Method and system for providing formatted data to image processing means in accordance with a standard format

• US 20050002586A1
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lens Correction Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: DXO Labs
• Inventors: Guichard, Frederic, Liege, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/10 Selection of transformation methods according to the characteristics of the input images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/80 Geometric correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00007 relating to particular apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00045 using a reference pattern designed for the purpose, e.g. a test chart
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00071 characterised by the action taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40093 Modification of content of picture, e.g. retouching geometric modifications H04N1/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/58 Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression, e.g. colour misregistration correction H04N1/62 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for providing, in accordance with a standard format, formatted information to an image-processor, especially software and/or components. The formatted information is related to defects of a chain of appliances including an image-capture appliance and/or an image-restitution appliance. The image-processor uses the formatted data to modify the quality of at least one image derived from or addressed to the chain of appliances. The formatted information includes data characterizing defects of the image-capture appliance, especially distortion characteristics, and/or data characterizing defects of the image-restitution appliance, especially distortion characteristics. The method fills in at least one field of the standard format with the formatted information. This field is designated by a field name and contains at least one field value.

Claims

1-32. -32. (Canceled).

33. A method for providing formatted information in a standard format to an image-processor, the formatted information being related to defects of an appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one image-capture appliance and/or one image-restitution appliance, the image-processor using the formatted information to modify quality of at least one image derived from or addressed to the appliance chain;

the formatted information including;

data characterizing the defects of the image-capture appliance; and

/or

data characterizing the defects of the image-restitution appliance;

the method comprising;

filling in at least one field of the standard format with the formatted information, the field being designated by a field name, the field containing at least one field value.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the field is related to sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein the field is related to colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

36. A method according to claim 33, wherein the field is related to geometric distortion defects and/or to geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the geometric distortion defects and/or to the geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

37. A method according to claim 33, wherein the field is related to geometric vignetting defects and/or to contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the geometric vignetting defects and/or to the contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

38. A method according to claim 33, wherein the field contains at least one value related to deviations.

39. A method according to claim 34, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the sharpness defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model;

wherein the image-processor can use the parameters of the parameterizable transformation model to calculate a corrected shape or corrected restitution shape of a point of the image.

40. A method according to claim 35, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the colorimetry defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model;

wherein the image-processor can use the parameters of the parameterizable transformation model to calculate a corrected color or corrected restitution color of a point of the image.

41. A method according to claim 36, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the geometric distortion defects and/or of the geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the geometric distortion defects and/or to the geometric chromatic aberration defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model;

wherein the image-processor can use the parameters of the parameterizable transformation model to calculate a corrected position or the corrected restitution position of a point of the image.

42. A method according to claim 37, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the geometric vignetting defects and/or of the contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the geometric vignetting defects and/or to the contrast defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model;

wherein the image-processor can use the parameters of the parameterizable transformation model to calculate a corrected intensity or the corrected restitution intensity of a point of the image.

43. A method according to claim 33, wherein to provide the formatted information in a standard format to the image-processor, the method further comprises associating the formatted information with the image.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein the image is transmitted in a form of a file, the file further containing the formatted information.

45. A method according to claim 33, wherein the image-capture appliance and/or the image-restitution appliance includes at least one variable characteristic depending on the image, at least one of the defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance depending on the at least one variable characteristic, wherein at least one of the fields contains at least one value that is a function of the at least one variable characteristic depending on the image;

wherein the image-processor can process the image as a function of the variable characteristics.

46. A method according to claim 33, wherein the formatted information is measured formatted information, at least in part.

47. A method according to claim 33, wherein the formatted information is extended formatted information, at least in part.

48. A method according to claim 33, wherein the image is composed of color planes, the formatted information being at least partly related to the color planes.

49. A system for providing formatted information in a standard format to an image-processor, the formatted information being related to defects of an appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one image-capture appliance and/or one image-restitution appliance, the image-processor using the formatted information to modify quality of at least one image derived from or addressed to the appliance chain;

the formatted information including;

data characterizing the defects of the image-capture appliance; and

/or

data characterizing the defects of the image-restitution appliance;

the system comprising;

a data-processor configured to fill in at least one field of the standard format with the formatted information, the field being designated by a field name, the field containing at least one field value.

50. A system according to claim 49, wherein the field is related to sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

51. A system according to claim 49, wherein the field is related to colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

52. A system according to claim 49, wherein the field is related to geometric distortion defects and/or to geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the geometric distortion defects and/or to the geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

53. A system according to claim 49, wherein the field is related to geometric vignetting defects and/or to contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the field contains at least one value related to the geometric vignetting defects and/or to the contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance.

54. A system according to claim 49, wherein the field contains at least one value related to deviations.

55. A system according to claim 50, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the sharpness defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the sharpness defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model.

56. A system according to claim 51, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the colorimetry defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the colorimetry defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model.

57. A system according to claim 52, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the geometric distortion defects and/or of the geometric chromatic aberration defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the geometric distortion defects and/or to the geometric chromatic aberration defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model.

58. A system according to claim 53, wherein the formatted information is composed at least partly of parameters of a parameterizable transformation model representative of the geometric vignetting defects and/or of the contrast defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance, wherein the value or values contained in the field related to the geometric vignetting defects and/or to the contrast defects are composed at least partly of parameters of the parameterizable transformation model.

59. A system according to claim 49, wherein to provide the formatted information in a standard format to the image-processor, the system further comprises a data-processor configured to associate the formatted information with the image.

60. A system according to claim 59, further comprising a transmission device to transmit the image in a form of a file, the file further containing the formatted information.

61. A system according to claim 49, wherein the image-capture appliance and/or the image-restitution appliance include at least one variable characteristic depending on the image, at least one of the defects of the image-capture appliance and/or of the image-restitution appliance depending on the at least one variable characteristic, wherein at least one of the fields contains at least one value that is a function of the at least one variable characteristic depending on the image.

62. A system according to claim 49, wherein the formatted information is measured formatted information, at least in part.

63. A system according to claim 49, wherein the formatted information is extended formatted information, at least in part.

64. A system according to claim 49, wherein the image is composed of color planes, the formatted information being at least partly related to the color planes.