Method for activating a function, namely an alteration of sharpness, using a colour digital image

• US 8,212,889 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lens Correction Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: DXO Labs
• Inventors: Chanas, Laurent, Tarchouna, Imene, Guichard, Frederic, Liege, Bruno, Meniere, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasiewicz, Daniel M
• Application Number:
  US12/820,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/223.1, 348/224.1, 348/241, 348/242, 348/349, 348/353, 382/167, 382/255, 382/274
• US Class Current: 348/224.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/959 by adjusting depth of field during image capture, e.g. maximising or setting range based on scene characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/615 involving a transfer function modelling the optical system, e.g. optical transfer function [OTF], phase transfer function [PhTF] or modulation transfer function [MTF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/6153 for colour signals

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for activating a function by using a measurement taken from at least one digital image (10) having at least two colors (195, 196) and originating from an image-capturing apparatus, the method including measuring the relative sharpness (190) between at least two colors in at least one region R of the image, and Controlling at least one action (191) depending on the measured relative sharpness.

Claims

1. A method for improving a sharpness of at least one color of a digital image, from an image-capturing device, comprising:

selecting from among the colors at least one color as a sharp color; and

reflecting the sharpness of the sharp color onto at least one other improved color, so that the improved colour represents increased sharpness,

wherein repercussion of the sharpness of the sharp color on the at least one other improved color is based on a calculation of a type CA=CN+F(CO−

CN), where CA represents the improved color, CO represents the improved color prior to processing, CN represents the sharp color, and F represents a filter, the filter being a low-pass filter.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

decomposing the digital image into regions, said sharp color being selected for each region.

3. The method according to claim 2, said method further comprising:

determining a distance between the image-capturing device and at least one object of a captured scene by using the sharpness of at least two colors in an image region of said object.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

reducing the sharpness of the at least one color within the at least one image region.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining a servo-control instruction for said image-capturing device based on the sharpness of the at least two colors such that focusing is achieved in fewer steps and is accelerated.

6. The method according to claim 1, said sharp color selection being that of choosing the sharpest color according to a pre-determined rule.

7. The method according to claim 1, said sharp color selection being pre-determined.

8. The method according to claim 1, said sharp color selection depending on a distance between the image-capturing device and at least one object of a captured scene to obtain said digital image.

9. The method according to claim 1, said image-capturing device having a macro mode, said sharp color selection depending upon activation of the macro mode.

10. The method according to claim 1, the image-capturing device having lens, and said method further comprising:

selecting lens from among a series of pre-determined lenses, said lens representing specifications such that the images of an object having at least two pre-determined distances represent distinct sharp colors, thus improving at least one of a depth of field and reducing a cost of the lens.

11. The method according to claim 1, the image-capturing device having lens, and said method further comprising:

designing the lens, said lens representing specifications such that the images of an object with at least two pre-determined distances represent distinct sharp colors;

in order that at least one of a depth of field, an aperture, and another optical specification is improved and/or a cost of the optics is reduced, and

in order that a mechanical focusing can be achieved by using fewer positions.

12. An image-capturing and reproducing apparatus comprising:

an optical system for capturing and reproducing images;

an image sensor;

an image generator; and

a servo-control system,

the image being processed by the method according to claim 1, the method further comprising;

a user determining or selecting parameters for at least one of the optical system, the sensor, the image generator, and the servo-control system, using a capacity to process images, and to improve the sharpness of the color depending on the sharpness of another color,

in order to minimise costs and/or to optimise performances of the image-capturing and reproducing apparatus.

13. An image-capturing and reproducing apparatus using the color-improvement method according to claim 1.

14. A digital image-processing device implementing the method according to claim 1.