Abstract: A digital image acquisition device has an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, an aperture and optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor. The device includes a light source located in the body of the device. The light source is periodically activated with one of the aperture or shutter closed, and the device derives a map of defects on the surface of the sensor from a calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by the light source.

Abstract: A digital image acquisition system having no photographic film comprises an apparatus for capturing digital images and a flash unit for providing illumination during image capture. The system has a portrait mode for generating an image of a foreground object against a blurred background, the portrait mode being operable to capture first, second and third images (A, B and C) of nominally the same scene. One of the first and second images (A, B) is taken with flash and the other is taken without flash, and the third image (C) is blurred compared to the first and second images. The portrait mode is further operable to determine foreground and background regions of the scene using the first and second images (A, B), and to substitute the blurred background of the third image (C) for the background of an in-focus image of the scene. In one embodiment the in-focus image is one of the first and second images. In another embodiment the in-focus image is a fourth image.

Abstract: A method automatically corrects dust artifact within image acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly and a translucent lens cap. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are determined based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of the images. Probable dust artifact regions are associated with extracted parameter values relating to the lens assembly when the images were acquired, A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the determining and associating. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions are corrected within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map.

Abstract: A digital image acquisition device has an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, an aperture and optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor. The device includes a light source located in the body of the device. The light source is periodically activated with one of the aperture or shutter closed, and the device derives a map of defects on the surface of the sensor from a calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by the light source.

Abstract: A method automatically corrects dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly and a translucent lens cap. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are determined based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of the images. Probable dust artifact regions are associated with extracted parameter values relating to the lens assembly when the images were acquired. A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the determining and associating. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions are corrected within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map.

Abstract: A method of automatically determining a need to service a digital image acquisition system including a digital camera with a lens assembly includes analyzing pixels within one or more acquired digital images according to probability determinations that such pixels correspond to blemish artifacts. It is automatically determined whether a threshold distribution of blemish artifacts is present within one or more of the digital images. A need for service is indicated when at least the threshold distribution is determined to be present.

Abstract: A method for red-eye detection in an acquired digital image includes acquiring a first image, and analyzing one or more partial face regions within the first image. One or more characteristics of the first image are determined. One or more corrective processes are identified including red eye correction that can be beneficially applied to the first image according to the one or more characteristics. The one or more corrective processes are applied to the first image.

Abstract: A digital camera has an integral flash and stores and displays a digital image. Under certain conditions, a flash photograph taken with the camera may result in a red-eye phenomenon due to a reflection within an eye of a subject of the photograph. A digital apparatus has a red-eye filter which analyzes at least one partial face region identified within the digital image for the red-eye phenomenon and modifies the image to eliminate the red-eye phenomenon by changing the red area to black. The modification of the image is enabled when a photograph is taken under conditions indicative of the red-eye phenomenon. The modification is subject to anti-falsing analysis which further examines the area around the red-eye area for indicia of the eye of the subject. The detection and correction can be optimized for performance and quality by operating on subsample versions of the image when appropriate.

Abstract: An image acquisition device includes a flash and optical system for capturing digital images. A face tracker identifies face regions within a series of one or more relatively low resolution reference images, and predicts face regions within a main digital image. A face analyzer determines one or more partial face regions within the one or more face regions each including at least one eye. A red-eye filter modifies an area within the main digital image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon based on an analysis of one or more partial face regions within the one or more face regions identified and predicted by the face tracker.

Abstract: An image acquisition device includes a flash and optical system for capturing digital images. A partial face tracker identifies partial face regions within a series of one or more relatively low resolution reference images, and predicts partial face regions within a main digital image. A red-eye filter for modifies an area within the main digital image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon based on an analysis of the partial face regions identified and predicted by the partial face tracker.

Abstract: A method of combining image data from multiple frames to enhance one or more parameters of video image quality includes acquiring a first image at a first exposure duration, as well as acquiring a second image at a second exposure duration shorter than the first exposure duration and at a time just before, just after or overlapping in time with acquiring the first image, such that the first and second images include approximately a same first scene. In this way, the second image is relatively sharp and under-exposed, while the first image is relatively well-exposed and less sharp than the second image. Brightness and/or color information are extracted from the first image and applied to the second image to generate an enhanced version of the second image.

Abstract: An implementation efficient method of distinguishing between foreground and background regions of a digital image of a scene includes capturing two images of nominally the same scene and storing the captured images in DCT-coded format. The first image is taken with the foreground more in focus than the background and the second image is taken with the background more in focus than the foreground. Regions of the first image are assigned as foreground or background according to whether the sum of selected higher order DCT coefficients decreases or increases for the equivalent regions of the second image.

Abstract: A digital camera that automatically corrects dust artifact regions within acquired images by compiling a dust map includes an optical system for acquiring an image with a corresponding dust calibration table for such optical system, including a lens assembly and an aperture stop, in which the corresponding dust calibration map can reside. A transformation between the dust map and the specific lens calibration table, enables the use for a single dust map in multiple instances of lenses and focal length, without the need to recalibrate the digital camera for each instance.

Abstract: A method of processing an image includes traversing pixels of an image in a single pass over the image. An inverting function is applied to the pixels. A recursive filter is applied to the inverted pixel values. The filter has parameters which are derived from previously traversed pixel values of the image. A pixel value is combined with a filter parameter for the pixel to provide a processed pixel value for a processed image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is arranged to process a first relatively underexposed and sharp image of a scene, and a second relatively well exposed and blurred image, nominally of the same scene, the first and second images being derived from respective image sources. The apparatus provides a portion of the relatively first underexposed image as an input signal to an adaptive filter; and a corresponding portion of the second relatively well exposed image as a desired signal to the adaptive filter. The adaptive filter produces an output signal from the input signal and the desired signal; and an image generator constructs a first filtered image from the output signal, relatively less blurred than the second image.

Abstract: Flash image orb artifacts arising from specular reflections from airborne particles are corrected. An image of a scene using flash illumination and a reference image of substantially the same scene are acquired. The reference and flash images are subtracted to generate a difference image. Edge and interior region features of an orb artifact within the difference image are determined. The edge feature is matched with the interior region, and the orb artifact is corrected from the flash image based on the matching.

Abstract: A method of automatically correcting dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital camera includes determining that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within a first digitally-acquired image. The dust artifact regions are associated with one or more extracted parameters relating to a variable optical system of the digital camera when the first image was acquired. An associated statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on known correspondence between effects on dust artifact data of values of extracted parameters. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions within a second image acquired with said digital camera are corrected according to one or more different values of the extracted parameters relating to the variable optical system based on the associated statistical dust map.

Abstract: A method of automatically correcting dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital camera includes determining probabilities of dust artifact regions corresponding to pixels within a digitally-acquired image based at least in part on a pixel analysis of the region in view of predetermined characteristics indicative of the presence of a dust artifact region. The dust artifact regions are associated with one or more extracted parameters relating to the optical system when the image was acquired. A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the dust artifact determining and associating operations. Digital data is corrected corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions within the acquired image based on the associated statistical dust map.

Abstract: A method automatically corrects dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are determined based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of the images. Probable dust artifact regions are associated with extracted parameter values relating to the lens assembly when the images were acquired. A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the determining and associating. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions are corrected within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map.

Abstract: A method for red-eye detection in an acquired digital image acquiring one or more preview or other reference images without a flash. Any red regions that exist within the one or more reference images are determined. A main image is acquired with a flash of approximately a same scene as the one or more reference images. The main image is analyzed to determine any candidate red eye defect regions that exist within the main image. Any red regions determined to exist within the one or more reference images are compared with any candidate red eye defect regions determined to exist within the main image. Any candidate red eye defect regions within the main image corresponding to red regions determined also to exist within the one or more reference images are removed as candidate red eye defect regions.