Registration of Separations

• US 20100150469A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.), Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC Delaware Corporations, Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlmutter, Sharon M., Perlmutter, Keren O., Wang, Eric, Gasparri, Massimiliano, Klamer, Paul R., Cookson, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/266
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20064 Wavelet transform [DWT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20192 Edge enhancement; Edge preservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/403 Edge-driven scaling; Edge-based scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4084 in the transform domain, e.g. fast Fourier transform [FFT] domain scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/10 using non-spatial domain filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/38 Registration of image sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/58 Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression, e.g. colour misregistration correction H04N1/62 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/15 Image signal generation with circuitry for avoiding or correcting image misregistration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/11 Scanning of colour motion picture films, e.g. for telecine

Abstract

Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation.

Claims

1. A method of performing registration of digitized images, the method comprising:

selecting at least two area from each of a first image and a second image;

determining separate transformations for the selected areas of the first image based on a comparison of areas within the first and second images; and

applying a feathering technique within a predetermined amount of at least two neighboring areas within the selected areas in order to obtain new transformations for the predetermined areas if the transformations for the neighboring areas differ, where the new transformations are based on the separate transformations.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying the determined transformations to the selected areas of the first image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the transformations for the at least two areas are represented as alignment vectors; and

applying the feathering technique comprises linearly interpolating between alignment vectors in the predetermined amount of the selected areas to obtain to obtain new alignment vectors for the predetermined amount of the areas.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the images correspond to color film separations.

5. A method of performing registration of digitized images, the method comprising:

selecting a first area in each of a first image and a second image;

determining which pixels in the first areas of the first and second images are feature pixels;

comparing the first areas of the first and second images by weighting (a) a comparison of feature pixels in the first area of the first image with corresponding pixels in the first area of the second image differently than (b) a comparison of non-feature pixels in the first area of the first image with corresponding pixels in the first area of the second image; and

determining a transformation for the first area of the first image based on the comparison of the first areas of the first and second images.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second images are based on digitized color film separations.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein weighting comprises accumulating a non-zero distortion only if a pixel in the first area of the first image has been classified as a feature and a corresponding pixel in the first area of the second image has not been classified as a feature.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the features are edges.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein weighting comprises associating a weight of zero to the comparison of non-feature pixels in the first area of the first image with corresponding pixels in the first area of the second image, such that the comparison involving non-feature pixels in the first area of the first image need not be performed.

10. A method of performing registration of digitized images, the method comprising:

selecting a first area from each of a first image and a second image;

detecting a first set of features in the first area of the first image;

determining a second set of features consisting of the features from within the first set that include a first predetermined amount of information;

determining whether the second set of features is collectively sufficient to provide a meaningful comparison; and

determining, if the second set of features is deemed collectively sufficient, a transformation for the first area of the first image based on a comparison of the first area of the first image with areas of the second image.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining whether the second set of features is sufficient comprises determining whether the second set collectively includes a second predetermined amount of information.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first set of features includes a set of features that are oriented in a particular direction.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the first areas of the first and second images include pixels, and

determining the transformation comprises;

determining which pixels in the first areas of the first and second images are feature pixels, and

weighting (a) a comparison of feature pixels in the first area of the first image with corresponding pixels in the first area of the second image differently than (b) a comparison of non-feature pixels in the first area of the first image with corresponding pixels in the first area of the second image.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the images are based on digitized spectral separations.

15. A method of performing registration of digitized images, the method comprising:

selecting automatically a first area in each of a first image and a second image;

determining automatically a transformation for the first area in the first image based on a comparison of the first area of the first image with corresponding areas of the second image; and

applying automatically the transformation to the first area in the first image, wherein a film distortion is reduced.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

performing the method for a second area in the first image that is not isolated from the first area, wherein the two transformations are represented as alignment vectors that differ; and

applying a feathering technique to the first and second areas within a predetermined amount of the first and second areas in order to obtain new alignment vectors within the predetermined amount where the new alignment vectors are based on the first and second alignment vectors.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

performing the method for multiple areas in the first image; and

determining the transformations for the multiple areas in an order of increasing radial distance.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the transformation comprises:

selecting automatically a feature in the first areas of the first and second images; and

using a feature-based measure to compare the first areas of the first and second images.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the transformation comprises:

detecting automatically a feature in the first area of the first image;

eliminating automatically parts of the feature that do not contain a predetermined amount of information; and

determining whether parts of the feature that were not eliminated provide a basis for meaningful comparison.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether the parts not eliminated provide a basis for meaningful comparison comprises determining whether the parts not eliminated collectively contain a second predetermined amount of information.