Patents by Inventor John W. Glotzbach

John W. Glotzbach 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: 20240087190
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining a raw image in a first image domain. The method also includes determining a color distribution and an amount of variation in the raw image. The method further includes using an iterative process to generate a dead leaf image from a blank image in the first image domain. The iterative process includes adding multiple circles and multiple sticks to the blank image until the dead leaf image is filled. The iterative process also includes blurring portions of the dead leaf image during at least one iteration of the iterative process. Textures of the multiple circles are blended based on the color distribution and the amount of variation in the raw image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Mingzhao Yu, Zeeshan Nadir, Hamid R. Sheikh, John W. Glotzbach
  • Publication number: 20230351563
    Abstract: A method includes dividing an image into overlapping image patches each having a specified size. The method also includes analyzing content of each image patch using a mathematical transform technique to classify each image patch into at least one class. The method further includes filtering each image patch for noise suppression by suppressing one or more transform coefficients of the image patch. An amount of suppression for each of the one or more transform coefficients is selected according to the at least one class of the image patch. In addition, the method includes reconstructing the filtered image patches into an output image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Zeeshan Nadir, Hamid R. Sheikh, John W. Glotzbach
  • Patent number: 11727540
    Abstract: Various image sharpening techniques are disclosed. For example, a method for image sharpening includes obtaining, using at least one sensor of an electronic device, an image that includes visual content. The method also includes generating an edge map that indicates edges of the visual content within the image. The method further includes applying a high-pass signal and an adaptive gain based on the edge map to sharpen the image. The method also includes generating a bright halo mask and a dark halo mask based on the edge map, where the bright halo mask indicates an upper sharpening limit and the dark halo mask indicates a lower sharpening limit. In addition, the method includes modifying a level of sharpening at one or more of the edges within the sharpened image to provide halo artifact reduction based on the bright halo mask and the dark halo mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhen Tong, Yibo Xu, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh, Ruiwen Zhen, Baekdu Choi
  • Publication number: 20230252604
    Abstract: A method includes filtering an input image through a discrete cosine transform based noise filter (DCT-NF). The DCT-NF converts the input image from an original space into a perceptual space, applying gamma correction. The DCT-NF separates luminance channels of the input image from chroma channels of the input image. The DCT-NF divides the input image into overlapping patches and computes DCT transform of the patches. Each patch is a different partial portion of the input image. The DCT-NF suppresses patches that include an input DCT coefficient within a threshold range. The DCT-NF applies an inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) to the suppressed patches and remaining overlapping patches that include an input DCT coefficient outside the threshold range. The DCT-NF re-combines luminance and chroma channels of the IDCT-transformed patches. The DCT-NF generates a DCT noise-filtered output image by re-converting the IDCT-transformed patches to the original space by applying inverse gamma correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Zeeshan Nadir, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20230254591
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining multiple image frames. The method also includes selecting, using at least one processing device of an electronic device, an asymmetrical image pair from the multiple image frames. The asymmetrical image pair includes a first image frame and a second image frame, where the first image frame has a shorter exposure than the second image frame. The method further includes identifying, using the at least one processing device, one or more features based on the asymmetrical image pair. The method also includes determining, using the at least one processing device, whether the first image frame contains flicker based on the one or more features. In addition, the method includes enabling or disabling, using the at least one processing device, the first image frame as a reference candidate based on the determination whether the first image frame contains flicker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Nguyen Thang Long Le, Zeeshan Nadir, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20230252611
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining an image and a gain map associated with the image. The method also includes identifying image patches in the image and corresponding gain map patches in the gain map. Different image patches are centered around different anchor points in the image. The method further includes, for each image patch and its corresponding gain map patch, generating an intensity-gain curve for the associated anchor point. The intensity-gain curve specifies (i) gain values based on the corresponding gain map patch for intensity values up to a threshold intensity value and (ii) gain values based on one or more input parameters for intensity values above the threshold intensity value. In addition, the method includes combining the intensity-gain curves to generate a 3D lookup table, which identifies the gain values for the anchor points in the image at each of multiple intensity values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Gunawath Dilshan Godaliyadda, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20230252770
    Abstract: A method for training data generation includes obtaining a first set of image frames of a scene and a second set of image frames of the scene using multiple exposure settings. The method also includes generating an alignment map, a blending map, and an input image using the first set of image frames. The method further includes generating a ground truth image using the alignment map, the blending map, and the second set of image frames. In addition, the method includes using the ground truth image and the input image as an image pair in a training dataset when training a machine learning model to reduce image distortion and noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Tyler Luu, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh, John Seokjun Lee, Youngmin Kim, Jun Ki Cho, Seung-Chul Jeon
  • Publication number: 20230245494
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a memory configured to store images and a processor. The processor is configured to receive an input image. The processor is further configured to partition a human mask in the input image using a segmentation algorithm. The processor is also configured to generate a skin map based on identifying skin in the input image using the human mask. In addition, the processor is configured to process an output image with brightening applied using the skin map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Zeeshan Nadir, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Patent number: 11615510
    Abstract: An electronic device includes at least one imaging sensor and at least one processor coupled to the at least one imaging sensor. The at least one imaging sensor is configured to capture a burst of image frames. The at least one processor is configured to generate a low-resolution image from the burst of image frames. The at least one processor is also configured to estimate a blur kernel based on the burst of image frames. The at least one processor is further configured to perform deconvolution on the low-resolution image using the blur kernel to generate a deconvolved image. In addition, the at least one processor is configured to generate a high-resolution image using super resolution (SR) on the deconvolved image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Baekdu Choi, Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20230034109
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining a blended red-green-blue (RGB) image frame of a scene. The method also includes performing, using at least one processing device of an electronic device, an interband denoising operation to remove at least one of noise and one or more artifacts from the blended RGB image frame in order to produce a denoised RGB image frame. Performing the interband denoising operation includes performing filtering of red, green, and blue color channels of the blended RGB image frame to remove at least one of the noise and the one or more artifacts from the blended RGB image frame. The filtering of the red and blue color channels of the blended RGB image frame is based on image data of at least one of the green color channel and a white color channel of the blended RGB image frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Long N. Le, Yibo Xu, John W. Glotzbach, Zhen Tong, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20230035482
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining multiple input image frames and determining how to warp at least one of the input image frames. The method also includes performing an intraband demosaic-warp operation to reconstruct image data in different color channels of the input image frames and warp the at least one input image frame to produce RGB input image frames. The method further includes blending the RGB input image frames to produce a blended RGB image frame, performing an interband denoising operation to produce a denoised RGB image frame, and performing an interband sharpening operation to produce a sharpened RGB image frame. In addition, the method includes performing an interband demosaic operation to substantially equalize high-frequency content in different color channels of the sharpened RGB image frame to produce an equalized sharpened RGB image frame and generating a final image of the scene based on the equalized sharpened RGB image frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: John W. Glotzbach, Long N. Le, Zhen Tong, Hamid R. Sheikh, Yibo Xu
  • Publication number: 20230021726
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining multiple images of a scene using at least one red-green-blue-white (RGBW) image sensor. The method also includes generating multi-channel frames at different exposure levels from the images. The method further includes estimating motion across exposure differences between the different exposure levels using a white channel of the multi-channel frames as a guidance signal to generate multiple motion maps. The method also includes estimating saturation across the exposure differences between the different exposure levels to generate multiple saturation maps. The method further includes using the generated motion maps and saturation maps to recover saturations from the different exposure levels and generate a saturation-free RGBW frame. In addition, the method includes processing the saturation-free RGBW frame to generate a final image of the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Long N. Le, Hamid R. Sheikh, John W. Glotzbach
  • Publication number: 20230022753
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one image sensor of an electronic device, a first image frame and multiple second image frames of a scene. Each of the second image frames has an exposure time different from an exposure time of the first image frame. The method also includes generating, using at least one processor, blur kernels indicating a motion direction of the first image frame using an optical flow network. The method further includes refining, using the at least one processor, the blur kernels using a convolutional neural network. In addition, the method includes generating, using the at least one processor, a target image frame of the scene using the refined blur kernels and occlusion masks for the second image frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Anqi Yang, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Patent number: 11503221
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one image sensor of an electronic device, a first image frame and multiple second image frames of a scene. Each of the second image frames has an exposure time different from an exposure time of the first image frame. The method also includes encoding, using at least one processor, each of the first image frame and the second image frames using a convolutional neural network to generate a corresponding feature map. The method further includes aligning, using the at least one processor, encoded features of the feature map corresponding to the first image frame with encoded features of the feature maps corresponding to the second image frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Anqi Yang, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Patent number: 11418766
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a reference input frame and a non-reference input frame; separating a luma plane for a luma channel and a chroma plane for a chroma channel for each of the reference input frame and the non-reference input frame; generating a luma frame using the luma plane; generating a chroma frame using the chroma plane in a patch-based chroma blending; and combining the luma frame and the chroma frame into an output frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid Rahim Sheikh
  • Patent number: 11388348
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one processor of an electronic device, a high dynamic range (HDR) input Bayer image. The method also includes generating, using the at least one processor of the electronic device, a plurality of synthesized images at different exposure levels based on the input Bayer image. The method further includes fusing, using the at least one processor of the electronic device, the synthesized images to generate a fused image. The method also includes generating, using the at least one processor of the electronic device, a gain map based on the fused image. In addition, the method includes applying, using the at least one processor of the electronic device, a gain based on the gain map to the input Bayer image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Long N. Le, Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh, Ibrahim Pekkucuksen
  • Publication number: 20220207658
    Abstract: Various image sharpening techniques are disclosed. For example, a method for image sharpening includes obtaining, using at least one sensor of an electronic device, an image that includes visual content. The method also includes generating an edge map that indicates edges of the visual content within the image. The method further includes applying a high-pass signal and an adaptive gain based on the edge map to sharpen the image. The method also includes generating a bright halo mask and a dark halo mask based on the edge map, where the bright halo mask indicates an upper sharpening limit and the dark halo mask indicates a lower sharpening limit. In addition, the method includes modifying a level of sharpening at one or more of the edges within the sharpened image to provide halo artifact reduction based on the bright halo mask and the dark halo mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Zhen Tong, Yibo Xu, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh, Ruiwen Zhen, Baekdu Choi
  • Patent number: 11354781
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one processor, an image of a scene including image data in each of multiple channels of a color space. The method also includes decomposing a channel of the image into a first base layer and a first detail layer. The method further includes generating a first enhanced detail layer by manipulating a characteristic of the first detail layer. The method also includes decomposing the first base layer into a second base layer and a second detail layer. The method further includes generating a second enhanced detail layer by manipulating a characteristic of the second detail layer. In addition, the method includes combining the first enhanced detail layer, the second enhanced detail layer, and the second base layer to obtain an enhanced image of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20220122223
    Abstract: An electronic device includes at least one imaging sensor and at least one processor coupled to the at least one imaging sensor. The at least one imaging sensor is configured to capture a burst of image frames. The at least one processor is configured to generate a low-resolution image from the burst of image frames. The at least one processor is also configured to estimate a blur kernel based on the burst of image frames. The at least one processor is further configured to perform deconvolution on the low-resolution image using the blur kernel to generate a deconvolved image. In addition, the at least one processor is configured to generate a high-resolution image using super resolution (SR) on the deconvolved image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Baekdu Choi, Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh
  • Publication number: 20220020120
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining, using at least one processor, an image of a scene including image data in each of multiple channels of a color space. The method also includes decomposing a channel of the image into a first base layer and a first detail layer. The method further includes generating a first enhanced detail layer by manipulating a characteristic of the first detail layer. The method also includes decomposing the first base layer into a second base layer and a second detail layer. The method further includes generating a second enhanced detail layer by manipulating a characteristic of the second detail layer. In addition, the method includes combining the first enhanced detail layer, the second enhanced detail layer, and the second base layer to obtain an enhanced image of the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Ruiwen Zhen, John W. Glotzbach, Hamid R. Sheikh