Gamut mapping using hue-preserving color space

1. A method for applying gamut mapping to an input digital image having input color values represented in an input color space, the input color values having an associated input color gamut, to produce an output digital image having output color values represented in an output color space, the output color values having an associated output color gamut, comprising:

a) defining a gamut mapping color transform which embodies the operations of:

i) transforming input color values from the input device independent color space to linear RGB color values for a linear RGB color space, wherein the linear RGB color space has three color channels, each color channel having an associated color primary;

ii) transforming the linear RGB color values to determine nonlinear RGB color values by applying a one-dimensional nonlinear transformation to each the linear RGB color values;

iii) applying a 3×3 matrix transformation to the nonlinear RGB values to an opponent color space having opponent color values;

iv) applying a gamut mapping function to map opponent color values within the input color gamut to produce modified opponent color values within the output color gamut; and

v) transforming the modified opponent color values to produce the output color values in the output color space; and

b) using a processor to apply the gamut mapping color transform to the input color values of the input digital image to produce output color values for the output digital image;

wherein the color primaries are defined such that the sides of a corresponding color gamut triangle, when plotted on a CIE chromaticity diagram, are substantially tangential to a spectrum locus curve defining a human visual system color gamut, and such that the opponent color space has desirable hue preserving characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the color primaries of the linear RGB color space have associated CIE chromaticity values such that the gamut triangle on a chromaticity diagram contains the entire human visual gamut.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the color primaries of the linear RGB color space have associated CIE chromaticity values substantially equal to (x R , y R )=(0.77, 0.25), (x G , y G )=(−0.08, 1.07) and (x B , y B )=(0.09, −0.04).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the color primaries are further defined such that the opponent color space has desirable saturation preserving characteristics when used to apply gamut mapping functions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one-dimensional nonlinear transformation is given by:

x

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=

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1

+

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0

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γ

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t

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κ

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x

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x

t

where x′ is the nonlinear RGB color value, x is the linear RGB color value, and y 0 , γ and κ are constants.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the gamut mapping function also modifies opponent color values within the output color gamut.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the composite gamut mapping color transform is represented using a multi-dimensional look-up table.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the input color space is a device-independent ICC profile connection space.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the composite gamut mapping color transform is represented using a multi-dimensional look-up table.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the one-dimensional nonlinear transformation includes a linear portion for linear RGB color values below a specified threshold and a nonlinear portion for linear RGB color values above the specified threshold.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the gamut mapping function modifies opponent color values outside the output color gamut to produce modified opponent color values inside the output color gamut.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein operation v) of the gamut mapping color transform further includes:

applying a 3×3 inverse matrix transformation to the modified opponent color values to produce modified nonlinear RGB values;

transforming the modified nonlinear RGB color values to determine modified linear RGB color values by applying a one-dimensional inverse nonlinear transformation to each of the modified nonlinear RGB color values; and

transforming the modified nonlinear RGB color values to produce the output color values for the output digital image.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the operations that comprise the gamut mapping color transform are combined to form a composite gamut mapping color transform.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the gamut mapping color transform is embodied in an ICC color management profile, and wherein the processor uses an ICC color transformation engine to apply the gamut mapping color transform to the input color values of the input digital image.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the input color space is a device color space for an input color imaging device and wherein the input color gamut is a device color gamut associated with the input color imaging device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the output color space is a device color space for an output color imaging device and wherein the output color gamut is a device color gamut associated with the output color imaging device.

17. A system for applying gamut mapping to an input digital image having input color values represented in an input color space, the input color values having an associated input color gamut, to produce an output digital image having output color values represented in an output color space, the output color values having an associated output color gamut, comprising:

a data processing system; and

a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing:

a gamut mapping color transform which embodies the operations of:

i) transforming input color values from the input device independent color space to linear RGB color values for a linear RGB color space, wherein the linear RGB color space has three color channels, each color channel having an associated color primary;

ii) transforming the linear RGB color values to determine nonlinear RGB color values by applying a one-dimensional nonlinear transformation to each the linear RGB color values;

iii) applying a 3×3 matrix transformation to the nonlinear RGB values to an opponent color space having opponent color values;

iv) applying a gamut mapping function to map opponent color values within the input color gamut to produce modified opponent color values within the output color gamut; and

v) transforming the modified opponent color values to produce the output color values in the output color space; and

instructions configured to cause the data processing system to apply the gamut mapping color transform to the input color values of the input digital image to produce output color values for the output digital image;

wherein the color primaries are defined such that the sides of a corresponding color gamut triangle, when plotted on a CIE chromaticity diagram, are substantially tangential to a spectrum locus curve defining a human visual system color gamut, and such that the opponent color space has desirable hue preserving characteristics.

18. A method for applying gamut mapping to an input digital image having input color values represented in an input color space, the input color values having an associated input color gamut, to produce an output digital image having output color values represented in an output color space, the output color values having an associated output color gamut, comprising:

a) defining a gamut mapping color transform which embodies the operations of

i) transforming input color values from the input device independent color space to linear RGB color values for a linear RGB color space, wherein the linear RGB color space has three color channels, each color channel having an associated color primary;

ii) transforming the linear RGB color values to determine nonlinear RGB color values by applying a one-dimensional nonlinear transformation to each the linear RGB color values;

iii) applying a 3×3 matrix transformation to the nonlinear RGB values to an opponent color space having opponent color values;

iv) applying a gamut mapping function to map opponent color values within the input color gamut to produce modified opponent color values within the output color gamut; and

v) transforming the modified opponent color values to produce the output color values in the output color space; and

b) using a processor to apply the gamut mapping color transform to the input color values of the input digital image to produce output color values for the output digital image;

wherein the color primaries are defined such that the sides of a corresponding color gamut triangle, when plotted on a CIE chromaticity diagram, contain substantially all of a real world surface color gamut, and such that the opponent color space has desirable hue preserving characteristics.