Camera colour fidelity through adapting ICC profiles

Abstract

Observing colour robustly in images captured with off-the-shelf cameras can be a challenge. Particularly if the observation is conducted over a long time, while encountering light changes. Factors playing into using this colour information directly for quantitative reasoning: unknown processing in the camera's firm ware, unpredictable variations in illumination conditions, and colour descriptors possibly not comparable with those of other devices. The research presented outlines an approach based on standard compliant colour management as specified by the International Colour Consortium (ICC). Initially, a device is characterised, resulting in an ICC profile for the starting conditions. Software tracks the changes of a number of coloured objects in the scene. With these changes a colour corrective transformation is fused into the ICC profile, compensating for the colour shift induced over time. An ICC profile transformation yields device independent CIE LAB colour space information. This paper describes background and process of the colour correction - including profile adaptation without process interruption - along with validation experiments conducted. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.