Method and apparatus for compensating for uneven lighting in an image
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for applying lighting characteristics to a digital image of a surface, comprising:
- receiving the digital image of the surface;
obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured; and
using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface, wherein to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface involves compensating for uneven lighting in the digital image of the surface, and wherein said compensating involves;
inverting the colors in the reference lighting map to produce an inverted reference lighting map;
adjusting the brightness of the inverted reference lighting map;
overlaying the adjusted inverted reference lighting map over the digital image of the surface; and
adjusting colors in the digital image by using color information of the adjusted inverted reference lighting map to compensate for uneven lighting in the digital image.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system that compensates for uneven lighting in a digital image of a surface. During operation, the system receives the digital image of the surface. Next, the system obtains a reference lighting map for the surface, which contains information about the lighting of the surface at the time the digital image was acquired. The system then uses the reference lighting map to compensate for uneven lighting in the digital image.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method for applying lighting characteristics to a digital image of a surface, comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface, wherein to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface involves compensating for uneven lighting in the digital image of the surface, and wherein said compensating involves; inverting the colors in the reference lighting map to produce an inverted reference lighting map; adjusting the brightness of the inverted reference lighting map; overlaying the adjusted inverted reference lighting map over the digital image of the surface; and adjusting colors in the digital image by using color information of the adjusted inverted reference lighting map to compensate for uneven lighting in the digital image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method for applying lighting characteristics to a digital image of a surface, comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured and is selected from a library of pre-generated reference lighting maps based on the lighting conditions under which the digital image of the surface was captured; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface.
-
-
6. A method for applying lighting characteristics to a digital image of a surface, comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured, wherein obtaining the reference lighting maps involves digitally generating the reference lighting map based on a lighting model, wherein digitally generating the reference lighting map involves using the lighting model which accounts for; characteristics of a light source that was lighting the surface when the digital image was captured; the angle and the distance of the light source from the surface; characteristics of the surface; and the angle and the distance from the surface of a capture device used to capture the image; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface.
-
-
7. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for compensating for uneven lighting in a digital image of a surface, the method comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface, wherein to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface involves compensating for uneven lighting in the digital image of the surface, and wherein said compensating involves; inverting the colors in the reference lighting map to produce an inverted reference lighting map; adjusting the brightness of the inverted reference lighting map; overlaying the adjusted inverted reference lighting map over the digital image of the surface; and adjusting colors in the digital image by using color information in the adjusted inverted reference lighting map to compensate for uneven lighting in the digital image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for compensating for uneven lighting in a digital image of a surface, the method comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured, and wherein the reference lighting map is selected from a library of pre-generated reference lighting maps based on the lighting conditions under which the digital image of the surface was captured; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface.
-
-
12. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for compensating for uneven lighting in a digital image of a surface, the method comprising:
-
receiving the digital image of the surface; obtaining a reference lighting map for the surface wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured wherein obtaining the reference lighting maps involves digitally generating the reference lighting map based on a lighting model, wherein digitally generating the reference lighting map involves using the lighting model which accounts for; characteristics of a light source that was lighting the surface when the digital image was captured; the angle and the distance of the light source from the surface; characteristics of the surface; and the angle and the distance from the surface of a capture device used to capture the image; and using the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface.
-
-
13. An apparatus that applies lighting characteristics to a digital image of a surface, comprising:
a lighting-compensation mechanism configured to; receive the digital image of the surface; obtain a reference lighting map for the surface, wherein the reference lighting map contains information specifying lighting characteristics of the surface when the digital image was captured; and
touse the reference lighting map to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface, wherein to apply the lighting characteristics to the digital image of the surface involves compensating for uneven lighting in the digital image of the surface, and wherein said compensating involves; inverting the colors in the reference lighting map to produce an inverted reference lighting map; adjusting the brightness of the inverted reference lighting map; overlaying the adjusted inverted reference lighting map over the digital image of the surface; and adjusting colors in the digital image by using color information in the adjusted inverted reference lighting map to compensate for uneven lighting in the digital image.
Specification