Two stage detection for photographic eye artifacts

• US 8,126,217 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2011
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation Europe Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Prilutsky, Yury, Steinberg, Eran, Corcoran, Peter, Pososin, Alexei, Bigioi, Petronel, Ciuc, Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Mike
• Application Number:
  US13/079,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20110262035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 331 Days
• Field of Search: 382/117, 382/118, 382/115, 382/128, 382/130, 382/275, 348/207.1, 348/241, 348/231.3, 348/242
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction

Abstract

The detection of red-eye defects is enhanced in digital images for embedded image acquisition and processing systems. A two-stage redeye filtering system includes a speed optimized filter that performs initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions and optionally applies a speed-optimized set of falsing/verification filters to determine a first set of confirmed redeye regions for correction. Some of the candidate regions which are rejected during the first stage are recorded and re-analyzed during a second stage by an alternative set of analysis-optimized filters to determine a second set of confirmed redeye regions.

Claims

1. A method of detecting eye defects within digital images, comprising:

acquiring an image including one or more faces including red and non-red eye defects;

performing in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

correcting the first set of red eye regions for generating a first red eye corrected image;

performing in a later second stage a segmentation of candidate golden eye or white eye regions, or both, to determine a second set of one or more confirmed non-red eye defect regions also designated for correction;

correcting the second set of non-red eye defect regions within the first red eye corrected image for generating an red and non-red eye defect corrected image;

electronically storing, transmitting, further processing or editing, or displaying the second red eye corrected image, or combinations thereof,

wherein the initial segmentation is applied upon acquisition of the image and the second later stage occurs in a background or playback mode or both.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters in the first stage.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-analyzing the first set of confirmed red eye regions in the second stage.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in real time the first red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

5. An embedded image acquisition and processing system, comprising

(a) an image acquisition subsystem;

(b) a speed-optimized filter that performs in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions detected within an acquired image to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

(c) an analysis-optimized filter that determines in a later second stage a second set of one or more confirmed non-red eye regions designated for correction;

(d) one or more processors for correcting the red and non-red eye defects including the first and second sets of confirmed red and non-red eye regions, respectively, within the acquired image and generating a red and non-red eye corrected image; and

(e) wherein the red and non-red eye corrected image is electronically stored, transmitted, further processed or edited, or displayed, or combinations thereof,

(f) wherein the speed-optimized filter is applied upon acquisition of the image and the analysis-optimized filter is applied in a background or playback mode or both.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the speed-optimized filter applies a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first set of confirmed redeye regions is also passed through the analysis-optimized filter.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the analysis-optimized filter includes an enhanced correction filter for application to the first set of one or more confirmed red eye regions.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a “

RE lib”

component for displaying in real time an initial red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

10. One or more non-transitory, processor-readable media having code embedded therein for programming one or more processors to perform a method of detecting eye defects within digital images, wherein the method comprises

acquiring an image including one or more faces including red and non-red eye defects;

performing in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions within an acquired digital image including red and non-red eye defects to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

correcting the first set of red eye regions for generating a first red eye corrected image;

performing in a later second stage a segmentation of candidate golden eye or white eye regions, or both, to determine a second set of one or more confirmed non-red eye defect regions also designated for correction;

correcting the second set of non-red eye defect regions within the first red eye corrected image for generating an red and non-red eye defect corrected image;

electronically storing, transmitting, further processing or editing, or displaying the second red eye corrected image, or combinations thereof,

wherein the initial segmentation is applied upon acquisition of the image and the second later stage occurs in a background or playback mode or both.

11. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising applying a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters in the first stage.

12. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising re-analyzing the first set of confirmed red eye regions in the second stage.

13. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 10, the method further comprising displaying in real time the first red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.