Automatic adjustment of computer interface colors using image processing

• US 8,847,973 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Calandrino, John, Duncan, Rick, Beck, Kyle, Verma, Sanjeev, Perry, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINTE, WHITNEY A
• Application Number:
  US12/968,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 345/593, 345/589, 345/581, 345/642, 345/643, 345/591
• US Class Current: 345/593
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

A method for processing an image such as a computer wallpaper identifies a characteristic color representative of the image. Image pixels with similar colors are separated into groups, and the average value of the R,G,B color components in each group is determined, after filtering out pixels with R,G,B values representing white, black, or grey. The group with the maximum difference between the highest average color component value and the lowest average color component value is identified as the characteristic color. Groups representing a number of pixels less than a certain percentage of all of the pixels are not considered. The characteristic color can be used in other displayed images at an intensity α determined by setting maximum and minimum values of α, with α being the lesser of α_max and α_min plus the average color span of all pixels in the image.

Claims

1. A method for processing a color background image comprising a plurality of pixels, each having color components represented by numerical values, to identify a characteristic color representative of the image, and for automatically adjusting at least one attribute of at least one other image at least partially bounded by the color background image, the method including:

separating into groups the numerical values of the color components of pixels with similar colors;

determining for each group a representative color having color component values based on the color component values of pixels represented by the group;

selecting from the representative colors of all of the groups a color that is characteristic of the color background image; and

automatically and gradually adjusting at least one attribute of the at least one other image based on the selected color that is characteristic of the color background image, to display on a display component, the at least one other image adjusted based on the selected color that is characteristic of the color background image,

wherein the method is initiated whenever a change of the color background image occurs,

wherein the change of the color background image and the adjusting of at least one attribute of the at least one other image occur synchronously, and

wherein at least one attribute of the at least one other image fades from a previous attribute to the automatically adjusted attribute.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein:

the representative color of a group is determined using a predetermined algorithm that uses the values of the respective color components of the pixels represented by the group; and

the representative color with the greatest difference between the highest color component value and the lowest color component value is selected as the characteristic color.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein groups representing a number of pixels less than a threshold percentage of all of the pixels represented in all of the groups are not considered in the selecting step.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein pixels with color component values representing white, black, or grey are not considered in the determining step.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein each color component value of the representative color comprises the average value of each color component in a group, the average value being determined by summing the total value of each color component for all pixels represented in the group and dividing the sum by the number of pixels represented in the group.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein each pixel has an R (red), G (green), and blue (B) color component, each color component having a numerical value within a predetermined range of values, and two pixels are deemed to have a similar color if each of their respective R, G, and B values are within a predetermined segment of the range.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein the predetermined range is a particular segment of the total range of color values between 0 and 255, and groups with average R, G, and B values representing white, black, or grey are not considered in the selecting step.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein groups representing a number of pixels less than a threshold percentage of at least 1% of all of the pixels represented in all of the groups are not considered in the selecting step.

9. A method as in claim 8, further including displaying the characteristic color on a computer monitor at an intensity α

determined by;

determining the average color span (CS_average) for all pixels in the image, the color span of a pixel being the difference between the highest color component value and the lowest color component value in the pixel; and

setting a maximum value of α

(α

_max) and a minimum value of α

(α

_min), wherein α

=min(α

_max,α

_min+CS_average).

10. A computer-readable storage module not consisting of a propagated signal encoded with computer executable instructions for controlling the display on a display component of a color background image and attributes of other images at least partially bounded by the background image, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the computer to perform the steps of:

separating into groups the numerical values of the color components of the color background image pixels with similar colors;

determining for each group a representative color having color component values based on the color component values of pixels represented by the group;

selecting from the representative colors of all of the groups a color that is characteristic of the color image, without considering pixels with color component values representing white, black, or grey;

assigning to the other images at least one attribute based on the selected representative color; and

automatically and gradually adjusting the at least one attribute of the other images based on the selected color that is characteristic of the color background image, to display on a display component, the at least one other image adjusted based on the selected color that is characteristic of the color background image,

wherein the recited steps are initiated whenever a change of the color background image occurs,

wherein the change of the color background image and the adjusting of at least one attribute of the at least one other image occur synchronously, and

wherein at least one attribute of the at least one other image fades from a previous attribute to the automatically adjusted attribute.

11. A storage device as in claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises at least a color or a font associated with the other images.

12. A storage device as in claim 10, wherein:

the representative color of a group is determined using a predetermined algorithm that uses the values of the respective color components of the pixels represented by the group; and

the representative color with the greatest difference between the highest color component value and the lowest color component value is selected as the characteristic color.

13. A storage device as in claim 12, wherein each color component value of the representative color comprises the average value of each color component in a group, the average value being determined by summing the total value of each color component for all pixels represented in the group and dividing the sum by the number of pixels represented in the group.

14. A storage device as in claim 10, wherein each pixel has an R (red), G (green), and blue (B) color component, each color component having a numerical value within a predetermined range of values, and two pixels are deemed to have a similar color if each of their respective R, G, and B values are within a predetermined segment of the range.

15. A storage device as in claim 14, wherein the predetermined range of color values is from 0 to 255.

16. A storage device as in claim 11, groups representing a number of pixels less than a threshold percentage of at least 1% of all of the pixels represented in all of the groups are not considered in the selecting step.

17. A method for changing a color associated with an image displayed on a display component in accordance with a characteristic color of a background comprising a plurality of pixels, each having color components represented by numerical values, which background at least partially bounds the image, the method including:

detecting a change from an existing background to a new background;

separating into groups the numerical values of the color components of pixels with similar colors in the new background;

determining the average value of each color component in each group based on the number of pixels represented by the group, wherein the average value of each color component in a group is determined by summing the total value of each color component for all pixels represented in the group and dividing the sum by the number of pixels represented in the group;

identifying the group with the maximum color span, without considering pixels with color component values representing white, black, or grey, wherein color span is defined as the difference between the highest average color component value and the lowest average color component value in the group; and

changing the color associated with the image to a color having the average color component values of the group with the maximum color span and an intensity α

determined by;

determining the average color span (CS_average) for all pixels in the image, the color span of a pixel being the difference between the highest color component value and the lowest color component value in the pixel, and

setting a maximum value of α

(α

_max) and a minimum value of α

(α

_min), wherein α

=min(α

_max,α

_min+CS_average).

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein:

each pixel has an R (red), G (green), and blue (B) color component, each color component having a numerical value within a predetermined range of values between 0 and 255, and two pixels are deemed to have a similar color if each of their respective R, G, and B values are within a predetermined segment of the range; and

groups representing a number of pixels less than a threshold percentage of at least 1% of all of the pixels represented in all of the groups are not considered in the identifying step.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein α

_max=192 and α

_min=96.

20. A method as in claim 17, wherein each color component has a maximum possible range of values S, and α

_max and α

_min are set to predetermined percentages of S.