Method for matching color in images

1. A method implemented by a computer programmed as a color transformation apparatus for transforming a first color distribution based on a second color distribution, comprising:

determining, for each of the first and second color distributions, a one-dimensional histogram along a direction in a color space;

matching, by the color transformation apparatus, the one-dimensional histogram determined for the first color distribution and the one-dimensional histogram determined for the second color distribution so as to generate a transform mapping;

transforming the first color distribution based on the generated transform mapping; and

repeating the determining, matching, and transforming steps for other directions in the color space until the generated transform mapping converges.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the repeating step is performed at least three times such that the matching step is performed for at least four directions in the color space.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the repeating step comprises determining whether the generated transform mapping converges by comparing the one-dimensional histogram determined for the first color distribution and the one-dimensional histogram determined for the second color distribution.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

applying a transformation to the first and second color distributions between each iteration.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transformation is a rotation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the matching step comprises matching the one-dimensional histograms using a cumulative histogram.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining the first color distribution from a source image; and

obtaining the second color distribution from a target image.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

noise smoothing the transformed source image.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

constraining gradients in the source image to be close to gradients in the target image.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

minimizing a weighted sum of a squared difference of image gradients between a desired noise reduced image and the target image, and a weighted sum of squared differences between said desired noise reduced image and the transformed source image.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

rendering the transformed source image using a graphics processing unit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the graphics processing unit is programmed to perform color space transformation, the method further comprising:

mapping input pixels into output pixels using a look-up-table embedded in said graphics processing unit.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using principal component analysis based on the first and second color distributions.

14. An apparatus for transforming a first color distribution based on a second color distribution, comprising:

means for determining, for each of the first and second color distributions, a one-dimensional histogram along a direction in a color space;

a physical memory device storing the one-dimensional histograms;

means for matching the one-dimensional histogram determined for the first color distribution and the one-dimensional histogram determined for the second color distribution so as to generate a transform mapping;

means for transforming the first color distribution based on the generated transform mapping; and

means for causing the repeated execution of the means for determining, means for matching, and means for transforming for other directions in the color space until the generated transform mapping converges.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a graphics processing unit.

16. A computer program product embedded on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to transform a first color distribution based on a second color distribution by performing the steps of:

determining, for each of the first and second color distributions, a one-dimensional histogram along a direction in a color space;

matching the one-dimensional histogram determined for the first color distribution and the one-dimensional histogram determined for the second color distribution so as to generate a transform mapping;

transforming the first color distribution based on the generated transform mapping; and

repeating the determining, matching, and transforming steps for other directions in the color space until the generated transform mapping converges.