Patent Abstract:
A digital camera stores and compares colors. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a color may be captured by and stored in the digital camera and subsequently uploaded to a computing device for use in applications. In another exemplary embodiment, a color associated with a candidate specimen is compared with a reference color stored in the digital camera, the difference between the colors is reported graphically, and a signal is given when the colors differ by less than a predetermined tolerance. Illuminant normalization is employed to ensure accurate color comparisons.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to digital cameras and more specifically to a method and associated apparatus for comparing colors in a digital camera.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    People sometimes encounter colors they like on everyday objects or in nature. For example, someone may see a parked car, house, curtain, garment, or other object containing a color that he or she finds especially attractive. The observer may desire to remember the color and match it later at, for example, a paint or fabric store. Since taking a sample of the color from the object is often not feasible, one solution is to take a picture of the object of interest. However, taking a picture using a traditional silver-emulsion-film camera is an imprecise method to match colors due to such factors as lens filters, exposure errors, and film processing variability and imperfections. Differences in illuminant and illumination level between the photograph and the color specimens with which it is ultimately compared further complicates the problem. For example, colors typically appear different under fluorescent lighting than under incandescent lighting. A digital camera provides greater convenience and immediate feedback than traditional photography, but the difficulties with illuminant and illumination level apply just as much to digital photography as to the conventional type.  
           [0003]    It is thus apparent that there is a need in the art for an improved method or apparatus for remembering and comparing colors.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    A method is provided for storing a reference color in a digital camera and for comparing the color of a candidate specimen with the reference color. A digital camera is also provided for carrying out the methods.  
           [0005]    Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a digital camera in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the digital camera shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3A is an illustration of one method for specifying a color-analysis sub-image in the digital camera shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3B is an illustration of another method for specifying a color-analysis sub-image in the digital camera shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the digital camera shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with another aspect of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5A is an illustration of one method for reporting the difference between the color of a candidate specimen and a reference color in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5B is an illustration of a different method for reporting the difference between the color of a candidate specimen and a reference color in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a digital camera  100  in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, user interface  105  comprises input device  110 , display  115 , and optional audible tone generator  120 . Input device  110  sends commands to controller  125  over data bus  130  to specify the modes of operation of digital camera  100 . User interface  105  provides feedback to users via display  115  and optional audible tone generator  120 . Imaging device  135  converts an optical image of a subject received from optical system  140  to a digital image. The digital image may be stored temporarily in optional random access memory (RAM)  145 . Illuminant normalization module  150  compensates for different illuminants from one scene to another to make accurate color comparison possible. Non-volatile memory  155  provides long-term storage of color descriptions and digital images. Optional flash unit  160  may be used to illuminate subjects with a known illuminant and to compensate for low-light conditions.  
         [0014]    One example of how the illuminant of a digital image may be estimated and corrected may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,339, “White Point Determination Using Correlation Matrix Memory,” assigned to Hewlett-Packard Company, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,339, a correlation matrix memory is built to correlate the data from any digital image with reference images under a range of illuminants. The digital image data from digital camera  100  is converted to chromaticity coordinates, and a vector is created corresponding to the values existing in the scene. This vector is multiplied by each column in the correlation matrix, yielding a new matrix. Each column is then summed, and the resulting values form a vector, the components of which represent the likelihood of each reference source being the illuminant of the scene. The vector values can be subsequently density plotted, where each value is plotted at the chromaticity of the illumination for that particular column. From this plot, normal statistical methods may be used to estimate the likely illuminant of the scene. Once the likely illuminant has been estimated, the spectral characteristics of the illuminant may be compensated to normalize the illuminant of the digital image to approximate a standard illuminant, to be discussed in more detail in a later portion of this detailed description.  
         [0015]    A variety of different color representations may be used with the present invention. One method for describing colors that is well known in the art is the use of red, blue, and green (RGB) color components or coordinates, sometimes referred to as tristimulus values. In the RGB representation of a digital image, each pixel is represented by RGB components, each of which is represented by, typically, 8-12 bits in digital camera applications. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the RGB color space is not desirable for colorimetric calculations such as color differences because it is non-linear with respect to human visual perception. To compare colors accurately, a uniform color space is desirable in which equal distances in any direction in the three-dimensional space correspond to color differences of approximately equal perceptual magnitude. One well-known color space that is approximately uniform for small changes in color is the standard Commission Internationale de l&#39;Éclairage (CIE) L* u* v* color space comprising a luminance and two chrominance coordinates, respectively. However, other approximately uniform color spaces are possible such as L* a* b*, which is popular in the textiles industry. The application of the present invention is not limited to any particular color representation. Also, throughout this detailed description, “saving” or “storing” a color will denote storing in non-volatile memory  155  a specification of the color (i.e., color coordinates), a digital image from which the color was determined, or both.  
         [0016]    In a typical implementation, imaging device  135  comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD), an analog-to-digital converter (A/D), a gain control, and a digital signal processor (DSP), as is well known in the art (not shown in FIG. 1). Input device  110  typically comprises one or more buttons for selecting modes and options in digital camera  100 . Audible tone generator  120  is an optional component of digital camera  100  and has been included in FIG. 1 for the purpose of illustration only. In some implementations, a flashing or persistent light, a vibrator, or other method of providing feedback to users may be preferable to an audible tone. Illuminant normalization module  150  may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Non-volatile memory  155  is typically flash memory but may, in some implementations, be of the removable type, such as a memory stick or magnetic disk.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of digital camera  100  in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for storing a reference color in a digital camera. At  205 , controller  125  determines whether or not color-storage mode has been activated in digital camera  100 . If so, control proceeds to  210 . In attempting to isolate a particular color contained in scene, it is sometimes helpful to restrict color analysis to a relatively small sub-region of the scene. Thus, at  210  an optional color-analysis sub-image may be specified on display  115  using input device  110 . More detail regarding the specification of a color-analysis sub-image will be provided later in this detailed description. Once a specimen containing a color of interest has been identified, a digital image of the specimen is captured at  215 . The digital image may be stored temporarily in RAM  145 . The use of optional flash unit  160  in capturing the digital image at  215  provides a known illuminant, making subsequent color comparison easier and more precise. If no flash is used, illuminant shortcomings may be ignored, and the present invention may still be used to store and compare colors. An alternative, if no flash is used, is to estimate and normalize the illuminant of the digital image, shown at  220  in connection with this particular embodiment of the invention. Illuminant normalization module  150  estimates the illuminant present in the digital image and produces a normalized version of the digital image based on a standard illuminant. For example, the illuminant may be corrected to one of several CIE standard illuminants such as Illuminant A (gas-filled tungsten lamp at 2848°K) or Illuminant C (average daylight), which are well known in the art. The normalized digital image produced at  220  may also be stored temporarily in RAM  145 . Even though the specimen may appear to contain only one color, not every pixel in the digital image will necessarily have identical color components (e.g., RGB or L* u* v*). Therefore, the normalized digital image is analyzed at  225  to determine an aggregate color within the optional color-analysis sub-image specified at  210 . Many possible statistical measures may be used in determining an aggregate color. Examples include the mean, the median, or the mode of the color components within the color-analysis sub-image. Once an aggregate color has been determined at  225 , it is saved as a reference color in non-volatile memory  155  at  230 . If additional reference colors are to be stored at  235 , control returns to  210 . Otherwise color-storage mode is exited at  240 . Optionally, a user may name each stored reference color using input device  100 , or digital camera  100  may automatically generate unique names for the stored reference colors such as “Color  1 ,” “Color  2 ,” and so forth. Using input device  110 , a list of stored reference colors may be recalled, and a specific stored reference color may be selected from the list as the active reference color for subsequent comparison and matching. Color comparison will be explained in a later portion of this detailed description.  
         [0018]    Instead of obtaining the reference color as described in connection with FIG. 2, the reference color may instead be obtained in the form of color coordinates from an external source, without the need to capture a digital image of a specimen. For example, color coordinates specifying a particular color may be input directly via input device  110 , or color coordinates may be downloaded to digital camera  110  from a different external source such as a personal computer, which may in turn be connected to the Internet. In this implementation, it is possible to obtain color descriptions from the Internet, download them to digital camera  100 , and search for matching colors in candidate specimens. Communication interfaces between digital cameras and, for example, desktop or laptop computers capable of supporting this implementation are well known in the art.  
         [0019]    The optional color-analysis sub-image that may be specified at  210  is that portion of the normalized digital image that is analyzed in determining the aggregate color, which ultimately becomes the saved reference color. All pixels outside the color-analysis sub-image are ignored for the purpose of determining the aggregate color. FIG. 3A illustrates one approach to specifying a color-analysis sub-image. Display  115  on digital camera  100  includes bounding box  305 , the interior of which comprises the color-analysis sub-image. Bounding box  305  may appear automatically on display  115  whenever color-comparison mode is activated. Only that portion of specimen  310  lying within bounding box  305  is included in the determination of the aggregate color at  225 . Controller  125  interacts with input device  110  and display  115  containing bounding box  305  to determine which portion of the normalized digital image to extract for determining the aggregate color. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that greater accuracy in the estimation of the illuminant at  220 , when it is necessary, may be obtained by including all pixels in the normalized digital image, not only those within the color-analysis sub-image.  
         [0020]    In a different embodiment of the color-storage aspect of the present invention, bounding box  305  is replaced by a more precise fiducial such as a moveable crosshair. In this embodiment, the color-analysis sub-image is restricted to just a few pixels lying beneath the crosshair, providing for very precise pinpointing of a specific color within a scene. Further, since the color-analysis sub-image comprises only a few pixels, the computational burden on controller  125  in determining the aggregate color is reduced. FIG. 3B illustrates one possible implementation of this embodiment. Crosshair  315  replaces bounding box  305  in defining the portion of specimen  310  comprising the color-analysis sub-image.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of digital camera  100  in accordance with another aspect of the invention, that dealing with color comparison. Controller  125  determines at  405  whether a color-comparison mode has been activated in digital camera  100 . If so, an optional color-analysis sub-image is specified at  210  as explained in connection with FIG. 2. Once a candidate specimen has been identified for comparison with the currently selected reference color, a digital image of the candidate specimen is captured at  410 . Image capture at  410  may be automatic or manually initiated by the user. As explained in connection with FIG. 2, flash is one effective method for providing a known illuminant in the image captured at  410 . It is desirable, though not essential, that flash be used in producing the digital images from which colors to be compared are derived. However, the present invention may be used with or without flash. At  220 , the illuminant of the digital image is optionally normalized, and an aggregate color is determined at  225 , as explained in connection with FIG. 2. Controller  125  computes the difference between the aggregate color and the currently selected reference color at  415 . Optionally, the difference is also reported at  415 . More will be said about reporting the difference between the two colors later in this detailed description. Although many different colorimetric methods exist for comparing colors, one suitable definition of the difference between two colors is the following: 
           d= {square root}{square root over (( L*   2   −L*   1 ) 2 +( u*   2   −u*   1 ) 2 +( v*   2   −v*   1 ) 2 )},  Equation 1 
         [0022]    where (L* 1 ,u* 1 ,v* 1 ) are the L*, u*, v* components of the stored reference color, (L* 2 ,u* 2 ,v* 2 ) are the L*, u*, v* components of the aggregate color associated with the candidate specimen, and d is the difference between the two colors. Those skilled in the art will recognize Equation 1 as the CIE 1976 (L* u* v*) color difference or CIEL UV. The difference d is compared with a predetermined tolerance T at  420 . The tolerance T may be fixed, or it may be adjusted to fit different applications. The tolerance T may be specified in absolute terms for direct comparison with d, as per cent error between the reference color and the aggregate color of the candidate specimen, or as a multiple of a standard minimum perceptible color difference (MPCD). The MPCD is a well-known concept in color science corresponding to the “just perceptible color difference” between two colors as they are compared under standard conditions. Those skilled in the art will recognize that per cent error can easily be converted to a tolerance T in units compatible with d in Equation 1. In a typical implementation, the user may select from among a set of possible choices such as “close,” “very close,” or “best possible” match, each of which may correspond to a specific per cent error or multiple of the MPCD. For example, a “best possible” match may correspond to one MPCD, and a “close” match may correspond to five MPCDs. If d is less than T at  420 , a match is signaled at  425 . Signaling the match may comprise visual feedback on display  115 , one aspect of which will be explained more fully in a later portion of this description, audible feedback such as a beep or tone, or other forms of feedback such as vibration, a flashing light, a persistent light, or a text message on display  115  such as “match found.” At  430 , additional candidate specimens may be compared with the reference color by return to  210 , or color-comparison mode may be exited at  435 .  
         [0023]    A variety of techniques may be used to report the difference d at  415 . One straightforward approach is simply to display a number on display  115  indicating the closeness of the match. The number may be d, multiples of the MPCD, per cent error, or some other appropriate figure of merit. Alternatively, a text string such as “not close,” “close,” or “very close,” may be shown on display  115 . Another effective approach is shown in FIG. 5A, where display  115  is divided into two regions,  505  and  510 . Region  505  is a smaller version of the normal display, which displays the current scene received from optical system  140  or, in some situations, a captured digital image. Bounding box  305  defines the color-analysis sub-image associated with the current color difference indication provided in region  510 . Alternatively, a crosshair may be used to define a more precise color-analysis sub-image as explained in connection with FIG. 3B. Region  510  contains a color wheel  515  such as those well known in the art and commonly used in computer image editing and graphics applications. Tolerance T is indicated on color wheel  515  as a circular boundary concentric with stored reference color  525 . Aggregate color  530  is also shown in its applicable position on color wheel  515 . In the particular example illustrated in FIG. 5A, a match has been found. That is, the aggregate color is within T of the reference color. One alternative to a color wheel is a color map, which is typically square or rectangular in shape. A color map is essentially a two-dimensional matrix containing rows and columns of color samples. In this case, tolerance T may be displayed as a square boundary concentric with the reference color on the color map.  
         [0024]    Alternatively, a linear approach may be used to provide a larger region  505  for displaying scenes, as shown in FIG. 5B. In FIG. 5B, region  535  contains a linear gauge to report the difference d. Line  540  represents a continuum of colors, from those unlike the stored reference color at one end to the precise stored reference color itself at the opposite end. The bottom end of line  540  represents the set of all colors that differ from the stored reference color by greater than a predetermined amount. For example, the bottom end of line  540 , in one implementation, may represent all colors that differ from the stored reference color by more than  50  MPCDs. The opposite end of line  540  represents the stored reference color, which is indicated as dot  545  in FIG. 5B. Open circle  550  represents the aggregate color associated with the candidate specimen, and tolerance T is represented as perpendicular line  555 . Thus, line  540  may be thought of as comprising two portions divided by perpendicular line  555 . The portion of line  540  above perpendicular line  555  represents the set of all colors that differ from the reference color by less than T, and the remainder of the line represents the set of all colors that differ from the reference color by an amount greater than or equal to T. Those skilled in the art will recognize that there are many alternative ways in which to arrange a linear gauge such as that shown in region  535  of FIG. 5B. Variations include, but are not limited to, horizontal rather than vertical orientation, different markings to indicate the colors being compared, and a different mark to indicate tolerance T. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that, if the difference between the aggregate color associated with a candidate specimen and the stored reference color exceeds the range of the linear gauge, line  540  may be rescaled to include whatever difference is computed at  415 . Conversely, as the aggregate color associated with each of a series of candidate specimens more closely approaches the reference color, line  540  may be rescaled to encompass a smaller range of color differences (e.g.,  20  MPCDs), thereby improving the resolution of the reported difference.  
         [0025]    Another embodiment of the color comparison aspect of the present invention provides for multiple color matches within a single color-analysis sub-image. In this embodiment, the color-analysis sub-image may be larger than in the embodiment discussed previously, possibly comprising the entire normalized digital image. Controller  125  analyzes the color-analysis sub-image associated with the candidate specimen to identify regions of similar color. For each such region, controller  125  determines an aggregate color. Those regions of the normalized digital image for which the associated aggregate color differs from the stored reference color by less than tolerance T are shown at normal intensity on display  115 . Those regions for which the associated aggregate color differs by T or more are shown at reduced intensity on display  115 . For example, the regions for which no color match occurs may be shown at half intensity.  
         [0026]    In some situations, comparing colors is complicated by overexposure (illumination level too high) or underexposure (illumination level too low). Illumination level compensation may be added as an additional optional feature in any embodiment of the present invention. One implementation is for controller  125  to convert RGB components to chromaticity coordinates and to compare only the chrominance portion. In most cases, however, unless a digital image is grossly under or overexposed, illuminant normalization is sufficient to accomplish the purposes of the present invention.  
         [0027]    The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7