Method and apparatus for processing image data
AssigneeShell & Slate Software, Inc.
InventorBen Weiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a method and apparatus for improving image-processing applications. Embodiments of the invention provide methods for preserving computation results and offer intermediary computation steps to allow the processing of images at any location to take advantage of previously processed image areas. The preferred embodiment offers a method for building a median filter that significantly improves the processing speed over basic techniques. By building a histogram hierarchy, image data statistics are added and subtracted using a multiplicity of histograms from the histogram hierarchy, where each histogram describes an image area. Furthermore, a histogram hierarchy is built using multiple layers, each layer defining a level of statistical resolution.
Claims11
A method for modifying a digital image by applying a median filter using a computer system comprising a central processor and memory comprising:
- allocating memory locations in said memory for a set of histograms;
- loading a first image data set into said memory locations for said set of histograms;
- computing a first plurality of median values of said first image data set from said data in said memory locations for said set of histograms;
- partially updating said memory locations for said set of histograms with a second image data set;
- and,
- computing a second plurality of median values of said second image data set from said updated data in said memory locations for said set of histograms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.