Method and apparatus for image enhancement for the visually impaired
First Claim
1. A method for enhancing an image for a visually impaired person, comprising the steps of determining at least one discrete feature of an image, and modifying the determined feature to alter its appearance to a visually impaired person.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus providing good image enhancement for the visually impaired utilizing the “Ullman-Zur enhancement” algorithm. The method and apparatus consists in obtaining an original image, detecting and enhancing the edges and lines of the image by using Balanced Difference of Gaussians to obtain a first processed image, smoothing the original image by using a convolution of the original image with Gaussian, enhancing the contrast of the smoothed image, calculating the intensity average, AC, and the standard deviation of the intensity, SDC, of the chosen region, and stretching the intensity of the smoothed image linearly according to AC, SDC, and some specific rules to obtain a second processed enhanced image. The first processed image is superimposed on the second processed enhanced image to obtain the final enhanced image that is more readily perceived by a visually impaired person.
123 Citations
79 Claims
- 1. A method for enhancing an image for a visually impaired person, comprising the steps of determining at least one discrete feature of an image, and modifying the determined feature to alter its appearance to a visually impaired person.
- 13. A method for enhancing an image for a visually impaired person, comprising the steps of modifying discrete features of the image to alter their appearance to a visually impaired person.
- 18. A method of enhancing an image comprising the steps of determining relevant discrete lines and discrete edges in the image, and enhancing the determined lines and images.
- 29. A method for enhancing an image comprising the steps of detecting characters in an image, and enhancing the detected characters.
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44. An image enhancement method for enhancing relevant features of an image comprising the following steps:
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e. capturing the intensity channel of the image;
f. detecting and signing the relevant features in the intensity channel of the image;
g. changing discrete relevant features in the intensity channel of the image; and
h. compensating the rest of the channels for the change.
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45. An image enhancement method comprising the steps of:
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h. capturing the intensity channel of the image;
i. detecting and signing the relevant features in the intensity channel of the image;
j. smoothing the original image;
.k. contracting or stretching the intensity channel of the smoothed image between predefined intensity limits;
l. compensating the rest of the channels for the contraction or stretching;
m. changing the relevant features in the intensity channel of the contrast contracted or stretched and smoothed image; and
n. compensating the rest of the channels for the change;
whereby relevant features of the image are enhanced and background of an image diminished. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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48. An image enhancement method that substitutes relevant edges and lines with two adjacent lines and diminishes the background of the image comprising the following steps:
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h. capturing the intensity channel I0 (x, y) of the image Im0 (x, y) i. signing the relevant edges and lines by convoluting the intensity channel of the original image with Difference of Gaussian (DOG); I1=(Gσ 0 −
α
·
Gβ
·
σ0 )*I0Where Gσ
(x, y) is a Gaussian function with zero average and σ
Standard deviation,α
is the balance ratio and β
is the space ratio;
j. smoothing all the channels of the original image by convoluting it with an average operator, such as a gaussian smoother; Im2=Gσ 1 *Im0k. contracting (or stretching) the contrast of the intensity channel of the smoothed image between predefined limits, by using percentage enhancement;
where K1 and K2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the smoothed image, and M1 and M2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the contracted (stretched) image;
l. compensating the rest of the channels of Im3 (x, y) for the contraction (or stretching);
m. superimposing the two adjacent lines on the relevant edges and lines in the intensity channel of the contrast contracted (stretched) and smoothed image by using the following rule;
where A and B are the upper and lower thresholds; and
n. compensating the rest of the channels of Im4 (x, y) for the superimposition (f).
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49. An image enhancement method that substitutes relevant edges and lines with two adjacent lines and diminishes the background of an image by using HSV and RGB color image formats comprising the following steps:
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g. capturing the intensity channel V0 (x, y)=max(R0, G0, B0) of the image IM0(x,y);
h. signing the relevant edges and lines by convoluting the intensity channel of the original image with Difference of Gaussian (DOG); V1=(Gσ 0 −
α
·
Gβ
·
σ0 )*V0where Gσ
(x, y) is a Gaussian function with zero average and σ
Standard deviation,α
is the balance ratio and β
is the space ratio;
i. smoothing all the channels of the original image (R0,G0,B0) by convoluting it with an average operator, such as a gaussian smoother; Im2=Gσ 1 *Im0j. contracting (or stretching) the contrast of the intensity channel of the smoothed image V2=max(R2,G2,B2) between predefined limits, by using percentage enhancement;
where K1 and K2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the smoothed image, and M1 and M2 are lower and upper limits in the intensity channel of the contracted (stretched) image;
k. compensating the rest of the channels of Im3 (x, y) for the contraction (or stretching) by keeping the relations l. superimposing the two adjacent lines on relevant edges and lines in the intensity channel of the contrast contracted (stretched) and smoothed image by using the following rule;
where A and B are the upper and lower thresholds; and
g.) compensating the rest of the channels of Im4 (x, y) for the superimposition by keeping the relations
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72. A Psychophysical test for the damage of the visually impaired observer that uses the following steps:
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a. testing the perceived uniformity of line grating with different spatial frequencies;
b. testing the perceived number of missing dots in a regular array of dots with different densities; and
c. testing the perceived uniformity of irregular array of dots with different irregularity levels.
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73. Apparatus for image enhancement for visually impaired that substitutes relevant edges and lines of an image with two adjacent lines and diminishes the background of the image by utilizing an algorithm wherein
a. the intensity channel I0 (x, y) of an image is captured Im0(x, y); -
b. the relevant edges and lines are signed by convoluting the intensity channel of the original image with Difference of Gaussian (DOG); I1=(Gσ 0 −
α
·
Gβ
·
Γ
0)*I0where Gσ
(x, y) is a Gaussian function with zero average and σ
Standard deviation,α
is the balance ratio and β
is the space ratio;
c. all the channels of the original image are smoothing by convoluting it with an average operator, such as a gaussian smoother; Im2=Gσ 1 *Im0;d. the contrast of the intensity channel of the smoothed image is contracting (or stretching) between predefined limits, by using percentage enhancement;
where K1 and K2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the smoothed image, and M1 and M2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the contracted (stretched) image;
k. the rest of the channels of Im3 (x, y) are compensated for the contraction (or stretching);
l. the two adjacent lines on the relevant edges and lines in the intensity channel of the contrast contracted (stretched) and smoothed image are superimposed by using the following rule;
where A and B are the upper and lower thresholds; and
the rest of the channels of Im4 (x, y) are compensated for the superimposition. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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74. Apparatus for image enhancement for visually impaired that substitutes relevant edges and lines of an image with two adjacent lines and diminishes the background of an image by using HSV and RGB color image formats by utilizing an algorithm wherein
g. the intensity channel V0 (x, y)=max(R0,G0, B0) of the image. Im0 (x, y) is captured; -
h. the relevant edges and lines are signed by convoluting the intensity channel of the original image with Difference of Gaussian (DOG); V1=(Gσ 0 −
α
·
Gβ
·
σ0 )*V0where Gσ
(x, y) is a Gaussian function with zero average and σ
Standard deviation,α
is the balance ratio and β
is the space ratio;
i. all the channels of the original image (R0,G0,B0) are smoothed by convoluting it with an average operator, such as a gaussian smoother; Im2=Gσ 1 *Im0;j. the contrast of the intensity channel of the smoothed image V2=max(R2,G2,B2) is contracted (or stretched) between predefined limits, by using percentage enhancement;
where K1 and K2 are lower and upper limits, appropriately, in the intensity channel of the smoothed image, and M1 and M2 are lower and upper limits in the intensity channel of the contracted (stretched) image;
k. the rest of the channels of Im3 (x, y) are compensated for the contraction (or stretching) by keeping the relations l. the two adjacent lines on relevant edges and lines in the intensity channel of the contrast contracted (stretched) and smoothed image are superimposed by using the following rule;
where A and B are the upper and lower thresholds; and
g.) the rest of the channels of Im4 (x, Y) are compensated for the superimposition by keeping the relations
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Specification