Aesthetic imaging system

• US 5,825,941 A
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canfield Scientific Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mirror Software Corp.
• Inventors: Blanchard, Perin, Linford, Ray A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jayanti K.
• Application Number:
  US08/617,439
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 382/294, 382/128, 382/100, 623/15, 623/11, 345/435, 434/94, 434/99
• US Class Current: 382/294
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Disclosed is an aesthetic imaging system (20) for use in editing digital images. The aesthetic imaging system includes an imaging program (21) that runs on a personal computer (28) having an image capture board (30), a monitor (32), a video source (34) for providing digital images to be edited by the aesthetic imaging system, and a pen and tablet 38 for use in editing the images. The imaging program includes a unique combination draw tool that includes a freehand draw mode, a curve mode and an undo mode that are available without cycling through menus. The combination draw tool may be used with any of the draw tools. Another feature of the imaging program is autoblend, a rectangular user interface that is invoked by each of the shape tools. The autoblend interface simplifies editing when using shape tools by consolidating the move, paste and blend, and paste without blending commands into a single, convenient interface.

Claims

1. In an aesthetic imaging system for use in imaging patients for cosmetic surgery, a method of manipulating a digital image of a patient comprised of a plurality of pixels, the aesthetic imaging system including a processor, a memory, a monitor, and cursor control means for moving a cursor displayed on the monitor, the method comprising:

(a) allowing a user to select a manipulation area in a digital image by encircling the manipulation area using the cursor control means;

(b) defining a warping area that encompasses the manipulation area selected by the user;

(c) storing a copy of the warping area in memory as an original area;

(d) allowing the user to identify a stretch point that is contained within the manipulation area using the cursor control means;

(e) allowing the user to move the stretch point from an initial position through a plurality of intermediate positions to a final position within the warping area using the cursor control means, the movement of the stretch point defining a stretch direction from the initial position to the final position;

(f) repeatedly mapping the original area that is stored in memory to the warping area to reflect the movement of the stretch point within the warping area from the initial position to the final position, the mapping generally compressing an area of the image in the stretch direction and generally expanding an area of the image away from the stretch direction; and

(g) displaying the portion of the warping area that is within the manipulation area selected by the user to reflect the stretching of the image caused by movement of the stretch point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the warping area is a rectangle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(a) dividing the original area into a plurality of original quadrilaterals;

(b) repeatedly dividing the warping area into a plurality of warped quadrilaterals as the stretch point is moved through the plurality of intermediate positions to the final position, each of the plurality of warped quadrilaterals corresponding to one of the plurality of original quadrilaterals; and

(c) mapping a set of pixels from each of the plurality of original quadrilaterals to the corresponding one of the plurality of warped quadrilaterals using a bilateral transform in order to display a stretching of the digital image in real-time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping of the original area that is stored in memory to the warping area is performed using a bilateral transform.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to sequentially identify a plurality of stretch points within the manipulation area, for each of the plurality of stretch points repeating steps (e) through (g) to manipulate the image in a desired manner.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing a copy of the warping area as the original area following the mapping to the warping area at the final position of each of the plurality of stretch points, so that a subsequent manipulation of the image will be performed on the results of an immediately preceding manipulation of the image.