Apparatus and method of processing images based on an adjusted value of an image processing parameter

• US 8,379,130 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Bednar, David L., Noyes, Ying X., Hung, Szepo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tissire, Abdelaaziz
• Application Number:
  US12/537,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20110032373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.05
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

An apparatus and method of processing images is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a selection of a first image from a plurality of images stored at a memory device and displaying the first image. The method also includes receiving image modification data to modify processing of the first image displayed and providing an adjusted value of an image processing parameter to an image processor. The adjusted value of the image processing parameter is determined based at least in part on the image modification data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, a selection via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an image selected from a plurality of images stored at a memory;

retrieving, with the one or more processors, the image from the memory;

displaying, with the one or more processors, the image at a display device;

receiving, with the one or more processors, image modification data to modify processing of the image;

providing, with the one or more processors, to an image processor an adjusted value of an image processing parameter, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is determined based at least in part on the image modification data;

determining, with the one or more processors, whether a count of images within a subset of the plurality of images satisfies a predetermined count threshold, wherein each image of the subset has an associated image characteristic and a corresponding image characteristic value that is substantially equal to an image characteristic value associated with the image; and

preventing, with the one or more processors, the adjusted value of the image processing parameter from being provided to the image processor when the count does not satisfy the predetermined count threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of the image processing parameter via the GUI from a menu that includes a plurality of distinct image processing parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying image data associated with the first image according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter to provide a first modified image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image modification data is generated in response to an input entered via the GUI.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed according to a default value of the image processing parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image processor, an image capture device coupled to the image processor, and the display device are integrated in a portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selection is received via a photo album application at the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the image is a first image, the method further comprising:

modifying image data associated with a second image according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter, wherein the image data is received from the image capture device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying image data associated with a third image according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter after the third image is captured by the image capture device.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a selection via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an image selected from a plurality of images stored at a memory device;

retrieve the image from the memory device;

display the image at a display device;

receive image modification data to modify processing of the image;

provide an adjusted value of an image processing parameter to an image processor, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is determined based at least in part on the image modification data;

determine whether a count of images within a subset of the plurality of images satisfies a predetermined count threshold, wherein each image of the subset has an associated image characteristic and a corresponding image characteristic value that is substantially equal to an image characteristic value associated with the image; and

prevent the adjusted value of the image processing parameter from being provided to the image processor when the count does not satisfy the predetermined count threshold.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the image processing parameter is one of black level subtraction, geometric lens distortion correction, lens rolloff, channel gain, luma adaption, hue, saturation, and intensity.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is associated with a saturation of a memory color.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the memory color is associated with a skin region of the image, a blue sky region of the image, or a green foliage region of the image.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the image processing parameter is associated with an image sharpness.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first image is displayed according to a default value of the image processing parameter.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the image is a first image, and wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to modify a second image from the plurality of images stored at the memory device, wherein the second image is modified according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter.

17. A portable electronic device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of images;

means for receiving a selection via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an image selected from the plurality of images stored in the means for storing the plurality of images;

means for retrieving the image from the means for storing the plurality of images;

means for displaying the image;

means for receiving image modification data to modify processing of the image;

means for providing to an image processor an adjusted value of an image processing parameter, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is based at least in part on the image modification data;

means for determining whether a count of images within a subset of the plurality of images satisfies a predetermined count threshold, wherein each image of the subset has an associated image characteristic and a corresponding image characteristic value that is substantially equal to a image characteristic value associated with the image; and

means for preventing the adjusted value of the image processing parameter from being provided to the image processor when the count does not satisfy the predetermined count threshold.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the means for displaying includes means for displaying an adjustable control to adjust a parameter selected from black level subtraction, geometric lens distortion correction, lens roll-off, channel gain, luma adaption, hue, saturation, and intensity, and wherein the adjustable control provides the image modification data associated with adjustment of the selected parameter via the GUI.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the means for displaying further comprises:

means for displaying a first interactive screen to prompt a user to select a region of interest of the image; and

means for displaying a second interactive screen after displaying the first interactive screen, the second interactive screen to prompt the user to affirm a value of the image processing parameter or to input the image modification data, wherein the image processing parameter is associated with a visual quality of the region of interest.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the image modification data is first image modification data, the image processing parameter is a first image processing parameter, the region of interest is a first region of interest, and the visual quality is a first visual quality, and wherein the device further comprises:

means for displaying a third interactive screen to prompt the user to select a second region of interest of the image; and

means for displaying a fourth interactive screen after displaying the third interactive screen, the fourth interactive screen to prompt a user to affirm a value of a second image processing parameter or to provide second image modification data, wherein the second image processing parameter is associated with a second visual quality of the second region of interest.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the image modification data is first image modification data, the adjusted value is a first adjusted value, and wherein the means for receiving the image modification data comprises:

means for receiving the first image modification data to modify processing of the image prior to displaying a first modified image that is based on the first image;

means for receiving second image modification data after receiving the first image modification data, the second image modification data to modify processing of the image prior to displaying a second modified image that is based on the image; and

means for providing to an image processor a second adjusted value of the image processing parameter that is based at least in part on the second image modification data.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the image modification data further comprises:

means for receiving third image modification data after receiving the second image modification data, the third image modification data to modify processing of the image prior to displaying a third modified image that is based on the image; and

means for providing to the image processor a third adjusted value of the image processing parameter that is based at least in part on the third image modification data.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 22, further comprising comparison means for:

comparing the first adjusted value of the image processing parameter with the second adjusted value of the image processing parameter;

comparing the first adjusted value of the image processing parameter with the third adjusted value of the image processing parameter; and

providing a warning in response to determining that the first adjusted value of the image processing parameter is substantially equal to the second adjusted value of the image processing parameter, or that the first adjusted value of the image processing parameter is substantially equal to the third adjusted value of the image processing parameter.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the image modification data further comprises means for sending the first adjusted value of the image processing parameter and the second adjusted value of the image processing parameter to a service provider.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the image is a first image, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for displaying a modified image that is based on a second image that has been captured by an image capture device and that is modified according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory includes;

a photo album module executable by the processor to receive a selection via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an image selected from a plurality of images stored at the memory and to retrieve the image from the memory;

an interface module executable by the processor to display the first image at a display device;

an image processing module executable by the processor to receive image modification data to modify processing of the image and to provide to the processor an adjusted value of an image processing parameter, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is based at least in part on the image modification data;

a stored image count module executable by the processor to determine whether a count of images within a subset of the plurality of images satisfies a predetermined count threshold, wherein each image of the subset has an associated image characteristic and a corresponding image characteristic value that is substantially equal to an image characteristic value associated with the image; and

a parameter adjustment module executable by the processor to prevent the adjusted value of the image processing parameter from being provided to the image processor when the count does not satisfy the predetermined count threshold.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

a camera,

wherein the memory further includes a camera interface module executable by the processor to capture the plurality of images and store the plurality of images on the memory, and

wherein the image processing module is executable by the processor to modify processing of images subsequently captured by the camera based on the adjusted value.

28. The portable electronic device apparatus of claim 26, wherein the adjusted value of the image processing parameter is a threshold value that indicates an amount of image blurriness acceptable to a user.

29. The portable electronic device apparatus of claim 26, wherein the image is stored as a joint photographic experts group (jpeg) file, and wherein the image is selected based on at least one data value of an exchangeable image file format (EXIF) tag of the jpeg file substantially matching a corresponding value of the image.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the interface module provides the adjusted value of the image processing parameter to the processor in response to receipt of an affirmative response to a verification prompt that is displayed at the display device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the image is a first image, and wherein the affirmative response to the verification prompt is associated with a modified image that is based on a second image which is processed according to the adjusted value of the image processing parameter, wherein the modified image is indicated as acceptable to a viewer of the display device.

32. The device apparatus of claim 26, wherein the image is displayed at the display device according to a default value of the image processing parameter.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an image capture device coupled to the processor and to the display device, wherein the image capture device is integrated with the processor in a portable electronic device.