Interactive images

• US 7,421,115 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Uyttendaele, Matthew, Toyama, Kentaro, Schoelkopf, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Amir
• Application Number:
  US11/020,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/164, 382/165, 382/214, 382/276, 382/284, 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/173, 345/174, 345418-420, 345/611, 345/751, 345/763, 345/802, 348/207.11, 348/207.99, 705/14, 705/37, 707/9, 707/10, 709/207, 710/304, 715/177
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

A system and process for creating an interactive digital image, which allows a viewer to interact with a displayed image so as to change it with regard to a desired effect, such as exposure, focus or color, among others. An interactive image includes representative images which depict a scene with some image parameter varying between them. The interactive image also includes an index image, whose pixels each identify the representative image that exhibits the desired effect related to the varied image parameter at a corresponding pixel location. For example, a pixel of the index image might identify the representative image having a correspondingly-located pixel that depicts a portion of the scene at the sharpest focus. One primary form of interaction involves selecting a pixel of a displayed image whereupon the representative image identified in the index image at a corresponding pixel location is displayed in lieu of the currently displayed image.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for creating an interactive image, comprising using a computer to perform the following process actions:

inputting at least one digital image of a scene;

deriving from the at least one inputted image a set of separate and distinct representative images which depict the scene with one or more image parameters varying between images;

computing a n-dimensional index hypervolume that maps n-dimensional coordinates to the representative image that exhibits a desired effect related to the varied parameter at a pixel location corresponding to the n-dimensional coordinates.

2. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the process actions recited in claim 1.

3. A system for creating an interactive image, comprising:

a general purpose computing device;

a computer program comprising program modules executable by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to,

input at least one digital image of a scene;

derive from the at least one inputted image a set of separate and distinct representative images which depict the scene with one or more image parameters varying between images;

compute a n-dimensional index hypervolume that maps n-dimensional coordinates to the representative image that exhibits a desired effect related to the varied parameter at a pixel location corresponding to the n-dimensional coordinates.

4. A computer-implemented process for creating an interactive image, comprising:

an inputting step for inputting at least one digital image of a scene;

a deriving step for deriving from the at least one inputted image a set of separate and distinct representative images which depict the scene with one or more image parameters varying between images;

a computing step for computing a n-dimensional index hypervolume that maps n-dimensional coordinates to the representative image that exhibits a desired effect related to the varied parameter at a pixel location corresponding to the n-dimensional coordinates.