Abstract: The invention relates to a method of modifying the appearance attributes of digital images comprising: defining in a first channel of a color corrector a first set of appearance attribute corrections to be applied to the images; determining a first set of appearance attribute correction parameters corresponding to the first set of appearance attribute corrections; in the first channel of the color corrector defining at least one further set of appearance attribute corrections to be applied to the images; determining a set of appearance attribute correction parameters corresponding to the or each of the further sets of appearance attribute corrections; and combining each of the sets of appearance attribute correction parameters into a single set of appearance attribute correction parameters. The invention also relates to a method where the channel is implemented in software and to apparatus and software for carrying out the methods.

Abstract: A method of transmitting images from a server to a client along a communications link, comprises the steps of: dividing a relatively high resolution image into a plurality of lower resolution tiles; transmitting a first image tile to a client terminal for editing; predicting at least one further image tile to be required; and transmitting the at least one predicted tile to the client terminal using unused capacity on the communications link.

Abstract: A method of editing a selected area of a digital image which consists of an array of image pixels at a relatively high resolution. The method comprises: dividing the image into a series of discrete tiles at a relatively low resolution, each tile containing a plurality of the image pixels; selecting the image area for editing by generating points on a boundary line of the image area, the points being at a resolution which is higher than the resolution of the tiles; identifying boundary tiles which contain a portion of the boundary line; for each boundary tile, generating data representing a weighting which is dependent on the extent to which that boundary tile contains pixels which are within the selected area and pixels which are outside the selected area; and editing image pixels which are within the selected image area; the editing of pixels which are within a boundary tile being dependent on the weighting associated with that boundary tile.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of modifying the appearance attributes of digital images comprising: defining in a first channel of a colour corrector a first set of appearance attribute corrections to be applied to the images; determining a first set of appearance attribute correction parameters corresponding to the first set of appearance attribute corrections; in the first channel of the colour corrector defining at least one further set of appearance attribute corrections to be applied to the images; determining a set of appearance attribute correction parameters corresponding to the or each of the further sets of appearance attribute corrections; and combining each of the sets of appearance attribute correction parameters into a single set of appearance attribute correction parameters. The invention also relates to a method where the channel is implemented in software and to apparatus and software for carrying out the methods.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of digitally processing a sequence of video frames, in which an object is selected in a first frame; digital object data corresponding to the shape of the object is stored on a digital data storage mechanism, together with digital modification data corresponding to a desired modification of at least one appearance attribute of the object; the object is identified in a second frame of the sequence by means of the object data; and the appearance attribute of the object in the second frame is modified in accordance with the stored modification data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the processing of video data in which the appearance characteristics of picture elements are modified using digital apparatus such as a color processor which provides a plurality of channels having respective processing means, each channel being adapted normally to operate to process a discrete range of characteristics, wherein the method comprises the step of operating the apparatus in an alternative mode in which at least two of the channels are used to carry out identical processing steps, spatial segments of the video data being split between said at least two channels to thereby increase the speed of processing.

Abstract: There is provided a method of applying colour correction to a video image obtained by scanning photographic film frames, in which each frame on the film is scanned a plurality of times to produce a plurality of constituent frames each containing only part of the data required to represent the image at a relatively high resolution, the constituent frames associated with each film frame are assembled to provide a relatively high resolution video image, and the high resolution images are stored and/or displayed. In the invention, information is stored indicating the relationship between each constituent frame and its associated high resolution image, a colour correction decision is made, and colour correction is applied to one or more of the constituent frames associated with that high resolution image.

Abstract: A method of digitally processing a sequence of video frames wherein in object which appears in the frames and undergoes relative motion or transformation is selected in a first frame by an operator; the pixels relating to the object are tagged in that frame by means of information including at least one color or appearance attribute; corresponding pixels relating to the object are located automatically in subsequent frames, by means of said information including at least one color or appearance attribute and by means of information indicating the expected position or shape of the object in the subsequent frames; and the pixels relating to the object in each of the frames are procesed.

Abstract: A method of color correcting digital video data 21 is disclosed, comprising the steps of providing a workstation 22 connected to a source 20 of digital video data, analysing video data at the workstation 22 and making decisions relating to color corrections to be applied to the video data 21, generating color correction parameter data corresponding to the decisions, transmitting the video data and the corresponding color correction parameter data 23 to a remote color processor 28 for applying color corrections to the digital video data 26, applying color corrections to the digital video data in accordance with the correction parameter data, and returning the color corrected video data 27 from the color processor 28.

Abstract: A digital video processing system for correcting video color and other attributes, such as pixel location and sharpness. The method described may be employed by a general purpose computer or a secondary digital color processor to process images from standard or high-definition telecines, or from non-real time film scanners. Only the pixels and/or regions of a video picture to be modified are processed, so that most pixels, which are unmodified, remain free from any potential corruption. Pixels to be modified are identified by means of lookup tables which can be loaded for each frame with data indicating attributes such as hue, saturation, and luminance values, or ranges which are to be present in a pixel if that pixel is to be selected for modification. The pixel's attributes are applied to each lookup table as an address.

Abstract: A digital video processor which is usable as a secondary digital color processor (DCP) with standard-definition digital telecines and is also compatible with high-definition television systems, for correcting video color and other attributes such as pixel location and sharpness. The disclosed video processor has an architecture in which only the pixels and/or regions of a video picture to be modified have any processing applied to them, so that most pixels, which are unmodified, remain free from any potential corruption. It identifies pixels to be modified by means of lookup tables which can be loaded for each frame with data indicating attributes such as hue, saturation, and luminance values or ranges which are to be present in a pixel if that pixel is to be selected for modification, the pixel's attributes being applied to each lookup table as an address.