Abstract

We have developed a method for determining the parameters of color-difference-perceptibility ellipses for surface colors and have evaluated it by use of new visual data. A new theory was devised, based on the assumption of a normal distribution of color differences in local areas of CIE 1931 chromaticity space. A likelihood function that combines the observer characteristic with the probability of a certain chromaticity point being seen as a match to a color center provides a mathematical description of color-difference perception in x, y space. Best estimates of the color-difference-perception-ellipse parameters and the value of a false-alarm-rate parameter are found by maximizing this likelihood function. Use of this function leads to predicted data that are not significantly different from collected visual data. The unit color-difference-perception ellipse thus calculated describes the locus of chromaticities that have approximately a 60% chance of being seen as matches to the color represented by the center of the ellipse.

© 1975 Optical Society of America

Erratum: Method for deriving color-difference-perceptibility ellipses for surface-color samples

Ruth M. Rich, Fred W. Billmeyer, and W. G. Howe
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65(11) 1389-1389 (1975)

New Color-Matching Ellipses

Günter Wyszecki and G. H. Fielder
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(9) 1135-1152 (1971)

Visual Sensitivity to Surface Color Differences

H. R. Davidson
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41(2) 104-111 (1951)

Color Matching and Color-Difference Matching

Gunter Wyszecki
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(1) 117-128 (1972)

Theoretical chromaticity-mismatch limits of metamers viewed under different illuminants

N. Ohta and G. Wyszecki
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65(3) 327-333 (1975)