Tone selective adjustment of images

• US 20050074179A1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilensky, Gregg D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20216 Image averaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing an image. A first tone value is determined for a location within the image based upon attributes of pixels within a first neighborhood surrounding the location. The first tone value specifies a local weight for a first tone adjustment in the image. A second tone value is determined for the location based upon attributes of pixels within a second neighborhood surrounding the location. The second tone value specifies a local weight for a second tone adjustment in the image. The image is adjusted at the location using the first and second tone adjustments according to the local weights specified by the first and second tone values, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for processing an image, the method comprising:

determining a first tone value for a location within the image based upon attributes of pixels within a first neighborhood surrounding the location, the first tone value specifying a local weight for a first tone adjustment in the image;

determining a second tone value for the location based upon attributes of pixels within a second neighborhood surrounding the location, the second tone value specifying a local weight for a second tone adjustment in the image; and

adjusting the image at the location using the first and second tone adjustments according to the local weights specified by the first and second tone values, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first tone value or the second tone value is determined based upon a neighborhood intensity that is a measure of values of a local attribute specified by pixels within the first or second neighborhood, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute depends on luminosity of the pixel.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute depends on a maximum color value of the pixel.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute is a weighted average of a luminosity and a maximum color value of the pixel.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the neighborhood intensity is determined by averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood includes averaging the values of the local attribute according to gaussian weights that are assigned to each pixel in the neighborhood based upon a distance between the pixel and the location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood includes averaging the values of the local attribute according to weights that are assigned to each pixel in the neighborhood based upon a difference between the local attribute at the pixel and the location.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a range of the neighborhood intensity for which the first or second tone value is substantially different from a reference value.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second tone value is specified by a first or second tone function of the neighborhood intensity, respectively, the method further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a functional shape for the first or second tone function.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first neighborhood and the second neighborhood are substantially identical.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a graphics object within the image, the location lying inside the graphics object; and

restricting the first and second neighborhoods inside the graphics object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

identifying the graphics object includes identifying lines or edges in the image.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more additional tone values for the location, each of the additional tone values specifying a local weight for a corresponding tone adjustment in the image; and

wherein adjusting the image at the location includes using each of the additional tone adjustments according to the corresponding tone value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

at least one of the additional tone values is determined based on the first and second tone values.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a characteristic size of the first neighborhood or the second neighborhood.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a strength for the first or second tone adjustment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second tone adjustments are related to each other by a negative symmetry.

19. A system for image processing, the system comprising:

a local adjustment tool to adjust an image including a plurality of pixels, the local adjustment tool including two or more tone components, each of the tone components specifying a corresponding tone adjustment and being configured to determine a corresponding tone value for a location within the image based upon attributes of pixels within a neighborhood surrounding the location, each tone value specifying a local weight for the corresponding tone adjustment, wherein the local adjustment tool is configured to adjust the image at the location using the corresponding tone adjustment of each of the tone components according to the local weight specified by the corresponding tone value.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an image capturing device to generate the image.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the image capturing device includes a digital camera or a scanner.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a display device to display the image.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the display device is implemented in a portable device.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the tone components specifies an adjustment parameter for the corresponding tone adjustment the system further comprising:

a user interface to set a value for the adjustment parameter.

43. The system of claim 20, wherein the image capturing device includes a CCD device.

44. The system of claim 20, wherein the local adjustment tool is configured to provide feedback to the image capturing device.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the image capturing device is configured to locally adjust sensitivity based on the feedback to generate an adjusted image.

46. The system of claim 23, wherein the portable device includes a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, or both.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein at least a portion of the local adjustment tool is implemented in a remote server.

48. The system of claim 23, wherein the local adjustment tool is implemented in the portable device.

25. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, for processing an image, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining a first tone value for a location within the image based upon attributes of pixels within a first neighborhood surrounding the location, the first tone value specifying a local weight for a first tone adjustment in the image;

determining a second tone value for the location based upon attributes of pixels within a second neighborhood surrounding the location, the second tone value specifying a local weight for a second tone adjustment in the image; and

adjusting the image at the location using the first and second tone adjustments according to the local weights specified by the first and second tone values, respectively.

26. The software product of claim 25, wherein:

the first tone value or the second tone value is determined based upon a neighborhood intensity that is a measure of values of a local attribute specified by pixels within the first or second neighborhood, respectively.

27. The software product of claim 26, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute depends on luminosity of the pixel.

28. The software product of claim 26, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute depends on a maximum color value of the pixel.

29. The software product of claim 26, wherein:

for each pixel in the corresponding neighborhood, the value of the local attribute is a weighted average of a luminosity and a maximum color value of the pixel.

30. The software product of claim 26, wherein:

the neighborhood intensity is determined by averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood.

31. The software product of claim 30, wherein:

averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood includes averaging the values of the local attribute according to gaussian weights that are assigned to each pixel in the neighborhood based upon a distance between the pixel and the location.

32. The software product of claim 30, wherein:

averaging the values of the local attribute for pixels within the corresponding neighborhood includes averaging the values of the local attribute according to weights that are assigned to each pixel in the neighborhood based upon a difference between the local attribute at the pixel and the location.

33. The software product of claim 26, further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input selecting a range of the neighborhood intensity for which the first or second tone value is substantially different from a reference value.

34. The software product of claim 26, wherein the first or second tone value is specified by a first or second tone function of the neighborhood intensity, respectively, the software product further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input specifying a functional shape for the first or second tone function.

35. The software product of claim 25, wherein:

the first neighborhood and the second neighborhood are substantially identical.

36. The software product of claim 25, further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a graphics object within the image, the location lying inside the graphics object; and

restricting the first and second neighborhoods inside the graphics object.

37. The software product of claim 36, wherein:

identifying the graphics object includes identifying lines or edges in the image.

38. The software product of claim 25, further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining one or more additional tone values for the location, each of the additional tone values specifying a local weight for a corresponding tone adjustment in the image; and

wherein adjusting the image at the location includes using each of the additional tone adjustments according to the corresponding tone value.

39. The software product of claim 38, wherein:

at least one of the additional tone values is determined based on the first and second tone values.

40. The software product of claim 25, farther comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input specifying a characteristic size of the first neighborhood or the second neighborhood.

41. The software product of claim 25, further comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input specifying a strength for the first or second tone adjustment.

42. The software product of claim 25, wherein the first and second tone adjustments are related to each other by a negative symmetry.