Gray Scale Transformation (e.g., Gamma Correction) Patents (Class 348/254)
  • Patent number: 8189076
    Abstract: A method for compensating image data is adapted for an image sensor. The image sensor has a plurality of photo sensors arranged in an effective region and an optical black region. The method for compensating image data includes a plurality of monochromatic light representative values Si corresponding to pixel positions i is extracted from the photo sensors of the optical black region; a plurality of monochromatic image intensity values VO is extracted from the photo sensors of the effective region; the monochromatic light representative values Si are converted respectively to a plurality of monochromatic compensation values f(Si); and compensated image data VF is output after compensating the monochromatic image intensity values VO respectively based on the pixel positions i and the corresponding monochromatic compensation values f(Si). Through the method for compensating image data, a smear effect in the effective region can be compensated effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Altek Corporation
    Inventors: Shih-Yuan Peng, Hsin-Te Wang
  • Patent number: 8184123
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image display apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and an image display method that are able to display images without motion blur without increasing the transmitted amount of image signal. An image display apparatus of the invention comprises an image reception unit that receives an image signal; a gray-level correction unit that corrects image signals each corresponding to sub-frames consisting of a plurality of pixel groups split from the received mage signal, using respective grayscale characteristics different from sub-frame to sub-frame; and an image display unit that displays the frame image by successively displaying the sub-frame images each having been gray-level-corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Nagase, Jun Someya, Yoshiteru Suzuki, Akira Okumura
  • Patent number: 8184924
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including: an information amount calculation unit which reduces an image signal obtained by a CCD, and which performs a plurality of tone conversion processes of different characteristics on the reduced image signal to calculate an information amount of the image signal and an information amount of noise; a setting unit which formulizes the relationship of the information amount of the image signal and the information amount of the noise with respect to a tone conversion characteristic on the basis of the information amounts calculated by the information amount calculation unit, and which sets a tone conversion curve maximizing an effective information amount as a tone conversion curve used in the tone conversion processing; and a tone conversion unit which performs the tone conversion processing on the image signal on the basis of the tone conversion curve set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 8179401
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for reducing artifacts in a color sequential display system. A frame of a digital image is displayed by receiving frame data, determining dither patterns, applying the dither patterns to the data, and displaying the dithered data. Each pixel of a frame of a digital image is displayed by receiving pixel data, grouping the pixel data for the color channels of the image into a plurality of sub-groups of pixel data; and displaying the pixel according to a sequence that separates each pair of sub-groups for a color channel by a sub-group for another color channel. Modified pixel data can be generated by replacing parent bits in the pixel data with corresponding pluralities of divided child bits, where all the child bits for a given parent bit have a divided weight that adds up to the parent bit's weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Spatial Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Takatoshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8179347
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of driving a liquid crystal display device include receiving gamma-treated data, performing a reverse gamma correction of the data, the reverse-gamma-corrected data having a first linear characteristic, performing a signal processing of the reverse-gamma-corrected data having the first linear characteristic, performing a gamma correction of the processed data, and generating data signals based on the gamma-corrected data using analog voltage values, the data signals having a second linear characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eui Yeol Oh, Ki Duk Kim, Chul Sang Jang
  • Patent number: 8174537
    Abstract: A method and system for adaptive color space conversion includes a color space converter, a brightness adaptive controller and a soft clipper. The color space converter receives a first color space format signal and converts the first color space format signal into a second color space format signal. The brightness adaptive controller is connected to the color space converter in order to produce a gain and an offset based on a brightness value. The soft clipper is connected to the color space converter and the brightness adaptive controller in order to clip the second color space format signal based on the gain and the offset to thereby produce a corrected second color space format signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung Han Chiang, Yuan-Chih Peng
  • Patent number: 8165419
    Abstract: A histogram stretching apparatus and a histogram stretching method are disclosed to enhance image contrast by stretching a histogram of an input image within a range of a preset maximum expansion level and a preset minimum expansion level. The histogram stretching apparatus performs proper stretching suitable for a characteristic of the input image in due consideration of a saturation portion and a distribution range of a histogram of the input image. The histogram stretching apparatus can improve stretching effects by removing the saturated portion of the input image, and can prevent image distortion even for a monochromatic image. The histogram apparatus can improve histogram stretching effects by adjusting entire image levels of an image having a histogram frequency distribution skewed to a dark or bright side before a stretching operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Joong Min, Hak Sun Kim, Won Tae Choi
  • Patent number: 8159567
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method, enabling achievement of both an effect of improvement of motion-picture response and a reduction of flicker even in a case of a low frame rate, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugisawa, Toshio Sarugaku, Tomoya Yano
  • Patent number: 8159556
    Abstract: It is an object of this invention to reduce image sensing errors due to wrong white balance control using wrong color temperature information in an image sensing device capable of performing white balance control using a color image signal from an image sensing device. In order to attain the above object, when the color in the vicinity of the locus of a blackbody cannot be extracted in detection of a color temperature in a color image signal, color temperature information is corrected on the basis of a piece of color temperature information output from a calorimetric sensor, thereby controlling the white balance of a color image signal output from an image sensing element. The number of achromatic data extracted from the color image signal is counted. The color temperature is calculated by weighting a color temperature obtained from the color image signal and that obtained from the calorimetric sensor in accordance with the count, thereby performing white balance control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Maeda
  • Patent number: 8159500
    Abstract: A method for color grading an image within RGB color space including color values includes receiving a source image having first pixels, wherein second pixels from the first pixels are associated with colors within a first gamut but not a second gamut, receiving a color grading signal, determining a graded image by automatically modifying the colors associated with second pixels to become modified colors in response to the color grading signal, wherein the modified colors are within the second gamut, and wherein at least one color component value of the colors of the second pixels is similar to at least one color component value of the modified colors of the second pixels, wherein ordinality of colors in the one color component of the second pixels in the source image are preserved in the modified colors in the graded image, and storing the color grading signal in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Rod Bogart, Rick Sayre
  • Patent number: 8159571
    Abstract: A method of generating a high dynamic range (HDR) image and a digital image pickup device using the same are described. The digital image pickup device is employed to generate an HDR image according to a single digital image. The method includes the steps of obtaining an original image; performing a gray-scale processing to convert the original image into an original gray-scale pattern, in which each pixel in the original gray-scale pattern is assigned with a gray-scale value; performing a conversion procedure according to a gradient and a compensation value of the gray-scale value of each pixel in the original gray-scale pattern, and generating a high dynamic gray-scale pattern by using the gradients and the compensation values; and compensating the original image with the high dynamic gray-scale pattern, so as to generate the HDR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: MSI Computer(Shenzhen)Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chao-Chun Lin
  • Patent number: 8159511
    Abstract: Sub-pixel rendering with gamma adjustment allows the luminance for the sub-pixel arrangement to match the non-linear gamma response of the human eye's luminance channel, while the chrominance can match the linear response of the human eye's chrominance channels. The gamma correction allows the sub-pixel rendering to operate independently of the actual gamma of a display device. The sub-pixel rendering techniques with gamma adjustment may be optimized for the gamma transfer curve of a display device in order to improve response time, dot inversion balance, and contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Candice Hellen Brown Elliott, Seok Jin Han, Moon Hwan Im, In Chul Baek, Michael Francis Higgins, Paul Higgins
  • Patent number: 8154563
    Abstract: A color conversion method and apparatus for a multi-primary display (MPD) are provided with analyzing an input image to determine a transformation parameter; interpolating at least two look-up tables for color conversion according to the transformation parameter, in order to calculate a look-up table for the input image; and applying the calculated look-up table to the input image to perform the color conversion. Accordingly, it is possible to provide good color reproduction and efficiently use a color gamut of an MPD having color coordinates that are different from those of primaries of an input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju-yong Park, Du-sik Park, Yun-tae Kim
  • Patent number: 8154618
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire a representative value of a luminance level in a main object area and a plurality of representative values of luminance levels in peripheral areas of the main object area in an image obtained by an imaging unit, a calculation unit configured to calculate a plurality of relative values between the respective plurality of representative values of luminance levels in the peripheral areas and the representative value of a luminance level in the main object area, which are acquired by the acquiring unit, a setting unit configured to set intensity of knee processing based on the plurality of relative values calculated by the calculation unit, and a knee processing unit configured to execute the knee processing on an image acquired by the imaging unit according to the intensity set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Makino
  • Patent number: 8144214
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus captures a large dynamic range image of a scene including a backlit person with a blue sky background in a manner that the person's face has an appropriate luminance level without saturating the background sky. An imaging unit obtains analogue image signals through exposure control that prevents a highlight from being saturated, an A/D converter converts the analogue image signals to digital image signals, and a signal processing unit linearly increases the dynamic range of the digital image signals. The image signals with the increased dynamic range are nonlinearly compressed to have a dynamic range of 100% or less through nonlinear dynamic range compression that intensively compresses a highlight portion. The imaging apparatus with this structure first increases the dynamic range of an image and efficiently compresses the increased large dynamic range of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Yamashita, Takeshi Ito, Daisuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8144168
    Abstract: An image display apparatus that displays an image on the basis of input image signals corresponding to sub-pixels forming one pixel includes a shift-amount storing unit that stores shift amounts of display positions of the sub-pixels relative to given reference positions in a display image, an image-signal correcting unit that corrects the input image signals according to the shift amounts, and an image display unit that displays an image on the basis of the image signals corrected by the image-signal correcting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Aragaki, Hiroshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8144165
    Abstract: A color processing apparatus includes an image signal acquisition section, a color conversion matrix storage section, a matrix regularization processing section and a normal color conversion section. The image signal acquisition section acquires an image signal containing a predetermined input color signal. The color conversion matrix storage section stores information of a color conversion matrix which associates the input color signal and an output color signal with each other. The matrix regularization processing section reads the information of the color conversion matrix from the color conversion matrix storage section and converts the color conversion matrix into a nonsingular matrix. The normal color conversion section converts the input color signal acquired by the image signal acquisition section into an output color signal using the nonsingular matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8144163
    Abstract: A display device which includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels and displaying images. Each pixel includes a data line, first and second gate lines, a first sub-pixel connected to the first gate line and the data line, and a second sub-pixel connected to the same data line and the second gate line, and a display driving unit receives an image signal, converts the image signal into a first sub image signal and a second sub image signal, supplies the first sub data voltage to the first sub-pixel through the data line and then supplies the second sub data voltage to the second sub-pixel through the same data line. The first sub data voltage corresponding to the first sub image signal, and the second sub data voltage corresponding to the second sub image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hoi-Sik Moon
  • Patent number: 8139080
    Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, data representative of a color scheme including a plurality of colors is maintained, a parameter for each of the colors is shifted by a same offset to generate another color scheme, and the other color scheme is associated with a graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the shifting preserves at least one of a hue relationship and a contrast relationship between the colors in the color scheme. In certain embodiments, at least one user interface tool configured to facilitate a user selection of one of the colors included in the color scheme and a change to be applied to the color, and the same offset is determined based on the user selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Donald H. Relyea, Heath Stallings, Brian F. Roberts, Daniel Dunnam, Andrew Allman, Sok Young Hwang, Kristopher T. Frazier
  • Patent number: 8139856
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, a computer readable medium and the like in which a dither effect in a neighborhood of a highlight area can be obtained easily and certainly. For this purpose, an image processing apparatus includes an inputting unit which inputs a pixel signal group representing a field image, an averaging unit (21-2 and 21-3) which performs a processing having an averaging effect among the pixel signal group input by the inputting unit, and an irregularizing unit (21-4) which irregularizes mutually continuous signal-values at least near a saturated level among the pixel signal group after having been processed by the averaging unit, into discontinuous signal-values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yuko Hattori, Tsutomu Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 8130236
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing image pixel signals having at least two color components in which at least some of the image pixel signals are classified into a plurality of classifications and transformed by a transform function associated with the classifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Shuxue Quan
  • Patent number: 8115857
    Abstract: A digital camera includes: a photometering unit that measures brightness of a photographic field by dividing the field into a plurality of areas; a reference value calculation unit that calculates, a first value to be used to determine exposure conditions for a photographing operation based upon photometering results provided by the photometering unit and also calculates a second value to be used to set gradation conversion characteristics in conformance to which gradation correction is to be executed on a photographic image photographed based upon the results; an exposure condition determining unit that determines the conditions for the operation based upon the first value; a gradation conversion characteristics setting unit that sets the characteristics based upon the second reference value; and an image processing unit that executes image processing including gradation conversion executed by using the gradation conversion characteristics on the photographic image obtained under the conditions via an imagin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyasu Kuniba
  • Patent number: 8115836
    Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus is operative in accordance with multiple display modes. The image reproducing apparatus includes a data reproducing unit that reproduces an image on a display based on high dynamic range image data acquired from an object and stored in memory, and a dynamic range control unit that controls the dynamic range of the image to be reproduced on the display using one of different types of dynamic range control schemes in accordance with one of the display modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Miyahara, Hisao Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 8106961
    Abstract: An appropriate white balance coefficient is calculated using an evaluation value of a specific chromaticity or an imaging condition, in addition to face area detection information, in the following manner. A first white balance coefficient is calculated by a first white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a color image, and a second white balance coefficient is calculated by a second white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a specific subject of the color image. Then, a third white balance coefficient is calculated by a white balance combining unit by weighting the first white balance coefficient and the second white balance coefficient based on an evaluation result of a specific chromaticity evaluation unit or an imaging condition of an imaging condition control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tomokazu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8106977
    Abstract: The present invention aims at obtaining a high-quality video signal by reducing tone jumps. A second grayscale conversion characteristic is calculated from a video signal to which a first grayscale conversion process has been applied using a first grayscale conversion characteristic used to convert an M-bit video signal into an N-bit video signal, where M and N are integers and M is larger than N. The first grayscale conversion characteristic is corrected by using the second grayscale conversion characteristic. The first grayscale conversion process is applied to the video signal by using the corrected first grayscale conversion characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Sambongi
  • Patent number: 8106970
    Abstract: An estimated noise shape estimated to be included in the signal to be corrected is calculated based on a calibration signal including a noise correlating with the noise of the signal to be corrected so as to correct a noise of a signal to be corrected. A correction value of a noise shape is generated by attenuating an amplitude of the estimated noise shape, and the noise of the signal to be corrected is corrected by using the correction value of the noise shape thus generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Utsugi
  • Patent number: 8102446
    Abstract: The present invention aims at obtaining a high-quality video signal by reducing tone jumps. A second grayscale conversion characteristic is calculated from a video signal to which a first grayscale conversion process has been applied using a first grayscale conversion characteristic used to convert an M-bit video signal into an N-bit video signal, where M and N are integers and M is larger than N. The second grayscale conversion characteristic is corrected by using the first grayscale conversion characteristic. A second grayscale conversion process is applied to the video signal by using the corrected second grayscale conversion characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Sambongi
  • Publication number: 20120013776
    Abstract: A camera with at least two image sensor sets includes an aperture; a lens set for capturing images; at least two image sensing sets; each image sensor array having a plurality of image sensors which are arranged as an array for receiving external images; each image sensor receives a part of the image, which is a pixel; an image is formed by a plurality of pixels which are arranged as an array of M×N pixel; an image signal processing module receiving all the image arrays from the image sensor arrays which are presented as analog signals; the image processor module converting the analog signals into digital signals which are so called gray levels of respective pixels so as to get digital image arrays; and an image processor for processing the data of the digital image arrays and combining the images to have a new image with higher resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Chia-Jung Tsou, Chun-Hsiang Chao
  • Patent number: 8089561
    Abstract: A gamma correction apparatus includes a load controlling unit, a non-volatile memory, a volatile memory, a checking unit and a counter. The non-volatile memory stores gamma data and a checking code. The load controlling unit controls an operation of loading the gamma data from the non-volatile memory into the volatile memory. The checking unit receives the checking code and detects whether the gamma data in the volatile memory have an error according to the checking code. The counter accumulates the number of times that the checking unit has detected the error. When the checking unit detects the error, the load controlling unit re-loads the gamma data from the non-volatile memory into the volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mstar Semiconductor, Inc
    Inventor: Shih-Chung Wang
  • Patent number: 8085323
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus and method capable of providing a good image whose overexposure and underexposure are suppressed by holding information about saturation and contrast at the time of performing a dynamic range compression. In the image processing apparatus, a level information calculating circuit calculates the level information of each pixel from R, G and B image signals for each pixel, a gain calculating circuit refers to a gain table based on the level information of each pixel calculated by the level information calculating circuit and calculates a gain by which the R, G and B signals of each pixel are multiplied, and a multiplying circuits multiply the R, G and B signals by the gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Tanaka, Kenkichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8081239
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a gradation correction unit configured to multiply input image data by a gradation correction value appropriate for the input image data so as to obtain gradation corrected image data; and a noise suppression unit configured to suppress noise of the gradation corrected image data on the basis of a noise model of the input image data to obtain output image data. The noise suppression unit includes a parameter generator configured to generate a noise suppression parameter in accordance with the gradation corrected image data by using the noise model; a parameter correction unit configured to multiply the noise suppression parameter by the gradation correction value to correct the noise suppression parameter; and a low-pass filter configured to vary characteristics thereof in accordance with the noise suppression parameter corrected by the parameter correction unit and to suppress noise of the gradation corrected image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jing Zhang, Seijiro Inaba, Takuya Chiba
  • Patent number: 8081831
    Abstract: An image processor includes: a decimal point position determining unit; an image inputting unit; and a calculating unit. The decimal point position determining unit determines a position of a decimal point based on a size of a mask that has a plurality of filter coefficients. The image inputting unit receives image data indicative of an image having a plurality of pixels, the image data including a pixel value for each pixel. The calculating unit performs, while setting a decimal point to be fixed at the determined position, a convolution operation on a pixel value of each pixel and pixel values of peripheral pixels for the each pixel by using the filter coefficients of the mask to find an average peripheral pixel value for the each pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8077261
    Abstract: A correction characteristic storage portion stores coordinates (Xp,Yp) of a break point P and curve approximation range widths Wa and Wb. A basic broken line coefficient calculation portion calculates a coefficient C1 for a straight line OP and a coefficient C2 for a straight line PP?. An auxiliary straight line coefficient calculation portion obtains division points P and Q at which to divide two line segments AP and PB in the proportion in which a curve approximation range is divided by input data X, and calculates a coefficient C0 for an auxiliary straight line PQ. A range determination portion determines whether the input data lies within the curve approximation range. A coefficient selection portion and a primary expression calculation portion perform either correction based on the basic broken line or correction based on the auxiliary straight line according to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Uota
  • Patent number: 8077229
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus for performing predetermined image signal processing on an image signal picked up by an image pickup device in order to convert the image signal for recording and display purposes, the imaging apparatus including, a parameter storage section, a parameter setting section, a gamma correction processing section, and a display-ready signal conversion section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Shinkai, Kazuo Endo
  • Patent number: 8072516
    Abstract: A dynamic range enhancement method and apparatus for an imaging device expands a dynamic range of an input image without an associated increase in the amount of image calculations. The dynamic range enhancement method includes producing brightness information and color information from an input image; applying gamma correction and inverse gamma correction to the brightness information to produce a gamma corrected image and an inverse gamma corrected image; comparing variances of the gamma corrected image and the inverse gamma corrected image at identical spots; and expanding a dynamic range of the input image by selecting one of the variances at each spot. The dynamic range of an input image is expanded by applying a post imaging process without increasing calculation amount of the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min Kyu Park, Hyun Hee Park, Sung Dae Cho, Moon Gi Kang, Jong Seong Choi, Young Seok Han
  • Patent number: 8059310
    Abstract: A CPU of a color printer performs gamma correction and a matrix operation M on an RGB color space image data derived by a matrix operation S. Using gamma correction value settings, the CPU performs gamma conversion of image data. Matrix operation M converts the RGB color space to an XYZ color space. When performing matrix operation M, the CPU refers to a PrintMatching tag and performs the matrix operation using a matrix (M) that corresponds to the indicated color space, in order to reflect the color space used for generation of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 8044968
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing device, a color correction table generation device, a display device, an image processing method, a color correction table generation method, a color adjustment method of a display device, and an image processing program capable of color matching to preferred colors of which excessive emphasis in chroma is suppressed. There are provided a chroma limit setting section for setting a chroma limit based on a optimal color, and a color correction table generation section for generating a color correction table by making a correspondence between an input color and an output color having chroma no greater than a chroma limit. The color correction table is stored in a color correction table storage section. The color correction execution section executes color correction along the color correction table so that the projector outputs a color with chroma no greater than the chroma limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahi Kanai, Hideaki Kasahara
  • Patent number: 8044969
    Abstract: A Personal Computer (PC) adjusts a color of an image received from a digital camera to produce an estimated reflectance spectrum and/or to convert the color to a new color space. First, an input compensation transform is generated, e.g. based on a Macbeth color chart in the image, to compensate for the sensitivity of the camera used to generate the image to different wavelengths of light and the illumination spectrum incident on an object of interest to which the image relates. In order to estimate the reflectance spectrum, a reflectance spectrum estimation transform is then generated by the PC. In order to convert the color of the image to the new color space, a color space conversion transform is generated by the PC. Both the reflectance spectrum estimation transform and the color space conversion transform are based on the input compensation transform and reference reflectance spectra stored in a reference reflectance spectra database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Chrometrics Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Robert Colaco Osorio, John Conrad Anderson
  • Patent number: 8044965
    Abstract: In order to calculate the calorimetric value of a color patch under a given viewing illuminant, a plurality of colorimetric value sets obtained by measuring the colors of color patches under a plurality of illuminants are stored in a memory, the type of spectral distribution and white point information of the viewing illuminant are obtained (S12), and a calorimetric value set corresponding to the type of spectral distribution of the viewing illuminant is selected (S13). A colorimetric value set under the viewing illuminant is calculated from the selected calorimetric value set, on the basis of the white point information of the viewing illuminant and the white point information of the illuminant of the selected colorimetric value set (S14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8041143
    Abstract: One embodiment is a method for suppressing background inaccuracies in binary to grayscale image conversion. A binary image is converted to a grayscale image using a neighbor map. An image enhancement function is applied to the grayscale image to suppress background inaccuracies in the grayscale image. Another embodiment is method for converting a binary pixel of a binary image to a grayscale pixel of a grayscale image and suppressing noise in the grayscale image using selective filtering of the binary image. Another embodiment is a method for converting a binary image to a first grayscale image and suppressing noise in the first grayscale image to produce a noise suppressed grayscale image using selective filtering of the first grayscale image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Francis Kapo Tse, Ramesh Nagarajan, John Christopher Cassidy, Chia-Hao Lee, John W. Wu
  • Patent number: 8040410
    Abstract: A camera capable of compensating for facial field of a person to a proper brightness, and maintaining the luminance scale of the background, comprising an imaging portion for generating the picture data of the person; a gamma compensator for performing gamma compensation for the picture data; a facial field detecting portion for detecting a facial field from the picture data; a photometric portion for exposure metering value of the facial field detected by the facial field detecting portion; an exposure controlling portion for calculating a target exposure amount in response to the output of the photometric portion and controlling exposure depending on the target exposure amount; and a gamma compensation controlling portion for determining a luminance scale characteristic in accordance with the target exposure amount, wherein the gamma compensating portion is controlled on the basis of the luminance scale characteristic determined by the gamma compensation controlling portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuko Arai, Haruhiko Miyao, Tsutomu Usui, Haruhiko Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8040411
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes an image pickup section that picks up a long-time exposure image and short-time exposure image; a combining section that combines the long-time exposure image and short-time exposure image with each other, to generate a combined image, the exposure images being combined on the basis of a ratio between the exposure time of the long-time exposure image and the exposure time of the short-time exposure image; a dynamic range calculating section that calculates an object dynamic range from the long-time exposure image, the exposure time of the long-time exposure image, the short-time exposure image, and the exposure time of the short-time exposure image; and a compressing section that, using base compression curve data, calculates a compression curve suitable for the object dynamic range, and generates a compressed image in accordance with the calculated compression curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Nakajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8040409
    Abstract: A storage portion stores, in association with first pixel values, table values including either gamma-corrected values obtained by performing gamma correction on the first pixel values using a predetermined reflectance component or second pixel values calculated based both on the gamma-corrected values and on the first pixel values. A pixel-value generating portion includes an extracting portion and a determining portion. The extracting portion extracts at least one of the table values corresponding to a pixel value of a subject pixel. The determining portion determines a pixel value of an output image based on the at least one of the table values extracted by the extracting portion. The predetermined reflectance component is the reflectance component calculated by the reflectance-component calculating portion when the pixel value of the subject pixel is substantially identical with the average luminance of the peripheral pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kondo, Tomohiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8035749
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gamma-correction circuit, which is capable to decrease the noise in graphic signal or make the noise not clearly sensible while carrying out gamma-correction on the graphic signals. In the circuit, a high-pass filter is used to decrease the noise in a graphic signal, a gamma-correction section is used for carrying out gamma-correction on the noise suppressed graphic signal, meanwhile a threshold handling section is used for threshold treatment on the high frequency component of the graphic signal to decrease noise, and then the output of the threshold handling section is combined with the gamma-corrected graphic signal through an adder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: InfoVision Optoelectronics Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Tomoaki Uchida
  • Patent number: 8035655
    Abstract: A system and method of converting a red-green-blue (RGB) pixel to a red-green-blue-white (RGBW) pixel by using a W value extraction, the RGB-to-RGBW converting system including: a lookup table generator to generate an RGBW lookup table using one or more RGB lattice points; and an RGBW value computation unit to compute an RGBW value of an input pixel with respect to an RGB value of the input pixel based on the generated RGBW lookup table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-Tae Kim, Du-Sik Park, Ju Yong Park
  • Patent number: 8035591
    Abstract: A display device includes a processor for outputting a most-significant m-bit data from an n-bit data and one of a plurality of patterns indicative of first and second locations of a first modulation data in first and second consecutive frames, respectively, in accordance with least significant (n?m) bits of the n-bit data, and a data driver for generating a gray scale value corresponding to the most significant m-bit data and modulating the gray scale value in accordance with the one of the plurality of the patterns, wherein the number of the first location increases at different ratios based on the gray scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han Yung Jung, Hyun Taek Nam
  • Patent number: 8031202
    Abstract: An image adjustment includes adapting a universal palette to generate (i) an input image palette statistically representative of pixels of an input image and (ii) a reference image palette statistically representative of pixels of a reference image, and adjusting at least some pixels of the input image to generate adjusted pixels that are statistically represented by the reference image palette. In some embodiments, a user interface for controlling the image adjustment includes a display and at least one user input device, the user interface displaying a set of colors indicative of the regions of color space represented by a palette and receiving a selection of one or more regions of the color space, so that the image adjustment adjusts those pixels of the input image lying within the one or more selected regions of the color space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Florent Perronnin
  • Patent number: 8009177
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes displaying multiple color bins in a user interface, each color bin representing a segment of a color spectrum, each color bin having a representative color that resides in the associated color spectrum segment, wherein each color bin is selectable such that selecting a color bin enables varying colors in a content item corresponding to the color bin's associated segment, displaying in the user interface, a first user interface control configured to vary colors in the content item based on the selected color bin, and in response to input, displaying a plurality of user interface controls in the user interface, each user interface control associated with a segment of the color spectrum, each user interface control configured to vary colors in the content item corresponding to an associated color spectrum segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Kawano, Jean-Pierre Mouilleseaux, Mike Stern, Daniel Pettigrew, Dan Candela
  • Patent number: 8009195
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes, an input device that inputs image data output from an electronic camera, a storage device that stores the input image data; and a control device. The image-processing device is capable of modifying the contents of a look-up table in the electronic camera by using a plurality of control points. The information processing apparatus is capable of exchanging the control points and the contents of the look-up table with the electronic camera and the camera is able to store the control points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Bungo Fujii, Keita Kimura
  • Patent number: 8009927
    Abstract: A tone correcting apparatus includes: a first acquiring unit that acquires first brightness information indicating brightness of each of a plurality of block regions that are set to cover an entire area of an image; a face detecting unit that detects a face portion where a human face is positioned in the image; a second acquiring unit that acquires second brightness information indicating brightness of the face portion detected by the face detecting unit; and a correction unit that corrects brightness of the image based on the first brightness information and the second brightness information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitsugu Manabe