Red-eye filter method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A portable digital camera having no photographic film, comprising:
- (a) an integral flash for providing illumination during image acquisition;
(b) a digital image capturing apparatus including(i) a main image sensor for acquiring a main image, and(ii) a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image including a subsample resolution representation of the main image; and
(c) a red-eye filter for correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample resolution representation of the main image(d) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and
(e) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and
(f) wherein the main system memory is configured to receive meta data that comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital image acquisition system having no photographic film, such as a digital camera, has a flash unit for providing illumination during image capture and a red-eye filter for detecting a region within a captured image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon, the detection being based upon a comparison of the captured image and a reference image of nominally the same scene taken without flash. In the embodiment the reference image is a preview image of lower pixel resolution than the captured image, the filter matching the pixel resolutions of the captured and reference images by up-sampling the preview image and/or sub-sampling the captured image. The filter also aligns at least portions of the captured image and reference image prior to comparison to allow for, e.g. movement in the subject.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A portable digital camera having no photographic film, comprising:
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(a) an integral flash for providing illumination during image acquisition; (b) a digital image capturing apparatus including (i) a main image sensor for acquiring a main image, and (ii) a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image including a subsample resolution representation of the main image; and (c) a red-eye filter for correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample resolution representation of the main image (d) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and (e) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and (f) wherein the main system memory is configured to receive meta data that comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A portable digital camera having no photographic film, comprising:
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(a) an integral flash for providing illumination during image acquisition, (b) a digital image capturing apparatus including (i) a main image sensor for acquiring a main image, and (ii) a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and (c) a red-eye filter for correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; (d) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and (e) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and (f) wherein the meta data comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions.
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19. A portable digital camera having no photographic film, comprising:
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(a) an integral flash for providing illumination during image acquisition; (b) a digital image capturing apparatus including (i) a main image sensor for acquiring a main image, and (ii) a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and (c) a red-eye filter for correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; (d) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and (e) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and (f) wherein the meta data comprises colors of regions that are not red prior to activation of the flash, wherein such regions appearing red in the main image are identified as having a certain enhanced probability of comprising red eye artifact.
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20. A method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, comprising:
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(a) providing a portable digital camera including a main image sensor for capturing a main image and a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image; (b) providing illumination during main image acquisition with a flash; (c) acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; (d) acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample resolution representation of one of the main image; and (e) correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample resolution representation of the main image; (f) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and (g) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and (h) wherein the main system memory is configured to receive meta data that comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, comprising:
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providing a portable digital camera including a main image sensor for capturing a main image and a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image; providing illumination during main image acquisition with a flash; acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; providing low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor to a dedicated hardware subsystem; and receiving raw image data at a main image memory, along with metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and wherein the metadata comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions.
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37. A method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, comprising:
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providing a portable digital camera including a main image sensor for capturing a main image and a separate sensor for acquiring a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image; providing illumination during main image acquisition with a flash; acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; providing low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor to a dedicated hardware subsystem; and receiving raw image data at a main image memory, along with metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and wherein the metadata comprises colors of regions that are not red prior to activation of the flash, wherein such regions appearing red in the main image are identified as having a certain enhanced probability of comprising red eye artifact.
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38. One or more digital storage media having code embodied therein for programming one or more processors of a portable digital camera that includes a main image sensor and a separate low resolution sensor to perform a method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, wherein the method comprises:
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(a) providing illumination during image acquisition with a flash; (b) acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; (c) acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample resolution representation of one of the main image; and (d) correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample resolution representation of the main image; (e) a dedicated hardware subsystem which is provided low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor; and (f) a main system memory which receives raw image data and metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and (g) wherein the main system memory is configured to receive meta data that comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. One or more digital storage media having code embodied therein for programming one or more processors of a portable digital camera that includes a main image sensor and a separate low resolution sensor to perform a method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, wherein the method comprises:
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providing illumination during image acquisition with a flash; acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; providing low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor to a dedicated hardware subsystem; receiving raw image data at a main image memory, along with metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and wherein the metadata comprises identified red areas determined not to be red eye regions.
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55. One or more digital storage media having code embodied therein for programming one or more processors of a portable digital camera that includes a main image sensor and a separate low resolution sensor to perform a method of correcting a red eye defect within a digital image, wherein the method comprises:
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providing illumination during image acquisition with a flash; acquiring a main image with the main image sensor; acquiring with the separate sensor a low resolution image temporally proximate to acquisition of the main image and including a subsample representation of one or more selected regions of the main image; and correcting a red eye defect within the main image acquired by the main image sensor based on an analysis of the low resolution image acquired by the separate sensor including the subsample representation of the one or more selected regions of the main image; providing low resolution image data directly from the separate sensor to a dedicated hardware subsystem; receiving raw image data at a main image memory, along with metadata as implemented by the dedicated hardware subsystem; and wherein the metadata comprises colors of non-red regions that are not red prior to activation of the flash, wherein such non-red regions appearing red in the main image are identified as having a certain enhanced probability of comprising red eye artifact.
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Specification