Image composition evaluation

• US 20020191860A1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheatle, Stephen Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/282
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/403 Edge-driven scaling; Edge-based scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/44 using image operators, e.g. filters, edge density metrics or local histograms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3872 Repositioning or masking

Abstract

A method of providing composition evaluation of an image comprises analyzing an composed image in accordance with one or more predefined composition rules and providing a report or warning signal if one or more of those compositional rules have been contravened. The analysis includes identifying regions of compositional significance within the image and applying the composition rules to those regions. The compositional rules may include well known photographic composition rules such as the “rule of thirds”, ensuring that there are no large expanses of foreground or background with little or no regions of significance within them, and ensuring that the edge of the composed image does not bisect any regions of significance.

The method of image evaluation may be incorporated within an image capture system such as an electronic still camera, a video camera, or a conventional optical camera such that indications concerning the composition of the image may be provided to the camera user prior to actually capturing the image. This is particularly advantageous to inexperienced camera users.

Claims

1. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image, the method comprising:

acquiring an image;

analysing the composition of said image in accordance with a predefined set of compositional rules; and

providing a report concerning the composition of the image.

2. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 1, wherein said analysis comprises identifying one or more regions of compositional significance within said detected image and applying said set of composition rules to said one or more identified regions.

3. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 1, wherein said analysis is performed in response to a composition evaluation request signal.

4. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 1, wherein said report is presented visually.

5. A method of providing a composition evaluation according to claim 4, wherein said report is a visual warning signal displayed on an image viewer.

6. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 2, wherein said report is displayed on display device and wherein said report indicates one of said identified regions of compositional significance that contravene at least one of said compositional rules.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the possible recompositions of the image are displayed to a user.

8. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 1, wherein said report is an audio signal.

9. A method of providing composition evaluation according to claim 1, wherein said composition rules are heuristic rules.

10. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of analysing the image comprises:

a) processing the image to identify at least one feature relevant to the composition of the image;

b) selecting at least one compositional rule based on the relevance of the compositional rule to one or more of the identified features; and

c) determining whether the image is appropriately composed.

11. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image as claimed in claim 10 where the results of the analysis are presented visually.

12. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image as claimed in claim 11 wherein the results are presented as textural comments.

13. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image as claimed in claim 10, wherein the relevant features are identified on the basis of unusualness of one of the colour and brightness in the image.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one suggested crop of the image is calculated and presented on an output device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one suggested crop of the image is displayed to a user.

18. An image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said image processor is arranged to perform said analysis in response to receiving a composition evaluation request signal.

19. A image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said composition evaluation request signal is generated in response to the actuation of a composition evaluation request switch.

20. An image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said composition evaluation request switch comprises an image capture switch arranged to activate an image capture system to capture said analysed image.

21. An image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said report is presented visually.

22. An image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said report is a visual warning signal displayed on a view finder.

23. An image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said report comprises an audio signal.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, in which the image processor causes suggested recompositions of the image to be presented to the user.

25. A motion picture camera including an image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 17.

26. A still picture camera including an image composition evaluation apparatus according to claim 17.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of analysing the image comprises:

a) processing the image to identify at least one feature relevant to the composition of the image;

b) selecting at least one compositional rule based on the relevance of the compositional rule to one or more of the identified features; and

c) determining whether the image is appropriately composed.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 27 where the results of the analysis are presented visually.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the results are presented as textural comments.

30. An apparatus for providing composition evaluation of an image as claimed in claim 27, wherein the relevant features are identified on the basis of unusualness of one of the colour and brightness in the image.

14. A method of providing composition evaluation of an image, the method comprising:

i. Acquiring an image;

ii. Processing the image to identify at least one feature relevant to the composition of image;

iii. Selecting at least one composition rule from a plurality of compositional rules based on the relevance of the compositional rule to one or more of the identified features;

iv. Determining whether the image is appropriately composed; and

v. Providing an output concerning the composition of the image.

17. An image composition evaluation apparatus comprising:

an image receiving element arranged to convert an image into an electrical signal; and

an image processor arranged to receive said electrical image signal, analyse the composition of said image in accordance with a predefined set of composition rules and provide a report concerning the composition of the image.

31. An apparatus for providing composition evaluation of an image, comprising a photo detector for acquiring an image;

and a processor for;

i. processing the image to identify at least one feature relevant to the composition of image;

ii. selecting at least one composition rule from a plurality of compositional rules based on the relevance of the compositional rule to one or more of the identified features;

iii. determining whether the image is appropriately composed; and

iv. providing an output concerning the composition of the image.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein at least one suggested crop of the image is calculated and presented on an output device.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein at least one suggested crop of the image is displayed to a user.