Abstract: In one example, digital image frames are accessed, each of the digital image frames having an associated control value for an automatic image capture processing function. A measure of information content change is determined for a current digital image frame relative to at least one previous digital image frame. A measure of information content reliability with respect to the automatic image capture processing function is determined for the current digital image frame. The control value associated with the current digital image frame is corrected based on the determined measure of information content change and the determined measure of information content reliability. A final control value for the automatic image capture processing function is output based on corrected control values for one or more digital image frames.

Abstract: In one example, digital image frames are accessed, each of the digital image frames having an associated control value for an automatic image capture processing function. A measure of information content change is determined for a current digital image frame relative to at least one previous digital image frame. A measure of information content reliability with respect to the automatic image capture processing function is determined for the current digital image frame. The control value associated with the current digital image frame is corrected based on the determined measure of information content change and the determined measure of information content reliability. A final control value for the automatic image capture processing function is output based on corrected control values for one or more digital image frames.

Abstract: The color distortion of an image caused by improper white balance when illuminated using a dual light source can be alleviated by masking a weighted central area of the image, and then determining an impact metric indicating the combined impact of the brightness and pixel color components for the masked weighted central area.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are disclosed to provide improved temporal stabilization of a control algorithm associated with the processing of streaming frames. In the context of a method, the number of immediately preceding consecutive frames during which a filtered value has been greater than a current value of the current frame is determined or the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames during which the filtered value has been less than the current value of the current frame is determined. The method also includes determining a weight based upon the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames. The weight is configured to vary in a direct relationship to the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames. The method also determines a filtered value of a current frame based upon a combination of the weight and the difference between the prior filtered value and the value of the current frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to method and system for viewing and enhancing images on the display of a mobile device, which includes the display, memory and a processing means for bit images, and an input device for receiving bit images. A bit image is received and processed to a smaller scale in two stages, using pre-selected scaling algorithms, in which the first scaling produces a bit image of an intermediate size and the second scaling produces a second bit image of the size to be displayed. The bit image to be displayed is enhanced. The second bit image is enhanced using an enhancing chain comprising at least two enhancing algorithms.

Abstract: It is inter alia disclosed a method comprising: capturing an image with a flash; forming at least one weighted masked area of the image by masking at least one area of the image with a weighting mask; and determining an impact metric indicating the combined impact of the brightness and pixel colour components for the at least one weighted masked area.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are disclosed to provide improved temporal stabilization of a control algorithm associated with the processing of streaming frames. In the context of a method, the number of immediately preceding consecutive frames during which a filtered value has been greater than a current value of the current frame is determined or the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames during which the filtered value has been less than the current value of the current frame is determined. The method also includes determining a weight based upon the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames. The weight is configured to vary in a direct relationship to the number of immediately preceding, consecutive frames. The method also determines a filtered value of a current frame based upon a combination of the weight and the difference between the prior filtered value and the value of the current frame.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to methods and systems for optimizing contrast of digital images and video. Because of the size limitations placed on cameras and sensors that are part of devices, it is common for images to have poor quality. Different images traditionally require different solutions as they exhibit drastically different features. Aspects allow managed control on limiting the stretching strength of a stretching function, thus maintaining the natural appearance of images, tolerable amount of noise enhancement, and contrast reduction on less desirable parts of the image. Further aspects relate to a stretching function presented as one Look Up Table (LUT), thus allowing fast computations on limited computing devices such as consumer electronic devices.

Abstract: A method in a digital image processing chain adjusts for a colour balance. In the method, the subject is imaged by pixels to form value-sets of the colour components, component-specific histograms are formed from the value-sets of the colour components, cumulative histograms are formed from the component-specific histograms, the illumination colour corresponding to at least one colour component is defined from the cumulative histograms, and using target colour and defined illumination colour are defined for at least two colour components, a gain factor adjusts the colour balance. In addition, a corresponding system, equipment, and software means implement the method.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to methods and systems for optimizing contrast of digital images and video. Because of the size limitations placed on cameras and sensors that are part of devices, it is common for images to have poor quality. Different images traditionally require different solutions as they exhibit drastically different features. Aspects allow managed control on limiting the stretching strength of a stretching function, thus maintaining the natural appearance of images, tolerable amount of noise enhancement, and contrast reduction on less desirable parts of the image. Further aspects relate to a stretching function presented as one Look Up Table (LUT), thus allowing fast computations on limited computing devices such as consumer electronic devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to method and system for viewing and enhancing images on the display of a mobile device, which includes the display, memory and a processing means for bit images, and an input device for receiving bit images. A bit image is received and processed to a smaller scale in two stages, using pre-selected scaling algorithms, in which the first scaling produces a bit image of an intermediate size and the second scaling produces a second bit image of the size to be displayed. The bit image to be displayed is enhanced. The second bit image is enhanced using an enhancing chain comprising at least two enhancing algorithms.

Abstract: A method and associated device wherein an inverse histogram based pixel mapping step is combined with an edge enhancement step such as unsharp masking. In such an arrangement the inverse histogram based pixel mapping step improves the performance of the unsharp masking step, serving to minimize the enhancement of noise components while desired signal components are sharpened.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of image processing and more specifically to image processing in a digital camera for taking panoramic pictures. The digital camera according the invention is adapted to produce an image of a target area when the area is swept by the camera. The camera comprises at least an image sensor comprising several detector lines wherein the image sensor creates picture elements, each of which contains information on one or more detector lines, a control unit that is adapted to control the operation of the camera and to detect the sweeping speed, and a memory for storing picture elements. The camera is adapted to record and store a sequence of picture elements, where the next picture element in the sequence is selected based on sweeping speed, and the camera creates an image from the stored sequence of picture elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method in a digital image processing chain (10) for adjusting a colour balance. In the method, the subject is imaged as colour components (R, G, B), from which cumulative histograms are formed. From these colour curves, the illumination colour (Rill, Gill, Bill) is defined in a selected manner, which is taken into account when defining the gain factor (GR, GG, GB) adjusting the colour balance. In the method, before the illumination colour is defined, at least such pixel values (G(s)) as meet a selected criterion are filtered out. After this, cumulative histograms are formed, and, using a selected criterion, a point hi is defined from the flat area of the colour curve at the end of them and is set for the colour components (R, G, B) as a common defined point hi corresponding to the colour-componentwise intensity value Ci, to correspond to the illumination colour (Rill, Gill, Bill).

Abstract: A method and associated device wherein an inverse histogram based pixel mapping step is combined with an edge enhancement step such as unsharp masking. In such an arrangement the inverse histogram based pixel mapping step improves the performance of the unsharp masking step, serving to minimize the enhancement of noise components while desired signal components are sharpened.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for improving a digital image for displaying an improved image on a display. According to the method, an instantaneous property of the display; a property of the digital image; and parameters for an image processing method are determined. The parameters are determined at least partly on the basis of the instantaneous property of the display, and the property of the digital image. Then the digital image is processed by means of the image processing method, while applying the parameters. The invention also relates to a mobile device as well as a display unit, which are arranged to employ the concept of the method.

Abstract: A method and associated device wherein an inverse histogram based pixel mapping step is combined with an edge enhancement step such as unsharp masking. In such an arrangement the inverse histogram based pixel mapping step improves the performance of the unsharp masking step, serving to minimize the enhancement of noise components while desired signal components are sharpened.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and associated device an inverse histogram based pixel mapping step is combined with an edge enhancement step such as unsharp masking. In such an arrangement the inverse histogram based pixel mapping step improves the performance of the unsharp masking step, serving to minimize the enhancement of noise components while desired signal components are sharpened.

Abstract: The invention relates to adjusting contrast in television pictures and other natural picture sequences. In the method according to the invention, the pictures of the picture sequence are gathered into histograms which are processed in certain fashion in order to improve contrast in the pictures, whereafter there are formed mapping functions on the basis of the processed histograms, and the pixel values of the pictures in the picture sequence are then altered on the basis of said mapping functions. The histograms are processed so that from each class where the magnitude of values surpasses a given, predetermined limit, there are cut off all values surpassing said limit, which are then redistributed in the histogram, to classes nearest to the class under observation.