Method, system and software product for color image encoding

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(11)

EP 1 873 720 A8

(12)	CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
	Note: Bibliography reflects the latest situation

(15)	Correction information:
	Corrected version no 1 (W1 A2)

(48)	Corrigendum issued on:
	28.10.2009 Bulletin 2009/44

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	16.04.2008 Bulletin 2008/16

(43)	Date of publication:
	02.01.2008 Bulletin 2008/01

(21)	Application number: 07118519.3

(22)	Date of filing: 15.04.2005

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International Patent Classification (IPC):

G06T 9/00^(2006.01)

G06T 9/40^(2006.01)

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL BA HR MK RS

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Priority:

21.04.2004 US 564033
23.04.2004 US 831656

(62)	Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
	05734230.5 / 1745439

(71)	Applicant: Slipstream Data, Inc.
	Waterloo, ON N2L 5V4 (CA)

(72)	Inventors:
	Yang, En-hui Waterloo, Ontario N2T 2R8 (CA) Zeng, Jianfen Zhongshan Guangdong (CN)

(74)	Representative: Rickard, David John
	Ipulse 26 Mallinson Road London SW11 1BP London SW11 1BP (GB)


	Remarks:
	This application was filed on 15-10-2007 as a divisional application to the application mentioned under INID code 62.

(54)	Method, system and software product for color image encoding

(57) The present invention relates to a method and system and computer program product for deriving a new index sequence representing a pixel mapping and a new output function representing a colour palette applying a soft decision optimization process to a new digitized colour image derived from an original digitized colour image both defined on n pixels, wherein the original digitized colour image is provided by N distinct colours being allocated to the n pixels, the new digitized colour image is provided by M distinct colours being allocated to the n pixels, the new index sequence has n index members for representing the n pixels and the new output function is for mapping the n index members to the M colours.