Detection and removal of blemishes in digital images utilizing original images of defocused scenes
First Claim
1. A digital image acquisition device, comprising an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor, an aperture disposed between said optical elements and said shutter, a translucent lens cap which defocuses images when in place, and digitally-embedded programming such that the device is arranged to automatically capture a calibration image of a de-focused scene when said shutter and said aperture are open, and to derive a map of defects from the calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by ambient light, the digitally-embedded programming capable of classifying defects and determining if the digital image acquisition device is acceptable for use, and further comprising a trigger for automatically acquiring a de-focused calibration image which is arranged to automatically detect whether the translucent lens cap is in place as a pre-requisite for triggering capture of the defocused calibration image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method automatically corrects dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly and a translucent lens cap. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are determined based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of the images. Probable dust artifact regions are associated with extracted parameter values relating to the lens assembly when the images were acquired. A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the determining and associating. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions are corrected within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map.
176 Citations
32 Claims
- 1. A digital image acquisition device, comprising an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor, an aperture disposed between said optical elements and said shutter, a translucent lens cap which defocuses images when in place, and digitally-embedded programming such that the device is arranged to automatically capture a calibration image of a de-focused scene when said shutter and said aperture are open, and to derive a map of defects from the calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by ambient light, the digitally-embedded programming capable of classifying defects and determining if the digital image acquisition device is acceptable for use, and further comprising a trigger for automatically acquiring a de-focused calibration image which is arranged to automatically detect whether the translucent lens cap is in place as a pre-requisite for triggering capture of the defocused calibration image.
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5. A digital image acquisition device having no photographic film, comprising an optical system, a processor and one or more storage devices for programming the processor to control the camera to perform a method of automatically correcting dust artifact regions within acquired images, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring one or more original digital images through a translucent lens cap disposed along an optical path between an object and one or more components of the optical system including a digital sensor; (b) determining probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust or other blemish artifact regions within said one or more original digital images; (c) associating the dust or other blemish artifact regions with one or more extracted parameters relating to the optical system when the one or more original digital images were acquired; (d) forming a statistical dust map including mapped dust or other blemish regions based on the dust or other blemish artifact probability determining and associating; and (e) correcting pixels corresponding to dust artifact regions within each of said one or more original images based on the associated statistical dust map, and wherein said determining probabilities further comprises statistically combining a plurality of individual probabilities based on each said region within two or more said image ; and wherein said one or more extracted parameters comprise aperture size or focal length or both. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A digital image acquisition device having no photographic film, comprising an optical system, a processor and one or more storage devices for programming the processor to control the camera to perform a method of automatically correcting dust artifact regions within acquired images, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring one or more original digital images through a translucent lens cap disposed along an optical path between an object and one or more components of the optical system including a digital sensor; (b) determining probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust or other blemish artifact regions within said one or more original digital images; (c) associating the dust or other blemish artifact regions with one or more extracted parameters relating to the optical system when the one or more original digital images were acquired; (d) forming a statistical dust map including mapped dust or other blemish regions based on the dust or other blemish artifact probability determining and associating; and (e) correcting pixels corresponding to dust artifact regions within each of said one or more original images based on the associated statistical dust map, and wherein the method further comprises judging certain probable dust or other blemish artifact regions as having a probability above a second threshold value such as to be subject to said correcting; and wherein said determining probabilities further comprises statistically combining a plurality of individual probabilities based on each said region within two or more said images. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A digital image acquisition device having no photographic film, comprising an optical system, a processor and one or more storage devices for programming the processor to control the camera to perform a method of automatically correcting dust artifact regions within acquired images, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring one or more original digital images through a translucent lens cap disposed along an optical path between an object and one or more components of the optical system including a digital sensor; (b) determining probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust or other blemish artifact regions within said one or more original digital images; (c) associating the dust or other blemish artifact regions with one or more extracted parameters relating to the optical system when the one or more original digital images were acquired; (d) forming a statistical dust map including mapped dust or other blemish regions based on the dust or other blemish artifact probability determining and associating; and (e) correcting pixels corresponding to dust artifact regions within each of said one or more original images based on the associated statistical dust map, and wherein the method further comprises digitally-acquiring additional images with said digital acquisition device, repeating said determining and associating, and updating said statistical dust map including updating said mapped dust or other blemish regions based on the additional dust or other blemish artifact determining and associating, and wherein said determining includes dynamically updating said probabilities based on comparisons with suspected equivalent dust artifact regions within the additional digitally-acquired images. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification