Method and apparatus for improving the color rendition of hardcopy images from electronic cameras

An apparatus, comprising:

• an electronic camera, including at least one image sensor, producing color signals;
• correction means for performing additive-type color correction processing of the color signals and subtractive-type color correction processing of the additive color corrected signals thereby producing color corrected signals, wherein said color correction means performs two dimensional low pass filtering before color correction processing and combines low pass filtered color corrected signals with high frequency color signals, and wherein said correction means performs edge enhancement of the color corrected signals prior to imprinting;
• and
• color image fixing means for imprinting the color corrected signals on a tangible imprinting medium.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an electronic camera, including at least one image sensor, producing color signals;
• correction means for performing additive-type color correction processing of the color signals and subtractive-type color correction processing of the additive color corrected signals producing color corrected signals, said color correction means comprised of:
• a) domain conversion means for converting the additive color corrected signals into log additive color corrected signals;
• b) linear color correction means for performing the additive color correction processing in a linear domain;
• c) log color correction means for performing subtractive color processing in a log domain;
• a two dimensional low pass filter, connected between said image sensor and said correction means, producing low pass filtered color signals;
• and
• color image fixing means for imprinting the color corrected signals on a tangible imprinting medium.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an electronic camera, including at least one image sensor, producing color signals;
• correction means for performing additive-type color correction processing of the color signals and subtractive-type color correction processing of the additive color corrected signals producing color corrected signals, said correction means performing edge enhancement of the color corrected signals prior to imprinting;
• conversion means for converting the color corrected signals and one of the color signals into an enhancement domain;
• filtering means for bandpass filtering the one of the color signals;
• noise removal means for removing noise from the one of the filtered color signals;
• combining means for combining the noise removed filtered color signal with the color corrected signals;
• and
• color image fixing means for imprinting the color corrected signals on a tangible imprinting medium.

A method of processing color signals, comprising the steps of:

• (a) performing linear space color correction of the color signals;
• (b) performing log space color correction of the color signals subsequent to the linear space correction;
• (c) splitting the color signals into low and high frequency color signals, said linear and log space correction being performed on said low frequency color signals;
• and
• (d) combining color corrected signals with the high frequency color signals.