Digital imaging device optimized for color performance

A digital camera for capturing an image and generating a color signal from the image for input to an intended display device having specific color sensitivities, said camera further being one of many cameras of the same type useful with the display device, said camera comprising:

• a color sensor for capturing the image and generating the color signal from the captured image, said color sensor having predetermined spectral sensitivities defining the color response of the color sensor;
• a lens for directing image light from the image upon the color sensor, said lens having a predetermined lens spectral characteristic;
• an infrared cutoff filter having a predetermined infrared spectral characteristic for filtering the image light directed upon the color sensor;
• the combination of said spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the lens and the infrared cutoff filter uniquely distinguishing the digital camera from other digital cameras of the same type;
• and
• a matrix storage containing a set of matrix coefficients uniquely determined for the camera in order to generate an optimized color signal, said matrix coefficients correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the lens and the infrared cutoff filter for the color sensitivities of the intended display device.

A digital camera for capturing an image and generating an optimized color signal from the image for input to an intended display device having specific color sensitivities, said camera further being one of many cameras of the same type useful with the display device, said camera comprising:

• a color sensor comprising a color filter array and a photosensor for capturing the image and generating a color signal from the captured image, said color sensor having predetermined spectral sensitivities defining the color response of a specific color sensor employed in the digital camera;
• an optical section including at least a lens for directing image light from the image upon the color sensor and an infrared cutoff filter for filtering the image light directed upon the color sensor, said optical section having optical spectral characteristics comprised of a specific lens spectral characteristic which together define the optical response of a specific optical section employed in the digital camera;
• the combination of said spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section uniquely distinguishing the digital camera from other digital cameras of the same type;
• a memory containing matrix coefficients uniquely determined for the camera in order to generate the optimized color signal, said matrix coefficients correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section for the color sensitivities of the intended display device, and
• a color processing section for implementing a matrix correction on the color signal using the matrix coefficients in the memory in order to generate the optimized color signal.

A digital camera for capturing an image and generating a color signal from the image for input through an external processor to an intended display device having specific color sensitivities, said external processor including a color processing section for implementing a matrix correction on the color signal in order to generate an optimized color signal, said camera further being one of many cameras of the same type useful with the display device, said camera comprising:

• a color sensor comprising a color filter array and a photosensor for capturing the image and generating the color signal from the captured image, said color sensor having predetermined spectral sensitivities defining the color response of the sensor;
• an optical section including at least a lens for directing image light from the image upon the color sensor and an infrared cutoff filter for filtering the image light directed upon the color sensor, said optical section having optical spectral characteristics comprised of a specific lens spectral characteristic which together define the optical response of a specific optical section employed in the digital camera;
• the combination of said spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section uniquely distinguishing the digital camera from other digital cameras of the same type;
• a memory containing matrix coefficients uniquely determined for the camera in order to generate the optimized color signal, said matrix coefficients correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section for the color sensitivities of the intended display device;
• and
• means for providing the color signal and the matrix coefficients to the external processor.

A digital camera for capturing an image and generating a color signal from the captured image, said camera comprising:

• a main assembly for housing the camera;
• and
• a removable subassembly including a color sensor having specific color sensitivities for capturing the image and generating the color signal, an optical section including at least a lens and an infrared filter having respective lens and cutoff spectral characteristics, and a memory device containing matrix coefficients for color correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section for the color sensitivities of the display device;
• a signal processing section for processing the color signal generated by the color sensor;
• electrical connecting means for replaceably interconnecting the signal processing section and the subassembly;
• and
• a color processing section for implementing a matrix correction on the color signal using the matrix coefficients in the memory device in order to generate an optimized color signal.

A digital camera for capturing an image and outputting a color image signal to an external processor, said external processor including a color processing section for implementing a matrix correction on the color image signal in order to generate an optimized color signal from the captured image, said camera comprising:

• a main assembly for housing the camera;
• a removable subassembly including a color sensor having specific color sensitivities for capturing the image and generating a color signal, an optical section including at least a lens and an infrared filter having respective lens and cutoff spectral characteristics, and a memory device containing matrix coefficients for color correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section for the color sensitivities of the display device;
• a signal processing section for processing the color signal generated by the color sensor;
• electrical connecting means for replaceably interconnecting the signal processing section and the subassembly;
• and
• means for providing the color image signal and the matrix coefficients to the external processor.

A digital camera for capturing an image and generating a color signal from the image for input to an external processor operative in a connection space having specific color sensitivities defined by a set of color matching functions, said external processor including a color processing section for implementing a matrix correction on the color signal in order to generate an optimized color signal, said camera further being one of many cameras of the same type, said camera comprising:

• a color sensor comprising a color filter array and a photosensor for capturing the image and generating the color signal from the captured image, said color sensor having predetermined spectral sensitivities defining the color response of the sensor;
• an optical section including at least a lens for directing image light from the image upon the color sensor and an infrared cutoff filter for filtering the image light directed upon the color sensor, said optical section having optical spectral characteristics comprised of a specific lens spectral characteristic which together define the optical response of a specific optical section employed in the digital camera;
• the combination of said spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section uniquely distinguishing the digital camera from other digital cameras of the same type;
• a memory containing matrix coefficients uniquely determined for the camera in order to generate the optimized color signal, said matrix coefficients being part of a device profile for correcting the spectral sensitivities of the color sensor and the spectral characteristics of the optical section for the color sensitivities of the connection space;
• and
• means for providing the color signal and the matrix coefficients to the external processor.