Abstract: Subdivision per basic color channels of grey level data generated by a color sensor is no longer required according to a novel color interpolation method of an image acquired by a digital color sensor generating grey levels for each image pixel as a function of the filter applied to the sensor by interpolating the values of missing colors of each image pixel for generating triplets or pairs of values of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel. The method may include calculating spatial variation gradients of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel and storing the information of directional variation of primary color or complementary base hue in look-up tables pertaining to each pixel.

Abstract: A method for improving the quality of a digital image acquired with a non-optimal exposure. In one embodiment, the method, which is applied directly to the image in CFA (Color Filter Array) format, identifies the regions of the image that are most important from the perceptive or contextual point of view by means of simple statistical measures. The image is then transformed by inverting the response function in such a manner as to optimize the quality of these regions.

Abstract: A method of processing digital source images, each represented by pixel matrices, to obtain from two or more source images, representing one and the same real scene and acquired by utilizing different exposure levels, a final digital image capable of reproducing the real scene with an exposure latitude greater than that of each of the source images. The method, which can be advantageously used in digital still cameras, produces the final image by combining the source images with the help of a weighted average constructed pixel by pixel. Thanks to a special filtering to which the weighting coefficients are subjected before the weighted mean operation, the method obtains a final image in which the source images are harmoniously combined with each other.

Abstract: A method of processing digital source images, each represented by pixel matrices, to obtain from two or more source images, representing one and the same real scene and acquired by utilizing different exposure levels, a final digital image capable of reproducing the real scene with an exposure latitude greater than that of each of the source images. The method, which can be advantageously used in digital still cameras, produces the final image by combining the source images with the help of a weighted average constructed pixel by pixel. Thanks to a special filtering to which the weighting coefficients are subjected before the weighted mean operation, the method obtains a final image in which the source images are harmoniously combined with each other.

Abstract: Subdivision per basic color channels of grey level data generated by a color sensor is no longer required according to a novel color interpolation method of an image acquired by a digital color sensor generating grey levels for each image pixel as a function of the filter applied to the sensor by interpolating the values of missing colors of each image pixel for generating triplets or pairs of values of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel. The method may include calculating spatial variation gradients of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel and storing the information of directional variation of primary color or complementary base hue in look-up tables pertaining to each pixel.

Abstract: In the method, the membership image is produced through a multi-stage process that contemplates a first punctual classification stage generating a rough membership image, followed by a low-pass filtering of regionalization of the image through a down-sampling of the image followed by an up-sampling of the image, and in a further step of merging the regions that overcomes the superposition effects induced by the low-pass filtering operation. The so generated membership image contains semantic information of the input image that may be used for effectively implementing an adaptive correction/improvement of the color of the input image. For an adaptive correction/improvement of the color, the encoded data of the generated membership image is fed in parallel to the data of the real image to an adaptive modification block of the color of the image pixels.

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.

Abstract: A method of processing digital video signals produced by a sensor that are to be presented on a viewfinder, the method involving: a first pair of processing operations for scaling and color interpolation; and a second pair of processing operations for the formation of a color matrix and for white balancing. The operations of at least one, and preferably of both of the pairs of processing operations are executed in a single step. The operation of white balancing is moreover performed only for one frame out of K frame in the frame sequence. The preferential application is in the construction of viewfinders for videocameras and digital still cameras.

Abstract: A method for improving the quality of a digital image acquired with a non-optimal exposure. In one embodiment, the method, which is applied directly to the image in CFA (Color Filter Array) format, identifies the regions of the image that are most important from the perceptive or contextual point of view by means of simple statistical measures. The image is then transformed by inverting the response function in such a manner as to optimize the quality of these regions.

Abstract: A method of processing digital source images, each represented by pixel matrices, to obtain from two or more source images, representing one and the same real scene and acquired by utilizing different exposure levels, a final digital image capable of reproducing the real scene with an exposure latitude greater than that of each of the source images. The method, which can be advantageously used in digital still cameras, produces the final image by combining the source images with the help of a weighted average constructed pixel by pixel. Thanks to a special filtering to which the weighting coefficients are subjected before the weighted mean operation, the method obtains a final image in which the source images are harmoniously combined with each other.