Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jeong-yeop Kim

Seong-deok Lee

Yang-seock Seo

Du-sik Park

Chang-young Kim

Chang-yeong Kim

Chang-Young Kim

Yang-seok Seo

A method and apparatus for generating a white signal component and for controlling the brightness of an image are provided. In the above method and apparatus, the brightness increases of Red, Green and Blue, the saturations of which are not decreased from an input image are calculated using a vector, and the minimum value of such increases is utilized as the input value for the white component. Further, by adding brightness control components of RGB color to the input RGB signals, brightness increases in the direction of the original colors instead of the achromatic one are possible, which is the way the white component is added so as to increase the luminance of color display devices representing a color using a color filter such a flat panel display. Accordingly, a color saturation of the image is not decreased even with addition of the achromatic color component. In other words, in converting a signal from the three colors such as RGB into the four colors inclusive of white component, the present invention is capable of increasing the brightness without reduction of saturation as well as extracting the white component in an easy and efficient way, which enhances the performance of image processing apparatuses such as color display devices and the like.

Method and apparatus for generating white component and controlling the brightness in display devices

A method and apparatus for generating a white signal component and for controlling the brightness of an image are provided. In the above method and apparatus, the brightness increases of Red, Green and Blue, the saturations of which are not decreased from an input image are calculated using a vector, and the minimum value of such increases is utilized as the input value for the white component. Further, by adding brightness control components of RGB color to the input RGB signals, brightness increases in the direction of the original colors instead of the achromatic one are possible, which is the way the white component is added so as to increase the luminance of color display devices representing a color using a color filter such a flat panel display. Accordingly, a color saturation of the image is not decreased even with addition of the achromatic color a component. In other words, in converting a signal from the three colors such as RGB into the four colors inclusive of white component, the present invention is capable of increasing the brightness without reduction of saturation as well as extracting the white component in an easy and efficient way, which enhances the performance of image processing apparatuses such as color display devices and the like.

An apparatus and method for processing color images are provided. The apparatus includes a color conversion unit for white-transforming signals in RGB space. The color conversion unit includes a first white-transforming means for white-transforming signals in RGB space to signals in a predetermined color space using N predetermined illuminant colors, and a second white-transforming means for white-transforming the signals in the predetermined color space to the signals in RGB space using M predetermined color temperatures of the display means, so that a natural color image or an image of a desirable color can be obtained without information with respect to the illuminant.

Apparatus and method for processing color images

A method and apparatus for estimating illuminant chromaticity and a method and apparatus for converting the estimated illuminant chromaticity into desired illuminant chromaticity using software are provided. The apparatus for estimating illuminant chromaticity includes an image input unit for receiving a color image, a highlight detector for extracting highlight regions from the color image, a highlight parameter calculator for mapping the highlight regions to chromaticity coordinates and calculating geometric presentation parameters of the shape of the distribution of chromaticity coordinates, a perceived illumination illuminant chromaticity estimator for estimating illuminant chromaticity in the color image using a perceived illumination estimate scheme, and a correct chromaticity calculator for selecting a predetermined number of geometric presentation parameters near the illuminant chromaticity estimated by the perceived illumination illuminant chromaticity estimator among the geometric presentation parameters and calculating final illuminant chromaticity using the selected geometric presentation parameters. The method for estimating illuminant chromaticity using perceived illumination and highlights is used for estimating illuminant chromaticity from a color image. This method, which is a combination of two kinds approaches, a perceived illumination estimate scheme and a highlight estimate scheme, considers the characteristics of highlights based on stable illuminant chromaticity estimated from perceived illumination, thereby improving accuracy.

Apparatus and method for estimating and converting illuminant chromaticity using perceived illumination and highlight

A method for determining the color of an illuminant and an apparatus therefor are provided. The method for determining the color of the illuminant according to the present invention includes the steps of obtaining an RGB mean vector value by selecting an arbitrary image and calculating a mean value in each RGB channel with respect to the image, defining a predetermined coefficient f which is a positive integer larger than 1 and estimating a value obtained by multiplying f by the RGB mean vector value as temporary color of the illuminant with respect to the selected image, estimating the illuminant color closest to the temporarily estimated illuminant color temperature on the day light locus as an illuminant color temperature, setting a value obtained by multiplying k by the estimated color of the illuminant as a self luminous threshold value in order to establish a self luminous area using a human visual characteristic wherein k is a predetermined coefficient which is a positive integer larger than 1, generating an image from which the self luminous threshold value is removed by removing the self luminous area having the RGB value exceeding the self luminous threshold value, and calculating the color of an illuminant from the uv chrominance value of the image from which the self luminous area is removed and outputting the illuminant color. It is possible to stably and effectively extract information of an illuminant by selectively excluding a self luminous area from a visually sensed image in the method for detecting the illuminant color according to the present invention.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon, South Korea

Jeong-yeop Kim