Patent Document ID: 4577219
Application ID: 06556330
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for copying retouch of a color image by transferring image information from a read image region of a color image to a write image region of said color image in electronic color image reproduction, wherein original color signals are obtained by scanning of the color image, the original color signals are converted into color values for a plurality of different color components of the color signals, and the color values are stored in a storage medium image-point-by-image-point, comprising the steps of: (a) marking an image point as a read point within the read image region of the color image to be retouched, said read image region defining a portion of said color image from which image information is to be taken; (b) marking an image point as a write point within the write image region of the color image to be retouched, said write image region defining a portion of said color image into which the image information taken from said read image region is to be transferred; (c) identifying coordinates of said marked read point and said marked write point; (d) determining a vector distance between said read point and said write point from said identified coordinates of the read point and the write point; (e) marking the write region in terms of size and shape so as to mark additional image points within the write image region and identifying the coordinates of said additional image points; (f) determining coordinates of corresponding additional image points within said read image region from the coordinates of said additional image points within said write image region, said corresponding additional image points within said read image region being in each case spaced from said additional image points within said write image region by said determined vector distance; (g) generating for at least one of the color components of the image points marked within said write image region substitution color values related to the original color values of the corresponding image points within said read image region; and (h) replacing said original color values of the image points within said write image region by said substitution color values to obtain a retouched color image within the write image region, whereby a desired copying retouch of the color image is achieved.