A Design Method of Saturation Test Image Based on CIEDE2000

In order to generate color test image consistent with human perception in aspect of saturation, lightness, and hue of image, we propose a saturation test image design method based on CIEDE2000 color difference formula. This method exploits the subjective saturation parameter C′ of CIEDE2000 to get a series of test images with different saturation but same lightness and hue. It is found experimentally that the vision perception has linear relationship with the saturation parameter C′. This kind of saturation test image has various applications, such as in the checking of color masking effect in visual experiments and the testing of the visual effects of image similarity component. 1. Introduction With the rapid development of television technology, communication technology, and computer technology, image quality assessment field has attracted more and more researchers [1–5]. Huge amount of effects were put to seek for an objective quality assessment metric which cannot only be calculated simply, but also accurately reflect subjective quality of human perception [1–3]. The key focus is to reduce deviation between the subjective and objective quality assessment results. The image test database is essential for comparing the deviation between the subjective and objective quality assessment results [6–8]. At present, some research institutes have provided some image test databases such as LIVE database provided by images and video engineering laboratory of the University of Texas at Austin and so on. But in some cases, we need some special designed test images to study the exact visual effect of individual parameter such as saturation, lightness, and hue. To study the masking effect of color image in visual experiments, we need a series of special designed test images in which one of color features (hue, lightness, and saturation) is varied and the other two are kept unchanged. For example, with a series of images, named saturation test images, having the same hue and lightness but different saturation, we can add same noise signal on all these saturation test images and test observation influence of different saturation test images to noise signal. In addition, this kind of saturation test images has the same structure so that it can be used to test the visual effects of image similarity components [9]. CIEDE2000 color difference formula is established from the nonlinear perception subjective experiment of HVS model, in which lightness, hue, and saturation parameters are consistent with subjective visual perceptional [10–12]. In order to further inspect the