# US 8,787,666 B2 · Color analytics for a digital image > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,666 B2 - Document ID: US8787666B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/465,644 - Filed: 2012-05-07 - Published: 2013-05-23 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-21 - Assignees: Tandent Vision Science, Inc. - Applicants: Richard Mark Friedhoff; Casey Arthur Smith; Bruce Allen Maxwell - Inventors: Richard Mark Friedhoff; Casey Arthur Smith; Bruce Allen Maxwell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787666B2 ## CPC - G06T 5/94: based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement - G06F 18/21: Design or setup of recognition systems or techniques; Extraction of features in feature space; Blind source separation - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06T 5/40: using histogram techniques - G06T 7/90: Determination of colour characteristics - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, determining intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for the image, and calculating analytical information, as a function of the intrinsic component information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated, computerized method for processing an image, comprising the steps of: providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory; determining multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for intrinsic material and illumination for surfaces depicted in the image, expressed in a spatial extent of spectral characteristics; and calculating analytical information as a function of indicia of scene color characteristics expressed by the multi-band intrinsic component information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 including the additional step of displaying the calculated analytical information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the intrinsic component information comprises an illumination image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the step of calculating analytical information, as a function of the intrinsic component information, is carried out by calculating an illumination intensity histogram of the illumination image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 including the additional step of calculating a shadow depth indication as a function of the illumination intensity histogram. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the illumination image comprises a representation of illumination, expressed as a separate, multi-band representation of illumination, independent of material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the spatio-spectral information comprises a characteristic spectral ratio. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the step of calculating analytical information, as a function of the intrinsic component information, is carried out by using intrinsic component information inherent in the characteristic spectral ratio to represent relative fill light color. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the characteristic spectral ratio is expressed by a ratio of the color on one side of an illumination boundary and the color on the other side of the illumination boundary. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the image is illuminated by ambient illumination on the one side and the image is illuminated by the ambient illumination and direct illumination on the other side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for the image is carried out by determining intrinsic component information relative to a face depicted in the image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the determining multi-band intrinsic component information includes executing a spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model utilizing spectral relationships among contiguous pixels, in terms of color bands, and the spatial extent of the pixel spectral characteristics relevant to a single material depicted in the image or illumination flux effecting the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the executing a spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model includes utilizing a bi-illuminant dichromatic reflection model for image segregation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the executing a spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model includes generating spatio-spectral operators for the image and defining a constraint between the spatio-spectral operators. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model utilizes a relationship expressed as: I=ML, where I is a recorded image color of the transmitted image, M is the material component of the recorded image color and L the illumination component of the recorded image color. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the executing a spatio-spectral operator/constraint/solver model includes utilizing a spectral ratio based upon a difference in color or intensities between two areas of a scene depicted in an image caused by at least one of different materials and an illumination change for image segregation. ### Claim 17 A computer system which comprises: a CPU; and a memory storing an image file containing an image; the CPU arranged and configured to execute a routine to determine multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for intrinsic material and illumination for surfaces depicted in the image, expressed in a spatial extent of spectral characteristics, and calculate analytical information as a function of indicia of scene color characteristics expressed by the multi-band intrinsic component information. ### Claim 18 A computer program product, disposed on a non-transitory computer readable media, the product including computer executable process steps operable to control a computer to: provide an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, determine multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for intrinsic material and illumination for surfaces depicted in the image, expressed in a spatial extent of spectral characteristics, and calculate analytical information as a function of indicia of scene color characteristics expressed by the multi-band intrinsic component information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 including the further process step of displaying the calculated analytical information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the multi-band intrinsic component information comprises a multi-band illumination image. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the process step to calculate analytical information, as a function of the multi-band intrinsic component information, is carried out by calculating an illumination intensity histogram of the multi-band illumination image. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The computer program product of claim 21 including the additional process step of calculating a shadow depth indication as a function of the illumination intensity histogram. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the spatio-spectral information comprises a characteristic spectral ratio. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the process step to calculate analytical information, as a function of the multi-band intrinsic component information, is carried out by using multi-band intrinsic component information inherent in the characteristic spectral ratio to represent relative fill light color. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the process step to determine multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for the image is carried out by determining multi-band intrinsic component information relative to a face depicted in the image. ### Claim 26 A device comprising: a CPU; a memory storing an image file containing an image; the CPU arranged and configured to execute a routine to determine multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for intrinsic material and illumination for surfaces depicted in the image, expressed in a spatial extent of spectral characteristics, and calculate analytical information as a function of indicia of scene color characteristics expressed by the multi-band intrinsic component information; and a display, coupled to the CPU, for display of the analytical information. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The device of claim 26 wherein the CPU 12 executes the step to determine multi-band intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for the image by determining multi-band intrinsic component information relative to a face depicted in the image.