US 6,320,592 B1 · Method and apparatus for separating image data from a color system in image processing

Abstract

Raw image data is separated from color image data such that image data can be operated on independent of a color model. Alternatively, image data can be associated with a color model and image processing operations can operate on the image data in terms of the color model. No color model is presupposed for a given image. When an image processing operation uses a color system, a color system can be selected in which the operation is performed and the source image will be converted. Different color systems can be associated with the same image data to process the image. Where it is not necessary to perform an image processing operation in a color system, the operation can access the image data independent of a color system. In an embodiment of the invention, a Tile object class is comprised of an array of Channel objects. A Channel object is associated with one or more storage bands of image data. A ColorModel object class identifies a color system and specifies a mapping between the raw image data and the color and alpha components of a color system. A BufferedImage object class is defined that associates a ColorModel with a Tile. BufferedImageOp and TileOp interfaces are defined in embodiments of the invention that are implemented by image processing or filtering object classes. A BufferedImageOp interface is used for filtering operations performed within a color system. Filtering operations that are performed outside a color system use the TileOp interface.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A system for separating image data from a color system in image processing comprising:

a data source having a plurality of channels of raw data for an image, said plurality representing a number, said number being independent of any particular color system, wherein each of said plurality of channels of raw data comprises pixel data for said image;
a buffered-image object having a buffer of information regarding said image in a desired color system, said desired color system being selected from a plurality of color systems, each of said plurality of color systems requiring a number of channels not greater than said plurality of channels of raw data, said buffer of information including type, height, and width of said image, said type defining which subset of said plurality of channels of raw data are used for said desired color system and the manner of storage of said raw data in said channels and definition of said desired color system;
a tile object associated with said buffered-image object, said tile object providing a capability to perform image operations, which are outside of said desired color system, on said raw data using said subset of said plurality of channels;
a color model object associated with said buffered-image object, said color model object providing capability for color operations within said desired color system.

1 more element

A method of separating raw image data from a color system comprising:

obtaining a data source having a plurality of channels of raw data for an image, said plurality representing a number, said number being independent of any particular color system, wherein each of said plurality of channels of raw data comprises pixel data for said image;
selecting a desired color system from a plurality of color systems for processing said raw data, said desired color system requiring a number of channels not greater than said plurality of channels of raw data;
creating a buffered-image object having a buffer of information regarding said image in said desired color system, said buffer of information including type, height, and width of said image, said type defining which subset of said plurality of channels of raw data are used for said desired color system and the manner of storage of said raw data in said channels and definition of said desired color system;
creating a tile object associated with said buffered-image object, said tile object providing a capability to perform image operations, which are outside of said desired color system, on said raw data using said subset of said plurality of channels;
creating a color model object associated with said buffered-image object, said color model object providing capability for color operations within said desired color system.

2 more elements

An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for separating raw image data from a color system comprising:
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain a data source having a plurality of channels of raw data for an image, said plurality representing a number, said number being independent of any particular color system, wherein each of said plurality of channels of raw data comprises pixel data for said image;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to select a desired color system from a plurality of color systems for processing said raw data, said desired color system requiring a number of channels not greater than said plurality of channels of raw data;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to create a buffered-image object having a buffer of information regarding said image in said desired color system, said buffer of information including type, height, and width of said image, said type defining which subset of said plurality of channels of raw data are used for said desired color system and the manner of storage of said raw data in said channels and definition of said desired color system;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to create a tile object associated with said buffered-image object, said tile object providing a capability to perform image operations, which are outside of said desired color system, on said raw data using said subset of said plurality of channels;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to create a color model object associated with said buffered-image object, said color model object providing capability for color operations within said desired color system.

3 more elements

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to separate raw image data from a color system by performing:

obtaining a data source having a plurality of channels of raw data for an image, said plurality representing a number, said number being independent of any particular color system, wherein each of said plurality of channels of raw data comprises pixel data for said image;
selecting a desired color system from a plurality of color systems for processing said raw data, said desired color system requiring a number of channels not greater than said plurality of channels of raw data;
creating a buffered-image object having a buffer of information regarding said image in said desired color system, said buffer of information including type, height, and width of said image, said type defining which subset of said plurality of channels of raw data are used for said desired color system and the manner of storage of said raw data in said channels and definition of said desired color system;
creating a tile object associated with said buffered-image object, said tile object providing a capability to perform image operations, which are outside of said desired color system, on said raw data using said subset of said plurality of channels;
creating a color model object associated with said buffered-image object, said color model object providing capability for color operations within said desired color system.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for separating image data from a color system in image processing

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for separating image data from a color system in image processing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31