Adaptive image improvement

• US 7,903,902 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Somle Development LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sheraizin, Vitaly S., Sheraizin, Semion M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa; Yosef
• Application Number:
  US10/898,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,416 Days
• Field of Search: 382/260, 382/274, 382/275, 382/266, 358/3.26, 358/327, 358/463
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4092 Edge or detail enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/628 Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky

Abstract

A method includes analyzing an input image at least to determine locations of human skin in the input image and processing the input image at least to improve, on a per pixel basis, the areas of human skin of the input image. Another method included in the present invention includes measuring blurriness levels in an input image; and processing the input image with the blurriness levels at least to sharpen the input image. A third method includes identifying areas of at least bright light in an input image and changing the sharpness of the input image as a function of exposure level of different areas of the input image.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image analyzer to measure a blurriness level in an input image, said image analyzer comprising a sharpness detector configured to indicate blurriness of one or more edges of the input image over a range of one or more pixels; and

a processing unit configured to sharpen said input image using said blurriness level, said processing unit comprising a coefficient generator configured to utilize output of said sharpness detector to generate one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients are a function of an edge'"'"'s duration over one or more pixels.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients comprise at least two different pixel sharpening coefficients, each of said at least two different pixel sharpening coefficients being associated with a different input image location brightness.

4. The system of claim 1, said processing unit further comprising a multiplier configured to multiply high frequency components of said input image by at least one of said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

5. A method comprising:

measuring a blurriness level in an input image, said measuring comprising indicating blurriness of one or more edges of the input image over a range of one or more pixels; and

processing said input image, using said blurriness level, at least to sharpen said input image, said processing comprising generating, based at least in part on said blurriness level, one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients are a function of an edge'"'"'s duration over one or more pixels.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients comprise at least two different pixel sharpening coefficients, each of said at least two different pixel sharpening coefficients being associated with a different input image location brightness.

8. The method of claim 5, said processing further comprising multiplying high frequency components of said input image by at least one of said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

9. A system comprising:

an image analyzer configured to do one or both of;

measure a blurriness level in an input image and, based at least in part on a measured blurriness level, determine at least a first parameter;

or

identify areas of bright light in said input image and, based at least in part on said areas of bright light, determine at least a second parameter; and

a processing unit configured to sharpen said input image based on one or both of said first or second parameters, said processing unit comprising a coefficient generator configured to generate one or more pixel sharpening coefficients utilizing one or both of said first or second parameters.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said image analyzer comprises a sharpness detector configured to indicate blurriness of one or more edges of the input image over a range of one or more pixels.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said processing unit further comprises a multiplier configured to multiply high frequency components of said input image by at least one of said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said second parameter is associated with a bright light mask for pixels of said input image at or above a predefined bright light level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said coefficient generator is further configured to generate one or more pixel sharpening coefficients for said pixels of said input image at or above said predefined bright light level.

14. A method comprising:

analyzing an input image, wherein analyzing comprises one or both of measuring a blurriness level in said input image or identifying an area of bright light in said input image;

determining one or more parameters based on said analyzing; and

changing a sharpness of said input image based at least in part on said one or more parameters, wherein said changing comprises generating one or more pixel sharpening coefficients utilizing at least one of said one or more parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said changing further comprises multiplying high frequency components of said input image by at least one of said one or more pixel sharpening coefficients.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of said one or more parameters is associated with a bright light mask for pixels of said input image at or above a predefined bright light level.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said changing further comprises generating one or more pixel sharpening coefficients for said pixels of said input image at or above said predefined bright light level.