Color Processing Apparatus Gamut Expansion via Signal Doubling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing color processing technologies, such as the Kueppers technique, often result in a reduced color gamut when subtracting achromatic and additional color values from CMY color signals, leading to decreased chroma values of intermediate colors.
Innovation Solution
A color processing apparatus that includes a first subtracting unit to remove cyan, magenta, and yellow color signal values corresponding to an achromatic color value, and a second subtracting unit to remove these values from CMY color signals based on an additional color signal, with the resulting values being doubled to enhance the color gamut.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If color values corresponding to achromatic and additional color signals are subtracted from CMY color signals using traditional methods, then the processing simplifies color separation, but the color gamut is reduced and chroma values of intermediate colors decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of color signal processing by introducing a doubling step after subtraction. Specifically, after subtracting achromatic and additional color values from CMY signals, the remaining color values are doubled (multiplied by 2) to compensate for the loss of chroma. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by maintaining color gamut while simplifying the separation process.
2Productivity
If traditional color subtraction methods are used to separate CMY signals, then the processing speed increases, but the chroma value of intermediate colors decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter transformation by doubling the remaining color values after subtraction. This mathematical transformation (multiplying by N where N>1, typically 2) restores and enhances the chroma values that would otherwise be reduced by the subtraction process, thereby maintaining precision while preserving processing speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A color processing apparatus includes a first subtracting unit, a second subtracting unit, and an output unit. The first subtracting unit subtracts color values of CMY color signals corresponding to an achromatic color value from color values of input CMY color signals in accordance with replacement to the achromatic color value. The second subtracting unit subtracts color values of CMY color signals corresponding to a color value of an additional color signal different from the CMY color signals from the color values of the CMY color signals after the subtraction by the first subtracting unit in accordance with replacement to the color value of the additional color signal. The output unit multiplies the color values of the CMY color signals after the subtraction by the second subtracting unit and the color value of the additional color signal by N (N>1) and subsequently outputs the color signals.