A system using residual images to represent a color digital image

摘要

A digital image processing system includes one or more opto-electronic image digitization device(s) which digitize still photographic images and produce an extended color gamut digital image corresponding to each still photographic image, and an image processing unit, coupled with said image digitization device(s), which is operative to receive a plurality of extended color gamut digital images from the image digitization device(s). The image processing unit produces at least one limited color gamut digital image from each said extended color gamut digital image by adjusting the color values of the extended color gamut digital image to fit within a limited color gamut; represents each said limited color gamut digital image in a storage color space; determines one or more residual image(s) each representing a difference between one said extended color gamut digital image and its corresponding limited color gamut digital image; and associates each limited color gamut digital image in the storage color space with its residual image(s) such that the associated residual images and the limited color gamut digital images in the storage color space are adapted to be used to reconstruct extended color gamut digital images.