Artifact reduction in a digital video

• US 7,450,778 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Silverstein, D. Amnon
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Brian Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOOM, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US11/082,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 382/254, 382260-261, 382/275, 358/448, 358/463
• US Class Current: 382/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20036 Morphological image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/77 Retouching; Inpainting; Scratch removal

Abstract

A method performed by a processing system is provided. The method comprises performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, and determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processing system, the method comprising:

performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

replacing the target pixel value in the target frame using the first plurality of pixel values in response to determining that the target pixel value is the artifact.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a first set of correlation values in response to performing the first set of correlations; and

generating a second set of correlation values in response to performing the second set of correlations.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the first set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is not similar to the first plurality of pixel values across all of the plurality of color channels and the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across less than all of the plurality of color channels.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across an identical set of less than all of the plurality of color channels.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a substantial similarity between a first one of the first plurality of pixel values and the target pixel value using the first set of correlations; and

calculating an offset between the first one of the first plurality of pixel values and a second one of the plurality of pixel values that corresponds to a relative location of the target pixel value in the target frame.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing an identifier in a buffer in response to determining that the target pixel value is an artifact.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing at least one of the first plurality of pixel values in an image buffer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing a third set of correlations between a second plurality of pixel values in a second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

performing a fourth set of correlations between the second plurality of pixel values in the second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

determining whether the target pixel value is the artifact using the first set of correlations, the second set of correlations, the third set of correlations, and the fourth set of correlations.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory system for storing a digital video and an artifact reduction module;

wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to;

perform a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of the digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

perform a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

determine whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

replace the target pixel value in the target frame using the first plurality of pixel values in response to determining that the target pixel value is the artifact.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

generate a first set of correlation values in response to performing the first set of correlations; and

generate a second set of correlation values in response to performing the second set of correlations.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

determine that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the first set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is not similar to the first plurality of pixel values across all of the plurality of color channels and the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across less than all of the plurality of color channels.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

determine that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across an identical set of less than all of the plurality of color channels.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

store an identifier corresponding to the target pixel value in a first buffer in the memory system in response to determining that the target pixel value is an artifact; and

store at least one of the first plurality of pixel values in a second buffer in the memory system.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

replace the target pixel value in the target frame using the at least one of the first plurality of pixel values in the image buffer in response to detecting the identifier in the first buffer.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

filter the first buffer.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to execute the artifact reduction module to:

perform a third set of correlations between a second plurality of pixel values in a second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

perform a fourth set of correlations between the second plurality of pixel values in the second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

determine whether the target pixel value is the artifact using the first set of correlations, the second set of correlations, the third set of correlations, and the fourth set of correlations.

19. A system comprising:

means for performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

means for performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

means for determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for replacing the target pixel value in the target frame using the first plurality of pixel values in response to determining that the target pixel value is the artifact.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for performing a third set of correlations between a second plurality of pixel values in a second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

means for performing a fourth set of correlations between the second plurality of pixel values in the second frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

means for determining whether the target pixel value is the artifact using the first set of correlations, the second set of correlations, the third set of correlations, and the fourth set of correlations.

22. A program product comprising a computer-readable medium including instructions executable by a processing system for:

performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value;

performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value; and

determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

23. The program product of claim 22 wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions executable by the processing system for:

replacing the target pixel value in the target frame using the first plurality of pixel values in response to determining that the target pixel value is the artifact.

24. The program product of claim 22 wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions executable by the processing system for:

generating a first set of correlation values in response to performing the first set of correlations; and

generating a second set of correlation values in response to performing the second set of correlations.

25. The program product of claim 24 wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions executable by the processing system for:

determining that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the first set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is not similar to the first plurality of pixel values across all of the plurality of color channels and the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across less than all of the plurality of color channels.

26. The program product of claim 25 wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions executable by the processing system for:

determining that the target pixel value is the artifact in response to the second set of correlations values indicating that the target pixel value is similar to the first plurality of pixel values across an identical set of less than all of the plurality of color channels.