Abstract: A method for improving the dynamic range of a captured digital image, the method includes the steps of acquiring at a first and second image each at different effective exposures; computing from the first and second images a linear exposure shift; applying the exposure shift to the first image to match relative effective exposure of the second image; and computing a single high dynamic range image from the first and second images.

Abstract: A method for improving the dynamic range of a captured digital image, including acquiring at least one image from the live view image stream, wherein each acquired live view image has an effective exposure and a first resolution; capturing at least one still image at an effective exposure different than each of the acquired live view images, and at a resolution higher than the first resolution; and combining the at least one live view image and the at least one still image.

Abstract: The present invention takes advantage of a typical user behavior that occurs when a “favorite” image is reviewed. The holder of the display will pass the device (camera, frame, etc) to share the image. This behavior is detected using gyroscopes. The image being viewed while there is a high level of movement can then be inferred to be of higher interest than one where the camera remains static. The higher value is indicated by tagging the image as a favorite. This information is stored as metadata either in the image file or a data structure that is associated with the file.

Abstract: A digital camera includes a display for viewing a scene; a processor for directing one or more indicators to be displayed on the display each indicator representative of an aspect ratio; and memory for storing a captured image and for storing metadata of the indicator selected by a user that is associated with the captured image.

Abstract: A method for selectively optimizing a plurality of image characteristics for captured images, that includes modifying two or more one-dimensional image characteristic controls using a single loop position controller having one-dimensional control. The single loop position controller traverses useful ranges of each of the two or more one-dimensional image characteristic controls. Additionally, a user cycles through several combinations of the two or more one-dimensional image characteristic controls within a video loop; and has a means of selecting a desired image rendered according to the two or more one-dimensional image characteristic controls.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: An electronic image capture device for capturing a color image, comprising an image sensor comprised of discrete light sensitive picture elements overlaid with a color filter array (CFA) pattern to produce sensor color image data corresponding to the CFA pattern; an A/D converter for producing uninterpolated digital CFA image data from the sensor color image data; a processor for processing the uninterpolated digital CFA image data to produce interpolated image data and for forming a TIFF image file containing both the uninterpolated CFA image data and the interpolated image data; and a memory for storing the TIFF image file.

Abstract: A dual mode digital imaging system has a still processing mode that produces an output image in a first color space and a motion processing mode that produces an output image in a second color space, in particular a first color space that is RGB and a second color space that is YUV. The digital imaging system includes a dual mode digital camera for use with a computer and a processing application for running on the computer, wherein the motion mode processing is relatively less complex than the still mode processing although at least one common control parameter is used to control both modes. The motion mode processing, which is performed using algorithms and software approaches designed to minimize processing time, nonetheless produces an entirely adequate relatively low resolution YUV image appropriate for applications such as videoconferencing. The still mode processing, on the other hand, uses more elaborate algorithms to optimize the image quality of a relatively high resolution RGB output image.

Abstract: A method for producing an extended color gamut luminance-chrominance digital image from a captured digital image includes determining an estimate of the colors of the captured digital image of an original scene and further processing to produce an extended range output RGB image value including values outside the range that can be displayed on the output image display device, and producing an extended color gamut luminance-chrominance digital image by transforming the extended range output RGB image values to a luminance-chrominance representation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of correcting for dark current in a solid state image sensor, include capturing an image with the image sensor to produce a digital image having pixel values; correcting the pixel values with a dark level correction value; employing a control system to adjust the dark level correction value to drive the number of pixels having values lower than a predetermined value chosen to represent dark scene content to a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method for producing an extended color gamut luminance-chrominance digital image from a captured digital image includes determining an estimate of the colors of the captured digital image of an original scene and further processing to produce an extended range output RGB image value including values outside the range that can be displayed on the output image display device, and producing an extended color gamut luminance-chrominance digital image by transforming the extended range output RGB image values to a luminance-chrominance representation.

Abstract: A method and structure for developing a photographic image from a camera, filtering the image, and developing the image. Filtering of an image entails separating the image into a luminance channel and chrominance channels, alternating the luminance channel by saturation and hue to produce the altered luminance channel and recombining the chrominance channels and the altered luminance channel. The hue controls the color of filtering and the saturation controls the strength of the filtering. Prior to separating and converting the linear exposure is converted to a logarithmic space. This conversion of linear exposure to logarithmic space allows the luminance's channel to be altered independently from the chrominance channels. The alteration creates a filtered RGB to YCrCb matrix and applying the matrix to the logarithmic space produces a filtered logarithmic space. The invention recombines the YCrCb to RGB matrix to the filtered logarithmic space.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of correcting for dark current in a solid state image sensor, include capturing an image with the image sensor to produce a digital image having pixel values; correcting the pixel values with a dark level correction value; employing a control system to adjust the dark level correction value to drive the number of pixels having values lower than a predetermined value chosen to represent dark scene content to a predetermined range.

Abstract: A dual mode digital imaging system has a still processing mode that produces an output image in a first color space and a motion processing mode that produces an output image in a second color space, in particular a first color space that is RGB and a second color space that is YUV. The digital imaging system includes a dual mode digital camera for use with a computer and a processing application for running on the computer, wherein the motion mode processing is relatively less complex than the still mode processing although at least one common control parameter is used to control both modes. The motion mode processing, which is performed using algorithms and software approaches designed to minimize processing time, nonetheless produces an entirely adequate relatively low resolution YUV image appropriate for applications such as videoconferencing. The still mode processing, on the other hand, uses more elaborate algorithms to optimize the image quality of a relatively high resolution RGB output image.

Abstract: A method and structure for developing a photographic image from a camera, filtering the image, and developing the image. Filtering of an image entails separating the image into a luminance channel and chrominance channels, alternating the luminance channel by saturation and hue to produce the altered luminance channel and recombining the chrominance channels and the altered luminance channel. The hue controls the color of filtering and the saturation controls the strength of the filtering. Prior to separating and converting the linear exposure is converted to a logarithmic space. This conversion of linear exposure to logarithmic space allows the luminance's channel to be altered independently from the chrominance channels. The alteration creates a filtered RGB to YCrCb matrix and applying the matrix to the logarithmic space produces a filtered logarithmic space. The invention recombines the YCrCb to RGB matrix to the filtered logarithmic space.

Abstract: A semiconductor based image sensor having a timer that is associated with each photosite in the image sensor; and measuring the integration period of that photosite using the timer. Additionally, an imager sensor that does not require an A/D converter but instead uses a comparator circuit to determine when a predetermined threshold has been reached, thus reading as discrete amounts of stored charge which converts directly into a digital representation.

Abstract: A digital camera, which captures images and transfers the captured images to a host computer, includes an image sensor exposed to image light for capturing the images and generating image signals; an A/D converter for converting the image signals into digitized image data; a digital interface for transferring the digitized image data to the host computer; means for controlling the image sensor in at least two different camera configurations, each configuration including configuration information defining a plurality of camera parameters; and means for communicating at least part of the configuration information along with the digitized image data to the computer via the digital interface.