Apparatus for processing input color image data to generate output color image data within an output color reproduction range

Claim 1

A color image processing apparatus that converts the color of an input color image to a color suitable for an output device by using a direct look-up table, comprising: color converting means for converting an input color signal into a second color signal in an intermediate color space; judging means including: means for generating a representative lattice point data address corresponding to the second color signal, said representative lattice point data address corresponding to an entry in the direct look-up table having both binary data indicating whether the lattice point data is inside or outside of a color reproduction range and direction data indicating a compression direction in said intermediate color space, and inside/outside judging means for judging whether the representative lattice point data address is located inside or outside the color reproduction range of the output device based on the binary data; and compression means for compressing the representative lattice point data address based on the direction data when the inside/outside judging means determines that the representative lattice point data address is located outside the color reproduction range of the output device, the compression means including a color reproduction range outermost lattice point detecting section, wherein the judging means and the compression means repeatedly generate lattice point data addresses located inside the color reproduction range of the output device.