Photobooth compositing apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of combining an image of a subject with an image of an arbitrary background to thereby form a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a first image of a reference backdrop and storing a first plurality of first image data values respectively representative of the contents of said first image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within said first image;
(b) generating a second image of said subject situated in the presence of said reference backdrop and storing a second plurality of second image data values respectively representative of the contents of said second image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations;
(c) storing a third plurality of third image data values respectively representative of the contents of a third image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations;
(d) for each of plural sets of image locations within said array, processing color contents of the associated data values for each of said first and second images, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject; and
(e) combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said second plurality of second image data values and said third plurality of third image data values, to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image capture and compositing apparatus for a photobooth (10) photographs a customer against a fixed color background (28), extracts the customer from that image and then inserts the extracted customer image into an arbitrary background image in such a manner that there are no noticeable artifacts between the inserted image and the background image and so that it appears that the subject was actually situated in the background scene when photographed. The imagery processing mechanism employed generates a pair of masks, one of which is associated with the foreground image and the other of which is associated with the background image. These masks are used to extract the subject (160) from an image of the subject against a reference color backdrop, to define what portion of the background image is to be blanked out and to controllably blend the border of the inserted subject image with the background image. The photobooth contains a customer lighting system (50,42) located above and behind the position where the customer is seated. A separate backdrop lighting system (32) is located behind the customer and illuminates a blue reference backdrop against which the customer is photographed and which is photographed per se to provide a reference for mask production.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of combining an image of a subject with an image of an arbitrary background to thereby form a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a first image of a reference backdrop and storing a first plurality of first image data values respectively representative of the contents of said first image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within said first image; (b) generating a second image of said subject situated in the presence of said reference backdrop and storing a second plurality of second image data values respectively representative of the contents of said second image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (c) storing a third plurality of third image data values respectively representative of the contents of a third image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (d) for each of plural sets of image locations within said array, processing color contents of the associated data values for each of said first and second images, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject; and (e) combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said second plurality of second image data values and said third plurality of third image data values, to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of forming a composite image of a subject and an image of an arbitrary background comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating a prescribed color backdrop in front of which said subject is to be situated and generating a first image of said prescribed color backdrop; (b) storing a first plurality of first image data values respectively representative of the contents of said first image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within said first image; (c) illuminating said backdrop and a subject situated in front of said prescribed color backdrop and generating a second image of said subject and said illuminated backdrop; (d) storing a second plurality of second image data values respectively representative of the contents of said second image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (e) storing a third plurality of third image data values respectively representative of the contents of a third image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (f) for each of plural sets of image locations within said array, processing color contents of the associated data values for each of said first and second images, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject; and (g) combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said second plurality of second image data values and said third plurality of third image data values to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forming a composite image of a subject and an image of an arbitrary background comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating a prescribed color backdrop in front of which said subject is to be situated and generating a first image of said prescribed color backdrop; (b) storing, in a backdrop imagery database, a first plurality of first image data values respectively representative of the contents of said first image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within said first image; (c) illuminating said backdrop and a subject situated in front of said prescribed color backdrop and generating a second image of said subject and said illuminated backdrop; (d) storing, in a subject imagery database, a second plurality of second image data values respectively representative of the contents of said second image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (e) storing, in a background imagery database, a third plurality of third image data values respectively representative of the contents of a third image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; (f) for each respective pixel location within said array, processing color contents of associated data values for a plurality of pixel locations, including said each respective pixel location, of said first and second images contained in said backdrop and subject databases, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject; and (g) combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said third plurality of third image data values in said background database, and said second plurality of second image data values, to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A photobooth image processing apparatus for generating a composite image of a subject and an arbitrary background, said photobooth having a reference colored backdrop situated behind a location whereat a subject is to be situated comprising, in combination:
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an imaging camera arranged to view said backdrop, and said subject, when present in the photobooth, against said backdrop; a backdrop imaging arrangement which illuminates said backdrop in front of which said subject is to be situated and causes said imaging camera to generate an image of said backdrop and produce a first plurality of backdrop image data values respectively representative of the contents of said backdrop image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within backdrop first image; a backdrop image database which stores said first plurality of backdrop image data values; a subject imaging arrangement which illuminates said backdrop and said subject against said backdrop and causes said imaging camera to generate a subject image of said subject against said backdrop and to produce a second plurality of subject image data values respectively representative of the contents of said subject image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; a subject image database which stores said second plurality of subject image data values respectively representative of the contents of said subject image at said plurality of locations of said array; a background image database which stores a third plurality of background image data values respectively representative of the contents of a background image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array; and an imagery data processor which, for each of plural sets of image locations within said array, processes color contents of the associated data values for each of said backdrop and subject images, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject, said imagery data processor combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said second plurality of subject image data values and said third plurality of background image data values to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A photobooth image processing apparatus for generating a composite image of a subject and an arbitrary background, said photobooth having a prescribed color backdrop situated behind a location whereat a subject is to be situated when imaged comprising, in combination:
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an imaging camera arranged to view said backdrop, and said subject, when present in the photobooth, against said backdrop; a backdrop imaging arrangement which illuminates said backdrop in front of which said subject is to be situated and causes said imaging camera to generate an image of said backdrop and produce a first plurality of backdrop image data values respectively representative of the contents of said backdrop image at a plurality of locations of an array of image locations within backdrop first image; a backdrop image database which stores said first plurality of backdrop image data values; a subject imaging arrangement which illuminates said backdrop and said subject against said backdrop and causes said imaging camera to generate a subject image of said subject against said backdrop and to produce a second plurality of subject image data values respectively representative of the contents of said subject image at said plurality of locations of said array of image locations; a subject image database which stores said second plurality of subject image data values respectively representative of the contents of said subject image at said plurality of locations of said array; a background image database which stores a third plurality of background image data values respectively representative of the contents of a background image containing said arbitrary background at said plurality of locations of said array; an imagery data processor which, for each respective pixel location within said array, processes color contents of associated data values for a plurality of pixel locations, including said each respective pixel location, of said backdrop and subject images data values for which are respectively stored in said backdrop and subject databases, so as to generate a fourth plurality of first image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a first image mask associated with the image locations of said array containing said subject and a fifth plurality of second image mask values respectively representative of the contents of a second image mask associated with locations of said array other than said subject; and combining said fourth and fifth pluralities of respective first and second image mask values with said second plurality of subject image data values and said third plurality of background image data values stored in said background database, to thereby obtain a sixth plurality of sixth image data values representative of a composite image of said subject and said arbitrary background. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification