Aggregation of curve effects

• US 7,656,415 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Demandolx, Denis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US11/414,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 345/589, 345601-602, 345440-442, 382/302, 382/303
• US Class Current: 345/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

A system, a method and computer-readable media for aggregating curves. An aggregated curve is generated by associating input values from a first curve with output values from a second curve. This aggregated curve may be used, for example, to apply multiple curve effects to a digital image.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to enable a computer, having one or more processors and a memory, to perform a method for aggregating curves, said method comprising:

identifying, by way of said one or more processors, a first curve and a second curve, wherein said first curve is represented by a first set of input values associated with a first set of output values, and wherein said second curve is represented by a second set of input values associated with a second set of output values;

producing, by way of said one or more processors, a third set of output values by performing a forward lookup in which said second curve is applied to at least a portion of said first set of output values;

producing, by way of said one or more processors, a third set of input values by performing a reverse lookup to determine a plurality of input values that yield at least a portion of said second set of input values when said first curve is applied to said plurality of input values;

generating an aggregated curve, wherein said aggregated curve is represented by at least a portion of said first set of input values associated with at least a portion of said third set of output values, and wherein said aggregated curve is further represented by at least a portion of said third set of input values associated with at least a portion of said second set of output values;

storing said aggregated curve on said memory; and

creating, by way of said one or more processors, an output image by utilizing said aggregated curve to apply said first curve and said second curve to a digital image.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein said first curve is associated with a first effect and wherein said second curve is associated with a second effect.

3. The media of claim 2, wherein said method further comprises utilizing said aggregated curve to apply said first effect and said second effect to a digital image.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein said first effect and said second effect are selected for application by an effect pipeline.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein said first curve is represented by a first look-up table that incorporates at least a portion of said first set of input values and at least a portion of said first set of output values.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein said second curve is represented by a second look-up table that incorporates at least a portion of said second set of input values and at least a portion of said second set of output values.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein said aggregated curve is represented by a look-up table that incorporates at least a portion of said first set of input values, at least a portion of said third set of output values, at least a portion of said third set of input values and at least a portion of said second set of output values.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein said producing said third set of output values utilizes linear interpolation to apply said second curve to at least a portion of said first set of output values.

9. A system implemented by a computer having one or more processors and a memory for aggregating the application of effects to a digital image, said system comprising:

an effect selector configured to, when executed by way of said one or more processors, identify a first effect and a second effect, wherein said first effect includes a first curve represented by a first set of input values associated with a first set of output values, and wherein said second effect includes a second curve represented by a second set of input values associated with a second set of output values;

an aggregated curve generator configured to, when executed by way of said one or more processors, generate an aggregated curve by creating an aggregated look-up table, wherein said aggregated look-up table includes at least a portion of said first set of input values associated with a third set of output values, and wherein said aggregated look-up table further includes a third set of input values associated with at least a portion of said second set of output values; and

an effects aggregator configured to, when executed by way of said one or more processors, generate an output image by utilizing said aggregated look-up table to apply said aggregated curve to said digital image;

wherein said third set of input values is produced by performing a reverse lookup to determine a plurality of input values that yield at least a portion of said second set of input values when said first curve is applied to said plurality of input values.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said effect selector is configured to utilize one or more user inputs in identifying at least one of said first effect and said second effect.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said first curve is represented by a first look-up table, and wherein said second curve is represented by a second look-up table.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said third set of output values is produced by applying said second curve to at least a portion of said first set of output values.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said system further comprises a user interface component configured to display said output image to a user.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to enable a computer, having one or more processors and a memory, to perform a method for applying effects to a digital image, said method comprising:

identifying a first effect and a second effect, wherein said first effect has a first curve represented by a first set of input values associated with a first set of output values, and wherein said second effect has a second curve represented by a second set of input values associated with a second set of output values;

re-ordering an effect pipeline to make said first effect and said second effect contiguous operations in an effect pipeline;

producing a third set of output values by performing a forward lookup in which said second curve is applied to at least a portion of said first set of output values;

producing a third set of input values by performing a reverse lookup to determine a plurality of input values that yields at least a portion of said second set of input values when said first curve is applied to said plurality of input values;

generating, by way of said one or more processors, an aggregated curve that is represented by at least a portion of said first set of input values associated with at least a portion of said third set of output values, and wherein said aggregated curve is further represented by at least a portion of said third set of input values associated with at least a portion of said second set of output values; and

creating, by way of said one or more processors, an output image by utilizing said aggregated curve to apply said first effect and said second effect to said digital image;

wherein said aggregated curve is represented by a look-up table having a plurality of input values from said first set of input values and from said third set of input values, and wherein said look-up table includes a plurality of output values from said third set of output values and from said second set of output values.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein said creating said output image is performed by a graphics processing unit.

16. The media of claim 14, wherein said producing said third set of input values utilizes linear interpolation.

17. The media of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises displaying said output image to a user.