System and method for tone composition

• US 20050094891A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Stavely, Donald J., Battles, Amy E., Stockton, Kenneth R., Miner, Kathy Louise, Barrios, Sarah J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4072 dependent on the contents of the original

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for assisting in tone composition of an image. Briefly described, one embodiment comprises receiving light information corresponding to light detected by a plurality of pixels, analyzing the light information to determine a light value for each of the plurality of pixels, determining contour information, the contour information corresponding to a plurality of groups of adjacent pixels, wherein each group of adjacent pixels is characterized by a unique predetermined range of light values, and communicating the contour information to a display.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in tone composition of an image, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving light information corresponding to light detected by a plurality of pixels;

analyzing the light information to determine a light value for each of the plurality of pixels;

determining contour information, the contour information corresponding to a plurality of groups of adjacent pixels, wherein each group of adjacent pixels is characterized by a unique predetermined range of light values; and

communicating the contour information to a display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining tone contour regions, each tone contour region corresponding uniquely to one of the groups of adjacent pixels characterized by the unique predetermined range of light values.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of displaying the tone contour regions concurrently with the image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying further comprises the step of displaying the tone contour region with a warning color.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying further comprises the step of displaying the tone contour region with an indicia.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying further comprises the step of displaying the tone contour region with an indicia corresponding to a zone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining tone contour lines, each tone contour line corresponding to a transition between a first group of adjacent pixels characterized by a unique first predetermined range of light values and a second group of adjacent pixels characterized by a unique second predetermined range of light values.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of displaying the tone contour lines concurrently with the image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the received light information from a first group of adjacent pixels from an initial value to an adjusted value such that the adjusted light information for the first group is adjusted to an adjusted predetermined range of light values.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining an adjusted tone contour region, the adjusted tone contour region corresponding to the first group of adjacent pixels characterized by the adjusted predetermined range of light values; and

displaying the adjusted tone contour region concurrently with the image.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining an adjusted tone contour line, the adjusted tone contour line corresponding to a transition between the first group of adjacent pixels characterized by the adjusted predetermined range of light values and another group of adjacent pixels characterized by a unique other predetermined range of light values; and

displaying the adjusted tone contour line concurrently with the image.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of adjusting the received light information from a second group of adjacent pixels from a second initial value to a second adjusted value such that the adjusted light information for the second group is adjusted to a second adjusted predetermined range of light values.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of adjusting further comprises the step of adjusting exposure of the first group of adjacent pixels from an initial exposure to an adjusted exposure.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of adjusting further comprises the step of adjusting a zone of the first group of adjacent pixels from an initial zone to an adjusted zone, the initial zone corresponding to an indicia indicating the unique predetermined range of light values and the adjusted zone corresponding to an adjusted indicia indicating an adjusted unique predetermined range of light values.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of adjusting further comprises the step of adjusting a tone of the first group of adjacent pixels from an initial tone to an adjusted tone, the initial tone corresponding to an initial indicia indicating the unique predetermined range of light values and the adjusted tone corresponding to an adjusted indicia indicating an adjusted unique predetermined range of light values.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the light information further comprises the step of receiving the light information from a photosensor.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the light information further comprises the step of receiving a captured image from a memory, the captured image having the light information.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the contour information from light information received from an exposure detector;

correlating the determined contour information with light information from a photosensor;

identifying groups of adjacent pixels of the photosensor, each group of adjacent pixels characterized by the unique predetermined range of light values corresponding to the contour information; and

adjusting a portion of the light information for at least one group of adjacent pixels from an initial value to an adjusted value such that the adjusted light information is adjusted to a second predetermined range of light values.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of capturing the image with the adjusted light information.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the contour information for a group of adjacent pixels that are overexposed; and

displaying the contour information for the overexposed pixels as a tone contour region with an indicia indicating an overexposed condition.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the contour information for a group of adjacent pixels that are underexposed; and

displaying the contour information for the underexposed pixels as a tone contour region with an indicia indicating an underexposed condition.

22. A device that assists in tone composition of an image, comprising:

a photosensor comprising a plurality of pixels that detect light;

a processor that receives light information from the pixels, that analyzes the light information to determine a light value for each of the plurality of pixels and that determines contour information, the contour information corresponding to a plurality of groups of adjacent pixels, wherein each group of adjacent pixels is characterized by a unique predetermined range of light values; and

a display configured to display the contour information and a preview image.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a controller that when actuated the processor adjusts the received light information from a first group of adjacent pixels from an initial value to an adjusted value, such that the adjusted light information for the first group of adjacent pixels is adjusted to an adjusted predetermined range of light values.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising an exposure detector that communicates detector light information to the processor wherein the contour information is determined from the received detector light information.

25. The device of claim 22, further comprising a viewfinder configured to display the contour information and a preview image.

26. The device of claim 22, further comprising a memory wherein image data comprising at least the adjusted light information is saved.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein the device comprises an image capture device.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the device comprises a processing system.

29. A system for assisting in tone composition of an image, comprising:

means for receiving light information corresponding to light detected by a plurality of pixels;

means for analyzing the light information to determine a light value for each of the plurality of pixels;

means for determining contour information, the contour information corresponding to a plurality of groups of adjacent pixels, wherein each group of adjacent pixels is characterized by a unique predetermined range of light values;

means for determining tone contour regions, each tone contour region corresponding uniquely to one of the groups of pixels; and

means for communicating the tone contour regions to a display so that a preview image and the tone contour regions are concurrently displayed.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for adjusting the received light information from a first group of adjacent pixels from an initial value to an adjusted value such that the adjusted light information for the first group of adjacent pixels is adjusted to an adjusted predetermined range of light values.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for saving image data into a memory, the image data comprising at least the adjusted light information.

32. A computer-readable medium having a program for assisting in tone composition of an image, the program comprising logic configured to perform the steps of:

means for receiving light information corresponding to light detected by a plurality of pixels;

analyzing the light information to determine a light value for each of the plurality of pixels;

determining contour information, the contour information corresponding to a plurality of groups of adjacent pixels, wherein each group of adjacent pixels is characterized by a unique predetermined range of light values;

determining tone contour regions, each tone contour region corresponding uniquely to one of the groups of pixels; and

communicating the tone contour regions to a display so that a preview image and the tone contour regions are concurrently displayed.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising logic configured to perform the steps of:

adjusting the received light information from a first group of adjacent pixels from an initial value to an adjusted value such that the adjusted light information for the first group of adjacent pixels is adjusted to an adjusted predetermined range of light values; and

saving image data into a memory, the image data comprising at least the adjusted light information.