Correction of distortions in digital images

• US 20040032512A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Granted Patent: US 7,705,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An image captured utilizing a digital camera and a flash is processed by locating distortions of said captured image due to said flash such as “red-eye” effects and removing them. The process includes the steps of determining if the flash is on 11, if so, determining any faces within the captured image 12, locating eyes within said faces 13, determining if “red-eye” removal is required 14, and if so, correcting for such effects 15 and storing corrected image 16 in a memory device of the digital camera.

Claims

1. A method of processing, in a digital camera, an image captured by the camera, the method including:

determining if the captured image has been modified by the act of capturing the image, and if so,

locating any unwanted distortions of in the captured image that have occurred as a result of the act of capturing the image, and

modifying the captured image to at least reduce the effect of the unwanted distortions and to produce a modified image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step includes determining if a flash was used in capturing the image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said locating step includes automatically locating faces within an image.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said unwanted distortions include “

red-eye”

effects.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said unwanted distortions include reflections in the captured image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said unwanted distortions include modification of the colors captured.

7. The method of claim 1 further including adding at least one predetermined image to the captured image.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, if it is determined that the captured image has not been modified by the act of capturing the image, adding at least one predetermined image to the captured image.

9. The method of claim 1 including storing at least one of the modified image and the captured image.

10. The method of claim 1 including displaying at least one of the modified image and the captured image on a display of the camera.

11. A digital camera including:

an image sensor that captures images on demand of a user;

at least one onboard processor configured to

determine if the captured image has been modified by the act of capturing the image, and if so,

locate any unwanted distortions of in the captured image that have occurred as a result of the act of capturing the image, and

modify the captured image to at least reduce the effect of the unwanted distortions to produce a modified image.

12. The camera of claim 11 wherein the at least one onboard processor is configured to determine if a flash was used in capturing the image.

13. The camera of claim 11 wherein the at least one onboard processor is configured to locate faces within the captured image.

14. The camera of claim 11 wherein the unwanted distortions include “

red-eye”

effects.

15. The camera of claim 11 wherein the unwanted distortions include reflections in the captured image.

16. The camera of claim 11 wherein the unwanted distortions include modification of the colors captured.

17. The camera of claim 11 wherein the at least one onboard processor is configured to add at least one predetermined image to the captured image.

18. The camera of claim 11 wherein the at least one onboard processor is configured to, if it is determined that the captured the image has not been modified by the act of capturing the image, add at least one predetermined image to the captured image.

19. The camera of claim 11 further including memory for storing captured images and modified images.

20. The camera of claim 11 including an image display.

21. A method of processing an image captured by a digital camera and a flash said method comprising the step of applying flash setting specific graphics to said image.