Patent ID: 7315397

Claim:
An image processing method for converting an input color signal of a first color space to a color signal of a second color space having a color reproduction range narrower than that of the first color space, comprising: a discriminating step of discriminating whether a color signal that is outside the color reproduction range of the second color space having the color reproduction range narrower than that of the first color space exists within the input color signal of the first color space; and a color converting step of converting the hue system of the color signal represented in the first color space to the hue system of the color signal represented in the second color space having the narrower color reproduction range in a case where it has been discriminated at said discriminating step that a color signal outside the color reproduction range of the second color space exists, wherein said color converting step includes converting a non-linear conversion to a linear conversion by separately obtaining a hue system before conversion and a hue system after conversion.