US 2002/0176623 A1 · Method and apparatus for the automatic real-time detection and correction of red-eye defects in batches of digital images or in handheld appliances

Abstract

An automatic, red-eye detection and correction system for digital images capable of real-time processing of images, including a red-eye detector module that determines without user intervention if a red-eye defect exists. If a defect is located in an image the portion of the image surrounding the defect is passed to a correction module that de-saturates the red components of the defect while preserving the other color characteristics of the defect region. The invention is designed to minimize the computational resources required to detect and correct red-eye defects and thus is particularly suited to applications requiring real-time processing of large volumes of digital images prior to acquisition or printing. This system can operate on images stored on personal computers, commercial printers or inside digital cameras as part of the acquisition process, or prior to display on personal digital assistants, mobile phones and other digital imaging appliances.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An automated method for detecting red-eye defects in a digital image comprising:

(a) identifying and labeling an image segment that includes a potential red-eye defect in the image based on a red chrominance component and a luminance component of a color map;
(b) eliminating a segment as a candidate for having a red-eye defect, said eliminating including testing said segment and a boundary region of said image surrounding said segment for a plurality of attributes to determine if each said attribute exceeds a pre-determined threshold value;
and
(c) recording a location, size and member pixels of a segment that survives said eliminating and is confirmed to have a red-eye defect of said image.

1 more element

A user interactive red-eye detection system of digital images comprising:

(a) apparatus for automatic detection of the existence of a red-eye region having a red-eye defect in an image including
(i) first apparatus to segment and label a potential red-eye region in said image based on a red chrominance component and a luminance component of a color map;
(ii) second apparatus to eliminate a segment which is considered a said potential red-eye region based on testing threshold values for a range of attributes of said segment and a region of the image immediately surrounding said segment, known as a bounding region;
(iii) third apparatus to record a location, size and member pixels of a segment that is not eliminated by the second apparatus and is thus considered to be a potential red-eye region;
(b) apparatus for indicating to a user that an area of said image has been designated as a potential red-eye region;
(c) apparatus providing a user facility to choose to direct said system to correct said defect or choose to direct said system not to correct said defect;
(d) apparatus for automatic correction of said defect including
(i) first apparatus for creating a cumulative chrominance histogram of said detected red-eye region of said image;
(ii) second apparatus for determining a threshold value for the red chrominance component for said red-eye region;
(iii) third apparatus for clipping all red components of pixels in said detected red-eye region which are larger than said threshold values;
and
(iv) fourth apparatus for maintaining all other luminance and chrominance values of said pixels of said red-eye region as they are thus retaining the original colors of said detected red-eye region.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for the automatic real-time detection and correction of red-eye defects in batches of digital images or in handheld appliances

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for the automatic real-time detection and correction of red-eye defects in batches of digital images or in handheld appliances

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27