METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MODIFYING IMAGE QUALITY
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a system with which the quality of an image derived from or addressed to a chain of appliances can be modified. Formatted information related to defects of the appliances is employed. The method and system: compile directories of sources of formatted information related to the said appliances, search automatically for the formatted information related to the appliances, and modify the image automatically by image-processing software and/or image-processing components by taking into account the obtained formatted information. The formatted information can be modified as a function of variable characteristics of the image to be processed and/or the appliances. With the method and system it is possible to process images derived from appliances that have diverse origins and that have been commercialized gradually over time. Such a method and system are applicable to processing of photographic or video images and in optical instrumentation, industrial controls, robotics, metrology, etc.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1-43. -43. (canceled)
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44. A method of modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the method comprising:
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retrieving, from the digital image data, by an image processing apparatus, identifier information for each device within the appliance chain and variable characteristic information for the at least one device, wherein the identifier information is used by the image processing apparatus to determine the number of devices within the appliance chain, and wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the at least one device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, a computer-readable storage medium including at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the at least one device is generated by calibrating the device model of the same model as the at least one device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the at least one device; retrieving, based upon the search, specific formatted information, wherein the specific formatted information is associated, at least in part, with the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, and wherein the specific formatted information is related, at least in part, to the at least one defect of the at least one device; and modifying the digital image data by the image processing apparatus to correct for the at least one defect using the specific formatted information. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
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48. A system for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the system comprising:
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an image processing apparatus; and a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the image processing apparatus, perform the steps of; retrieving, from the digital image data, identifier information for each device within the appliance chain and variable characteristic information for the at least one device, wherein the identifier information is used by the image processing apparatus to determine the number of devices within the appliance chain, and wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the at least one device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the at least one device is generated by calibrating the device model of the same model as the at least one device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the at least one device; retrieving, based upon the search, specific formatted information, wherein the specific formatted information is associated, at least in part, with the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, and wherein the specific formatted information is related, at least in part, to the at least one defect of the at least one device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect using the specific formatted information.
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49. A computer-readable storage medium for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more individual media and storing instructions that, when executed by an image processing apparatus, perform the steps of:
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retrieving, from the digital image data, identifier information for each device within the appliance chain and variable characteristic information for the at least one device, wherein the identifier information is used by the image processing apparatus to determine the number of devices within the appliance chain, and wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the at least one device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the at least one device is generated by calibrating the device model of the same model as the at least one device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the at least one device; retrieving, based upon the search, specific formatted information, wherein the specific formatted information is associated, at least in part, with the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, and wherein the specific formatted information is related, at least in part, to the at least one defect of the at least one device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect using the specific formatted information.
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50. A computer-implemented method for the delivery of a software application comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at a server computer, a request to download over a network a software application for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information; in response to the request, providing by the server computer over the network the software application including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of; retrieving, from the digital image data, identifier information for each device within the appliance chain and variable characteristic information for the at least one device, wherein the identifier information is used by the processor to determine the number of devices within the appliance chain, and wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the at least one device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, a computer-readable storage medium including at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the at least one device is generated by calibrating the device model of the same model as the at least one device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the at least one device; retrieving, based upon the search, specific formatted information, wherein the specific formatted information is associated, at least in part, with the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, and wherein the specific formatted information is related, at least in part, to the at least one defect of the at least one device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect using the specific formatted information.
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51. A method of modifying digital image data produced by an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the method comprising:
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retrieving, by a processor, identifier information and variable characteristic information associated with the device, from the digital image data, wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, a computer-readable storage medium including at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the device is generated by calibrating or simulating the device model of the same model as the device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect based upon the searched formatted information.
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52. A system for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the system comprising:
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an image processing apparatus; and a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the image processing apparatus, perform the steps of; retrieving identifier information and variable characteristic information associated with the device, from the digital image data, wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the device is generated by calibrating or simulating the device model of the same model as the device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect based upon the searched formatted information.
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53. A computer-readable storage medium for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information, the computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more individual media and storing instructions that, when executed by an image processing apparatus, perform the steps of:
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retrieving identifier information and variable characteristic information associated with the device, from the digital image data, wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the device is generated by calibrating or simulating the device model of the same model as the device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect based upon the searched formatted information.
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54. A computer-implemented method for the delivery of a software application comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at a server computer, a request to download over a network a software application for modifying digital image data associated with an imaging appliance chain, the appliance chain including at least one device exhibiting at least one defect that can be characterized by formatted information; in response to the request, providing by the server computer over the network a software application including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of; retrieving identifier information and variable characteristic information associated with the device, from the digital image data, wherein the variable characteristic information represents at least one setting of the device made during capture of the digital image data; searching, based upon the identifier information and the variable characteristic information, at least one compiled directory of formatted information related to a plurality of device models and organized by device model, wherein the formatted information related to a device model of the same model as the device is generated by calibrating or simulating the device model of the same model as the device based upon characteristics of the device model of the same model as the device; and modifying the digital image data to correct for the at least one defect based upon the searched formatted information.
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Specification