Gray Scale Transformation (e.g., Gamma Correction) Patents (Class 348/254)
  • Patent number: 7791656
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes: an image sensing device for sensing light representing a subject image; a first component extractor for extracting a first component having a predetermined frequency out of a photographic image obtained by the image sensing device; a second component extractor for extracting a second component having a frequency higher than the frequency of the first component out of the photographic image; a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the first component extracted by the first component extractor with a predetermined compression ratio; an image generator for generating an image based on a compressed first component obtained by compressing the dynamic range of the first component by the compressor, and the second component extracted by the second component extractor; and a compression correction coefficient calculator for calculating a compression correction coefficient used in compressing the first component, using the second component extracted by the second component
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Katagiri, Koichi Kamon
  • Patent number: 7787035
    Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus and an image processing method thereof. First, the apparatus acquires an image including at least one pixel corresponding to image data. A location of the at least one pixel of the image is represented by an actual coordinate. Next, the apparatus proceeds the stray processing according to the actual coordinate and generates a virtual compensation parameter. Then, the apparatus adjusts the image data into adjusted image data according to the virtual compensation parameter. Finally, the apparatus displays the image according to the adjusted image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Alpha Imaging Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chun-Yu Chen, Chih-Shih Yu
  • Patent number: 7787172
    Abstract: The present invention provides a projection apparatus, that includes: a light source; a light source control unit for controlling the output of the light source; at least one spatial light modulator for modulating the illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements; and an optical system for projecting, onto a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein: the light source control unit performs a gamma (?) correction on input image data by a modulation control of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignees: Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha, Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shirai, Hirokazu Nishino, Yoshiaki Horikawa, Fusao Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100214451
    Abstract: Provided are a digital photographing apparatus capable of accurate and quick auto-focusing, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium storing a program for executing the method. The digital photographing apparatus includes: a lens unit including a focus lens; an imaging device generating data from light incident on the imaging device through the lens unit; a condition determining unit determining a photographing condition from the data generated by the imaging device; and an auto-focusing value detecting unit detecting an auto-focusing value from the data generated by the imaging device and comprising a first gamma correction unit, wherein the first gamma correction unit varies the degree of gamma correction according to the photographing condition determined by the condition determining unit, and the auto-focusing value detecting unit detects an auto-focusing value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyu-ern Hwang, Eun-ho Kim
  • Patent number: 7778483
    Abstract: A digital image processing method includes extracting chromatic information of an image taken by an image taking device and related to a human subject; detecting visually interesting regions; and exposure correcting of the taken image by normalizing a grey scale of the taken image based on the visually interesting regions. Advantageously, the method includes recognizing areas corresponding to the skin of the subject, these areas being used as the visually interesting regions for the exposure correction step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Giuseppe Messina, Sebastiano Battiato, Alfio Castorina, Laurent Plaza
  • Publication number: 20100201852
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a photographing condition estimation unit for estimating a photographing condition of the input image based on photometric information and focal information. A Y/C separation unit separates the input image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a luminance correction unit extracts an edge from the luminance signal and corrects the luminance signal by a gradation conversion curve; a color difference correction unit corrects the color difference signal based on luminance signals obtained before and after the gradation correction and a theoretical limit characteristic of color reproduction; a skin color correction unit performs skin color correction depending on the photographing condition; and a Y/C synthesis unit synthesizes the luminance signal and the color difference signal obtained after the correction. Gradation correction is performed on the input image such that appropriate hue and saturation are achieved while emphasizing a main object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao TSURUOKA, Kazuhito HORIUCHI
  • Patent number: 7773826
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for automatically improving the contrast of an input image that is obtained from a digital camera or the like, and obtaining a sharper and clearing image. A contrast improvement unit (11) performs a contrast improvement process on the input image by comparing an object pixel in the input image with pixels in the surrounding area. An image combination unit (12) combines the enhanced image obtained by the contrast improvement process with the input image. The combined image is then output to a desired device such as a printer by an image output unit (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Akio Kojima, Yasuhiro Kuwahara, Yusuke Monobe, Toshiharu Kurosawa, Hirotaka Oku
  • Patent number: 7755649
    Abstract: Sub-pixel rendering with gamma adjustment allows the luminance for the sub-pixel arrangement to match the non-linear gamma response of the human eye's luminance channel, while the chrominance can match the linear response of the human eye's chrominance channels. The gamma correction allows the sub-pixel rendering to operate independently of the actual gamma of a display device. The sub-pixel rendering techniques with gamma adjustment may be optimized for the gamma transfer curve of a display device in order to improve response time, dot inversion balance, and contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Candice Hellen Brown Elliott, SeokJin Han, MoonHwan Im, InChul Baek, Michael Francis Higgins, Paul Higgins
  • Patent number: 7756354
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure is corrected by synthesizing a first image and a second image, is disclosed. The image processing apparatus comprises a detection section which detects an amount of displacement of the second image with respect to the first image which is a reference image, a coordinate conversion section which performs coordinate conversion to the second image so as to conform to the first image, and a synthesis section which synthesizes the second image having been subjected to the coordinate conversion with the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Washisu
  • Patent number: 7755681
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of gamma correction, and more particularly, an apparatus and method for varying a gamma curve according to a brightness level of a detected image signal to adaptively perform gamma correction, in a digital image processor. The gamma correction apparatus in the digital image processor includes a brightness level detector detecting a brightness level from an image signal generated by capturing an image, a gamma curve calculator moving a start point and/or an end point of an existing gamma curve for correcting an input brightness level to a predetermined output brightness level, according to the detected brightness level, and calculating a new gamma curve, and a gamma corrector correcting an input brightness level of the image signal using the new gamma curve, and outputting the corrected brightness level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-hwan Lee
  • Patent number: 7742034
    Abstract: A color display device comprises a plurality of picture elements (14), at least two light sources, having different radiance spectra and being activated alternately, and color selection means for generating, together with said light sources, primary colors in a color image (P1, P2). Each of a number of image information sets, each set being related to a color image (P1, P2) to be displayed, are divided into a first subframe (A1, A2), being picture element settings to be maintained during the operation of a first light source, and a second subframe (B1, B2), being picture element settings to be maintained during the operation of a second light source. The polarity of the picture elements (14) is, in an alternating manner, shifted between a first polarity (+) and a second polarity (?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Martin Jak, Gerben Johan Hekstra
  • Patent number: 7738699
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a photographing condition estimation unit for estimating a photographing condition of the input image based on photometric information and focal information. A Y/C separation unit separates the input image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a luminance correction unit extracts an edge from the luminance signal and corrects the luminance signal by a gradation conversion curve; a color difference correction unit corrects the color difference signal based on luminance signals obtained before and after the gradation correction and a theoretical limit characteristic of color reproduction; a skin color correction unit performs skin color correction depending on the photographing condition; and a Y/C synthesis unit synthesizes the luminance signal and the color difference signal obtained after the correction. Gradation correction is performed on the input image such that appropriate hue and saturation are achieved while emphasizing a main object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Tsuruoka, Kazuhito Horiuchi
  • Publication number: 20100141752
    Abstract: A microscope system includes an image acquiring unit that acquires a specimen image formed by capturing a specimen multi-stained by a plurality of pigments using a microscope; a pigment amount acquiring unit that acquires a pigment amount of each pigment staining a corresponding position on the specimen, for each pixel of the specimen image; and a pigment selecting unit that selects a display target pigment from the plurality of pigments. The system also includes a display image generating unit that generates a display image where a staining state of the specimen by the display target pigment is displayed, on the basis of the pigment amount of the display target pigment in each pixel of the specimen image; and a display processing unit that displays the display image on a display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Tatsuki Yamada, Shinsuke Tani, Takeshi Otsuka, Satoshi Arai, Yuichi Ishikawa, Kengo Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7728880
    Abstract: Automatic white balance of captured images can be performed based on a gray world assumption. Initially, a flat field gray image is captured for one or more reference illuminations. The statistics of the captured gray image are determined and stored for each reference illumination during a calibration process. For each subsequent captured image, the image is filtered to determine a subset of gray pixels. The gray pixels are further divided into a one or more gray clusters. The average weight of the one or more gray clusters is determined and a distance from the average weights to the reference illuminants is determined. An estimate of the illuminant is determined depending on the distances. White balance gains are applied to the image based on the estimated illuminant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Szepo (Bob) Hung, Ananthapadmanabhan Kandhadai, Andrew Chinchuan Chiu
  • Publication number: 20100123794
    Abstract: A system for capturing and reproducing an image may include a digital image processor which captures an image, acquires characteristics of a reproducing apparatus, processes the captured image according to the characteristics of the reproducing apparatus to obtain an optimal image, and transmits the optimal image to the reproducing apparatus. The system may also include the reproducing apparatus which may then display the optimal image and a connection unit which transmits and receives data including the characteristics of the reproducing apparatus and the optimal image between the digital image processor and the reproducing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-soo Bok, Jae-hyo Jung, Hyun-seok Kim
  • Patent number: 7692607
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an image on the basis of characteristics of a display system is provided. The image includes M horizontal lines. Each of the M horizontal lines respectively includes N pixels. Each pixel has an original gray level. A look-up table previously stores a plurality of conversion coefficients related to the characteristics of the display system. The method first calculates an ith loading according to the N original gray levels of the N pixels in the ith horizontal line. Based on the ith loading, an ith conversion coefficient corresponding to the ith loading is selected from the plurality of conversion coefficients in the look-up table. The method respectively multiplies the N original gray levels of the N pixels in the ith horizontal line by the ith conversion coefficient to generate N new gray levels for the N pixels in the ith horizontal line, whereby the image is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Marketech International Corp.
    Inventors: Hsu-Pin Kao, Yi-Sheng Yu, Yi-Chia Shan, Tsan-Hung Tsai
  • Patent number: 7688328
    Abstract: White point is corrected without degrading luminance on a display device. A white point manager modifies the balance between red, green and blue according to a target white point up to a threshold gray value. As the gray scale approaches white from the threshold gray value, the white point manager blends the balance between red, green and blue from the target white point substantially towards the native white point for the display device, so as not to degrade luminance as the gray scale approaches white.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kok Chen, Gabriel G. Marcu
  • Publication number: 20100073510
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an object to obtain an image signal, a detection unit configured to set a detection area in a captured image based on the image signal obtained by the imaging unit and calculate a detection value from an image signal in the detection area, an exposure adjustment unit configured to perform exposure adjustment, a control unit configured to control the exposure adjustment unit so that the detection value becomes equal to a predetermined value, and a presentation-image detecting unit configured to detect a presentation image presented by an image presentation device from the captured image on the basis of a difference in luminance in the captured image. When the presentation-image detecting unit detects the presentation image, the detection unit sets the detection area in a location different from a location of the detected presentation image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiromi NEMOTO
  • Patent number: 7679686
    Abstract: An electronic device includes at least one gamma correction unit including a first gamma correction unit. In one embodiment, the first gamma correction unit includes at least one tap that is configured to allow the gamma function for the first gamma correction unit to be changed after the electronic device has been fabricated. In another embodiment, a process for using the electronic device operating the array during a first time period using a first gamma function for the first gamma correction unit. The process also includes changing the first gamma function to a second gamma function. The process further includes operating the array during a second time period using the second gamma function for the first gamma correction unit. A data processing system readable medium has code that includes instructions for carrying out the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Weixiao Zhang, Zhining Chen, Gang Yu
  • Publication number: 20100053384
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a gradation correction unit configured to perform gradation correction upon a subject image to be processed to generate a corrected image, the gradation correction including processing for lowering contrast in the subject image; a gradation information acquisition unit configured to acquire gradation information indicating relative balance of brightness in each portion of the subject image; and an adjustment unit configured to adjust brightness of the corrected image on a pixel basis based on the gradation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitsugu Manabe
  • Patent number: 7671829
    Abstract: A driving method for a color liquid crystal display which drives the color liquid crystal display based on a video red signal, a video green signal and a video blue signal by independently applying a gamma compensation to a clamped video red signal, a clamped video green signal and a clamped video blue signal in gamma compensating circuits in order to make suitable to a red transmittance characteristic, a green transmittance characteristic and a blue transmittance characteristic. With this operation, it is possible to carry out an optimal gamma compensation suitable to a characteristic of the color liquid crystal display and to remove a gradation batter occurring in a specific color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Sugawara, Kouichi Koga
  • Patent number: 7667777
    Abstract: A display device comprises a data input unit configured to convert an image signal to a color signal. The display device also comprises a brightness control unit operationally coupled to the data input unit, configured to extract a brightness level associated with the color signal, to subdivide the brightness level associated with the color signal, and to apply different voltages according to brightness level subdivisions to control brightness of the color signal. The display device also comprises a display unit configured to display the color signal according to controlled brightness. The brightness level may comprise gray levels of a ? curve. The color signal may comprise one of YUV or RGB signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jae-Min Lee
  • Patent number: 7663677
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the present invention includes an optical lens unit of a photographic optical system; an imaging device for converting light received through the optical lens to electrical signals; a zooming device for changing a focal length of the photographic optical system; a zooming position detector for detecting a current zooming position; an A/D converter for converting analog image signals outputted from the imaging device to digital image signals; and a gradation sequence converter which converts a gradation sequence characteristic of the digital image signals by referring to a gradation sequence conversion table for converting the gradation sequence characteristic, wherein converting amounts of the gradation sequence conversion table are changed based on a current zooming position detected by the zooming position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7663678
    Abstract: A gamma correction method including an inverse gamma correction process for inputting a value of a tone input signal Tin of X bits having non-linear tone-luminance characteristic and for outputting a tone signal Tout of Y bits (X<Y) having the tone-luminance characteristic converted to the linear characteristic, and a format conversion process for inputting the Tout and for outputting the tone output signal of (N+M) bits formed of a set of Tn and Tm which is nearest to the Tout when the Tout is expressed as A^Tn×Tm with a constant A, an index number indicated by the signal Tn of N bits and a mantissa indicated by the signal Tm of M bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Daigo Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 7657060
    Abstract: The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed to a system for stylizing video, such as interactively transforming video to a cartoon-like style. Briefly stated, the techniques include determining a set of volumetric objects within a video, each volumetric object being a segment. Mean shift video segmentation may be used for this step. With that segmentation information, the technique further includes indicating on a limited number of keyframes of the video how segments should be merged into a semantic region. Finally, a contiguous volume is created by interpolating between keyframes by a mean shift constrained interpolation technique to propagate the semantic regions between keyframes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michael F. Cohen, Ying-Qing Xu, Heung-Yeung Shum, Jue Wang
  • Publication number: 20100013965
    Abstract: Shadow is an inseparable aspect of all natural scenes. When there are multiple light sources or multiple reflections several different shadows may overlap at the same location and create complicated patterns. Shadows are a potentially good source of information about a scene if the shadow regions can be properly identified and segmented. However, shadow region identification and segmentation is a difficult task and improperly identified shadows often interfere with machine vision tasks like object recognition and tracking. A shadow separation and contrast enhancement method based on the polarization of light is provided. Polarization information of scenes is captured by a polarization-sensitive camera and the scenes are processed to effectively separate shadows from different light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Edward N. Pugh, JR., Nader Engheta
  • Patent number: 7646931
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for analyzing and adjusting the exposure of digital images are described. For example, a computer processes a digital image by analyzing exposure data, assigning an image classification (e.g., StretchNeeded, UnderExposed, OverExposed, or Normal) based on the analysis, and selecting an exposure compensation technique (e.g., histogram stretch, positive gamma curve, negative gamma curve, or no adjustment) based on the image classification. The exposure data can be luminance values for pixels in the digital image represented in a histogram. The computer can produce transform data comprising a transformation of the exposure data according to the selected exposure compensation technique. The computer can store transform data in a look-up table and can store the look-up table in the digital image file. The described techniques and tools can be implemented as a feature of an operating system environment and can be activated responsive to user action via a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Min Liu, Po Yuan, Richard S. Turner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7646411
    Abstract: To reliably obtain a captured image expected by a user, such as an image precisely showing the shades of a blue sky or a flower, or an image captured under flat illumination and having high contrast, an apparatus comprises an aperture, shutter, CCD, and an AGC, and applies gamma correction to an image signal using gamma correction values. Maximum reflectance, being an index of the amount of incident light according to the maximum output from the CCD, is increased or decreased in multiple levels depending on the subject being photographed, and the exposure amount is accordingly adjusted, thereby changing a dynamic range. A microcomputer revises the gamma correction values in response to changes in maximum reflectance so as to substantially maintain a relationship between an incident light reference amount being a reference for appropriate exposure and the corresponding gamma corrected output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Senshu Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20100002104
    Abstract: The object is to enable picture compositing having a balanced and uniform appearance over the whole image even when performing space-variant image-signal processing. Provided is an image-signal processing apparatus for performing image-signal processing on an input image signal, the image-signal processing apparatus comprising a first signal processing unit for performing first signal processing on the input image signal; a correction-coefficient calculating unit for calculating a first correction coefficient on the basis of the image signal after being subjected to the first signal processing by the first signal processing unit; and a second signal processing unit for performing second signal processing on the input image signal using the first correction coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seigo On, Taketo Tsukioka
  • Publication number: 20090322916
    Abstract: A signal processing system includes: defining a nonlinear function; defining a set of requirements for an output signal; obtaining an input signal; applying a cubic polynomial fitting to approximate the nonlinear function and provide an approximated nonlinear function; assigning a set of fitted polynomial parameters to the approximated nonlinear function; transforming the input signal with the approximated nonlinear function to provide a transformed signal; modifying the transformed signal by adjusting the set of fitted polynomial parameters to provide a modified signal meeting the set of requirements for the output signal; and outputting the modified signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoling Wang, Alexander Berestov, Takami Mizukura, Naoya Katoh
  • Patent number: 7639893
    Abstract: A method of automatic mapping of image data includes representing image data for an image as luminance values, determining a key value as a function of an average luminance value of the image and of minimum and maximum luminance values of the image, generating offset-adjusted luminance values including applying an offset to each of the luminance values, the offset being a function of the determined key value, and computing a tone reproduction curve for at least a region of the image which includes applying a mapping function to the offset-adjusted luminance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jiang Duan, Marco Bressan, Christopher R. Dance, Guoping Qiu
  • Patent number: 7636496
    Abstract: A method of automatic mapping of image data includes representing image data for an image as luminance values, determining a key value as a function of an average luminance value of the image and of minimum and maximum luminance values of the image, generating offset-adjusted luminance values including applying an offset to each of the luminance values, the offset being a function of the determined key value, and computing a tone reproduction curve for at least a region of the image which includes applying a mapping function to the offset-adjusted luminance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jiang Duan, Marco Bressan, Christopher R. Dance
  • Patent number: 7623141
    Abstract: Sub-pixel rendering with gamma adjustment allows the luminance of the sub-pixel arrangement to match the non-linear gamma response of the human eye's luminance channel. For each of a subset of input sampled data indicating a region of an input image, a gamma-adjusted data value is generated for each input image data value in the subset using a local average of at least two input image data values. A sub-pixel rendering operation uses the subset of gamma-adjusted data values and the subset of input image data values to produce an output data value for each sub-pixel element on the display panel. A plurality of output data values collectively indicates an output image. The gamma adjustment allows the sub-pixel rendering to operate independently of the actual gamma of a display device. The sub-pixel rendering techniques with gamma adjustment may improve image contrast in high spatial frequency portions of an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Candice Hellen Brown Elliott, SeokJin Han, MoonHwan Im, InChul Baek, Michael Francis Higgins, Paul Higgins
  • Publication number: 20090284625
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing device that performs brightness conversion processing according to a brightness conversion coefficient on each pixel of an input image and produces an output image. The image processing device includes a division section dividing the region of the input image into a plurality of areas and a histogram calculation section calculating a histogram for each area. Here, the brightness conversion coefficient is determined based on the result of calculation by the histogram calculation section. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain, even when there is a portion of an image having a brightness level (or a brightness range) of low frequency in terms of an entire image, satisfactory contrast for the entire image including such a portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Takemura, Kazuma Mishima
  • Publication number: 20090256935
    Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus includes a user interface unit, a gamma correction value calculating unit, and a gamma correction value storage unit. The user interface unit receives a designation of values of at least three points that form a gamma curve used during gamma correction of a video signal. The gamma correction value calculating unit calculates gamma correction values by substituting coefficients, obtained by an approximation calculation carried out on the values of the at least three points, whose designation is received by the user interface unit, into an exponential function using the coefficients as parameters. The gamma correction value storage unit stores the gamma correction values calculated by the gamma correction value calculating unit and is operable when an indication confirming the gamma correction values has been received from the user, to output the gamma correction values to a gamma correction unit carrying out processing for gamma correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Endo, Mitsutoshi Shinkai
  • Patent number: 7598894
    Abstract: A source driver and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) thereof are provided. The DAC converts an input data into an analog voltage. The DAC includes a reference voltage generation unit, a switch unit, and a selection unit. The reference voltage generation unit provides a plurality of voltage levels. The switch unit is coupled to the reference voltage generation unit and determines whether to output the voltage levels, wherein the switch unit is turned off during a data conversion period of the input data. The selection unit is coupled to the reference voltage generation unit via the switch unit, and the selection unit selects one of the voltage levels output by the switch unit according to the input data, wherein the selected voltage level is served as the analog voltage output by the DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Yu-Jui Chang
  • Patent number: 7596280
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for processing sequences of video images involve receiving, on a computer, data corresponding to a sequence of video images detected by an image sensor. The received data is processed using a graphics processor to adjust one or more visual characteristics of the video images corresponding to the received data. The received data can include video data defining pixel values and ancillary data relating to settings on the image sensor. The video data can be processed in accordance with ancillary data to adjust the visual characteristics, which can include filtering the images, blending images, and/or other processing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Bilbrey, Jay Zipnick, Alexei V. Ouzilevski
  • Publication number: 20090207285
    Abstract: The present invention aims at obtaining a high-quality video signal by reducing tone jumps. A second grayscale conversion characteristic is calculated from a video signal to which a first grayscale conversion process has been applied using a first grayscale conversion characteristic used to convert an M-bit video signal into an N-bit video signal, where M and N are integers and M is larger than N. The second grayscale conversion characteristic is corrected by using the first grayscale conversion characteristic. A second grayscale conversion process is applied to the video signal by using the corrected second grayscale conversion characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masao SAMBONGI
  • Patent number: 7574042
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a photographing condition estimation unit for estimating a photographing condition of the input image based on photometric information and focal information. A Y/C separation unit separates the input image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a luminance correction unit extracts an edge from the luminance signal and corrects the luminance signal by a gradation conversion curve; a color difference correction unit corrects the color difference signal based on luminance signals obtained before and after the gradation correction and a theoretical limit characteristic of color reproduction; a skin color correction unit performs skin color correction depending on the photographing condition; and a Y/C synthesis unit synthesizes the luminance signal and the color difference signal obtained after the correction. Gradation correction is performed on the input image such that appropriate hue and saturation are achieved while emphasizing a main object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Tsuruoka, Kazuhito Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 7570808
    Abstract: A method for enhancing an image includes applying an auto-level transformation to an original image to form a first image, applying an auto-contrast transformation to the original image to form a second image, and applying an auto-brightness transformation to the original image to form a third image. The method further includes applying a color cast correction to the first, the second, and the third images to generate a first group of images, applying a gamma correction to the first group of images to generate a second group of images, applying a sharpening correction to the second group of images to generate a third group of images, and presenting the third group of images to a user to select a final result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: ArcSoft, Inc.
    Inventors: Donghui Wu, Lingxiang Zhou
  • Patent number: 7561753
    Abstract: Methodologies and systems to compare images with different levels of contrast are provided. Contrast is normalized between the images with different contrast levels and brightness is set. When normalizing contrast a derivative of gray level is determined for a first digital image having a first contrast level, and a derivative of gray level is determined for a second digital image having a second contrast level that is greater than the first contrast level. A ratio of the derivative of gray level for the first digital image to the derivative of gray level for the second digital image is determined, and the derivative of gray level for the first digital image is equalized with the derivative of gray level for the second digital image. Brightness of at least one image may be set automatically, such as by calculating an average pixel value excluding background and text, or manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael C. Hutchinson, Michael D. Horky, Mark A. Lee, William D. Meade, James C. Kennedy, Thomas E. Riechers, Michael J. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20090160938
    Abstract: An image processing method and an image capture apparatus applying the method are disclosed. The image processing method comprises the steps of: capturing an image; detecting whether the image is captured in a low luminance environment; performing at least one image enhanced process for the image when the image is captured in the low luminance environment, so as to obtain a processed image; and outputting the processed image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Parn-Far Chen, Fei-Jen Teng, Ming-Chun Ma
  • Patent number: 7545421
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method provide optimization of color space conversion using a joint quality metric representing differences between reference human visual representations and converted device captured image representations in a perceptual uniform color space, where the conversion includes transforming a nonstandard color space (RGB) to a perceptual standard color space (sRGB) and where the joint quality metric includes a color portion, a noise portion, and a contrast portion. An optical sensor produces a digital reference signal when capturing an image of a reference source such as a Macbeth ColorChecker color rendition chart. After white balancing and color correcting the digital reference signal, the gamma curve parameters are determined by minimizing the joint quality metric which is based on differences, within a uniform perceptual color space such as CIELAB, between the gamma curve compensated signal and the standard values for the reference source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Shuxue Quan, Andrew Chinchuan Chiu, Xiaoyun Jiang
  • Publication number: 20090141151
    Abstract: A dynamic range enhancement method and apparatus for an imaging device expands a dynamic range of an input image without an associated increase in the amount of image calculations. The dynamic range enhancement method includes producing brightness information and color information from an input image; applying gamma correction and inverse gamma correction to the brightness information to produce a gamma corrected image and an inverse gamma corrected image; comparing variances of the gamma corrected image and the inverse gamma corrected image at identical spots; and expanding a dynamic range of the input image by selecting one of the variances at each spot. The dynamic range of an input image is expanded by applying a post imaging process without increasing calculation amount of the imaging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Min Kyu Park, Hyun Hee Park, Sung Dae Cho, Moon Gi Kang, Jong Seong Choi, Young Seok Han
  • Patent number: 7528864
    Abstract: To provide a processing apparatus for performing synthesis of video data to which video data of optically overlapped (duplicated overlap) video images are imparted. An image processor includes gamma removal units 810, 811, and 812 which remove gamma processing performed on video data to which video data of optically overlapped (duplicated overlap) video images are imparted, a video synthesis unit 825 which synthesizes video data adjacent to each other in the video data from which the gamma processing is removed, and a gamma addition unit 826 which re-performs gamma processing on the synthesized video data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Mega Vision Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Sassa
  • Publication number: 20090096805
    Abstract: A plurality of one-port split lookup tables having alternately stored therein correction data corresponding to input data is provided as a lookup table that has stored therein the correction data corresponding to the input data at predetermined intervals relevant to predetermined higher-order bits. An address generating unit generates addresses for a plurality of the corresponding split lookup tables from the input data. An interpolation arithmetic unit executes interpolation arithmetic with the use of lower-order bits of the input data for readout data read from two lookup tables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., SANYO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Omori
  • Publication number: 20090096898
    Abstract: The image-taking apparatus embodied by the invention operates to acquire distance information up to a subject in a pre-taking mode at a distance information acquisition block (1100) provided at a taking control unit (107), thereby setting an area of interest for an image signal at an area-of-interest setting unit (109). The apparatus also figures out a correction coefficient at a correction coefficient calculation unit (111), and uses the correction coefficient at the gray level transformation curve creation block (205) and gray level transformation block (206) provided at the transformation unit (110, 1002) to apply gray level transformation to the image signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Sambongi
  • Publication number: 20090091643
    Abstract: An image-acquisition apparatus is provided, including a correction-coefficient calculating unit 109 for obtaining an image signal subjected to prescribed image processing and creating, in each region, a first correction-coefficient group formed of a plurality of correction coefficients corresponding to a plurality of pixels; a correction-coefficient-group adjusting unit 110 for creating a second correction-coefficient group by adjusting the first correction-coefficient group using the image signal from an image-acquisition device or a feature of the image signal subjected to the image processing; and a grayscale converter 111 for performing grayscale conversion processing in each region using the second correction-coefficient group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideya Aragaki
  • Patent number: 7511770
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for processing video images aimed at compensating for the defects of display devices. According to the invention, the method is characterized in that it comprises the following steps: correction of a video signal by a specific gamma law associated with a first component from among said horizontal and vertical components of said video signal, first video processing acting on said first component of the corrected video signal, application, to the video signal processed, of an intermediate law effecting the transfer from a space which is linear with respect to the first component to a space which is linear with respect to the other of said components, called the second component, second video processing acting on the second component of the video signal emanating from the previous step, and correction of the video signal processed by a specific inverse gamma law associated with the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Laurent Blonde, Didier Doyen, Jonathan Kervec
  • Publication number: 20090066819
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing system, a program, and a recording medium which are capable of obtaining an image of a wide dynamic range subjected to brightness compression. The allocation of the number of brightness grayscale steps of an output level signal with respect to the level of an input brightness signal differs for the main area and second brightness area, and the other ranges. For example, the whole number of grayscale steps is divided up and allocated to the brightness range of the main area and the brightness range of the second brightness area and the number of grayscale steps is not allocated to the other ranges. A smaller number of steps than for the brightness range of the main area and the second brightness area is allocated to the brightness range between the main area and second brightness area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tanichi Ando