System and method for applying color management on captured images

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps by a device driver for controlling an image-capturing device for generating color image data for use by an application, the instructions operable to perform a process comprising the steps of:

• checking image acquisition control parameters in an image acquisition control data structure, said image acquisition control parameters being set by the application and including a color management parameter indicating whether color management is to be performed;
• controlling the image-capturing device to perform an image-capturing operation according to the image acquisition control parameters in response to an acquisition request by the application;
• receiving from the image-capturing device color image data generated in the image-capturing operation;
• calling a color management application programming interface to invoke a color management function of a color management component of an operating system to process the color image data received from the image-capturing device when the color management parameter is set to indicate that color management is to be performed;
• and
• forwarding the processed color image data to the application via an image acquisition service module, the image acquisition service module operating between the application and the device driver to deliver requests by the application to the device driver and forwarding color image data from the device driver to the application.

A computer system comprising:

• an image-capturing device;
• a color management component of an operating system having color management functions for performing color management operations;
• an image acquisition interface for calling by an application to set image acquisition control parameters in an image acquisition control data structure, said image acquisition control parameters including a color management parameter indicating whether color management is required;
• a device driver for the image-capturing device, the device driver controlling the image-capturing device to start an image-capturing operation according to the image acquisition control parameters in response to a data acquisition request by the application, receiving color image data for a captured image from the image-capturing device, and invoking a color management function of the color management component to process the color image data of the captured image when the color management parameter is set to indicate that color management is required;
• a color management application programming interface for calling by the device driver to invoke color management functions of the color management component of the operating system;
• and
• an image acquisition service operating between the image-processing application and the device driver to deliver requests by the application to the device driver and forwarding color image data from the device driver to the application.

A method of controlling an image-capturing device for generating color image data for use by an application, comprising the steps of:

• checking image acquisition control parameters in an image acquisition control data structure, said image acquisition control parameters being set by the application and including a color management parameter indicating whether color management is to be performed;
• controlling the image-capturing device to perform an image-capturing operation according to the image acquisition control parameters in response to an acquisition request by the application;
• receiving from the image-capturing device color image data generated in the image-capturing operation;
• calling a color management application programming interface to invoke a color management function of a color management component of an operating system to process the color image data received from the image-capturing device when the color management parameter is set to indicate that color management is to be performed;
• and
• forwarding the processed color image data to the application via an image acquisition service module, the image acquisition service module operating between the application and the device driver to deliver requests by the application to the device driver and forwarding color image data from the device driver to the application.