Patent ID: 7495797

Claim:
A color conversion definition coupling apparatus for creating a coupling color conversion definition defining an association of coordinates of a first device color space depending on a first device with coordinates of a second device color space depending on a second device in such a manner that coordinates of a device color space depending on a device mediating between an image and image data is associated with coordinates of a non-dependence color space independent of a device, and a first color conversion definition and a second color conversion definition, which define the first device and the second device, respectively, are coupled with one another, wherein each of the first color conversion definition and the second color conversion definition has a space conversion section defining an association between the coordinates of the device color space on a color reproduction area representative of colors capable of being reproduced by the device and the coordinates of the non-dependence color space, and an area conversion section defining on the non-dependence color space an association between coordinates of the color reproduction area and coordinates of a coupling area independent of the device, and wherein the conversion definition coupling apparatus comprises: an area decision section that decides whether the two coupling areas for the first color conversion definition and the second color conversion definition are identical; and a definition coupling section that creates the coupling color conversion definition in such a manner that when the area decision section decides that the two coupling areas are identical, associations defined by the space conversion section for the first color conversion definition, the area conversion section for the first color conversion definition, the area conversion section for the second color conversion definition, and the space conversion section for the second color conversion definition are sequentially coupled, and when the area decision section decides that the two coupling areas are not identical, associations defined by the space conversion section for the first color conversion definition and the space conversion section for the second color conversion definition are coupled with one another in accordance with a conversion algorithm for converting coordinates from one to another of the two color reproduction areas.