Patents by Inventor Robert T. Gray
Robert T. Gray has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7333654Abstract: A system and method for automatically altering an image having pixels is disclosed. An image is segmented into regions and various features of the regions are extracted and used to calculate a confidence factor, or belief value, that a particular region is a main subject of the image. The belief values are assembled into a belief map that is used to define how pixel values are to be altered. Various color and appearance values of the pixel are altered in a predetermined way to emphasize the main subject of the image. The emphasis is applied in a binary fashion or as in a gradient of values. Either the main subject can be emphasized, or the secondary or background subjects can be de-emphasized. The system can be implement on a variety of computer systems.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2005Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 7313268Abstract: A method for improving scene classification of a digital image comprising the steps of: (a) providing an image; (b) systematically recomposing the image to generate an expanded set of images; and (c) using a classifier and the expanded set of images to determine a scene classification for the image, whereby the expanded set of images provides at least one of an improved classifier and an improved classification result.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2003Date of Patent: December 25, 2007Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray, Matthew R. Boutell
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Patent number: 7212668Abstract: A system and method for automatically altering an image having pixels is disclosed. An image is segmented into regions and various features of the regions are extracted and used to calculate a confidence factor, or belief value, that a particular region is a main subject of the image. The belief values are assembled into a belief map that is used to define how pixel values are to be altered. Various color and appearance values of the pixel are altered in a predetermined way to emphasize the main subject of the image. The emphasis is applied in a binary fashion or as in a gradient of values. Either the main subject can be emphasized, or the secondary or background subjects can be de-emphasized. The system can be implement on a variety of computer systems.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2000Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 7092573Abstract: A method for processing a digital color image includes the steps of: providing a subject matter detector for distinguishing between target and background subject matters; applying the subject matter detector to the image to produce a belief map indicating the degree of belief that pixels in the image belong to target subject matter; providing an image enhancement operation that is responsive to a control signal for controlling the degree of image enhancement; and applying image enhancement to the digital image by varying the control signal according to the belief map to produce an enhanced image.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2001Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Andrew C. Gallagher, Amit Singhal, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6952286Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing photofinishing services for images having a main subject and background, comprising the steps of producing a digital image of a customer's photographic image; producing a main subject belief map from the digital image; employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image; producing a print of the digital image; producing a print of the modified digital image; and delivering both prints to the customer. The step of employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image includes zoom and crop steps that maintain a main subject within a resulting cropped image. The step of employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image may include a subject emphasizing step.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2000Date of Patent: October 4, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6826316Abstract: A system and method for determining image similarity. The method includes the steps of automatically providing perceptually significant features of main subject or background of a first image; automatically providing perceptually significant features of main subject or background of a second image; automatically comparing the perceptually significant features of the main subject or the background of the first image to the main subject or the background of the second image; and providing an output in response thereto. In the illustrative implementation, the features are provided by a number of belief levels, where the number of belief levels are preferably greater than two. The perceptually significant features include color, texture and/or shape. In the preferred embodiment, the main subject is indicated by a continuously valued belief map.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2001Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Wei Zhu, George E. Sotak, Robert T. Gray, Rajiv Mehrotra
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Patent number: 6765611Abstract: A method of producing a compressed image from a full resolution sparsely sampled extended dynamic range image produced by a sparsely sampled extended dynamic range image sensing device having fast photosites with a predetermined response to a light exposure for producing fast pixel values and slow photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure for producing slow pixel values, including the steps of: providing a full resolution sparsely sampled extended dynamic range image; separating the full resolution sparsely sampled image into a fast image comprising only fast pixel values and a slow image comprising only slow pixel values; and separately compressing the fast image and the slow image.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2000Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Andrew C. Gallagher, Majid Rabbani, Edward B. Gindele, Robert T. Gray
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Publication number: 20040120572Abstract: A method for improving scene classification of a digital image comprising the steps of: (a) providing an image; (b) systematically recomposing the image to generate an expanded set of images; and (c) using a classifier and the expanded set of images to determine a scene classification for the image, whereby the expanded set of images provides at least one of an improved classifier and an improved classification result.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2003Publication date: June 24, 2004Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray, Matthew R. Boutell
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Publication number: 20040093432Abstract: An image processing system includes a client device including a limited display having a resolution less than VGA and a bit depth less than 24 bits for displaying a low resolution digital image and image processing operation indicators, an operator interface for user input, a CPU and a memory, the CPU being capable of running a limited client image processing program, and a first communication port; an image processing server for performing an image processing operation on a high definition image stored at the image processing server, for producing a low resolution version of the image for display on the limited display of the client device, and for producing image processing operation indicators indicating a particular image processing operation, the image processing server including a second communication port and being responsive to remote user inputs to produce a processed digital image; and a limited bandwidth mobile communication network connectable with the first and second communication ports for tranType: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2002Publication date: May 13, 2004Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Amit Singhal, Robert T. Gray, Nicolas P. Touchard
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Publication number: 20030231246Abstract: A method for processing a digital image in order to provide an enhanced digital image provides an image processing path including a plurality of image processing modules designed to enhance the appearance of the digital image, wherein the processing effect of each image processing module is controlled by one or more processing control parameters. Using the same image processing path, a test image is processed. A plurality of available image renditions are generated from the test image by varying one or more of the processing control parameters to control the image processing path of the test image. The plurality of available image renditions are then presented to the user for viewing and selection, whereby the selection of a particular image rendition determines the selection of a particular value of one or more processing control parameters that relate to a preference of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2002Publication date: December 18, 2003Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Edward B. Gindele, Paul B. Gilman, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6654506Abstract: A method and computer program/system for cropping a digital image includes inputting a belief map of a photographic image, (a belief value at a location in the belief map indicates an importance of a photographic subject at the same location in the photographic image), selecting a zoom factor and a crop window, clustering regions of the belief map to identify background portions, secondary portions and main portions, positioning the crop window such that the crop window is centered around a main portion having a highest belief value, moving the crop window such that the crop window is included completely within the image, moving the crop window such that a sum of belief values is at a maximum, and cropping the image according to the crop window.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2000Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Publication number: 20030108250Abstract: A method for processing a digital color image includes the steps of: providing a subject matter detector for distinguishing between target and background subject matters; applying the subject matter detector to the image to produce a belief map indicating the degree of belief that pixels in the image belong to target subject matter; providing an image enhancement operation that is responsive to a control signal for controlling the degree of image enhancement; and applying image enhancement to the digital image by varying the control signal according to the belief map to produce an enhanced image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2001Publication date: June 12, 2003Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Andrew C. Gallagher, Amit Singhal, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6545743Abstract: A method of producing an image of least a portion of a photographic image onto a photographic receiver including receiving a digital image corresponding to the photographic image, the digital image comprising pixels, and locating the relative optical position of a photographic image, the lens, and the photographic receiver in response to pixels of the digital image and illuminating a portion of the photographic image of high subject content to produce an image of such portion onto the photographic receiver.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2000Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray, Edward B. Gindele
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Publication number: 20020131641Abstract: A system and method for determining image similarity. The method includes the steps of automatically providing perceptually significant features of main subject or background of a first image; automatically providing perceptually significant features of main subject or background of a second image; automatically comparing the perceptually significant features of the main subject or the background of the first image to the main subject or the background of the second image; and providing an output in response thereto. In the illustrative implementation, the features are provided by a number of belief levels, where the number of belief levels are preferably greater than two. The perceptually significant features include color, texture and/or shape. In the preferred embodiment, the main subject is indicated by a continuously valued belief map.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2001Publication date: September 19, 2002Inventors: Jiebo Luo, Wei Zhu, George E. Sotak, Robert T. Gray, Rajiv Mehrotra
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Publication number: 20020126910Abstract: A method of enhancing one or more digital images from a plurality of digital images that are believed to be affected by a common noise source includes receiving two or more source digital images that are believed to be affected by a common noise source; using the pixels of the received source digital images to calculate a noise characteristic value that relates to the noise present in the received source digital images; and using the noise characteristic value and the received source digital images to respectively calculate enhanced digital images for the one or more of the received source digital images.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2001Publication date: September 12, 2002Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Edward B. Gindele, Navid Serrano, Andrew Gallagher, Robert T. Gray
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Publication number: 20020093670Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing photofinishing services for images having a main subject and background, comprising the steps of producing a digital image of a customer's photographic image; producing a main subject belief map from the digital image; employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image; producing a print of the digital image; producing a print of the modified digital image; and delivering both prints to the customer. The step of employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image includes zoom and crop steps that maintain a main subject within a resulting cropped image. The step of employing the main subject belief map to produce a modified digital image may include a subject emphasizing step.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2000Publication date: July 18, 2002Applicant: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6292574Abstract: A computer program product for detecting eye color defects of a subject in an image due to flash illumination comprises: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of detecting skin colored regions in a digital image; searching the skin colored regions for groups of pixels with color characteristic of redeye defect; and correcting color of the pixels based on a location of redeye defect found in step (b).Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1997Date of Patent: September 18, 2001Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jay S. Schildkraut, Robert T. Gray, Jiebo Luo
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Patent number: 6252976Abstract: A computer program product for detecting eye color defects of a subject in an image due to flash illumination comprises: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of detecting skin colored regions in a digital image; searching the skin colored regions for groups of pixels with color characteristic of redeye defect; and correcting color of the pixels based on a location of redeye defect found in step (b).Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1998Date of Patent: June 26, 2001Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jay S. Schildkraut, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 6072893Abstract: A computer program product for locating first and second objects each having substantially the same physical characteristics, and the ratio of the distance between the first and second objects and the size of each object is substantially invariant, the computer program product comprises: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: displaying a digital image on a graphical user interface; inputting to the interface an approximate position of each object for forming initial input positions; determining an estimate size of each object based on the distance obtained from the initial input positions of the first and second objects; forming a first searching window for the first object; the center of the first window is determined by the input position of the first object and the size of the first window is determined by the estimate size of the first object; reiteratively positioning a template on the first search window for determining a location that gType: GrantFiled: January 6, 1999Date of Patent: June 6, 2000Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray
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Patent number: 5892837Abstract: A computer program product for locating first and second objects each having substantially the same physical characteristics, and the ratio of the distance between the first and second objects and the size of each object is substantially invariant, the computer program product comprises: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: displaying a digital image on a graphical user interface; inputting to the interface an approximate position of each object for forming initial input positions; determining an estimate size of each object based on the distance obtained from the initial input positions of the first and second objects; forming a first searching window for the first object; the center of the first window is determined by the input position of the first object and the size of the first window is determined by the estimate size of the first object; reiteratively positioning a template on the first search window for determining a location that gType: GrantFiled: August 29, 1997Date of Patent: April 6, 1999Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jiebo Luo, Robert T. Gray