Image processing apparatus using the difference among scaled images as a layered image and method thereof

• US 20080166069A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corel Corporation (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Intervideo Digital Technology Corporation (Corel Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Lin, Tsung-Wei
• Application Number:
  US11/797,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus using the difference among scaled images as a layered image and a method thereof, which utilize the Gaussian and Laplacian pyramid theory to convert an original image into a plurality of scaled images of different scales, and the difference among scaled images of two adjacent different scales as a layered image of the corresponding layer, so that the edge and line characteristics of a scene of the original image for each layered image can be displayed in different levels sequentially from a clear level to a vague level, and provide a layered image display interface and an image characteristic editing interface for users to examine each layered image through the layered image display interface and edit or perform special effect to each layered image, so as to simulate different visual effects based on different vision models.

Claims

1. A method of processing an image by using the difference among scaled images as a layered image, being applied in a computer, and said method comprising the steps of:

converting an original image into a plurality of scaled images with different scales in a visual model, and using the difference among said scaled images of two adjacent different scales as a layered image of a corresponding layer, such that said each layered image can be displayed in a sequence of different levels from a clear level to a vague level for showing the characteristics of an edge and a line of a scene in said original image;

providing a layered image display interface, for displaying said each layered image in a visual model of a different scale in said original image; and

providing an image characteristic editing interface, for editing or performing a special effect for the characteristics of said each layered image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a layered image editing interface for displaying an editing composed image comprised of said each layered image or said layered images.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of providing an image output interface for integrating said edited layered images into a new image, and converting said new image into an image file having a specific format.

4. An image processing apparatus using the difference among scaled images as a layered image, comprising:

a scaled image conversion interface, for reading an original image, and converting said original image into a plurality of scaled images in a visual model with a different scale, and using an image difference among said scale images of two adjacent different scales for a computation to find said image difference as a layered image of a corresponding layer, such that said each layered image can be shown in a sequence of levels from a clear level to a vague level to show the characteristics of an edge and a line of said original image;

a layered image display interface, including a plurality of layer control panels, each having a layer display window and an editing start button, wherein said layer display window is provided for displaying a corresponding layered image on said layer to examine a layered image in said visual model with a different scale of said original image through said layer display window; and

said editing start button is provided for starting an editing program for editing a layered image displayed on said layer display window; and

an image characteristic editing interface, including a plurality of image characteristic menus, for editing and adjusting a characteristic value of said layered image of a started editing program.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a layered image editing interface, and said layered image editing interface comprising:

a layered image editing window, for displaying said each editing layered image or a composed image composed of said layered images;

at least one layered image characteristic adjusting button, installed at the periphery of said layered image editing window, for adjusting the contrast or Gaussian of said layered image;

at least one size adjusting button, for adjusting a process of zooming in or zooming out of said layered image or said composed image; and

at least one image composition switch button, for switching said layered image editing window to selectively show said each layered image or composed image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an image output interface for integrating said each edited layered image into a new image, and converting said new image into an image file with a specific format for saving, displaying or printing the output of said image file.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each layer control panel further comprises a layer display button, for controlling whether or not to display a corresponding layered image on said layered image editing window.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each layer control panel further comprises a mask display window and a mask menu, and said mask menu is provided for users to click and use said mask, and display said mask on said mask display window, for displaying a mask of said corresponding layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said each layer control panel further comprises a mask display button, for controlling whether or not to display said mask in said layer editing window.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each layer control panel further comprises a blurring or fine-tune switching button, for adjusting a blurring or a fine-tune of pixels of said layered image.

11. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each layer control panel further comprises a noise reduction button, for effectively preventing said layered image from being interfered by a noise.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each image characteristic editing interface further comprises a profile menu used for determining whether or not to access said existing profile of said layered image.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said each image characteristic editing interface further comprises a LMS channel menu, for selecting a LMS channel.