Abstract: A method for obtaining image data from an image sensor array including the steps of: providing an image sensor array having a first component subset of panchromatic pixels for integrating charge and a second component subset of color pixels for integrating charge; reading pixel charge to produce pixel signals from the first component subset of the panchromatic pixels while exposing the second component subset of color pixels and digitizing and storing the first component subset signals; and reading pixel charge to produce pixel signals from the second component subset of color pixels that were exposed for at least a portion of time during the reading of pixel signals from the first component subset of the panchromatic pixels and digitizing and storing the second component subset signals.

Abstract: A method of controlling a passive matrix display having rows and columns of pixels including receiving an input image signal; determining drive signals for at least a first image field and a second image field; calculating a value that is correlated to a change in the total capacitive charge of the pixels that will occur between the display of the first image field and the second image field for at least one column of the passive-matrix, electro-luminescent display; adjusting at least one of the drive signals within first or second image fields to compensate for the change in total capacitive charge; and providing adjusted drive signals for each pixel.

Abstract: A method for producing a noise-reduced digital color image, includes providing an image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the image a panchromatic image and at least one color image; and using the panchromatic image and the color image to produce the noise-reduced digital color image by setting a plurality of color characteristics equal to the corresponding panchromatic characteristics at each color pixel location.

Abstract: An electronic imaging system includes a method for calibrating an image sensor having a array of pixels each used in capturing an image, the method comprising the steps of capturing first dark floor values at a first time from substantially all of the pixels in the array, storing the first dark floor values, capturing second dark floor values at a second time from substantially all of the pixels in the array, using the first and second dark floor values to compute third dark floor values, using the third dark floor values when processing the captured image.

Abstract: A method of removing noise from a color digital image, including receiving an original color digital image including a plurality of pixels represented in a primary-color space; producing at least one residual digital image and at least one base digital image from the original color digital image, the base digital image having a lower spatial resolution then the original color digital image; producing a noise reduced base digital image by removing noise from the residual image and the base digital image with a noise reduction filter and combining the noise reduced base digital image with the noise reduced residual image to produce a reconstructed digital image having reduced noise; transforming the reconstructed digital image into a luminance-chrominance color space; repeating the above process to produce a reconstructed luminance-chrominance digital image; and transforming the reconstructed luminance-chrominance digital image into a noise reduced digital image in the original primary color space.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the color characteristics of a digital image includes receiving a digital image including a plurality of pixels, receiving non-pixel data relating to camera capture parameters including an aperture value, an exposure time value, and a speed value specific to the received digital image; using the aperture value, time value, and speed value to calculate a scene brightness value; and using the calculated scene brightness value to adjust the color of the digital image.

Abstract: A method of computing neighborhoods of pixels which neighborhoods are bounded to include particular image characteristics including using the digital image to compute neighborhoods of pixels which are to be processed and wherein such neighborhoods of pixels are substantially bounded by pixels defining the particular image characteristic; computing an activity number for each pixel based upon the values of adjacent pixels; using the activity numbers for each pixel and activity numbers for adjacent pixels in a predetermined neighborhood to produce a plurality of trend numbers for each pixel related to the particular image characteristic; and using the trend numbers for each pixel to determine the neighborhoods of pixels which bound the particular image characteristic.

Abstract: A method of reducing color aliasing artifacts from a color digital image having color pixels including providing luminance and chrominance signals from the color digital image; downsampling the luminance and chrominance signals; using such downsampled luminance and chrominance signals to separate the image into textured and nontextured regions having boundaries; cleaning the downsampled chrominance signals in the textured regions in response to the boundaries of the textured region and the downsampled chrominance signals; cleaning the downsampled chrominance signals in the nontextured regions in response to the downsampled chrominance signals; upsampling the downsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals; and using the luminance and upsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals to provide a color digital image having reduced color aliasing artifacts.

Abstract: A method of reducing color aliasing artifacts from a color digital image having color pixels includes providing luminance and chrominance signals from the color digital image; using such luminance and chrominance signals to separate the image into textured and nontextured regions having boundaries; downsampling the chrominance signals and texture region mapping; producing cleaned chrominance signals in the textured regions in response to the boundaries of the textured region and chrominance signals; producing cleaned chrominance signals in the nontextured regions in response to the chrominance signals; upsampling the noise-cleaned chrominance signals; and using the luminance and upsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals to provide a color digital image having reduced color aliasing artifacts.

Abstract: A method for correcting for defects in a digital image taken by an image sensor when there is a pre-existing defect in at least one pixel of the image sensor which causes a line of pixels in the digital image to have corrupted data, includes the steps of capturing the digital image in the image sensor and reading out such digital image to provide the digital image with the line of pixels in the digital image having corrupted data; computing classifiers based on adjacent non-corrupted pixel data which indicate that there is a horizontal edge or a diagonal edge feature which passes through the defective column; and adaptively replacing the data in the corrupted image pixels by selecting an algorithm which correponds to the edge feature identified by the classifier and using the valid data in the neighboring non-corrupted pixels of the selected edge feature.

Abstract: A method for constructing a transform for a predetermined display or printer, such printer or display being adapted to form a color image, on a particular medium, with extended chroma values while maintaining existing luminance values, the input to the transform including an input color digital image produced by a particular image capture device, the method includes providing a luminance reproduction curve in response to the input color digital image which, for any input luminance value, will produce an output luminance value, the luminance reproduction curve being selected to preserve highlight and midtone contrast, and shadow detail from the input color digital image; providing a plurality of selective luminance independent chromatic reproduction curves in response to the input color digital image which, for any input chroma value, will produce an output chroma value; and the chromatic reproduction curves being selected so that each curve is a function of the visual density range of the display or medium an

Abstract: A method of minimizing color aliasing artifacts from a color digital image having color pixels is disclosed. The method includes providing luminance and chrominance signals from the color digital image; using the luminance and chrominance signals to compute neighborhoods of pixels which are to be processed and wherein such neighborhoods of pixels are substantially bounded by pixels defining edges; producing low frequency chrominance signals in response to the chrominance signals; using the low frequency chrominance signals and the computed neighborhood of pixels to produce noise-cleaned chrominance signals; upsampling the noise-cleaned chrominance signals to produce upsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals; and using the luminance signals and the upsampled noise-cleaned chrominance signals to provide a color digital image having reduced color aliasing artifacts.

Abstract: A method for correcting for defects in a digital image taken by an image sensor when there are pre-existing defects in two pixels in adjacent columns of the image sensor which causes two adjacent lines of pixels in the digital image to have corrupted data.

Abstract: A method for smoothing a digital color image having color pixels in which each colored pixel is expressed as one luminance and two chrominance color values, including computing parameters for at least two orientations for each pixel in the stored digital image; using the computed parameters to form a classifier value for each such orientation and using such classifiers to determine the pixel classification based on such classifiers; and smoothing pixel chroma values according to the determined pixel classification.

Abstract: A method for removing color moire pattern noise having known chromaticities from a digital image is disclosed. The chromaticities are used to determine the region of color moire. The chromaticities within the region of color moire are then changed in accordance with the chromaticities of the located pixels in the region of color moire so that the color moire pattern noise is reduced.

Abstract: A method for removing noise on a pixel by pixel basis from pixels of a digital image is disclosed. The pixels are used to produce a map of features, which then are used to produce a variable shape neighborhood region of cleaning pixels with respect to the original value of the pixel of interest. The neighborhood region of cleaning pixels and the value of the pixel of interest are then used to change the original value of the pixel of interest in the digital image so that it has been noise cleaned.

Abstract: A white balance correction method for a digital imaging device, including determining a scene illuminant type from a scene brightness and one or more color coordinate values; determining a white balance parameter value responsive to the scene illuminant type, the scene brightness, and one or more color coordinate values; providing at least one white balance correction curve; determining the white balance correction from the white balance parameter value and at least one white balance correction curve for the determined scene illuminant type.

Abstract: A method for correcting chrominance interpolation artifacts in a digital color image having color pixels in which each colored pixel is expressed as one luminance and two chrominance color values including computing a test value at each pixel which indicates the presence of a high contrast luminance feature, and adjusting the chrominance values at pixels in accordance with the computed test value to correct for chrominance interpolation artifacts.

Abstract: A method of sharpening edge features in a digital image having pixels which provide high spatial frequency edge enhancement including acquiring a digital image; computing an edge boost record having positive and negative boost values for different portions of the edge regions in a digital image; and modifying the edge boost values of edge related pixels in accordance with an edge boost modification function selected to provide an edge enhanced digital image.

Abstract: A method of edge enhancing a digital image having pixels which reduces the visibility of false edge contours and includes acquiring a digital image; computing an edge boost record having positive and negative boost values for different portions of the edge regions in a digital image; modifying the edge boost record by applying an adaptive blur kernel to the pixels of such edge boost record; and applying the modified edge boost record to the digital image to provide an edge enhanced digital image which reduces the visibility of false edge contours.