Noise reduction method utilizing color information, apparatus, and program for digital image processing
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsEdward B. Gindele, Andrew Gallagher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital image processing method for reducing the noise of a color digital image having pixel values, includes the steps of: identifying one or more color regions in color space; identifying a pixel of interest in the color digital image; calculating a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest; using the color weighting factor and the values of pixels sampled from a local neighborhood of pixels about the pixel of interest to calculate a noise reduced pixel value; replacing the original value of the pixel of interest with the noise reduced pixel value; and repeating the steps for other pixels in the digital image.
Claims61
A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image having pixel values, comprising the steps of:
- a) identifying a pixel of interest in the color digital image;
- b) using pixels from the color digital image to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, including the steps of:
- (i) identifying one or more color regions in color space;
- (ii) calculating a pixel color coordinate in color space for the pixel of interest;
- and
- (iii) calculating the color weighting factor with the pixel color coordinate and the color regions;
- c) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels about the pixel of interest;
- d) using the color weighting factor and the values of pixels sampled from the local neighborhood to calculate a noise reduced pixel value;
- e) replacing the value of the pixel of interest with the noise reduced pixel value;
- and
- f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image.
A digital image processing apparatus for enhancing a color digital image having pixel values, comprising:
- a) means for identifying a pixel of interest in the color digital image;
- b) means for identifying a local neighborhood of pixels about the pixel of interest;
- c) means for using the values of pixels sampled from the local neighborhood to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, and further comprising:
- (i) means for identifying one or more color regions in color space;
- (ii) means for calculating a pixel color coordinate in color space for the pixel of interest;
- and
- (iii) means for calculating a color weighting factor with the pixel color coordinate and the color regions;
- d) means for using the color weighting factor and the values of pixels sampled from the local neighborhood to calculate a noise reduced pixel value;
- e) means for replacing the value of the pixel of interest with the noise reduced pixel value;
- and
- f) means for repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.