Color image processing method

Abstract: Color image processing method and apparatus for reproducing an image of an object always in substantially true color regardless of picture taking conditions. First, a color chart and an object are taken. Then, an coefficient is obtained for allowing to correctly display a color of each color chip of the color chart. Based on the coefficient obtained, picture data of the object is corrected.

Description: The present invention relates to a color image processing method and a color image processing apparatus. When taking a picture of an object with a video camera, the object is lighted up at a predetermined illuminance with the camera set to a predetermined luminous exposure. A resultant video signal is recorded on a magnetic tape for example. Reproducing the signal from the magnetic tape allows the picture of the taken object to be presented on a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). However, with a conventional color image processing apparatus, a displayed image may appear different in color from the color of the object before being taken and/or from one camera used to another depending on such camera settings as gamma curve and white balance. Consequently, the same object taken by different video cameras may present pictures substantially different in color between the cameras. US-A-4 929 978 discloses a calibration technique for a color photocopier in which a test chart of color chips printed by the photocopier is imaged to derive color correction data. This invention provides a color image processing method for processing an electronic representation of a color image of an object so that colors are represented in the processed representation according to a standard representation for display, the method comprising the steps of: imaging using a silver-salt film camera a color chart having a plurality of color chips having respective known colorimetric parameters, under particular exposure conditions so as to obtain a film representation of an image of the color chart; imaging using the silver-salt film camera an object under the same exposure as with said color chart to obtain a film representation of an image of the object into a film frame different from a film frame in which said colour chart is photographed, the two film frames being from the same film; digitising images on the film to provide a digital representation thereof; computing a correlation between the known colorimetric parameters of each color chip of said color chart and a color of each known color chip of said color chart in the digital representation of the image of the color chart; and correcting colors in the digital representation of the image of the object in accordance with said computed correlation. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the color image processor according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary constitution of the image processor of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a flowchart describing operations of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a diagram describing the processing of step S1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a diagram describing the processing of step S3 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a diagram describing the processing of step S5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a film on which the color chart and the object are respectively shot in different frames; and Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a film on which the color chart and the object are shot in a same frame. Fig. 1 of the diagram is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the color image processing apparatus according to the present invention. Electronic camera 1 comprises an electronic still camera or a video camera for example to take a picture of an object, not shown, outputting a resultant image signal to digitizer 2. The digitizer 2 digitizes the video signal sent from the electronic camera 1 to supply a resultant digital signal to an image processor 5. On the other hand, when the object is photographed with a film camera (a silver-salt camera), an exposed and developed film is scanned by film scanner 4 to supply a resultant image data to the image processor 5. The image processor 5 supplies the image data coming from the digitizer 2 or the film scanner 4 to external storage 8 comprising a hard disk or magnetooptical disk. The image processor 5 can also process the data stored in the external storage 8 to output a result to display 9 and, when required, to print processor 10 for printing on paper. Keyboard 6 and mouse 7 are operated as required to send a predetermined instruction to the image processor 5. The image processor 5 can be configured as shown in Fig. 2 for example. In the present embodiment, console 20 comprising the keyboard 6, the mouse 7, and the display 9 is connected to CPU 24 via input/output interface 21. The CPU 24 contains system controller 25 for controlling the entire system, arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 26 for performing various calculations, and work memory 27 for storing data as required by the calculations. ROM 22 stores a program required for operating the CPU 24. Output image memory 23 is adapted to store image data to be sent to the display 9. In what follows, the operation of the embodiment will be described by referring to a flowchart of Fig. 3. First, in step S1, color chart 31 is placed near an object as shown in Fig. 4 for example so that they are shot by a camera together. The color chart 31 carries a plurality of color chips 31a, each having N colors represented by a colorimetric system provided by CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage). These colors are assumed to be uniformly arranged in color space. That is, the N colors can be expressed (or absolutely specified) by the following equation: Then, in steps S2, an exposure level suitable for taking a picture of the color chart 31 is measured. Let an exposure setting be Exp-1. An operator locks the setting on the camera. In step S3, an exposure setting is set to the value Exp-1 measured in step S2 and the color chart 31 is shot with a video camera for example. A resultant image data is digitized by the digitizer 2 to be stored in the external storage 8 (a hard disk for example) via the image processor 5. In step S4, the camera operator takes the color chart 3 out of the view of the object and takes a picture of the object. An exposure level to be used this time is the same as set for shooting the color chart 31 in step S3. A resultant image data is digitized by the digitizer 2 to be stored in the external storage 8 via the image processor 5. In step S5, a predetermined range of each color chip 31a is selectively specified as shown in Fig. 6. from the image data of the color chart 31. That is, the operator, by using the keyboard 6 and/or the mouse 7, reads from the external storage 8 the image data of the color chart 31 obtained in step S3 to send it on the display 9. Internally, the CPU 24, in response to an instruction entered through the input/output interface 21, reads the data from the external storage 8 to store it in the output image memory 23. Then, the CPU 24 reads the image data from the output image memory 23 to sent it to the display 9. Thus, the image of the color chart 31 is displayed as shown in Fig. 6 for example. Using the mouse 7, the operator further specifies the predetermined range of each of the N (24 in this embodiment) color chips 31a presented on the display 9. In Fig. 6, each specified range is indicated with a box enclosed with dashed lines. In step S6, an average of the number of pixels in microscopic areas in each color chip 31a is obtained to be its typical values Cmsrl through CmsrN as expressed in equation 2 below Internally, the CPU reads data in the range specified in step S5 for each of the color chip 31a from among the data stored in the output image memory 23 to calculate the average value for each color chip 31a. Since the data stored in the output image memory 23 has been captured from the video camera, it depends on three primary colors R, G, and B. That is, this colorimetric system used is different from the colorimetric system (equation 1)used in specifying each color chip 31a of the color chart 31. Consequently, in step S7, a coefficient of matrix M (consisting of coefficients all through a33) is set for interpolating a relation between the different colorimetric systems. That is, coefficients all through a33 in equation (3) are set to predetermined processing values. where, XcalN indicates data obtained by converting data represented by the RGB colorimetric system (of video data) into data represented by XYZ colorimetric system (of the color chart 31). In step S8, typical values Cmsrl through CmsrN of the color chips 31a obtained in step S6 are multiplied by the matrix M. Resultant values, Ccall through CcalN are temporarily held in the work memory 27. In step S9, the typical values Ccall through CcalN of the color chips 31a are compared with known color specification values Crefl through CrefN of the color chips 31a to calculate a root-mean-square value of each difference. That is, equation (4) below is solved. These calculations are performed by the ALU 26. In step S10, it is determined, according to the coefficient of the current matrix M, whether the root-mean-square value error calculated in step S9 is minimal. If the difference is found not minimal, the coefficients all through a33 of the matrix M in equation (3) must be corrected to other values in step S11. With new values obtained, the processing is repeated beginning with step S8. When a matrix M in which the root-mean-square value error is minimal has been obtained, the RGB colorimetric system image data of the object is converted by the matrix M into the XYZ colorimetric system data in step S12. The converted data is stored in the external storage 8 and the output image memory 23. Thus, the image of the object is corrected with respect to the coefficient with which the color chart 31 can be displayed with true color, or the color having a smallest difference from the true color. Resultantly, the image having the true color with respect to the color chart 31 is presented on the display 9. Supplying the data stored in the external storage 8 to the print processor 10 as required allows to print the image of true color. This data may also be converted in the data of RGB colorimetric system again to present a result on the display 9 with true color. If, in shooting the object with the video camera, there is no significant time interval between a time when the color chart 31 is shot with the object and a time when only the object is shot, there is no substantial change in a condition for taking pictures between the image data of the color chart 31 and the image data of the object. However, if the color chart 31 and the object are shot together with a film camera 3, characteristics of resultant images may change from one film to another. In this case, the color chart 31 is shot on a first frame of a film as shown in Fig. 7, followed by frames carrying pictures of the objects. Alternatively, the color chart 31 may be shot with the object in a same frame as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, it is desirable to locate the color chart 31 in one corner of each frame, thereby preventing the color chart 31 from obstructing a view of the picture of the object. It should be noted that, with the above-mentioned embodiment, the matrix M is obtained by calculation as required. It will be clear that a look-up table may also be prepared to which reference is made to obtain a predetermined matrix. It will be apparent that the color image processing method according to at least preferred embodiments of the invention, as described above, calculates the relation between the color of the color chip of the color chart and the color of the color chip of the color chart taken a picture of and the image of the object is corrected by correcting means based on a calculation result, allowing the image to be displayed always in constant color regardless of the difference between shooting conditions. Accordingly, at least preferred embodiments of the invention allow a picture of an object (taken by, for example, a video camera) to be displayed always in substantially constant or true color on devices having different characteristics. It will also be apparent that the color image processing apparatus according to at least preferred embodiments of the invention, as described above, calculates the relation between the color of the color chip of the color chart and the color of the color chip of the color chart taken a picture of and the image of the object is corrected by correcting means based on a calculation result, allowing the image to be displayed always in true color regardless of the difference between shooting conditions.While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purpose only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: A color image processing method for processing an electronic representation of a color image of an object so that colors are represented in the processed representation according to a standard representation for display, the method comprising the steps of: imaging (1, 3) using a silver-salt film camera a color chart having a plurality of color chips having respective known colorimetric parameters, under particular exposure conditions so as to obtain a film representation of an image of the color chart; imaging (1, 3) using the silver-salt film camera an object under the same exposure as with said color chart to obtain a film representation of an image of the object into a film frame different from a film frame in which said colour chart is photographed, the two film frames being from the same film; digitising images on the film to provide a digital representation thereof; computing (5) a correlation between the known colorimetric parameters of each color chip of said color chart and a color of each known color chip of said color chart in the digital representation of the image of the color chart; and correcting (5) colors in the digital representation of the image of the object in accordance with said computed correlation. A color image processing method according to claim 1, wherein said correlation is computed from a coefficient of a conversion matrix between the known colorimetric parameters of the color chips of said color chart and the color of each color chip in the representation of the image of the color chart. A color image processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the colors of said color chips of said color chart have colors arranged uniformly in color space.

Inventors: OKADA HIDEHIKO, OMURO HIDEAKI, ORYO AKIRA, SAKURA KOHEI, TOKUYAMA TADASHI, OKADA, HIDEHIKO, OMURO, HIDEAKI, ORYO, AKIRA, SAKURA, KOHEI, TOKUYAMA, TADASHI, Okada, Hidehiko, c/o Intell. Property Division, Omuro, Hideaki, c/o Intell. Property Division, Oryo, Akira, c/o Intell. Property Division, Sakura, Kohei, c/o Intell. Property Division, Tokuyama, Tadashi, c/o Intell. Property Division
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H04N1
IPC codes: G06T1, G06T11, H04N17, H04N9, G06T5, H04N1, G09G5