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.