Generating alternative versions of image content using histograms

• US 9,225,951 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Damberg, Gerwin, Ballestad, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Sing-Wai
• Application Number:
  US14/004,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20016 Hierarchical, coarse-to-fine, multiscale or multiresolution image processing; Pyramid transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84

Abstract

One or more versions of video or other image content may be generated by obtaining first histogram data for a first version of the video content; obtaining a second version of the video content; obtaining second histogram data for the second version of the video content; generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content by performing a number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm, the number of iterations being fewer than a maximum number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm; and applying the mapping to generate the additional version of the video content from the second version of the video content.

Claims

1. A method for generating additional versions of video content, the method comprising:

obtaining first histogram data for a first version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a first ambient lighting condition;

obtaining a second version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a second ambient lighting condition;

wherein the first and second ambient lighting conditions are different;

obtaining second histogram data for the second version of the video content;

generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content by performing a number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm, the number of iterations being fewer than a maximum number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm;

wherein the number of iterations is determined based upon a signal from an ambient light sensor representing a third ambient light condition;

wherein generating a mapping comprises determining a histogram transformation which morphs the second histogram data to become more like the first histogram data; and

applying the mapping to generate the additional version of the video content from the second version of the video content;

wherein the additional version is a recreation of the first version.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising generating mappings corresponding to a plurality of different numbers of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm and applying the mappings to generate a corresponding plurality of additional versions of the video content from the second version of the video content.

3. A method according to claim 2 comprising selecting one of the additional versions of the video content to display based upon the signal from the ambient light sensor.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second histogram data each comprise a plurality of histograms corresponding to different color channels of the corresponding video content.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content comprises performing a first number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm for histogram data corresponding to a first color channel and performing a second number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm for histogram data corresponding to a second color channel, the second number of iterations different from the first number of iterations.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the first and second color channels are substantially de-correlated.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the first color channel comprises a luminance channel and the second color channel comprises a chrominance channel.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

each of a plurality of numbers of iterations is associated with an ambient light level; and

the number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm is determined based upon a measure of the third ambient lighting condition and the plurality of numbers of iterations associated with the plurality of ambient light levels.

9. A system for generating additional versions of video content, the system comprising:

means for obtaining first histogram data for a first version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a first ambient lighting condition;

means for obtaining a second version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a second ambient lighting condition;

wherein the first and second ambient lighting conditions are different;

means for obtaining second histogram data for the second version of the video content;

means for generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content by performing a number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm, the number of iterations being fewer than a maximum number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm;

wherein the number of iterations is determined based upon a signal from an ambient light sensor representing a third ambient light condition;

wherein the means for generating a mapping comprise means for determining a histogram transformation which morphs the second histogram data to become more like the first histogram data; and

means for applying the mapping to generate the additional version of the video content from the second version of the video content;

wherein the additional version is a recreation of the first version.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions encoded and stored therewith, which when executing on a processor, causes, controls, programs or configures the processor to perform or control a process for generating additional versions of video content, the video generation process comprising;

obtaining first histogram data for a first version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a first ambient lighting condition;

obtaining a second version of the video content adapted to be viewed in a second ambient lighting condition;

wherein the first and second ambient lighting conditions are different;

obtaining second histogram data for the second version of the video content;

generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content by performing a number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm, the number of iterations being fewer than a maximum number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm;

wherein the number of iterations is determined based upon a signal from an ambient light sensor representing a third ambient light condition;

wherein generating a mapping comprises determining a histogram transformation which morphs the second histogram data to become more like the first histogram data; and

applying the mapping to generate the additional version of the video content from the second version of the video content;

wherein the additional version is a recreation of the first version.