System and method for a six-primary wide gamut color system
Inventors
Assignees
Publication Number
US-11495161-B2
Publication Date
2022-11-08
Expiration Date
2039-10-21
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Abstract
Systems and methods for a six-primary color system for display. A six-primary color system increases the number of primary colors available in a color system and color system equipment. Increasing the number of primary colors reduces metameric errors from viewer to viewer. The six-primary color system includes Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta primaries. The systems of the present invention maintain compatibility with existing color systems and equipment and provide systems for backwards compatibility with older color systems.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a six-primary wide gamut color system for display and imaging, increasing the number of primary colors from the standard RGB (Red, Green, Blue) to include Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta (CYM). This expansion of primary colors aims to reduce metameric errors—differences in perceived color between viewers—by broadening the spectral coverage of color representation. The system is designed for compatibility with existing color system equipment and standards, allowing for upgraded color fidelity while maintaining backward compatibility.
The problem addressed is that current RGB-based systems, when expanding color gamut using narrow spectral primaries (such as in ITU-R BT.2020), can lead to higher metameric errors, increased power usage, and only partial coverage of real-world colors. Prior art has discussed multi-primary displays, but has not provided for the acquisition, storage, and workflow of additional color channels beyond internal display processing. Existing systems are limited by color primaries, do not provide full workflows including sensors, transport, and display, and do not maintain broad compatibility with legacy systems.
The six-primary color system described incorporates a camera imager with a dedicated sensor for each primary—R, G, B, C, Y, M—combined with a system of glass prisms, filters, and an image data converter. The camera captures image data distributed to the six sensors through a series of optical elements (prisms, filters, beam splitters), where each sensor is paired with color-specific trim filters. This arrangement allows for the creation of image data that comprehensively includes all six color primaries, which is then converted for display on devices supporting the six-primary system.
Claims Coverage
There are three independent claims in this patent, each describing a system for displaying a multi-primary color system with distinct configurations and inventive features.
Camera imager system with six dedicated color imagers and image data converter
The system comprises a camera imager system that includes: - A plurality of sensors (R, G, B, C, Y, M imagers) - At least one glass prism and at least one lens - At least one filter including at least one trim filter (R, G, B, C, M, Y trim filters) - The camera imager system is operable to capture camera signal data, distribute it to the sensors to create image data including the six color primary values - An image data converter operable to convert the image data for display on at least one display device
Camera imager system with multiple glass prisms arranged into at least three flats and image data converter
The system comprises: - A camera imager system that includes a plurality of sensors, a plurality of glass prisms arranged into at least three flats, at least one filter, and at least one lens - The at least one filter includes at least one trim filter (R, G, B, C, M, Y trim filters) - The camera imager system is operable to capture and distribute camera signal data to the plurality of sensors to generate image data with R, G, B, C, M, and Y primary color values - An image data converter operable to convert the image data for display on at least one display device
Camera imager system with beam splitter cross prism, multiple prisms, and filters
The system comprises: - A camera imager system including a plurality of sensors, a plurality of glass prisms, a beam splitter cross prism, at least one filter, and at least one lens - Six color imagers: R, G, B, C, Y, M - The at least one filter includes at least one trim filter (R, G, B, C, M, Y trim filters) - The camera imager system captures camera signal data, distributes it to the sensors, creating image data with the six color primary values - The image data converter converts this image data for display on at least one display device
The claims collectively cover systems for capturing, processing, and displaying a six-primary color image signal through a camera imager system featuring dedicated optical paths, filters, and converters for each primary, enabling the full workflow from acquisition to display of true multi-primary color data.
Stated Advantages
Extends current color gamuts to a wider usable gamut than currently offered, thereby minimizing metameric errors so all viewers see the same color.
Maintains compatibility with existing color systems and equipment, providing systems for backward compatibility with older color systems.
Allows for acquisition, transport, and display of six-primary color data throughout the entire image workflow, not just within the display.
Provides more repeatable and consistent color sensation between viewers compared to RGB-only wide gamut systems.
Documented Applications
High-speed photography and recording or capturing live events using a camera imager system with six-primary color capability.
Display systems including LCD, OLED, DMD projectors, backlight-illuminated LCD monitors, quantum dot displays, and direct emissive assembled displays using six-primary color data.
Acquisition, conversion, transport, and display of multi-primary color images within video, television, and digital cinema workflows.
Use in distributed computing and cloud- or edge-based network computer systems managing six-primary color data for imaging applications.
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