All The Claims

1. A method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction comprising the steps of:
selecting a statistical relationship between pixels of a transformed biometric data image;
pixelating the biometric data to form a biometric image thereof, said image including a plurality of pixels at a corresponding plurality of pixel coordinates, said biometric data oriented in said image at a submission angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said image; and
applying a transform to said biometric image to form said transformed biometric image, said biometric data being thereby rotated to an angle of inclination corresponding to said statistical relationship regardless of said submission angle.
2. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 1, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of selecting as said statistical relationship that a variance of pixel values in a first direction of said transformed biometric image is a scalar multiple of a variance of pixel values in a second direction of said transformed biometric image.
3. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 2, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of establishing that said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction.
4. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 1, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of selecting as said statistical relationship that a covariance of pixel values at each of said pixel coordinates of said transformed biometric image is a constant value.
5. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 4, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of establishing that said constant value is zero.
6. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 1 further including the steps of:
fitting a line to said pixelated biometric data of said transformed biometric image; and
rotating said transformed biometric image so that said fitted line is oriented in said image at a predetermined angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said transformed biometric image.
7. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 6 where said line fitting step includes the step of fitting said line using a regression procedure.
8. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 7 where said line fitting step includes the step of establishing a least square estimation as said regression procedure.
9. The method for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 1, where said pixelating step includes the step of providing a handwriting sample as the biometric data.
10. A method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting a statistical relationship between pixels of a transformed biometric data image;
providing an input device for obtaining biometric data from a user;
providing a storage unit for storing features of said biometric data;
receiving a first sample of said biometric data from said user;
pixelating said first sample to form a first sample image, said first sample image including a plurality of pixels at a corresponding plurality of pixel coordinates, said first sample being oriented in said first sample image at a first submission angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said first sample image;
applying a transform to said first sample image to produce a first transformed biometric data image, said first sample being oriented in said first transformed biometric data image at an angle of inclination corresponding to said statistical relationship;
extracting biometric features from said first transformed biometric image and storing said features in said storage unit;
receiving a second sample of said biometric data from said user;
pixelating said second sample to form a second sample image, said second sample image including a plurality of pixels at a corresponding plurality of pixel coordinates, said second sample being oriented in said second sample image at a second submission angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said second sample image;
applying said transform to said second sample image to produce a second transformed biometric data image, said second sample being oriented in said second transformed biometric data image at said angle of inclination;
extracting said biometric features from said second transformed biometric data image; and
comparing said biometric features of said second transformed biometric data image to corresponding ones of said features stored in said storage unit.
11. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 10, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of selecting as said statistical relationship that a variance of pixel values in a first direction of said biometric image is a scalar multiple of a variance of pixel values in a second direction of said biometric image.
12. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 11, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of establishing that said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction.
13. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 10, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of selecting as said statistical relationship that a covariance of pixel values at each of said pixel coordinates of said biometric image is a constant value.
14. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 13, where said statistical relationship selecting step includes the step of establishing that said constant value is zero.
15. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 10 further including the steps of:
fitting a line to each of said pixelated first biometric sample and said pixelated second biometric sample of respectively said first transformed biometric data image and second transformed biometric data image;
rotating said first transformed biometric data image so that said respective fitted line is oriented in said first transformed biometric data image at an angle with respect to a predetermined axis of thereof prior to said first transformed biometric data image feature extraction step; and
rotating said second transformed biometric data image so that said respective fitted line is oriented in said second transformed biometric data image at an angle with respect to a predetermined axis of thereof prior to said second transformed biometric data image feature extraction step.
16. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 15 where said line fitting step includes the step of fitting each said respective line using a regression procedure.
17. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 16 where said line fitting step includes the step of establishing a least square estimation as said regression procedure.
18. The method for verifying the validity of biometric data by invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 10, where said first sample pixelating step and said second sample pixelating step each includes the step of providing a handwriting sample as said first sample and said second sample, respectively.
19. A system for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction, the system comprising:
an input device operable to obtain biometric data from a user;
a pixelator operable to pixelate said biometric data into an image thereof, said image including a plurality of pixels at a corresponding plurality of pixel coordinates, said biometric data oriented in said image at a submission angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said image;
a storage unit operable to store sequences of program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause said processor to execute a transformation process for transforming said image into a transformed image such that said biometric data are rotated to an angle of inclination in said transformed image corresponding to a predetermined statistical relationship between pixels thereof regardless of said submission angle; and
a processing unit coupled to said input device and said storage unit, said processing unit operable to execute said transformation process.
20. The system for spatially transforming biometric data for invariant feature extraction as recited in claim 19, wherein said storage unit further includes sequences of program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause said processor to execute:
a line fitting process for fitting a line to said pixelated biometric data of said transformed biometric image; and
an image rotation process for rotating said transformed biometric image so that said fitted line is oriented in said image at an angle with respect to a predetermined axis of said rotated transformed biometric image.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An improved animal feed comprising quantities of feed ingredients normally fed to the animal, and an amount of a feed amendment including a copolymer salt, said amount of said amendment sufficient to reduce volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of the animal fed the improved animal feed, as compared with the volatilized ammonia of an animal fed an identical feed, without said amendment.
2. The feed of claim 1, said feed being substantially dry, said amendment comprising an aqueous mixture of said copolymer salt intermixed with said feed ingredients.
3. The feed of claim 2, said amendment comprising from about 30-60% by weight copolymer salt solids in an aqueous medium.
4. The feed of claim 3, said aqueous mixture amendment being present with said feed at a level of from about 0.05-0.25% by weight, with the total weight of the amended feed being taken as 100% by weight.
5. The feed of claim 4, said level being from about 0.1-0.2% by weight.
6. The feed of claim 1, said amendment being intermixed with the other ingredients of said feed.
7. The feed of claim 1, said amendment comprising at least two copolymer salts having different salt-forming cations.
8. The feed of claim 7, said amendment including a partial calcium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer, and a partial ammonium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer.
9. The feed of claim 8, said amendment comprising from about 40-80% by weight of partial calcium salt copolymer solids, and from about 20-60% by weight of partial ammonium salt copolymer solids, with the total amount of the copolymer solids in the amendment taken as 100% by weight.
10. The feed of claim 9, said amendment comprising from about 55-75% by weight of said partial calcium salt copolymer solids and from about 25-45% by weight of said partial ammonium salt copolymer.
11. The feed of claim 8, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 85% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
12. The feed of claim 11, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 93% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
13. The feed of claim 12, each of said partial salt copolymers consisting essentially of maleic and itaconic moieties.
14. The feed of claim 1, each of said partial salt copolymers being maleic-itaconic copolymers each comprising from about 10-90% maleic moieties and from 90-10% itaconic moieties.
15. The feed of claim 14, each of said partial salt copolymers having substantially equimolar amounts of said maleic and itaconic moieties.
16. The feed of claim 1, each of said partial salt copolymers having the generalized formula
where p ranges from about 10-50, and some of said X cations are H, and others of said X cations are selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mo, V, Cr, Si, B, W, the alkali and alkaline earth metals, amines, polyatomic cations containing any of the foregoing (e.g., VO+2), and mixtures thereof.
17. The feed of claim 1, said feed designed to be fed to poultry selected from the group consisting of chicken, duck, goose, peafowl, swan, ostrich, pigeon, turkey, guineafowl, pheasant, rhea, and emu, and said feed including quantities of corn and soy bean meal.
18. The feed of claim 1, said feed designed to be fed to mammals.
19. A method of reducing volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of animals, comprising the step of administering to the animals a feed in accordance with claim 1.
20. The method of claim 19, said amendment being administered by adding the amendment to the water andor feed consumed by the animals.
21. The method of claim 19, said animal feed being substantially dry, said amendment comprising an aqueous mixture of said copolymer salt intermixed with said feed ingredients.
22. The method of claim 21, said amendment comprising from about 30-60% by weight copolymer salt solids in an aqueous medium.
23. The method of claim 22, said aqueous mixture amendment being present with said feed at a level of from about 0.05-0.25% by weight, with the total weight of the amended feed being taken as 100% by weight.
24. The method of claim 23, said level being from about 0.1-0.2% by weight.
25. The method of claim 19, said amendment including a partial calcium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer, and a partial ammonium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer.
26. The method of claim 25, said amendment comprising from about 40-80% by weight of partial calcium salt copolymer solids, and from about 20-60% by weight of partial ammonium salt copolymer solids, with the total amount of the copolymer solids in the amendment taken as 100% by weight.
27. The method of claim 26, said amendment comprising from about 55-75% by weight of said partial calcium salt copolymer solids and from about 25-45% by weight of said partial ammonium salt copolymer.
28. The method of claim 25, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 85% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
29. The method of claim 28, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 93% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
30. The method of claim 29, each of said partial salt copolymers consisting essentially of maleic and itaconic moieties.
31. The method of claim 25, each of said partial salt copolymers being maleic-itaconic copolymers each comprising from about 10-90% maleic moieties and from 90-10% itaconic moieties.
32. The method of claim 31, each of said partial salt copolymers having substantially equimolar amounts of said maleic and itaconic moieties.
33. An improved animal water comprising a mixture of water and a copolymer salt, said amount of said amendment sufficient to reduce volatilized ammonia derived from the excrement of the animal fed the improved animal water, as compared with the volatilized ammonia of an animal fed an identical water, without said amendment.
34. The water of claim 33, said amendment comprising an aqueous mixture of said copolymer salt intermixed with said feed ingredients.
35. The water of claim 34, said amendment comprising from about 30-60% by weight copolymer salt solids in an aqueous medium.
36. The water of claim 35, said aqueous mixture amendment being present with said water at a level of from about 0.05-0.25% by weight, with the total weight of the amended water being taken as 100% by weight.
37. The water of claim 36, said level being from about 0.1-0.2% by weight.
38. The water of claim 33, said amendment comprising at least two copolymer salts having different salt-forming cations.
39. The water of claim 38, said amendment including a partial calcium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer, and a partial ammonium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer.
40. The water of claim 39, said amendment comprising from about 40-80% by weight of partial calcium salt copolymer solids, and from about 20-60% by weight of partial ammonium salt copolymer solids, with the total amount of the copolymer solids in the amendment taken as 100% by weight.
41. The water of claim 40, said amendment comprising from about 55-75% by weight of said partial calcium salt copolymer solids and from about 25-45% by weight of said partial ammonium salt copolymer.
42. The water of claim 39, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 85% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
43. The water of claim 42, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 93% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
44. The water of claim 43, each of said partial salt copolymers consisting essentially of maleic and itaconic moieties.
45. A method of reducing volatilized ammonia derived from excrement of animals comprising the step of administering to the animals a water in accordance with claim 33.
46. The method of claim 45, said amendment comprising an aqueous mixture of said copolymer salt intermixed with said feed ingredients.
47. The method of claim 46, said amendment comprising from about 30-60% by weight copolymer salt solids in an aqueous medium.
48. The method of claim 47, said aqueous mixture amendment being present with said water at a level of from about 0.05-0.25% by weight, with the total weight of the amended water being taken as 100% by weight.
49. The method of claim 48, said level being from about 0.1-0.2% by weight.
50. The method of claim 45, said amendment comprising at least two copolymer salts having different salt-forming cations.
51. The method of claim 50, said amendment including a partial calcium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer, and a partial ammonium salt of a maleic-itaconic copolymer.
52. The method of claim 51, said amendment comprising from about 40-80% by weight of partial calcium salt copolymer solids, and from about 20-60% by weight of partial ammonium salt copolymer solids, with the total amount of the copolymer solids in the amendment taken as 100% by weight.
53. The method of claim 52, said amendment comprising from about 55-75% by weight of said partial calcium salt copolymer solids and from about 25-45% by weight of said partial ammonium salt copolymer.
54. The method of claim 51, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 85% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
55. The method of claim 54, each of said partial salt copolymers having at least about 93% by weight of maleic and itaconic moieties therein.
56. The method of claim 55, each of said partial salt copolymers consisting essentially of maleic and itaconic moieties.

1. A runnerless nozzle, comprising:
a nozzle body defining an upstream channel;
a downstream bracing portion having a lateral bore and including a recess;
a nozzle tip extending laterally through the lateral bore of the bracing portion, the nozzle tip having a sealing surface for engaging a gate component that defines a mold gate; and
a securing component separate from the nozzle body and disposed in the recess of the bracing portion to hold the nozzle tip against the bracing portion;
wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component defines a lateral channel in communication with the upstream channel for delivering molding material to the nozzle tip; and
wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component is slidably coupled to the nozzle body.
2. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the securing component contacts an upstream surface of the nozzle tip to engage a downstream shoulder of the nozzle tip with a shoulder of the bracing portion.
3. The runnerless nozzle of claim 2, wherein the upstream surface of the nozzle tip is angled and the securing component has an angled surface that contacts the angled upstream surface of the nozzle tip.
4. The runnerless nozzle of claim 2, wherein the shoulder of the nozzle tip and the shoulder of the bracing portion are stepped shoulders.
5. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the securing component contacts an upstream surface of the nozzle tip to press a downstream shoulder of the nozzle tip against a spring seated on a shoulder of the bracing portion.
6. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein bracing portion is a separate component from the nozzle body, the runnerless nozzle further comprising a nozzle link slidably connecting the nozzle body to the securing component.
7. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the securing component is connected to the bracing portion by a fastener.
8. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein one or more nozzle tips extend through a plurality of lateral bores of the bracing portion, and a plurality of lateral channels are in communication with the upstream channel for delivering molding material to the one or more nozzle tips.
9. The runnerless nozzle of claim 8, further comprising a flow blocker that blocks one of the lateral channels.
10. The runnerless nozzle of claim 9, wherein the flow blocker comprises a blind tip extending through the bore associated with the one of the lateral channels.
11. The runnerless nozzle of claim 9, wherein the flow blocker comprises a blind insert disposed in the one of the lateral channels.
12. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the sealing surface is a circumferential sealing surface of the nozzle tip for mating with a surface of a bore in the gate component.
13. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the nozzle tip has a separate sealing component that defines the sealing surface.
14. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein the bracing portion is integral with the nozzle body.
15. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein one of the bracing portion and the securing component has a heater.
16. The runnerless nozzle of claim 15, wherein the other of the bracing portion and the securing component has a heater.
17. The runnerless nozzle of claim 16, wherein the heaters are connected.
18. An injection molding apparatus, comprising:
a plate assembly;
a sprue bushing;
a manifold defining a manifold channel, the manifold connected to the plate assembly and the sprue bushing; and
a nozzle connected to the manifold, including:
a nozzle body defining an upstream channel;
a downstream bracing portion having a plurality of lateral bores and a recess;
a plurality of nozzle tips extending laterally through the lateral bores of the bracing portion, each nozzle tip having a sealing surface for engaging a gate component that defines a mold gate; and
a securing component separate from the nozzle body and disposed in the recess of the bracing portion to hold the nozzle tips against the bracing portion;
wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component defines lateral channels in communication with the upstream channel for delivering molding material to the nozzle tips; and
wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component is slidably coupled to the nozzle body.
19. The injection molding apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sealing surface is a circumferential sealing surface of the nozzle tip for mating with a surface of a bore in the gate component.
20. The injection molding apparatus of claim 18, wherein the nozzle tip has a separate sealing component that defines the sealing surface.
21. The injection molding apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a nozzle link connecting the at least one of the bracing portion and securing component to the nozzle body.
22. The injection molding apparatus of claim 18, wherein a portion of the securing component extends through the bracing portion and is slidably coupled to the nozzle body.
23. The injection molding apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a nozzle link slidably connecting the portion of the securing component extending through the bracing portion to the nozzle body.
24. The runnerless nozzle of claim 1, wherein a portion of the securing component extends through the bracing portion and is slidably coupled to the nozzle body.
25. The runnerless nozzle of claim 24, further comprising a nozzle link slidably connecting the portion of the securing component extending through the bracing portion to the nozzle body.
26. An injection molding apparatus, comprising:
a plate assembly;
a sprue bushing;
a manifold defining a manifold channel, the manifold connected to the plate assembly and the sprue bushing; and
a nozzle connected to the manifold, including:
an upstream nozzle body defining an upstream channel, and
a downstream nozzle portion slidably connected to the upstream nozzle body, the downstream nozzle portion including a bracing portion having a plurality of lateral bores and a recess, a plurality of nozzle tips extending laterally through the lateral bores of the bracing portion, each nozzle tip having a sealing surface for engaging a gate component that defines a mold gate, and a securing component disposed in the recess of the bracing portion to hold the nozzle tips against the bracing portion,
wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component defines lateral channels in communication with the upstream channel for delivering molding material to the nozzle tips

a cavity plate located downstream of the downstream nozzle portion; and
a locater disposed between the securing component and the cavity plate to locate the downstream nozzle portion with respect to the cavity plate.
27. The injection molding apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component is slidably coupled to the nozzle body.
28. The injection molding apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a nozzle link slidably coupling the at least one of the bracing portion and the securing component to the upstream nozzle body.
29. The injection molding apparatus of claim 27, wherein a portion of the securing component extends through the bracing portion and is slidably coupled to the upstream nozzle body.
30. The injection molding apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a nozzle link slidably connecting the portion of the securing component extending through the bracing portion to the upstream nozzle body.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising:
an interface that displays, on a background image, a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, wherein pixels of the background image are the colors of output pixels having output values for the color component corresponding to an input value for the color component from an input pixel of a selected color; and
means for processing modifications made to the function curve to define a color correction operation.
2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the selected color is gray.
3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the interface displays a plurality of function curves, including a first function curve for a red component, a second function curve for a blue component, and a third function curve for a green component.
4. The graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein each function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
6. A computer program product, comprising:
a computer readable medium;
computer program instructions stored on the computer readable medium that, when executed by a computer, instruct the computer to implement a graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising an interface that displays, on a background image, a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, wherein pixels of the background image are the colors of output pixels having output values for the color component corresponding to an input value for the color component from an input pixel of a selected color.
7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the selected color is gray.
8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the interface displays a plurality of function curves, including a first function curve for a red component, a second function curve for a blue component, and a third function curve for a green component.
9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein each function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
11. A method for providing a graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising:
displaying, on a background image, a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, wherein pixels of the background image are the colors of output pixels having output values for the color component corresponding to an input value for the color component from an input pixel of a selected color; and
processing modifications made to the function curve to define a color correction operation.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected color is gray.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying comprises displaying a plurality of function curves, including a first function curve for a red component, a second function curve for a blue component, and a third function curve for a green component.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein each function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
16. A graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising:
an interface interface that displays, on a background image, a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, wherein the background image represents a plane in color space defined by the color component and an axis between black and white in the color space; and
means for processing modifications made to the curve to define a color correction operation.
17. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the plane includes red and cyan.
18. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the plane includes blue and yellow.
19. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the plane includes green and magenta.
20. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the interface displays a plurality of function curves, including a first function curve for a red component, a second function curve for a blue component, and a third function curve for a green component.
21. The graphical user interface of claim 20, wherein each function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
22. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the function curve is displayed in a rectangular display region having the first axis displayed horizontally and the second axis displayed vertically.
23. A graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising:
an interface that displays, on a background image, a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, wherein pixels of the background image are colors indicative of a result of color correction applied to input pixels by adjustment of the function curve; and
means for processing modifications made to the curve to define a color correction operation.
24. A graphical user interface for performing color correction, comprising:
an interface that displays a user modifiable function curve that maps input values for a color component of a pixel on a first axis to output values for the color component for the pixel on a second axis, and that displays an image representing a gradient from the color component, through gray, to a complement of the color component, wherein the image is displayed in association with the displayed function curve so as to suggest a result of color correction to be applied to the input image by manipulation of the function curve; and
means for processing modifications made to the function curve to define a color correction operation.
25. The graphical user interface of claim 24, wherein the color component is red and the complement is cyan.
26. The graphical user interface of claim 24, wherein the color component is blue and the complement is yellow.
27. The graphical user interface of claim 24, wherein the color component is green and the complement is magenta.
28. A method for generating an image for a graphical user interface for performing color correction operations using a function curve for a selected color component, comprising:
accessing a first image having a vertical gradient of the selected color component;
accessing a second image having a diagonal gradient of at least one other color component;
combining the first and second images to create a background image;
displaying controls for the function curve for the selected color component on the background image.