Method and apparatus for performing image enhancement
First Claim
1. A method for processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) processing each of said pixels of said image stream according to a controllable function to produce a processed image stream;
(b) determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream, said statistical distribution representative of said parameter of said image;
(c) generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; and
(d) modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient;
whereinsaid controllable function is a remapping function and said at least one function coefficient is a lookup value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of the image. The image stream comprises a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of which include a characteristic related to the image parameter to be enhanced. The pixels are processed according to a controllable function to produce a processed image stream. A statistical distribution of the pixel characteristic of interest is determined, optimized and used to generate control information to modify the operation of the controllable function.
71 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) processing each of said pixels of said image stream according to a controllable function to produce a processed image stream; (b) determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream, said statistical distribution representative of said parameter of said image; (c) generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; and (d) modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient;
whereinsaid controllable function is a remapping function and said at least one function coefficient is a lookup value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) processing each of said pixels of said image stream according to a controllable function to produce a processed image stream; (b) determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream, said statistical distribution representative of said parameter of said image; (c) generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; and (d) modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient;
whereinsaid step of determining further comprises the steps of; identifying pixels within said image that represent motion within the image; and emphasizing the statistical significance of said pixel characteristics associated with said identified pixels.
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5. A method for processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) processing each of said pixels of said image stream according to a controllable function to produce a processed image stream; (b) determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream, said statistical distribution representative of said parameter of said image; (c) generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; and (d) modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient;
whereinsaid image parameter is a color parameter, said pixel characteristic is a color saturation level, and one of N possible color saturation levels are associated with each of said pixels, and wherein; said step of determining a distribution of said color saturation levels comprises the step of counting, for a predetermined number of pixels, the number of pixels having each of said N possible color saturation levels. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. Apparatus processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said apparatus comprising:
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a pixel processor, receiving said image stream at an input and producing a processed image stream at an output, said pixel processor processing each received pixel of said image stream according to a controllable function; a controller, coupled to said pixel processor and receiving said digital video signal at an input, said controller determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream and generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; a motion detector, receiving said image stream at an input and producing an indicium of detected motion at an output, said motion detector identifying pixels within said image stream that represent motion within the image; and a priority adjuster, coupled to said motion detector, for emphasizing the statistical significance of said pixel characteristics associated with said pixels within said image stream that represent motion within the image; said pixel processor, in response to a control signal from said controller, modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. Apparatus processing an image stream to enhance a parameter of an image, said image comprising a plurality of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels including a characteristic related to said image parameter, said apparatus comprising:
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a pixel processor, receiving said image stream at an input and producing a processed image stream at an output, said pixel processor processing each received pixel of said image stream according to a controllable function; and a controller, coupled to said pixel processor and receiving said digital video signal at an input, said controller determining a statistical distribution of said pixel characteristic in said image stream and generating at least one function coefficient for optimizing said determined statistical distribution; said pixel processor, in response to a control signal from said controller, modifying said controllable function using said at least one function coefficient;
wherein said controllable function is a remapping function and said at least one function coefficient is a lookup value. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for contrast-enhancing a digital video signal, said digital video signal comprising a sequence of picture elements (pixels), each of said pixels having an associated intensity level, said apparatus comprising:
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a pixel processor, receiving said digital video signal at an input, and in response to each received pixel providing at an output a pixel having an intensity level derived from a lookup table, said lookup table having one element representing each of N possible intensity levels; and a controller, coupled to said pixel processor and receiving said digital video signal at an input, said controller statistically determining a luminance profile of said digital video signal, adjusting said statistically determined luminance profile to provide an enhanced contrast luminance profile, and coupling said enhanced contrast luminance profile to said pixel processor; said pixel processor selectively adjusting said lookup table elements in response to said enhanced contrast luminance profile; said controller statistically determining said luminance profile of said digital video signal by counting the number of M pixels having each of said N possible intensity levels; and said controller generates said one or more function coefficients by sequentially adding to an accumulator a determined pixel count representative of the number of pixels having an intensity level from a first intensity level to said Nth intensity level, said controller generating a function coefficient during each sequential addition by dividing the accumulated total by N. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification