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US 7,065,255 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for enhancing digital images utilizing non-image data
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsKeath T. Chen, Edward B. Gindele, Robert J. Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera: provides one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude; employs the one or more data to generate one or more noise processing parameters; and employs the one or more noise processing parameters to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image.
Claims39
A method of enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) employing the one or more data to generate one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) employing the one or more noise processing parameters to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image;
- further comprising the steps of providing photosensitivity data characterizing a digital camera image sensor, and also employing the photosensitivity data to generate the one or more noise processing parameters.
2 more elements
A method of enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) employing the one or more data to generate one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) employing the one or more noise processing parameters to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image;
- wherein the step of enhancing the spatial detail of the image includes using the noise processing parameters to control a spatial filter, and applying the spatial filter to the digital image;
- wherein the spatial filter is a noise reduction filter that removes noise from a digital image;
- and
- wherein the digital image includes pixel values and the noise reduction filter comprises the steps of:
- c1) calculating a pixel difference value as the absolute value difference between a pixel value to be enhanced and neighboring pixel values;
- and
- c2) using the pixel difference values and the noise processing parameter(s) to selectively average neighboring pixel values to calculate a noise reduced pixel value for the pixel to be enhanced.
8 more elements
A method of enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) employing the one or more data to generate one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) employing the one or more noise processing parameters to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image;
- wherein the step of enhancing the spatial detail of the image includes using the noise processing parameters to control a spatial filter, and applying the spatial filter to the digital image;
- wherein the spatial filter is a sharpening filter that enhances the spatial detail of a digital image;
- and
- wherein the digital image includes pixel values and the sharpening filter comprises the steps of:
- c1) calculating a variance value for a neighborhood of pixel values about a pixel value to be enhanced;
- and
- c2) using the calculated variance value and the noise processing parameter(s) to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image.
8 more elements
Apparatus for enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising:
- a) a source of one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) means employing the one or more data for generating one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) means employing the one or more noise processing parameters for enhancing the spatial detail of the digital image;
- and
- further comprising a source of photosensitivity data characterizing a digital camera image sensor, and means employing the photosensitivity data for generating the one or more noise processing parameters.
3 more elements
Apparatus for enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising:
- a) a source of one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) means employing the one or more data for generating one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) means employing the one or more noise processing parameters for enhancing the spatial detail of the digital image;
- wherein the means for enhancing the spatial detail of the image includes means using the noise processing parameters for controlling a spatial filter, and means for applying the spatial filter to the digital image;
- wherein the spatial filter is a noise reduction filter that removes noise from a digital image;
- and
- wherein the digital image includes pixel values and the noise reduction filter comprises:
- c1) means for calculating a pixel difference value as the absolute value difference between a pixel value to be enhanced and neighboring pixel values;
- and
- c2) means for using the pixel difference values and the noise processing parameter(s) to selectively average neighboring pixel values to calculate a noise reduced pixel value for the pixel to be enhanced.
8 more elements
Apparatus for enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising:
- a) a source of one or more data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and camera noise magnitude;
- b) means employing the one or more data for generating one or more noise processing parameters;
- and
- c) means employing the one or more noise processing parameters for enhancing the spatial detail of the digital image;
- wherein the means for enhancing the spatial detail of the image includes means using the noise processing parameters for controlling a spatial filter, and means for applying the spatial filter to the digital image;
- wherein the spatial filter is a sharpening filter that enhances the spatial detail of a digital image;
- and
- wherein the digital image includes pixel values and the sharpening filter comprises:
- c1) means for calculating a variance value for a neighborhood of pixel values about a pixel value to be enhanced;
- and
- c2) means for using the calculated variance value and the noise processing parameter(s) to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image.
8 more elements
A method of enhancing a digital image captured by a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a plurality of data selected from the group consisting of camera model type, image sensor type, type of light source, type of image compression, previous noise reduction processing history, previous spatial sharpening processing history, and photosensitivity data characterizing a digital camera image sensor;
- b) employing the plurality of data to generate for each data a relative noise magnitude scaling factor;
- c) employing the plurality of relative noise magnitude scaling factors to enhance the spatial detail of the digital image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.