Patents by Inventor Graham Finlayson

Graham Finlayson 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).

  • Publication number: 20240146890
    Abstract: A system and method for generating an improved color filter for modifying the spectral response of a vision system are disclosed. the method includes receiving an RGB spectral response of the vision system for a color target under predetermined illumination, generating a model, using the RGB spectral response, of the vision system when subject to a filter, the model including a bounded total transmittance of light by the filter that is set by a predetermined parameter and executing, by a processor of a computer system, computer program instructions configured to apply the model to a bilinear optimisation problem that simultaneously determines: i) a color correction matrix to transform the RGB spectral response to XYZ color space; and, ii) parameters of the color filter. The method further executes computer program instructions configured to solve the bilinear optimisation problem and, then provides a color filter using the parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Graham FINLAYSON, Yuteng ZHU
  • Patent number: 11622085
    Abstract: A method of creating a multispectral decorrelation model for use in determining a visible image from a multispectral image captured using a multispectral image sensor, the method comprising the steps of: generating, using a plurality of quantum efficiency curves for the multispectral image sensor and a plurality of synthetic light spectrum vectors, a grid of synthetic multispectral pixel values and a corresponding grid of synthetic visible pixel values, wherein each synthetic visible pixel value is substantially decorrelated from a non-visible component of a corresponding synthetic multispectral pixel value; and determining a multispectral decorrelation model using the grid of synthetic multispectral pixel values and the corresponding grid of synthetic visible pixel values, wherein the multispectral decorrelation model in use maps a multispectral pixel value of the multispectral image to a visible pixel value of the visible image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Alex Hayes
  • Publication number: 20220414848
    Abstract: Computer-implemented image correction for a biomarker test includes a biomarker test which has a calibration array and a biomarker site, wherein the calibration array comprises plural colored patches and the biomarker site is color-responsive to indicate a measurement of biomarkers present. The method comprises: storing a reference color value for each of the plural colored patches; receiving an image of the biomarker test; defining shading of pixels of the image as D, a combination of a plurality of basis functions; defining a color correction matrix, M having parameters that when solved correct color of the calibration array in the image to the corresponding stored values; solving D and M for pixels of the image excluding pixels of the biomarker site; using D and M to interpolate values for pixels of the biomarker site of the image to generate a color and shading corrected image of the biomarker site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Miranda Nixon-Hill
  • Patent number: 11238573
    Abstract: Devices, methods, and non-transitory program storage devices are disclosed herein to provide improved image processing, the techniques comprising: obtaining an input image and target image data, and then calculating derivatives for the target image data using a regularized derivative kernel operator. In some embodiments, the regularized operator may comprise the following operator: [?1 (1+?)], wherein ? may be a controllable system parameter and preferably is independent of the particular type of image processing being applied to the image. In some embodiments, the techniques may find look-up table (LUT) mappings or analytical functions to approximate the derivative structure of the target image data. Finally, the techniques disclosed herein may generate an output image from the input image based on attempting to closely approximate the calculated derivatives for the target image data. In preferred embodiments, by controlling the mapping, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Mark Drew
  • Publication number: 20220003988
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a colour filter for modifying the spectral response of a vision system are disclosed. The method includes receiving an RGB spectral response of the vision system for a colour target under predetermined illumination and executing, by a processor of a computer system, computer program instructions configured to apply the RGB spectral response to a bilinear optimisation problem that simultaneously determines: i) a colour correction matrix to transform the RGB spectral response to XYZ colour space; and, ii) parameters of the colour filter. The method further executes computer program instructions configured solving the bilinear optimisation problem; and then provides the parameters or causes a colour filter to be formed using the parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Graham FINLAYSON, Yuteng ZHU
  • Publication number: 20210374925
    Abstract: An image enhancement method and system is described. The method comprises receiving an input and target image pair, each of the input and target images including data representing pixel intensities; processing the data to determine a plurality of basis functions, each basis function being determined in dependence on content of the input image, determining a combination of the basis functions to modify the intensity of pixels of the input image to approximate the target image; and applying the plurality of basis functions to the input image to produce an approximation of the target image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Alex Hayes
  • Publication number: 20200394776
    Abstract: Devices, methods, and non-transitory program storage devices are disclosed herein to provide improved image processing, the techniques comprising: obtaining an input image and target image data, and then calculating derivatives for the target image data using a regularized derivative kernel operator. In some embodiments, the regularized operator may comprise the following operator: [?1 (1+?)], wherein ? may be a controllable system parameter and preferably is independent of the particular type of image processing being applied to the image. In some embodiments, the techniques may find look-up table (LUT) mappings or analytical functions to approximate the derivative structure of the target image data. Finally, the techniques disclosed herein may generate an output image from the input image based on attempting to closely approximate the calculated derivatives for the target image data. In preferred embodiments, by controlling the mapping, e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Mark Drew
  • Patent number: 10789692
    Abstract: A method and system for generating an output image from a plurality, N, of corresponding input image channels is described. A Jacobian matrix of the plurality of corresponding input image channels is determined. The principal characteristic vector of the outer product of the Jacobian matrix is calculated. The sign associated with the principal characteristic vector is set whereby an input image channel pixel projected by the principal characteristic vector results in a positive scalar value. The output image as a per-pixel projection of the input channels in the direction of the principal characteristic vector is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Alex Hayes
  • Publication number: 20200304732
    Abstract: A method of creating a multispectral decorrelation model for use in determining a visible image from a multispectral image captured using a multispectral image sensor, the method comprising the steps of: generating, using a plurality of quantum efficiency curves for the multispectral image sensor and a plurality of synthetic light spectrum vectors, a grid of synthetic multispectral pixel values and a corresponding grid of synthetic visible pixel values, wherein each synthetic visible pixel value is substantially decorrelated from a non-visible component of a corresponding synthetic multispectral pixel value; and determining a multispectral decorrelation model using the grid of synthetic multispectral pixel values and the corresponding grid of synthetic visible pixel values, wherein the multispectral decorrelation model in use maps a multispectral pixel value of the multispectral image to a visible pixel value of the visible image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Alex Hayes
  • Patent number: 10594903
    Abstract: A method and system for determining parameters of an image processing pipeline of a digital camera is disclosed. The image processing pipeline transforms captured image data on a scene into rendered image data. Rendered image data produced by the image processing pipeline of the camera is obtained from the captured image data on the scene. At least a subset of the captured image data on the scene is determined and a ranking order for pixels of the rendered image data is obtained. A set of constraints from the captured image data and the ranked rendered image data is determined, each constraint of the set being determined in dependence on selected pair combinations of pixel values when taken in said ranking order of the rendered image data and corresponding pair combinations of the captured image data. Parameters of the image processing pipeline are determined that satisfy the sets of constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: SPECTRAL EDGE LIMITED
    Inventor: Graham Finlayson
  • Patent number: 10269102
    Abstract: An image processing method, system and device are disclosed. In the method, sensor responses for an input image are estimated, the sensor responses including sensor responses for cone sensors including a first cone sensor set and a second, different, cone sensor set. In dependence on the sensor responses, a transform mapping for application to a source image is determined to generate a modified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: SPECTRAL EDGE LIMITED
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Roberto Montagna
  • Publication number: 20180350050
    Abstract: A method and system for generating an output image from a plurality, N, of corresponding input image channels is described. A Jacobian matrix of the plurality of corresponding input image channels is determined. The principal characteristic vector of the outer product of the Jacobian matrix is calculated. The sign associated with the principal characteristic vector is set whereby an input image channel pixel projected by the principal characteristic vector results in a positive scalar value. The output image as a per-pixel projection of the input channels in the direction of the principal characteristic vector is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Graham FINLAYSON, Alex HAYES
  • Publication number: 20170272619
    Abstract: A method and system for determining parameters of an image processing pipeline of a digital camera is disclosed. The image processing pipeline transforms captured image data on a scene into rendered image data. Rendered image data produced by the image processing pipeline of the camera is obtained from the captured image data on the scene. At least a subset of the captured image data on the scene is determined and a ranking order for pixels of the rendered image data is obtained. A set of constraints from the captured image data and the ranked rendered image data is determined, each constraint of the set being determined in dependence on selected pair combinations of pixel values when taken in said ranking order of the rendered image data and corresponding pair combinations of the captured image data. Parameters of the image processing pipeline are determined that satisfy the sets of constraints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Graham FINLAYSON
  • Patent number: 9741099
    Abstract: Systems and methods for local tone mapping are provided. In one example, an electronic device includes an electronic display, an imaging device, and an image signal processor. The electronic display may display images of a first bit depth, and the imaging device may include an image sensor that obtains image data of a higher bit depth than the first bit depth. The image signal processor may process the image data, and may include local tone mapping logic that may apply a spatially varying local tone curve to a pixel of the image data to preserve local contrast when displayed on the display. The local tone mapping logic may smooth the local tone curve applied to the intensity difference between the pixel and another nearby pixel exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Suk Hwan Lim, D. Amnon Silverstein, Guy Cote, Steven David Hordley, Graham Finlayson, Weichun Ku, Joseph P. Bratt
  • Patent number: 9424231
    Abstract: A method and system for producing a scalar image from a derivative field and a vector image is disclosed. A function class c is selected, where all members of the class c are functions which map each vector of the vector image to a unique scalar value. A function f is selected from the class c which maps the vector image to a scalar image, the derivative of which is closest to the derivative field. The scalar image is generated from the vector image by using f to calculate each scalar value in the scalar image from a corresponding vector in the vector image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Mark Drew, David Connah
  • Publication number: 20160148354
    Abstract: An image processing method, system and device are disclosed. In the method, sensor responses for an input image are estimated, the sensor responses including sensor responses for cone sensors including a first cone sensor set and a second, different, cone sensor set. In dependence on the sensor responses, a transform mapping for application to a source image is determined to generate a modified image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: SPECTRAL EDGE LIMITED
    Inventors: Graham FINLAYSON, Roberto MONTAGNA
  • Publication number: 20150348246
    Abstract: Systems and methods for local tone mapping are provided. In one example, an electronic device includes an electronic display, an imaging device, and an image signal processor. The electronic display may display images of a first bit depth, and the imaging device may include an image sensor that obtains image data of a higher bit depth than the first bit depth. The image signal processor may process the image data, and may include local tone mapping logic that may apply a spatially varying local tone curve to a pixel of the image data to preserve local contrast when displayed on the display. The local tone mapping logic may smooth the local tone curve applied to the intensity difference between the pixel and another nearby pixel exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Suk Hwan Lim, D. Amnon Silverstein, Guy Cote, Steven David Hordley, Graham Finlayson, Weichun Ku, Joseph P. Bratt
  • Patent number: 9113089
    Abstract: Methods to generate, and devices to use, an adaptive tone curve generation operation are disclosed. Tone curves so generated have been found to produce stable tone mapping in a wide range of operational environments, including during multi-exposure fused images (e.g., during high dynamic range image fusion). In general, techniques are disclosed that use a content-load histogram in combination with image capture device noise information to adaptively bound a tone curve's slope and, therefore, the resulting tone curve. As used here, a content-load histogram is a histogram that captures spatial, color or other information carried by an image's pixels at various gray levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xuemei Zhang, Steven D. Hordley, Graham Finlayson
  • Patent number: 9105078
    Abstract: Systems and methods for local tone mapping are provided. In one example, an electronic device includes an electronic display, an imaging device, and an image signal processor. The electronic display may display images of a first bit depth, and the imaging device may include an image sensor that obtains image data of a higher bit depth than the first bit depth. The image signal processor may process the image data, and may include local tone mapping logic that may apply a spatially varying local tone curve to a pixel of the image data to preserve local contrast when displayed on the display. The local tone mapping logic may smooth the local tone curve applied to the intensity difference between the pixel and another nearby pixel exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Suk Hwan Lim, D. Amnon Silverstein, Guy Cote, Steven David Hordley, Graham Finlayson, Weichun Ku, Joseph P. Bratt
  • Patent number: 9077943
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating local image statistics are provided. In one example, an image signal processing system may include a statistics pipeline with image processing logic and local image statistics collection logic. The image processing logic may receive and process pixels of raw image data. The local image statistics collection logic may generate a local histogram associated with a luminance of the pixels of a first block of pixels of the raw image data or a thumbnail in which a pixel of the thumbnail represents a downscaled version of the luminance of the pixels of the first block of the pixel. The raw image data may include many other blocks of pixels of the same size as the first block of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Suk Hwan Lim, D. Amnon Silverstein, Guy Cote, Steven David Hordley, Graham Finlayson, Weichun Ku, Joseph P. Bratt