Color digital imaging apparatus having a rule-based hue-shift processor

Claim 2

A color digital imaging apparatus comprising: light source selecting means for providing a plurality of predetermined illumination conditions and generating an illumination selecting signal in response to each of said plurality of predetermined illumination conditions; a color sensor for capturing the image of a scene or an object and generating original color digital image signals; first memory means for storing said illumination selecting signal and said original color digital image signals; hue-shift analyzing means for performing hue analysis on said original color digital image signals and generating hue-shift parameters; Rule-Based hue-shift processing means for generating color correction parameters by triggering a set of predetermined rules in response to said illumination selecting signal and said hue-shift parameters; color correction means for performing color correction on said original digital color image signals and generating corrected digital color image signals according to a color conversion function based on said color correction parameters; second memory means for storing said hue-shift parameters and said corrected digital color image signals; and a display interface for transferring said corrected digital color image signals from said second memory means to a display device and displaying a dialog box for illumination condition selections.

Claim 3

The color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said predetermined illumination conditions comprises: sunny, cloudy, fluorescent lamp, and tungsten lamp.

Claim 4

The color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting means for transmitting and compressing said original digital color image data and said illumination selecting signal to a computer system; and means for receiving and decoding said original color digital image signals and said illumination selecting signal from said transmitting means.

Claim 5

The color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said hue-shift analyzing means performs hue-shift analysis based on HSI color model.

Claim 6

The color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said Rule-Based hue-shift processing means comprises a plurality of sets of predetermined rules under various hue-shift conditions to generate color correction parameters for red, green and blue color channels.

Claim 7

The color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said color conversion function is based on HSI color model.

Claim 8

A Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus comprising the steps of: (a) selecting an illumination condition from a plurality of predetermined light sources, and generating an illumination selecting signal; (b) capturing the image of a scene or an object and generating original color digital image signals; (c) performing hue-shift analysis on said original color digital image signals; (d) computing the hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors of said original color digital image signals; (e) storing the largest hue-shift parameter among said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors computed in said step (d); (f) determining if said largest hue-shift parameter corresponds to the illumination condition indicated by said illumination selecting signal; (g) when determining said largest hue-shift parameter does not correspond to the illumination condition indicated by said illumination selecting signal, determining if said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are within a predetermined range; (h) when determining said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are within a predetermined range, storing said original color digital image signals; (i) when determining said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are not within a predetermined range, triggering a set of predetermined rules in response to said illumination selecting signal and said hue-shift parameters to generate color correction parameters; and (j) performing color correction on said original digital color image signals and generating corrected digital color image signals according to a color conversion function based on said color correction parameters.

Claim 9

A Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus comprising the steps of: (a) selecting an illumination condition from a plurality of predetermined light sources, and generating an illumination selecting signal; (b) capturing the image of a scene or an object and generating original color digital image signals; (c) performing hue-shift analysis on said original color digital image signals; (d) computing the hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors of said original color digital image signals; (e) storing the largest hue-shift parameter among said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors computed in said step (d); (f) determining if said largest hue-shift parameter corresponds to the illumination condition indicated by said illumination selecting signal; (g) when determining said largest hue-shift parameter does not correspond to the illumination condition indicated by said illumination selecting signal, determining if said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are within a predetermined range; (h) when determining said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are within a predetermined range, storing said original color digital image signals; (i) when determining said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors are not within a predetermined range, triggering a set of predetermined rules in response to said illumination selecting signal and said hue-shift parameters to generate color correction parameters; and (j) performing color correction on said original digital color image signals and generating corrected digital color image signals according to a color conversion function based on said color correction parameters.

Claim 10

The Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: displaying said corrected digital color image signals from said second memory means, and providing a dialog box for illumination condition selections; determining if the hue of said corrected digital color image signals is correct; when determining the hue of said corrected digital color image signals is not correct, selecting a new illumination condition from said dialog box and generating an illumination correction signal; and repeating said step (c) to said step (j) according to said illumination correction signal.

Claim 11

The Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said illumination conditions comprises: sunny, cloudy, fluorescent lamp, and tungsten lamp.

Claim 12

The Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said hue-shift analysis of said step (c) is based on HSI color model.

Claim 13

The Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said hue-shift parameters for red, green, and blue colors of said original color digital image signals in said step (d) are computed by finding the difference between each mean value of red, green, and blue color channels with the mean value of luminosity channel based on an HSI color model.

Claim 14

The Rule-Based hue-shift processing method for a color digital imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said set of predetermined rules of said step (i) comprises a plurality of predetermined rules established for determining a proper color correction parameter under various hue-shift conditions for red, green, and blue colors.

Claim 15

The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the step of: when determining said largest hue-shift parameter corresponds to the illumination condition indicated by said illumination selecting signal, storing said digital color image signals.