Patent ID: 7706034

Claim:
A method for multi-dimensional look-up table generation via adaptive node selection based upon characteristics of an input image, the method comprising: receiving, from an image acquisition system, image data representing an input image, said image data comprising a set S of input values of at least a region of said input image, said input values determined to be statistically representative of color values in said input image; obtaining, from a significance function generator, a significance function describing a relative importance of a transformation accuracy of input values in S to a multi-dimensional look-up table useful for transforming said input values from an input color space to an output color space, said multi-dimensional look-up table comprising a multi-dimensional grid having a node located at each intersection thereof, output color values being stored at each node location, each node being accessible by an input index value, said input values being used to determine respective input index values; applying, using a dampening function generator, a distance weighting function to said significance function to produce a distance-weighted significance function, said distance weighting function balancing said significance function against a relative positioning of all of nodes in said multi-dimensional look-up table, said distance weighting function controlling a distance between adjacent nodes and comprises: d ( x,y )≧0,∀ x,yεV , and d ( x,y )=0 x=n max ; and performing, using an image processing system: determining a significance value for said input values in set S using said distance-weighted significance function; sorting said significance values for all inputs in S; for each of a predetermined number of nodes: identifying a location in said multi-dimensional look-up table where the input value has a maximum significance value; and selecting a node at said identified location; constructing a set of nodes N from said selected nodes; generating a look-up table from said set of nodes N; post-processing said set of nodes N to obtain any of a minimum spacing between nodes and a desired lattice size; and providing said generated look-up table to an image output system configured to generate a hardcopy output image based upon output values retrieved from said generated look-up table.