METHOD FOR INFRARED IMAGE CORRECTION AND ENHANCEMENT

• US 20090073262A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Fielding, Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/11 Scanning of colour motion picture films, e.g. for telecine

Abstract

A method for correcting defects in one or more frames of motion picture film, the method includes the steps of generating an image that includes an infrared channel and one or more color channels; providing an infrared unbuilding model that includes at least one non-linear component that accounts for cross-talk between the one or more color channels and the infrared channel; providing one or more parameters for the infrared unbuilding model; and applying the infrared unbuilding model parameters to the infrared unbuilding model to remove cross-talk between the one or more color channels and the infrared channel to generate an independent infrared channel that is free or substantially free of color channel content.

Claims

1. A method for correcting defects in one or more frames of motion picture film, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating an image that includes an infrared channel and one or more color channels;

(b) providing an infrared unbuilding model that includes at least one non-linear component that accounts for cross-talk between the one or more color channels and the infrared channel;

(c) providing one or more parameters for the infrared unbuilding model; and

(d) applying the infrared unbuilding model parameters to the infrared unbuilding model to remove cross-talk between the one or more color channels and the infrared channel to generate an independent infrared channel that is free or substantially free of color channel content.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises analyzing the one or more color channels and the infrared channel to estimate parameters of the unbuilding model.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises providing a piecewise linear model with at least two segments as the unbuilding model.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises providing a lookup table as the unbuilding model.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises providing a polynomial as the unbuilding model.

6. The method as in claim 2, wherein step (c) further comprises using regression to determine the parameters for the infrared unbuilding model.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises using a predetermined set of parameters for the unbuilding model for a particular film stock.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:

(i) estimating the parameters for the infrared unbuilding model from the one or more color channels and the infrared channel;

(ii) comparing the estimated parameters to a known plurality of parameters each for known film stock; and

(iii) using at least one known set of parameters from the known plurality of parameters as a set of final parameters for the infrared unbuilding model.

9. The method as in claim 2, wherein step (c) further comprises using an iterative estimation process to determine the parameters in which at least one pixel from the one or more color channels is excluded in a subsequent iteration.