Patent ID: 7965426

Claim:
An image processing method for converting color values within a first color reproduction range that is a device-independent color space into color values within a second color reproduction range that is a color reproduction range of an output device, the method comprising: defining, within the first color reproduction range, a third color reproduction range being different from the first color reproduction range and corresponding to a color reproduction range of color values that are estimated to be input for color values generated from an image generation device; defining, within the second color reproduction range, a fourth color reproduction range that is smaller than the second color reproduction range, wherein the fourth color reproduction range is defined so as to include a position corresponding to 80% of a distance from a luminance axis of the device-independent color space to an outer most shell of the second color reproduction range; and converting, utilizing a processor, color values within the first color reproduction range into color values within the second color reproduction range by compressing color values within the third color reproduction range into color values within the fourth color reproduction range and compressing color values within the first color reproduction range and outside the third color reproduction range into color values within the second color reproduction range and outside the fourth color reproduction range, wherein a method of compressing color values within the third color reproduction range is different from a method of compressing color values within the first color reproduction range and outside the third color reproduction range.