Color Image Processing Patents (Class 382/162)
  • Patent number: 8928937
    Abstract: A method enables primary color values for pixel to be processed before the pixel is rendered. The method includes allocating non-black primary colors as being under black, secondary colors, or tertiary colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Mantell
  • Patent number: 8928941
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus prints an image without streaks on a medium. A receiving section receives base color image data and non-base color image data. A detecting section detects a boundary between a first area in which the base color image is printed and a second area which surrounds the first area and no image is printed therein. A correction section performs correction on the image data to generate one of a third area defined in a peripheral portion of the first area and a fourth area which is defined in a peripheral portion of the second area and is contiguous to the first area. A smaller amount of base color toner is consumed in the third and fourth area than in the first area. A printing section prints an image on a medium in accordance with the corrected base color image data and the non-base color image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Kawano
  • Patent number: 8929646
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for repairing one or more defects of a target coating of a vehicle. The system can repair target coatings at a repair facility using matching coating compositions provided from a supply center, where the matching coating compositions can be produced according to target repair data transmitted from one or more repair facilities to the supply center. The system can comprise one or more supply centers and one or more repair facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Axalta Coating Systems IP Co., LLC
    Inventors: Allan Blasé Joseph Rodrigues, Daniel A Benton, Gerard T Brosmer, Larry Eugene Steenhoek, Hartmut Krause, Matthew T Reed
  • Patent number: 8929654
    Abstract: A substantially rectangular spectral representation is synthesized, which is adapted to produce either (a) image capture device sensor outputs if applied to an image capture device or (b) color values if applied to corresponding analysis functions. Spectral expansion, which can be used in various image processing methods, is achieved with the synthesized spectral representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Gish, Christopher J. Vogt, David Ruhoff, Jon S. McElvain
  • Patent number: 8923613
    Abstract: Degradation in image quality of color difference components is to be suppressed. Provided is an image compression device that performs fixed length compression of data to be compressed composed of a plurality of components including a luminance component. The image compression device includes a code amount allocation unit configured to determine, according to the luminance component, the code amount to be allocated to each of the plurality of components such that a total of the code amount allocated to each of the components remains constant, and a compression unit configured to compress each of the plurality of components in accordance with the code amount determined by the code amount allocation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nomura, Takashi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8922835
    Abstract: A color conversion method is utilized for converting a plurality of source information in a source color space to a plurality of destination information in a destination color space. The color conversion method includes obtaining a first color value and a plurality of second color values of a pixel; performing a computation on at least one converting parameter, the plurality of second color values, a plurality of maximum values and minimum values corresponding to the plurality of destination information to obtain a source maximum value and a source minimum value; generating an adjustment value according to the first color value, the source maximum value, and the source minimum value; and performing a computation for obtaining a plurality of destination color values of the pixel according to the at least one converting parameter, the adjustment value, and the plurality of second color values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: NOVATEK Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Jian-Chao Wang
  • Publication number: 20140376805
    Abstract: A method for demosaicking a digital image is provided. Pixels of the digital image are processed in an order from the upper-left to lower-right of the digital image. If a current-processed pixel is a second color or a third color, a first sub-window centered at the current-processed pixel is generated. A first mask is used to select a first plurality of prior-processed pixels. A set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel is calculated according to stored direction weightings of the first plurality of prior-processed pixels. An interpolating direction of the current-processed pixel is determined according to the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel. A value of a first color for the current-processed pixel is calculated based on the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel and values of the first color of pixels of the first color in the first sub-window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Yen-Te Shih, Yuan-Chih Peng
  • Patent number: 8917406
    Abstract: As provided with a first reading section and a second reading section for reading both surfaces of a document, an image reading apparatus respectively calculates gamma correction values in gamma correcting sections and correction factors in color correcting sections, and corrects colors of criteria images being read by the first reading section and the second reading section in accordance with sample data stored on a storing section in order to substantially match the colors of both criteria images. In addition, the image reading apparatus utilizes an distinctive color range common for the both surfaces which defines a color about a distinguishing pattern, in order to determine whether images of both surfaces contain the distinguishing pattern or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakai, Koichi Sumida
  • Patent number: 8917284
    Abstract: This patent relates to thin plate spline (TPS)-based interpolation techniques for representing free-flowing vector graphics (VG) images based on user-specified features, such as points and curves. One or more features can be identified in a pixel grid. A higher-order least squares interpolating function with a TPS smoothness objective can then be utilized to interpolate individual color values to individual pixels of the pixel grid. Smoothness terms of the function that impose smoothness penalties can be interrupted in certain regions of the pixel grid based on attributes of the user-specified features. For example, a curve attribute can specify a particular color value(s), add or remove a smoothness penalty, or anisotropically impose a first derivative constraint in a particular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Finch, John Michael Snyder, Hugues H. Hoppe
  • Patent number: 8917354
    Abstract: A method for detecting motion in video fields of video data, comprises the steps of: calculating texture information for a pixel in the video fields; determining a threshold value as a function of the calculated texture information; calculating a differential value for the pixel; and detecting motion in the video fields as a function of the determined threshold value and the calculated differential value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Amlogic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dongjian Wang, Xin Hu, Xuyun Chen
  • Patent number: 8917931
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding a video stream or an image is described herein. The encoder receives an input video stream and outputs an encoded video stream that can be decoded at a decoder to recover, at least approximately, an instance of the input video stream. The encoder includes an encoding logic reducing a color spectral resolution of the input video stream to a range of colors or color differentials similar to that recognizable by a human eye, whereby an encoding efficiency is increased by the color spectral resolution reducing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Eye IO, LLC
    Inventor: Rodolfo Vargas Guerrero
  • Publication number: 20140369598
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for image processing for enhancing, e.g., photos, videos, and graphics representations. Particularly, some embodiments perform a histogram-based SMQT decomposition of various attributes in an original image. The SMQT decomposition of these attributes may then be used to create a look-up-table indicating how to modify pixel attributes in the same or a subsequent image so as to enhance the same or subsequent image. The results of the SMQT decomposition for each attribute may be interpolated based, e.g., on user preferences, to achieve a more optimal enhancement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Mikael Nilsson, To Tran, Borje Anders Hellsberg, James Frank Thomas
  • Patent number: 8913287
    Abstract: A color erasing apparatus includes a conveyance member to convey a sheet on which an image is formed of a color erasable coloring material, a color erasing part to erase a color of the coloring material of the image formed on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, a control part that counts the processed number of sheets images of which are color-erased by the color erasing part and determines whether the processed number of sheets exceeds a previously set threshold, and a notification interface to output a signal for notifying that, cleaning of the color erasing part is required if the processed number of sheets exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Hiroyuki Tsuchihashi, Isao Yahata, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Hiroyuki Taki, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Kikuo Mizutani, Chiaki Iizuka, Hidetoshi Yokochi
  • Patent number: 8913852
    Abstract: A method of selecting a plurality of patches (e.g., 1040) within a region of a page (e.g., 1010), for use in image alignment, is disclosed. One or more candidate image alignment patches distributed across a region of the page are determined, based on content in the page region, each candidate patch being associated with a feature strength value. A distribution of grid nodes is applied to the page region, at least one attribute of the distribution of grid nodes being dynamically adjusted according to the distribution of the candidate patches across the page region. A corresponding patch from the distribution of candidate patches is selected for each of a plurality of the grid nodes, wherein each of the selected patches is selected based on proximity of the selected patch to a corresponding grid node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eric Wai-Shing Chong
  • Patent number: 8913780
    Abstract: The present invention relate generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites a method including: obtaining first data and second color data, the first color data and the second color data represent data from a color image signal or color video signal; obtaining a digital watermark pattern, the pattern aiding detection of a watermark message; separating the digital watermark pattern into first frequency components and second frequency components; utilizing a programmed electronic processor or electronic processing circuitry, modifying the first color data by hiding the first frequency components therein; and utilizing a programmed electronic processor or electronic processing circuitry, modifying the second color data by hiding the second frequency components therein. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided too.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
    Inventors: Alastair M. Reed, Ravi K. Sharma
  • Patent number: 8913292
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image reading unit and a computational unit. The image reading unit includes a reference reflecting member that acts as a color reference, an illuminating unit that illuminates a part of the reference reflecting member and a sheet being transported in proximity thereto, a line sensor that reads an image formed on the sheet and the part of the reference reflecting member in proximity to the sheet in the sheet width direction, and a spectroscope that measures the spectral distribution of each of multiple patches for correcting color tones formed on the sheet and arranged in the sheet transport direction. The computational unit generates color tone correction data by performing computations based on the spectral distribution of each patch measured by the spectroscope, and the read values of the reference reflecting member obtained by the line sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sunao Ishizaki, Yoshifumi Takebe
  • Patent number: 8913827
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for image color correction are described herein. An embodiment includes identifying color candidates of mean color correspondences between a first image having desired color characteristics and a second image to which the desired color characteristics are to be applied, training a classifier to provide a metric that corresponds a degree of difference between the first image and the second image, and iteratively determining mean color correspondences between the first image and the second image using the metric as an objective function and generating a color-corrected image having the desired color characteristics of the first image using the determined mean color correspondences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Hui Fang
  • Patent number: 8908007
    Abstract: A transmission device includes an image capturing part that captures a subject and generates a plurality of temporally successive frame images, an analyzer that analyzes a size of a motion of the subject by use of at least two or more of the frame images, a viewing condition receiver that receives viewing conditions from a reception device, and a network bandwidth measurement part that measures a congestion degree of a network. The transmission device further includes a controller that controls a data volume of the plurality of frame images based on the size of the motion of the subject, the viewing conditions, and the congestion degree of the network, to determine a predetermined parameter for encoding, an encoder that encodes the plurality of frame images based on the predetermined parameter, and a transmitter that transmits the plurality of encoded frame images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Taiho Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8908908
    Abstract: This patent document relates generally to steganography and digital watermarking. One claim recites a method of encoding auxiliary information in an image or video comprising: determining watermark tweaks for attributes of image or video samples to encode auxiliary information in the image or video; and, using a programmed electronic processor, altering color values of the image or video samples to convey the watermark tweaks. The altering alters color values based at least in part on both: i) visibility of color value alterations, and ii) anticipated watermark detection. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
    Inventors: Alastair M. Reed, Ravi K. Sharma, Tony F. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 8908230
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for controlling an image forming apparatus including an inline sensor. The control apparatus includes: a data analyzing section configured to extract color information contained in an image of a target page positioned a predetermined number of pages after a certain page, where the predetermined number of pages are pages to be printed during at least a period from print processing for the certain page to measurement of color information on the printed image of the certain page; a color patch creating section configured to create a color patch corresponding to the color information contained in the image of the target page and arrange the color patch in the certain page; and a control section configured to send image data of the certain page to the image forming apparatus so as to make the image forming apparatus perform print processing and measuring color information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuro Yamamuro
  • Patent number: 8902330
    Abstract: A method for correcting image data, in particular for color correction and cross-talk reduction of image data obtained by an image sensor comprising image pixels (R, G, B) and non-image pixels (F), the image pixels (R,G,B) being overlaid with a color filter array (CFA) and having a different spectral sensitivity than the non-image pixels, comprises determining a set of color components (rold, gold, bold) for the image pixels (R,G,B) based on raw image data (rraw, graw, braw) read only from the image pixels (R,G,B) of the image sensor (10); correcting the set of color components of non-direct neighbors of the non-image pixels (F) by means of a first color correction matrix (CCM1); and correcting the set of color components of direct neighbors of the non-image pixels by means of a second color correction matrix (CCM2) different from the first color correction matrix. An image sensor (10) and an auto-focus camera using same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Harvest Imaging bvba
    Inventor: Albert Theuwissen
  • Patent number: 8903172
    Abstract: There is set forth herein an imaging terminal operative for decoding of bar codes. In one embodiment the terminal can include a color imaging assembly having a color image sensor array. The terminal can be operative for capture of a color frame of image data. Responsively to the capture of the color frame of image data the terminal can convert the color image data to monochrome image data while maintaining the color image data. The terminal can utilize the monochrome image data to search for a color bar code finder pattern. The terminal can be operative so that if the color bar code pattern is found utilizing the monochrome image data the terminal can utilize the color image data for attempting to decode a color bar code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventor: Taylor Smith
  • Patent number: 8902153
    Abstract: A color display has continuous areas of a single color covering a plurality of sub-pixel electrodes. Each sub-pixel of a given color has sub-pixels of the same given color disposed along at least two of its adjacent edges. Each area of a single color may cover a 2×2 array of sub-pixel electrodes. The colors used may be red/green/blue/white (RGBW), red/green/blue/yellow (RGBY), or orange/lime/purple/white.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Alain Bouchard, Thomas H. Whitesides, Michael D. Walls, Steven P. Dudek
  • Patent number: 8896625
    Abstract: A method and a system for fusing images in an image processing field are described. The method includes: capturing at least two frames of images having different intensity under different exposure time in the same scene; fusing the images having different intensity values according to an intensity mapping relation between every two frames of images in the images having different intensity values, and obtaining a fused image is, in which the intensity mapping relation represents a corresponding relation between an intensity value of a pixel location in a bright image and that at the corresponding location in a dark image. Through the method and the system for fusing the images according to the present invention, the dynamic range of the image is enhanced, and the fusing process has a desired result and is easy to implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hai Chen, Lingzhi Liu
  • Patent number: 8897551
    Abstract: There are provided horizontal interpolation unit which creates interpolation data for each of pixels forming a horizontal line and performs interpolation in order for each of the pixels to have two color data of the interpolation data and original pixel data, for each horizontal line of Bayer data output from an imaging section; and data size reducing unit which creates data having reduced data amount (data size) for each horizontal line by using the two color data of each of the pixels and outputs Bayer data being formed with the data being created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoharu Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 8897552
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of tools and techniques for setting color settings of an operating system using one or more photographs. According to one exemplary technique, a photograph is received, and one or more pixel weights for one or more pixels of the photograph are determined. Also, using at least one of the one or more pixel weights, at least one dominant color of the photograph is determined. Additionally, using the at least one dominant color, at least one color setting of an operating system is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Phillips, Simon Baker
  • Patent number: 8891862
    Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for creating and manipulating software notes representative of physical notes. For example, techniques are described for recognizing physical notes present within a physical environment, capturing information therefrom and creating corresponding digital representations of the physical notes, referred to herein as digital notes or software-based notes. At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature system and methods for note recognition using color classification. The system receives a visual representation of a scene having one or more notes, where each note has a color. The system generates indicators indicative of color classes of pixels in the visual representation. The system further determines a general boundary of one of the notes based on the indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Diane R. Wolk, Cristin E. Moran, David M. Mahli, Guruprasad Somasundaram, Richard J. Moore, Ravishankar Sivalingam, Jennifer F. Schumacher
  • Patent number: 8891860
    Abstract: In a color name determination device, a color receiver receives input of a color, a document retriever retrieves for documents in which images relating to the received color are disposed, a key word extractor extracts key word character strings appearing in the retrieved documents, an image retriever retrieves for images relating to the extracted key word character strings, a degree acquirer represents, with a predetermined accuracy, colors appearing in the images as a retrieval result and acquires degrees at which the colors appear in the images, a color determiner determines color indicated by the received character string on the basis of the acquired degrees, and a color naming determiner determines, if the received color and the determined color are the same or similar, the a key word character string corresponding to the determined color is a color name character string indicating the received color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Rakuten, Inc.
    Inventor: Soh Masuko
  • Patent number: 8886015
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application receives a command to import a media file into the media-editing application. The media file includes a sequence of video images. The application copies the media file to a storage location associated with the media-editing application. The method performs several analysis and transcode operations on the media file in parallel. In some embodiments, the application identifies a video image on which to the operations. The application schedules a single set of image preparation operations for the video image to generate one or more sets of image data for the operations. The method sends the image data to the different operations. A same set of image data is sent to at least two of the operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nils Angquist, Giovanni Agnoli, Eric J. Graves
  • Patent number: 8885236
    Abstract: A natural language color control system. The system includes a dictionary of ordinary language color terms, a working color space, wherein every portion of the working color space is mapped to at least one term in the color term dictionary, and an ordinary language command lexicon and syntax for use with the ordinary language color terms that correspond to transformations in the working color space. The dictionary of color terms may be created or chosen from pre-existing dictionaries. This system could be used to adjust colors in images as well as the meaning of verbally-defined color terms such as for searching a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Inventor: Geoffrey J. Woolfe
  • Patent number: 8885932
    Abstract: When a grid point that is the object to be mapped is present in a first division region a color of which has lightness equal to or higher than the lightness at the maximum chroma point in the color gamut and has chroma higher than the chroma at that point, the intersection of a straight line connecting the grid point to the maximum chroma point and an achromatic axis is calculated and a point having lightness equal to or higher than the lightness of the intersection is set as the focal color. Then, the intersection of a straight line connecting the object grid point to the focal color and the boundary of color gamut is set as an output color for the grid point. The output colors are prevented from being separated into color on the high and on the low lightness sides with respect to the maximum chroma point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Mayuko Kishino, Toshiki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8885933
    Abstract: An image data processing device processes structured image data including background image data representing a background image, foreground image data representing a foreground image indicating a color and a gross shape, and mask data representing a mask image specifying a prescribed area of the foreground image to be overlaid on the background image. The image data processing device lightens a shade of the background image by applying background color lightening processing to the background data, and lightens a shade of the foreground image less than the shade of the background image by applying foreground color lightening processing to the foreground data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tooru Suino
  • Patent number: 8885978
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of operating a device to capture an image of a high dynamic range (HDR) scene. Upon the device entering an HDR mode, the method captures and stores multiple images at a first image exposure level. Upon receiving a command to capture the HDR scene, the method captures a first image at a second image exposure level. The method selects a second image from the captured plurality of images. The method composites the first and second images to produce a composite image that captures the HDR scene. In some embodiments, the method captures multiple images at multiple different exposure levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Guy Cote, Garrett M. Johnson, James Edmund Orr, IV
  • Patent number: 8885216
    Abstract: A specific gamut of colors extending a reproduction range of colors in a color space is set to make for any ink color belonging to the specific gamut a conversion from CMYK dot pattern data into numbers of ink drops to be discharged from an inkjet head, using as a lookup table an extended pattern table having a maximal drop number ‘7’. For ink colors belonging to a gamut of colors outside the specific gamut, a default pattern table having a maximal drop number ‘5’ is used as a lookup table for the conversion from CMYK dot pattern data into ink drop numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Ishitoya, Takashi Ebisawa, Yoshiyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8885934
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to the determination of the color of a color sample from an image of the color sample. In one embodiment a color sample capture card is provided having printed thereon color samples of known color (for example, XYZ tri-stimulus values). An image of the test color sample is then captured using domestically available equipment, such as a consumer digital camera or camera-equipped mobile telephone, the image also containing the color sample capture card. In one embodiment the image is then transmitted to a remote color determination service for color sample color determination. Regression analysis is then performed using the RGB color samples in the image and known XYZ colors thereof to characterize the color capture response of the image capture device. Having characterized the image capture device the XYZ color of the unknown color sample can be determined from the RGB color thereof in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Akzo Nobel Coatings International B.V.
    Inventors: Benjamin Buchanan Lings, Paul James Harrop, Peter Mark Spiers, Steward Longhurst
  • Patent number: 8879118
    Abstract: As set forth herein, computer-implemented methods and systems facilitate detecting non-uniformities (e.g., streaks or other defects) in a scanned image, and correcting the non-uniformities while accounting for geometric distortion therein. For instance a scanned image may include a light streak (e.g., higher L* values than expected) down the page at a given distance from a page edge. Paper shrinkage may also cause the image to be magnified relative to the page. Correction values (e.g., L* knockdown values or the like) are generated to bring the non-uniform L* values down to a darker level. To account for the magnification of the image, the correction values are electronically registered to uniformity data for the page, and applied at the correct location to account for the magnification. The corrected image is then printed by a marking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart A. Schweid, Joseph C. Sheflin, Beilei Xu, Robert P. Loce
  • Patent number: 8879848
    Abstract: System and method for measuring distances in an image. An image is received that includes curves corresponding to one or more objects in the image. Multiple curves in a specified region of interest (ROI) in the image are detected, where the ROI has a specified direction. Each curve includes respective curve points. A convex hull is determined based on the respective curve points. One or more candidate antipodal point pairs of the convex hull are determined. A first point pair of the one or more antipodal point pairs is selected based on one or more specified constraints. A clamp angle corresponding to the first point pair is determined. A distance between the first point pair along a direction specified by the clamp angle is determined. The first point pair, the distance, and the clamp angle are stored. Calibration information may be applied at any point during the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Venkatesh Bagaria, Nicolas Vazquez, Dinesh R. Nair
  • Patent number: 8879843
    Abstract: An image processing method is adapted for hue adjustment of an original image pixel. The original image pixel is composed of a plurality of pixel components each having a component value. The image processing method includes: determining a hue zone to which the original image pixel belongs based directly on the component values of the pixel components thereof; obtaining a shifted hue zone according to a predefined hue shift amount, the determined hue zone, and the component values of the pixel components of the original image pixel; and obtaining a hue shifted pixel according to the obtained shifted hue zone, and the component values of the pixel components of the original image pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: ILI Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Tsung-Hsi Chiang, Chiang-Fang Hsiao
  • Patent number: 8879832
    Abstract: When an imaging device receives an image file that includes a color barcode, a processor of the imaging device and/or a remote processor may decode the barcode by identifying informational elements and calibration elements in the barcode. When the calibration elements are detected, one or more color model parameters are determined, and a color model is developed. When an informational element is then detected, a color value is determined for the informational element, the color model is applied using the color model parameters to yield an adjusted color value for the informational element, and the adjusted color value is used to decode the color barcode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edul N. Dalal, Wencheng Wu
  • Patent number: 8879833
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an image of a seal impression. Irradiation of a face of a seal with N beams of light striking the face in succession from N respective different directions respectively corresponding to N different angles of incidence of the light on the face is caused, the face having a character thereon, N?2. N still images of the face corresponding respectively to the N beams are acquired, each still image structured as pixels including a RGB color combination. The N still images are combined to generate a composite image of pixels that includes a common area of pixels that commonly appears on the face of the seal in all still images, the common area having a luminance value exceeding a specified luminance threshold, the common area including a character area pertaining to where the engraved character is located on the face of the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kitabatake, Tetsuo Shiba
  • Patent number: 8879122
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a method comprising receiving a continuous tone (contone) image, wherein each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the contone image comprises pixel data associated with a plurality of color planes; forming a pixel group that includes a target pixel and one or more pixels that are neighboring to the target pixel; for each pixel in the pixel group and for each of one or more color planes of the plurality of color planes, comparing pixel data of the corresponding pixel for the corresponding color plane with one or more threshold levels to generate threshold pixel data; generating one or more color plane pixel windows for the pixel group corresponding to the one or more color planes; and generating a pixel window for the pixel group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard I. Klaus
  • Patent number: 8879131
    Abstract: A scan projection device and a controlling method are projected. The scan projection device comprises a light source module, a scanning module and a scan driving device. The light source module is for providing an image beam. The scanning module has a first direction scanning frequency and a second direction scanning frequency. The first direction scanning frequency is 2N+1 times of the second direction scanning frequency, wherein N is an integer. The scanning module is for projecting the image beam towards a particular direction and scanning a projection surface. The scan driving device controls the scanning module to scan the projection surface back and forth along a scan trace at the first direction scanning frequency and the second direction scanning frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Wen-Lung Lin
  • Patent number: 8879835
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for fast adaptive edge-aware matting in which a matting technique adaptively feathers selections, provides smooth color correspondence matting, and performs well in textured regions. The matting technique may require fewer strokes and less parameter tuning than conventional matting techniques. The matting technique may have two components implemented in a matting pipeline. A color similarity component implements a color similarity constraint technique based on a radial basis function (RBF) technique to generate a color-constrained mask, and a locality constraint component implements a locality constraint technique based on a fast flood fill technique to generate a locality-constrained mask. The final mask (or matte) output may be an element multiply of the masks generated by the two components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Aravind Krishnaswamy, Michael W. Tao
  • Patent number: 8879839
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a color intersection point determination and contour point extraction unit configured to raster-scan a multivalued image by using a pixel matrix having a predetermined size, to determine whether a target point is a color intersection point for dividing a contour for forming a boundary between pixels having a different value from each other, according to states of a plurality of pixels in the pixel matrix, and to extract a contour point for forming the boundary between the pixels having a different value from each other; and a contour information reconstruction unit configured to, by using color intersection points determined by the color intersection point determination and contour point extraction unit and contour points extracted thereby, generate contour information including contour lines each being sectioned by the color intersection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ishida, Yuichi Tsunematsu
  • Patent number: 8879866
    Abstract: An image processing circuit includes: a correction amount calculation section which calculates a correction amount from area-by-area correction amounts set respectively for two, corresponding to the hue of input image data, out of a plurality of areas into which the hue/saturation plane is divided; and a color correction processing section which generates output image data by subjecting the input image data to color correction processing according to the correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuma Mishima
  • Patent number: 8879842
    Abstract: An HTML file for making a browser adapted to a canvas element in HTML5 perform a process of color conversion of a specified image with specified characteristics and display the converted image at high speed. In the process of carrying out color conversion of the specified image with specified characteristics and displaying the converted image, an algorithm is employed such that data manipulation on a pixel-by-pixel basis is not instructed from the HTML file to the browser, but instead a plurality of instructions are given to overwrite an entire area of a bitmap image as original image data, and data derived therefrom are expanded onto a canvas uniformly with color of an appropriate brightness value and transparency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: DeNA Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuo Kihira
  • Patent number: 8879844
    Abstract: A method and system for calculating oblong-shape rotation angles from optical image data of arbitrary size for user interface applications is described without the need of eigenvector routines and storage of the image data. The oblong shape may be of arbitrary size and location and need not be precisely elliptical. A few running sums are calculated and stored throughout each scan, and the results are obtained in closed form by simple post-scan computation. An algorithmic embodiment can execute on one or more hardware processors with limited or otherwise constrained computation power, available instruction cycles, available memory, etc. Hardware processors may CPUs found in desktops, laptops, tablets, or handheld computing devices. The resulting arrangement may be used for touch or optical user interfaces and other purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8879834
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reduced complexity video and image processing with special chroma handling are disclosed. Frame-type decisions are made on a video stream made up of a sequence of frames. A first subset of the frames are selected to be monochrome and generated without chroma data. A second subset of the frames are selected to be in color and generated with chroma components. In one embodiment, the first subset of frames includes odd frames and the second subset of frames includes even frames in the video stream. Under higher video frame rates, the lack of color in every other frame is not visible to the end viewer. Accordingly, subsequent processing of the output video stream permits luma-only processing of many frames in the video stream, extensively reducing the amount of computation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen Burns, Larry Pearlstein
  • Publication number: 20140321741
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method of processing a mosaicked image. First, the mosaicked image is up-sampled along a first direction to generate a first intermediate image. Then, the first intermediate image is resized along the first direction to generate a second intermediate image. Next, the second intermediate image is up-sampled along a second direction to generate a third intermediate image. Afterward, the third intermediate image is resized along the second direction to generate a resized and partly demosaicked image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Ming-Chi Wei
  • Publication number: 20140321739
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing method and apparatus and electronic device. The image processing method includes: acquiring a visible image and an infrared image of a captured object; decomposing the visible image to generate a base image layer containing low frequency components; decomposing the infrared image to generate a detail image layer containing high frequency components; and combining the base image layer and the detail image layer, so as to generate a combined image of the captured object. In the embodiments of the present invention, a combined image with the surface of a captured object being smooth and important characteristic portions being kept without distortion can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Redfar Yang