Concept-Based Color Transfer Using Statistical Palettes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image processing methods for mood-based color transfer are complex and difficult for non-skilled users, as they often require selecting a target image or relying on methods that yield images dominated by a single color, limiting their applicability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for color transfer that allows users to select a concept in natural language, retrieving a concept color palette, mapping image colors to this palette, and computing transformations to generate a modified image, enabling easier and more flexible color adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mood-based color transfer methods are used, then color adjustments can be made, but the process becomes complex and difficult for non-skilled users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that automatically extracts color palettes from target images and applies them to source images. This intermediary process eliminates the need for users to manually adjust individual color parameters, resolving the contradiction by automating the complex color transfer process while maintaining ease of operation through simple target image selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent copies color palettes from target images and applies them to source images. By copying the color characteristics directly from a reference image rather than requiring manual parameter adjustment, the system simplifies the user interface while achieving sophisticated color transfer results, thus resolving the complexity-ease of operation contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If target image-based color transfer is used, then color adjustments can be made, but the user cannot easily conceptualize the transfer result or make modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the color transfer process into distinct components: extracting a color palette from the target image, representing it as a discrete set of colors, and then applying these colors to the source image. This segmentation allows users to conceptualize the transfer as a palette application rather than a complex transformation, making it easier to understand and modify by selecting different target images or adjusting palette parameters.
3Device complexity
If single color dominance is applied, then the transfer method can be simple, but the usefulness is limited to images that satisfy a dominance constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter representation from single dominant colors to color palettes consisting of multiple discrete colors. This parameter change allows the method to maintain simplicity in implementation while significantly increasing versatility, as the palette-based approach can represent a wide range of color schemes and moods without requiring complex adjustments, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and applicability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for color transfer includes retrieving a concept color palette from computer memory corresponding to a concept selected by a user. The concept color palette includes a first set of colors, which may be statistically representative of colors of a set of predefined color palettes which have been associated with the concept. The method further includes computing an image color palette for an input image. The image color palette includes a second set of colors that are representative of pixels of the input image. Colors of the image color palette are mapped to colors of the concept color palette to identify, for colors of the image color palette, a corresponding color in the concept color palette. A transformation is computed based on the mapping. For pixels of the input image, modified color values are computed, based on the computed transformation, to generate a modified image.