard copy output printer control signals that will produce a color hard copy having the color and tone characteristics of a photograph by: i) generating a transform for transforming the color digital image to video scene exposures; ii) generating a transform for transforming the video scene exposures to photographic scene exposures; iii) generating a transform for transforming photographic scene exposures to channel-independent densities; iv) generating a transform for transforming channel-independent densities to reproduced photographic densities; v) generating a transform for transforming the reproduced densities to control signals for driving the color hard copy output printer vi) composing the transforms generated in the previous steps to produce a composed transform; and vii) applying the composed transform to the adjusted digital image RGB'.