Abstract:
The present invention is to provide a user terminal and a system and a method for correcting a color that improve the convenience by displaying an actual taken image and an image displayed on a display device in same colors. The user terminal includes a camera that takes an image of an object; a display device that displays the object; extracts color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object; compares the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and corrects the color of the object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-181525 filed on Sep. 15, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a user terminal including a camera that takes an image of an object and a display device that displays this object, and a system and a method for correcting a color. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    Recent years, images such as still and moving images, taken by an imaging device such as a camera have been known to be analyzed to correct colors in the images. 
         [0004]    For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the image data of a taken image are subjected to colorimetry and corrected based on this colorimetric data. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0005]    Patent Document 1: JP 2007-158701 A 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    In the constitution of the invention of Patent Document 1, a position for colorimetry is selected from more than one position within an imaging range, and colorimetric data is output based on a light from this position for colorimetry. Then, the color of the image data of a taken image is corrected. However, since color display varies by a display device that displays a taken image, colors may be different between an actual taken image and an image displayed on a display device. 
         [0007]    Therefore, the present invention pays an attention to the correction of the difference in color between an actual taken image and an image displayed in a display device. 
         [0008]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a user terminal and a system and a method for correcting a color that improve the convenience by displaying an actual taken image and an image displayed on a display device in same colors. 
         [0009]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, a user terminal includes:
       a camera that takes an image of an object;   a display device that displays the object;   a color reference data extraction unit that extracts color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object;   a color comparison unit that compares the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and   a color correction unit that corrects the color of the object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison by the comparison unit.       
 
         [0015]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, a user terminal includes a camera that takes an image of an object; a display device that displays the object; extracts color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object; compares the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and corrects the color of the object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison. 
         [0016]    The first aspect of the present invention is the category of a user terminal, but the categories of a method for correcting a color and a program for a user terminal have the same functions and effects. 
         [0017]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, the user terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes a color sample projection unit that projects the color sample on the object imaged by the camera. 
         [0018]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, the user terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention projects the color sample on the object imaged by the camera. 
         [0019]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the user terminal according to the first or the second aspect of the present, the color comparison unit compares the RGB value of the color image data with the RGB value of the color of the original color sample. 
         [0020]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, the user terminal according to the first or the second aspect of the present invention compares the RGB value of the color image data with the RGB value of the color of the original color sample. 
         [0021]    According to fourth aspect of the present invention, a system for correcting a color includes:
       a camera that takes an image of an object;   a display device that displays the object;   a color reference data extraction unit that extracts color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object;   a color comparison unit that compares the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and   a color correction unit that corrects the color of an object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison by the comparison unit.       
 
         [0027]    According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a system for correcting a color includes a camera that takes an image of an object; a display device that displays the object; extracts color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object; compares the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and corrects the color of an object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison. 
         [0028]    According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a method for correcting a color executed by a camera that takes an image of an object and a display device that displays the object includes the steps of:
       extracting color image data output when the camera takes an image of a color sample as a color reference provided on the object;   comparing the extracted color image data with the color of an original color sample; and   correcting the color of an object displayed on the display device as a result of a comparison.       
 
         [0032]    The present invention can provide a user terminal and a system and a method for correcting a color that improve the convenience by displaying an actual taken image and an image displayed on a display device in same colors. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  conceptually shows the system for correcting a color  1 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 2  shows an overall configuration of the system for correcting a color  1 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the user terminal  100 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the chromatic correction process executed by the user terminal  100 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 5  shows a color sample for an object  6 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 6  shows an object  5  and a color sample for an object  6  that are displayed on the user terminal  100 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 7  shows a color database stored in the user terminal  100 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 8  shows a reference color sample  7  displayed on a television  10 . 
           [0041]      FIG. 9  shows a corrected image displayed on a television  10 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0042]    Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, this is illustrative only, and the technological scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. 
       Outline of System for Correcting Color  1   
       [0043]      FIG. 1  shows the overall view of the system for correcting a color  1  according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention. The system for correcting a color  1  includes a user terminal  100 , an object  5 , a color sample for an object  6 , a television  10 , and a reference color sample  7 . 
         [0044]    In the system for correcting a color  1 , the user terminal  100  may be communicatively connected with the television  100  through LAN or a public line network such as the Internet or through a cable. The user terminal  100  has a camera that takes an image of an object  5  and a display device that displays the taken image. 
         [0045]    In the system for correcting a color  1 , the user terminal  100  first takes an image of an object  5  with an imaging device such as the own camera (step S 01 ). This object  5  is provided with a color sample for an object  6  to be described later. 
         [0046]    In the step S 01 , the user terminal  100  projects a color sample for an object  6  from the imaging device on an object  5  and take an image of the object  5  and the color sample for an object  6 . 
         [0047]    The user terminal  100  extracts the color sample for an object  6  from the image data of the object  5  (step S 02 ). In the step S 02 , the user terminal  100  extracts the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object  6 . 
         [0048]    Then, the user terminal  100  takes an image of a reference color sample  7  displayed on the television  10  by using the imaging device and acquires the image data of the reference color sample  7  (step S 03 ). 
         [0049]    The user terminal  100  extracts the RGB value of each color from the acquired image data of the reference color sample (step S 04 ). 
         [0050]    The user terminal  100  compares the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object with that extracted from the image data of the reference color sample and corrects the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object to that from the image data of the reference color sample (step S 05 ). In the step S 05 , for example, the user terminal  100  identifies each color of the color sample for an object based on the RGB value of adjacent colors extracted from the image data of the reference color sample or the arrangement of colors from the image data of the reference color sample and corrects the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object to the RGB value of each color from the image data of the reference color sample. 
         [0051]    The user terminal  100  corrects the RGB value of each color from the image data of the object  5  based on the corrected RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object and outputs the corrected RGB values to the television  10  as the corrected image data (step S 05 ). 
         [0052]    The television  10  displays a corrected taken image based on the corrected image data output from the user terminal  100 . 
         [0053]    In this embodiment, the user terminal  100  includes an imaging device that takes an image of an object  5  and a display that displays an image taken by the imaging device. However, the imaging device may be separated from the user terminal  100 . 
         [0054]    In this case, for example, the imaging device only has to take an image of an object  5  and transmits the image data to the user terminal  100 . Then, the user terminal  100  only has to display the taken image based on the image data. 
       System Configuration of System for Correcting a Color  1   
       [0055]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the system for correcting a color  1  according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention. The system for correcting a color  1  includes a user terminal  100 , a television  10 , and a public line network  3  (e.g. the Internet network, a third or a fourth generation network). 
         [0056]    The user terminal  100  has the functions to be described later, which is communicatively connected with the television  10 . 
         [0057]    The television  10  is a general television receiver, which is communicatively connected with the user terminal  100  to display data transmitted from the user terminal  100 . 
       Functions 
       [0058]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the user terminal  100  to show the relationship among the functions. 
         [0059]    The user terminal  100  includes a control unit  110  including a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as “CPU”), a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as “RAM”), and a read only memory (hereinafter referred to as “ROM”); and a communication unit  120  including a Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi® enabled device complying with, for example, IEEE 802.11, or a wireless device complying with the IMT-2000 standard such as the third generation mobile communication system. The communication unit may include a wired device for LAN connection. 
         [0060]    The user terminal  100  also includes a memory unit  130  such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, a recording medium, or a memory card to store data. The memory unit  130  includes a color database to be described later. 
         [0061]    The user terminal  100  also includes an input-output unit  140  including a display unit outputting and displaying data and images that have been processed by the control unit  110 ; and a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse that receive an input from a user. Furthermore, the user terminal  100  has a clock function to acquire the time, a location information acquisition device, and various sensors that acquires the altitude, the signal intensity, the inclination, and the acceleration, etc. 
         [0062]    The user terminal  100  also includes an imaging unit  150  such as an imaging device taking still and moving images, etc., and a lens. In the user terminal  100 , the control unit  110  reads a predetermined program to run a reference color sample acquisition module  160  and a data transmission module  161  in cooperation with the communication unit  120 . Furthermore, in the user terminal  100 , the control unit  110  reads a predetermined program to run a database storing module  170 , a color storing module  171 , and a color correction module  172  in cooperation with the memory unit  130 . Still furthermore, in the user terminal  100 , the control unit  110  reads a predetermined program to run a sample extraction module  180  in cooperation with the input-output unit  140 . Yet furthermore, in the user terminal  100 , the control unit  110  reads a predetermined program to run an imaging module  190  and a sample projection module  191  in cooperation with the imaging unit  150 . 
       Chromatic Correction Process 
       [0063]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the chromatic correction process executed by the user terminal  100  according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention. The tasks executed by the modules will be described below with this process. 
         [0064]    First, the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  judges whether or not the imaging module  190  has received an instruction to take an image of an object  5  (step S 10 ). In the step S 10 , if judging that the imaging module  190  has not received an instruction to take an image of an object  5  (NO), the imaging module  190  repeats this process until receiving an instruction to take an image. 
         [0065]    On the other hand, if judging whether the imaging module  190  has received an instruction to take an image of an object  5  (YES), the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  takes an image of an object  5  (step  11 ). In the step S 11 , the sample projection module  191  of the user terminal  100  projects the color sample for an object  6  that is shown in  FIG. 5  on an object  5 . Specifically, the imaging module  190  takes an image of not only an object  5  but also a color sample for an object  6  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The color sample for an object  6  may not be projected on an object  5  by the sample projection module  191  and may be directly provided on an object  5 . 
       Color Sample for Object  6   
       [0066]      FIG. 5  shows the color sample for an object  6  that is projected on an object  5  by the sample projection module  191  of the user terminal  100 . The color sample for an object  6  has a honeycomb color pattern with more than one cell in this embodiment. The color sample for an object  6  has one color in each cell. In the color sample for an object  6 , each cell has a different RGB value. The database storing module  170  of the user terminal  100  stores the RGB value of the each cell in a color database. The size, the number, etc., of the cells can be changed as appropriate. In this case, the size of the cells only has to enable the sample extraction module  180  to be described later of the user terminal  100  to recognize the image of a color sample for an object  6  imaged by the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  and to extract the RGB value of each cell. 
       Color Database 
       [0067]    The database storing module  170  of the user terminal  100  stores the RGB value of each cell in the color database shown in  FIG. 7 . In this embodiment, the database storing module  170  stores and associates a cell with an RGB value in a database. The database storing module  170  may associate and store not a cell itself but other data such as a number indicating the location of a cell or a cell number in a database. 
         [0068]    Then, the sample extraction module  180  of the user terminal  100  extracts the color sample for an object  6  from the image data of an object  5  imaged by the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  (step S 12 ). In the step S 12 , the sample extraction module  180  extracts the color of each cell of the color sample for an object  6  that is included in the image data, based on the color database, referring to the RGB value of each cell. 
         [0069]    The color storing module  171  of the user terminal  100  stores the color of each cell that is extracted by the sample extraction module  180  of the user terminal  100  in the step S 12  (step S 13 ). 
         [0070]    Then, the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  takes an image of a reference color sample  7  displayed on the television  10  shown in  FIG. 8  (step S 14 ). In the step S 14 , the television  10  may acquire the reference color sample  7  from a database to display by itself, a server, etc., through a public line network  3  or may display its own reference color sample  7 . The reference color sample  7  imaged by the imaging module  190  is similar to the above-mentioned color sample for an object  6 . In the step S 14 , the size, the location of each cell, etc., of the reference color sample  7  displayed on the television  10  can be changed as appropriate in the same way as the above-mentioned color sample for an object  6 . 
         [0071]    Then, the sample extraction module  180  of the user terminal  100  extracts the RGB value of each cell of the reference color sample  7  based on the image data of the reference color sample  7  imaged by the imaging module  190  of the user terminal  100  (step S 15 ). In the step S 15 , the sample extraction module  180  extracts the RGB value of the color of each cell by recognizing the image of each cell. 
         [0072]    The color correction module  172  of the user terminal  100  corrects the color of each cell of the color sample for an object  6  stored by the color storing module  171  to the color of each cell that is extracted from the image data of the reference color sample  7  (step S 16 ). In the step S 16 , the color correction module  172  compares each color of the color sample for an object with that of the reference color sample  7 , both which are extracted by the sample extraction module  180  of the user terminal  100 , and corrects the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object to that of the reference color sample  7 . For example, the color correction module  172  identifies each color of the color sample for an object  6  based on the RGB values of adjacent colors that are extracted from the image data of the reference color sample  7  or the arrangement of colors from the image data of the reference color sample  7  and corrects the RGB value of each color of the color sample for an object to the RGB value of each color from the image data of the reference color sample. 
         [0073]    In the step S 16 , the color correction module  172  of the user terminal  100  corrects RGB values in all the pixels of the image data. 
         [0074]    The database storing module  170  of the user terminal  100  stores the RGB values corrected in the step S 16  in the color database as the RGB values of each color sample (step S 17 ). In the step S 17 , the database storing module  170  may store the corrected RGB values of a color sample by overwriting the existing RGB values of a color sample with the corrected RGB values of a color sample or may store the corrected RGB values of a color sample as another color database. 
         [0075]    The data transmission module  161  of the user terminal  100  transmits the corrected image data which is the taken image with colors corrected in the step S 16  to the television  10  (step S 18 ). In the step S 18 , the data transmission module  161  may transmit the image data of only an object  5 , i.e., with a color sample for an object  6  being removed, to the television  10 . In this case, the user terminal  100  only has to remove a color sample for an object  6  by correcting the image data in the location of a color sample for an object  6 . 
         [0076]    The television  10  displays the corrected taken image shown in  FIG. 9  on itself. 
         [0077]    In this embodiment, the user terminal  100  includes an imaging device that takes an image of an object  5  and a display that displays an image taken by the imaging device. However, the imaging device may be separated from the user terminal  100 . 
         [0078]    In this case, for example, the imaging device only has to take an image of an object  5  and transmits the image data of the taken image to the user terminal  100 . Then, the user terminal  100  only has to display the taken image based on the image data of the taken image. 
         [0079]    To achieve the means and the functions that are described above, a computer (including CPU, an information processor, and various terminals) reads and executes a predetermined program. For example, the program is provided in the form recorded in a computer-readable medium such as a flexible disk, CD (e.g., CD-ROM), or DVD (e.g., DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM). In this case, a computer reads a program from the record medium, forwards and stores the program to and in an internal or an external storage, and executes it. The program may be previously recorded in, for example, a storage (record medium) such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a magnetic optical disk and provided from the storage to a computer through a communication line. 
         [0080]    The embodiments of the present invention are described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. The effect described in the embodiments of the present invention is only the most preferable effect produced from the present invention. The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0081]      1  System for correcting color 
         [0082]      5  Object 
         [0083]      6  Color sample for an object 
         [0084]      7  Reference color sample 
         [0085]      10  Television 
         [0086]      100  User terminal