Spectral radiance reconstruction from trichromatic camera responses based on orthogonal test and regularized algorithm

Reconstruction of spectral information based on multi‐channel image system is a significant problem in color reproduction, detection, and recognition. A spectral radiance reconstruction from trichromatic digital camera responses is researched in this article. The mapping relationship between the trichromatic imaging system response and the incident spectral radiance is analyzed. Then, in order to remove the ill‐posedness of the problem, a regularized constraint solution model of spectral radiance reconstruction matrix is established. And the spectral radiance can be reconstructed by spectral radiance reconstruction matrices and trichromatic imaging system response. Finally, the spectral radiance reconstruction matrix is estimated by the system radiometric calibration experiment. The input radiance is offered by a LCD display. A 3‐factor and 9‐level orthogonal test is designed for the calibration experiment, and a test set of 24 colors is used for precision analysis. The results show that the average relative mean error of our method is 8.69%, it is lower than that of Wiener filtering method by 2.84%. The method can reconstruct spectral radiance information effectively.     

Spectral color reproduction minimizing spectral and perceptual color differences

In this article, we are combining minimization criteria in the colorant separation process for spectral color reproduction. The colorant separation is performed by inverting a spectral printer model: the spectral Yule‐Nielsen modified Neugebauer model. The inversion of the spectral printer model is an optimization operation in which a criterion is minimized at each iteration. The approach we proposed minimizes a criterion defined by the weighted sum of a spectral difference and a perceptual color difference. The weights can be tuned with a parameter α ∞ [0, 1]. Our goal is to decrease the spectral difference between the original data and its reproduction and also to consider perceptual color difference under different illuminant conditions. In order to find the best α value, we initially compare a pure colorimetric criterion and a pure spectral criterion for the reproduction, then we combine them. We perform four colorant separations: the first separation will minimize the 1976 CIELAB color difference where four illuminants are tested, the second separation will minimize an equally weighted summation of 1976 CIELAB color difference with the four illuminants tested independently, the third colorant separation will minimize a spectral difference, and the fourth colorant separation will combine a weighted sum of a spectral difference and one of the two first colorimetric differences previously introduced. This last colorant separation can be tuned with a parameter in order to emphasize on spectral or colorimetric difference. We use a six colorants printer with artificial inks for our experiments. The prints are simulated by the spectral Yule‐Nielsen modified Neugebauer model. Two groups of data are used for our experiments. The first group describes the data printed by our printing system, which is represented by a regular grid in colorant space of the printer and the second group describes the data which is not originally produced by our printing system but mapped to the spectral printer gamut. The Esser test chart and the Macbeth Color Checker test chart have been selected for the second group. Spectral gamut mapping of this data is carried out before performing colorant separation. Our results show improvement for the colorant separations combining a sum of 1976 CIELAB color difference for a set of illuminants and for the colorant separation combining a sum of 1976 CIELAB color difference and spectral difference, especially in the case of spectral data originally produced by the printer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 494–504, 2008     

Irradiance‐independent camera color calibration

For a digital color camera to represent the colors in the environment accurately, it is necessary to calibrate the camera RGB outputs in terms of a colorimetric space such as the CIEXYZ or sRGB. Assuming that the camera response is a linear function of scene luminance, the main step in the calibration is to determine a transformation matrix M mapping data from linear camera RGB to XYZ. Determining M is usually done by photographing a calibrated target, often a color checker, and then performing a least‐squares regression on the difference between the camera's RGB digital counts from each color checker patch and their corresponding true XYZ values. To measure accurately the XYZ coordinates for each patch, either a completely uniform lighting field is required, which can be hard to accomplish, or a measurement of the illuminant irradiance at each patch is needed. In this article, two computational methods are presented for camera color calibration that require only that the relative spectral power distribution of the illumination be constant across the color checker, while its irradiance may vary, and yet resolve for a color correction matrix that remains unaffected by any irradiance variation that may be present. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 39, 540–548, 2014     

Development of a novel tissue‐mimicking color calibration slide for digital microscopy

Digital microscopy produces high resolution digital images of pathology slides. Because no acceptable and effective control of color reproduction exists in this domain, there is significant variability in color reproduction of whole slide images. Guidance from international bodies and regulators highlights the need for color standardization. To address this issue, we systematically measured and analyzed the spectra of histopathological stains. This information was used to design a unique color calibration slide utilizing real stains and a tissue‐like substrate, which can be stained to produce the same spectral response as tissue. By closely mimicking the colors in stained tissue, our target can provide more accurate color representation than film‐based targets, whilst avoiding the known limitations of using actual tissue. The application of the color calibration slide in the clinical setting was assessed by conducting a pilot user‐evaluation experiment with promising results. With the imminent integration of digital pathology into the routine work of the diagnostic pathologist, it is hoped that this color calibration slide will help provide a universal color standard for digital microscopy thereby ensuring better and safer healthcare delivery.     

Dictionary‐based estimation of spectra for wide‐gamut color imaging

With the widespread use of commercialized wide‐gamut displays, the demand for wide‐gamut image content is increasing. To acquire wide‐gamut image content using camera systems, color information should be accurately reconstructed from recorded image signals for a wide range of colors. However, it is difficult to obtain color information accurately, especially for saturated colors, if conventional color cameras are used. Spectrum‐based color image reproduction can solve this problem; however, bulky spectral imaging systems are required for this purpose. To acquire spectral images more conveniently, a new spectral imaging scheme has been proposed that uses two types of data: high spatial‐resolution red, green, and blue (RGB) images and low spatial‐resolution spectral data measured from the same scene. Although this method estimates spectral images with high overall accuracy, the error becomes relatively large when multiple different colors, especially those with high saturation, are arranged in a small region. The main reason for this error is that the spectral data are utilized as low‐order spectral statistics of local spectra in this method. To solve this problem, in this study, a nonlinear estimation method based on sparse and redundant dictionaries was used for spectral image estimation—where the dictionary contains a number of spectra—without loss of information from the low spatial‐resolution spectral data. The estimated spectra are represented by a mixture of a few spectra included in the dictionary. Therefore, the respective feature of every spectrum is expected to be preserved in the estimation, and the color saturation is also preserved for any region. Experiments performed using the simulated data showed that the dictionary‐based estimation can be used to obtain saturated colors accurately, even when multiple colors are arranged in a small region. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2013     

Considerations on the calibration of color displays assuming constant channel chromaticity

To calibrate a CRT color monitor, several assumptions are often made about its performance, one of the most accepted being constanel channel chromaticity. However, when the measurements are taken in a extended field of CRT screen, where it is assumed that only one primary phosphor is excited, the relative spectral radiance of the other primary phosphors that are contained in that field also contributes, if the background luminance is not zero. This contribution is greater at low levels of RGB channel stimulation and would invalidate the results obtained with calibration methods based on the hypothesis of constancy of chromaticity coordinates of RGB channels. We have studied this effect on the calibration of the CRT color monitor and, as a result, we propose a calibration that takes this effect into account. to evaluate the accuracy of the method, we have calculated color differences between the chromaticity that we wanted to reproduce and the one displayed with the CIELUV color-difference formula, and the color tolerances with the line element of MacAdam ellipses.     

Grayscale calibration of outdoor photographic surveys of historical Stone Walls in Oxford,England

This study introduces a new approach for taking areal measurements of soiling on historical walls and buildings. Using a grayscale incorporated into each image, close‐up photographic surveys were taken in central Oxford in fine (clear sky) and overcast conditions in 2006. Spectrophotometric measurements were taken congruent with the former survey. These data were used to compare the method, which is an outdoor application of the integrated digital photography and image processing (IDIP) method, for validation of outdoor lighting conditions across photographic surveys. Using a grayscale as a constant in the photographic surveys, it was possible to acquire color measurements on flat surfaces out‐of‐doors to track changes in the lightness (or soiling) and chroma of building surfaces. This outdoor application of IDIP proves to be a useful tool, itself with many applications for deciphering cross‐temporal changes in the soiling of building façades. Simple grayscale calibration improves the comparability of surveys to spectrophotometric measurements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 61–67, 2008     

Databases for spectral color science

In color science, spectral representation and analysis of colors have become a common approach to study color‐related problems, e.g., accurate industrial color measurement or analysis of color images. In developing algorithms for spectral color science, one often relies on existing databases of reflectance color spectra. Since a number of these databases are easily available, the same databases are commonly used by different research groups. During year 2003 the most popular one of our publicly available spectral reflectance databases was visited over 600 times. In the present article, we describe these color spectra databases and analyze their utility for spectral color science. However, the article does not take the complexity of fluorescent surfaces into account. The aim of this article is to set a solid ground for the comparisons of different methods in the spectral color science. The databases presented here include measured color spectra of natural and man‐made objects as well as spectra of some sets of standard colors. In addition to the commonly used data sets, some new data sets, including a set of standard calibrated colors and a set of natural colors, measured with 10 nm spectral resolution are introduced. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 31, 381–390, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20244     

Uncertainty analysis for the NIST 0:45 Reflectometer

Sets of color tiles are available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology calibrated using the NIST 0:45 Reflectometer. The uncertainties associated with the measured values for the color tiles are an indispensable component of the calibration report that accompanies these tiles. A systematic, analytical approach developed previously was applied to the particular case of the reference instrument and color tile set, taking into account the operation and characteristics of the instrument and the spectral properties of the set. The primary sources of uncertainty were identified, and the resulting uncertainties in the color space values L*, a*, and b* were determined. In general, the uncertainties are lowest for those color tiles whose reflectance factors are nearly constant with wavelength. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 100–107, 2008     

Color reproduction on shrink sleeves

Wrapping heat‐deformable plastic labels around packages relies on a shrinking process. Shrinking plastic labels distorts not only the shape but also the color of the printed artwork. In this study, we analyze and model the color shifts induced by shrinkage. The ultimate goal is to generate full color images which after shrinking have colors as close as possible to the original colors. For this purpose, we present a thickness enhanced Clapper–Yule prediction model. Its calibration requires spectral measurements of original, nonshrunk samples, as well as the measured shrinkage factors. With the prediction model, we establish a table creating the correspondences between target colors after shrinking and ink area coverages. This enables creating color images which after shrinking match the original images. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 56–63, 2016     

Colour‐imager characterization by parametric fitting of sensor responses

This study describes a novel method for characterizing the colorimetric and photometric properties of three‐channel color imaging devices. The method is designed to overcome some undocumented aspects of the imager‐characterization problem: The effective spectral sensitivity profiles of the imager's color channels depend on the level of radiant input energy, and these profiles must be known in order to determine the true intensity‐response characteristics of the three channels. By fitting the response distributions of the three color channels explicitly with low‐dimensional models, the method takes these dependencies into account, and may, therefore, offer several advantages over other imager‐characterization methodologies, particularly where illuminant‐independent characterization is required. An application of the technique is detailed, in which a CCD camera is characterized using only the Macbeth ColorChecker and a number of artificial illuminants. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 26, 442–449, 2001     

Bayesian analysis of color preferences: An application for product and product line design

When choosing which colors to offer in their product lines, firms often rely upon consumer preference models that do not account for the heterogeneity of their target market and do not consider the trade‐offs consumers are willing to make for different color options. For this research we used visual conjoint analysis to assess preference for backpack color and then modeled respondent utilities with a Bayesian hierarchal multinomial logit model. This provided counter intuitive results in which product line color options are not additive but each color changes depending on the number of options the firm is willing to offer and that colors which seem to dominate secondary preferences within a target market may not be the best colors to choose for product line expansion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 445–456, 2016     

A numerical method for factorizing the rational spectral density matrix

Improving Rozanov (1967, Stationary Random Processes. San Francisco: Holden‐day.)’s algebraic‐analytic solution to the canonical factorization problem of the rational spectral density matrix, this article presents a feasible computational procedure for the spectral factorization. We provide numerical comparisons of our procedure with the Bhansali's (1974, Journal of the Statistical Society, B36 , 61.) and Wilson's (1972 SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, 23 , 420) methods and illustrate its application in estimation of invertible MA representation. The proposed procedure is usefully applied to linear predictor construction, causality analysis and other problems where a canonical transfer function specification of a stationary process in question is required.     

Spectral color management using interim connection spaces based on spectral decomposition

A feasible approach to spectral color management was previously defined to include lookups performed within an interim connection space (ICS). ICS is relatively low in dimensions and is situated between a high‐dimensional spectral profile connection space and output units. The definition of ICS axes and the minimum number of ICS dimensions are explored here by considering the LabPQR, an ICS described in earlier research. LabPQR has three colorimetric dimensions (CIE L*a*b*) and additional dimensions to describe a metameric black (PQR). Several versions of LabPQR are explored. One type defines PQR axes based on metameric blacks generated from Cohen and Kappauf's spectral decomposition. The second type is constructed in an unconstrained way where metameric blacks are statistically derived based on the spectral characteristics of the target output device. For a six‐dimensional LabPQR, one that uses three colorimetric and three metameric black dimensions, it was found that Cohen and Kappauf‐based LabPQR was inferior for estimating the spectra when compared with the unconstrained method. However, when the limited spectral gamut of an output device was introduced through printer simulation and necessary spectral gamut mapping, the disadvantage of the six‐dimensional Cohen and Kappauf‐based LabPQR dissipated. On the other hand, reducing LabPQR to only five‐dimensions (two metameric black dimensions) reintroduced the advantage of the unconstrained approach even after simulated printing including spectral gamut mapping. Importantly, it was found that the five‐dimensional unconstrained approach achieved equivalent levels of performance to a full 31‐dimensional approach within simulated printer spectral gamut limitations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 282–299, 2008.     

Tristimulus colorimeter calibration matrix uncertainties

Measurement uncertainties are propagated through the matrix calibration of a tristimulus colorimeter. It is shown that reference spectral uncertainties and the colorimeter signal uncertainties during calibration are simply scaled and combined in an applied measurement. Modeling shows that transforming x, y chromaticity and Y luminance can lead to lower chromaticity uncertainties than transforming X, Y, Z tristimulus signals themselves. Accuracy depends on the set of colours used for calibration, especially for measurements of displays. Uncertainties can be large and dominate errors due to accuracy of spectral matching to the CIE colour‐matching functions. This is particularly true if commision international de L'Eclariage (CIE) Lab values are to be derived. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 38, 251–258, 2013     

Assessment of Interval PLS (iPLS) Calibration for the Determination of Peroxide Value in Edible Oils

Partial least squares (PLS) is a commonly used (and sometimes misused) chemometric technique for calibrating Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and allows the analysis of a variety of quality parameters associated with edible oils. Peroxide value (PV) is a typical parameter of interest; however, developing a robust, optimal, and reliable calibration method can be a daunting task. This paper examines and compares the use of interval PLS as a tool to develop a PLS PV calibration method for a single‐bounce attenuated total reflectance accessory relative to full spectrum PLS and experienced PLS, making use of correlation, variance, and pure component spectra. Using mixtures of fresh and oxidized oil covering a PV range of 1–20 meq/kg, backward interval PLS could systematically produce quality calibrations without the need to resort to experienced PLS. The experienced PLS requires a degree of spectral knowledge as well as diligent and tedious spectral examination, including largely unstructured iterative calibrations and cross‐validations to improve calibration performance. The backward interval PLS is also better than the full spectrum PLS in terms of model performance. In addition, the general model developed could account for the errors caused by oil types.     

Physics‐based spectral sharpening through filter‐chart calibration

The spectral overlap of color‐sampling filters increases errors when using a diagonal matrix transform, for color correction and reduces color distinction. Spectral sharpening is a transformation of colors that was introduced to reduce color‐constancy errors when the colors are collected through spectrally overlapping filters. The earlier color‐constancy methods improved color precision when the illuminant color is changed, but they overlooked the color distinction. In this article, we introduce a new spectral sharpening technique that has a good compromise of color precision and distinction, based on real physical constraints. The spectral overlap is measured through observing a gray reference chart with a set of real and spectrally disjoint filters selected by the user. The new sharpening method enables to sharpen colors obtained by a sensor without knowing the camera response functions. Experiments with real images showed that the colors sharpened by the new method have good levels of color precision and distinction as well. The color‐constancy performance is compared with the data‐based sharpening method in terms of both precision and distinction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 40, 564–576, 2015     

An integrated spectral imaging system for producing color images of static and moving objects

An integrated spectral imaging system constructed by synchronizing a programmable light source, a high‐speed monochrome camera, and a display device is proposed to produce tristimulus images of static and moving objects effectively in real time onto the display. This system is called the CIE‐XYZ display. Active spectral illuminants, containing both the device characteristics of camera and display, are projected onto object surfaces as time sequence. The images are captured synchronously by the camera and quickly transmitted to the display device in the RGB signal form so that the accurate tristimulus images are displayed. First, we describe the principle of the CIE‐XYZ tristimulus display. The theoretically optimal illuminants contain negative parts in the spectral curves. Second, we design practical illuminants with all positive spectral curves. The color images in our system are composed of the time sequence of RGB component images. Then, the synthesized color images on the display contain color artifacts when objects move fast. An image processing algorithm for correcting the motion color artifact is proposed based on optical flow estimation using a graphics processing unit. The comprehensive performance of the proposed system and algorithms is examined using both static and moving objects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 40, 329–340, 2015     

A colorizer for use in determining an optimal ophthalmic tint

A colorizer for use in the provision of an ophthalmic tint is described. The design differs from that of an earlier model in that the spectral power distribution of the light in the instrument is very similar to the spectral power distribution obtained when tinted glasses are worn under typical lighting. The similarity in spectral power is obtained notwithstanding the fact that the instrument uses an additive mixture of filtered light, whereas tinted lenses use a subtractive mixture of dyes. The precision of color selection is high, and this precision is shown to be necessary to optimize reading fluency. Because of the similarity in spectral power distribution, it is possible to examine the effect of ophthalmic tints not only on reading fluency, but also on the perception and naming of colored surfaces, and the examination can be undertaken by patients who have color vision anomalies. Compared with the earlier design, the use of a diffuse source and seven colored filters reduces the requirement for precision in alignment of components; the variation in color from one instrument to another is, therefore, small, allowing a single calibration for all instruments. This calibration permits the matching of colored ophthalmic lenses to a given colorizer setting, using a computer algorithm which enables practitioners with color vision deficiencies to undertake ophthalmic colorimetry. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 26, 246–253, 2001     

Flowsheet simulation of aqueous two‐phase extraction systems for protein purification

BACKGROUND: Aqueous two‐phase extraction (ATPE) has many advantages as an efficient, inexpensive large‐scale liquid–liquid extraction technique for protein separation. However, the realization of ATPE as a protein separation technology at industrial scales is rather limited due to the large, multidimensional design space and the paucity of design approaches to predict phase and product behavior in an integrated fashion with overall system performance. This paper describes a framework designed to calculate suitable flowsheets for the extraction of a target protein from a complex protein feed using ATPE. The framework incorporated a routine to set up flowsheets according to target protein partitioning behavior in specific ATPE systems and a calculation of the amounts of phase‐forming components needed to extract the target protein. The thermodynamics of phase formation and partitioning were modeled using Flory‐Huggins theory and calculated using a Gibbs energy difference minimization approach. RESULTS: As a case study, suitable flowsheets to recover phosphofructokinase from a simple model feedstock using poly(ethylene glycol)‐dextran (PEG6000‐DxT500) and poly(ethylene glycol)‐salt (PEG6000‐Na₃PO₄) two‐phase systems were designed and the existence of feasible solutions was demonstrated. The flowsheets were compared in terms of product yield, product purity, phase settling rate and scaled process cost. The effect of the mass flowrates of phase‐forming components on product yield and purity was also determined. CONCLUSION: This framework is proposed as a basis for flowsheet optimization for protein purification using ATPE systems. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry