A system and method for superimposing images
First Claim
1. An image enhancement system including:
- means for storing a representation of a first image;
means for creating a superimposed image by superimposing a second image over portions of the representation of the first image;
means for automatically marking a plurality of locations along the boundary in the superimposed image between portions containing part of the first image and portions containing part of the second image;
means for performing a graphic smoothing function, including means for changing the light value associated with a given picture element to be more equivalent to the light value of picture elements in its vicinity; and
means for automatically causing said means for performing a graphic smoothing function to perform said function in the vaccination of each of said marked locations, so as to automatically smooth the boundary between the first and second images in said superimposed image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image enhancement system and method includes means for superimposing a second image, such as a hair style image, over portions of a first image, such as an image of a person'"'"'s face. The system or method further automatically marks locations along the boundary between the first and second images and automatically calls a graphic smoothing function in the vaccination of the marked locations, so the boundary between the images is automatically smoothed. Preferably, the smoothing function calculates a new color value for a given pixel in the vicinity of such a marked location in at least two smoothing steps, the first of which calculates the color value for each of a plurality of pixels adjacent to the given pixel by combining color values from pixels which are separated, respectively, from each of those plurality of pixels by a distance of more than one pixel. The second step calculates the new color value for the given pixel by combining the color value of each of the plurality of pixels. When used to superimpose hair styles, the system includes means for defining locations on the hair style image, means for defining locations on the head image, means for superimposing the hair style image on the head image so that the defined locations on the hair style image fit those on the head image; and means for altering the size of the hair style in horizontal and vertical directions without altering the fit of the defined locations on the hair style image to the defined locations on the head image. Preferably, in frontal images, both ears and the center of the hair line are used as the defined locations. In a side view, one ear and the center of the hair line are used as the defined locations.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An image enhancement system including:
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means for storing a representation of a first image; means for creating a superimposed image by superimposing a second image over portions of the representation of the first image; means for automatically marking a plurality of locations along the boundary in the superimposed image between portions containing part of the first image and portions containing part of the second image; means for performing a graphic smoothing function, including means for changing the light value associated with a given picture element to be more equivalent to the light value of picture elements in its vicinity; and means for automatically causing said means for performing a graphic smoothing function to perform said function in the vaccination of each of said marked locations, so as to automatically smooth the boundary between the first and second images in said superimposed image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An image enhancement system including:
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means for storing a representation of a first image containing a representation of a human head; means for storing a hair style image; means for defining certain locations on said hair style image; means for defining certain locations on said representation of a human head; means for superimposing and scaling said hair style image on said image of a human head so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head; and means for altering the size of said hair style in horizontal and vertical directions without altering the fit of said defined locations on said hair style image to said defined locations on said representation of a human head. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An image enhancement system including:
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means for storing a representation of a first image containing a frontal view of a human head; means for storing a frontal image of a hair style; means for defining locations corresponding to both ears and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said hair style image; means for defining locations corresponding to both said ears and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said frontal view of a human head; and means for superimposing said hair style image on said image of a human head, including means for translating and scaling the hair style image so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head.
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10. An image enhancement system including:
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means for storing a representation of a first image containing a side view of a human head; means for storing a corresponding side image of a hair style; means for defining locations corresponding to one ear and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said hair style image; means for defining locations corresponding to one ear and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said side view of a human head; and means for superimposing said hair style image on said image of a human head, including means for translating and scaling the hair style image so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head.
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11. A method for enhancing an image including the steps of:
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storing a representation of a first image; creating a superimposed image by superimposing a second image over portions of the representation of the first image; automatically marking a plurality of locations along the boundary in the superimposed image between portions containing part of the first image and portions containing part of the second image; performing a graphic smoothing function which changes the light value associated with a given picture element to be more equivalent to the light value of picture elements in its vicinity; and automatically performing said graphic smoothing function in the vicinity of each of said marked locations, so as to automatically smooth the boundary between the first and second images in said superimposed image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for enhancing an image including:
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storing a representation of a first image containing a representation of a human head; storing a hair style image; defining certain locations on said hair style image; defining certain locations on said representation of a human head; superimposing and scaling said hair style image on said image of a human head so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head; and altering the size of said hair style in horizontal and vertical directions without altering the fit of said defined locations on said hair style image to said defined locations on said representation of a human head. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for enhancing an image including:
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storing a representation of a first image containing a frontal view of a human head; storing a frontal image of a hair style; defining locations corresponding to both ears and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said hair style image; defining locations corresponding to both said ears and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said frontal view of a human head; and superimposing said hair style image on said image of a human head, including translating and scaling the hair style image so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head.
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20. A method for enhancing an image including:
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storing a representation of a first image containing a side view of a human head; storing a corresponding side image of a hair style; defining locations corresponding to one ear and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said hair style image; defining locations corresponding to one ear and the hair line in the center of the forehead on said side view of a human head; and superimposing said hair style image on said image of a human head, including translating and scaling the hair style image so that said defined locations on said hair style image fit on said defined locations on said representation of a human head.
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Specification