Colorization method and apparatus

An apparatus for changing colorization of colored images, comprising:

• an image display;
• a user input adapted to mark an original image displayed on the display with multiple color markings, at least some of which are in different colors, the original image without the color markings;
• and
• a controller, which receives the user generated markings and colors at least one non-marked region of the image responsive to the marked colors and the colors of the original image, the at least one non-marked region of the image between two or more spaced apart markings of different colors is colored by mixing the different colors, the extent of said mixing dependent on a scalar factor that represents the differences at pixels of the at least one non-marked region of the original image and the color of neighboring pixels located within a predefined computational window around the pixels of the at least one non-marked region.

A computerized method for colorization of images, comprising:

• obtaining a digital image marked with multiple color markings, at least some of which are in different colors the digital image based on an original image without the color markings;
• automatically assigning a cost to each pixel responsive to the difference between the color to be assigned to that pixel of at least one non-marked region and neighboring pixels located within a predefined computational window around that pixel and the difference in intensity between that pixel and neighboring pixels within the computational window;
• computing the minimized cost without constraining the assigned colors to match the color markings, except at the markings themselves;
• automatically coloring the at least one non-marked region of the image responsive to the marked colors and the computed cost, the at least one non-marked region of the image between two or more spaced apart markings of different colors is colored by mixing the different colors, the extent of said mixing dependent on the computed cost;
• and
• at least one of storing, displaying, and transferring, the colorized image.

A computerized method for colorization of images, comprising:

• obtaining a digital image marked with multiple color markings, at least some of which are in different colors, the digital image based on an original image without the color markings;
• automatically changing, by a computer, the colors responsive to said markings wherein at least some of the pixels in at least one non-marked region of the original image are assigned a new color, different from its original color, that is different from the color of any of said markings in regions of low or zero intensity gradient;
• wherein at least one non-marked region of the image between two or more spaced apart markings of different colors is colored with the new color;
• and
• at least one of storing, displaying, and transferring, the colorized image.

A computerized method for colorizing of images, comprising;

• providing a digital image having a plurality of objects having similar intensities and including two non-marked regions separated by at least one gap;
• digitally marking fewer than all of the objects with a marking having a first color and digitally marking an area continuous with said gap with a second marking having a second color;
• automatically coloring at least one of the unmarked and separate objects with the first color, responsive to the size of the gap and the differences of intensities between the two non-marked regions and the gap;
• and
• at least one of storing, displaying, and transferring, the colorized image.

A computerized method for colorizing a series of images having objects that move within the image and comprising:

• digitally marking regions within a first digital image with color markings at first positions;
• automatically determining a position transformation of pixels of the first digital image in another digital image;
• automatically determining a neighborhood of each pixel comprising nearby pixels located within a predefined computation window around the respective pixel of the at least one non-marked region, said neighborhood comprising pixels surrounding the pixel in the image in which is it situated and pixel and pixels at and surrounding said transformed position in the other at least one non-marked region of said first and another images;
• automatically assigning a cost to each pixel in both images responsive to the difference between the color to be assigned to that pixel of the at least one non-marked region and pixels in said neighborhood;
• computing the minimized cost for both images together without constraining the assigned colors between the different colored markings to match the color markings, except at the markings themselves;
• automatically coloring the first and other images based on the determined minimum cost;
• wherein at least one non-marked region of the image between two or more spaced apart markings of different colors is colored by mixing the different colors, the extent of said mixing dependent on the computed cost;
• and
• at least one of storing, displaying, and transferring, the colorized image.

A computerized method for colorization of images, comprising:

• digitally marking a digital image with multiple color markings, at least some of which are in different colors;
• automatically assigning a cost to each pixel responsive to the difference between the color to be assigned to that pixel of at least one non-marked region and neighboring pixels located within a predefined computational window around that pixel and the difference in intensity between that pixel of the at least one non-marked region and neighboring pixel located within the computational window;
• minimizing the cost without constraining the assigned colors to match the color markings, except at the markings themselves;
• automatically coloring at least one non-marked region of the image responsive to the marked colors and the computed cost, at least one non-marked region of the image between two or more spaced apart markings of different colors is colored by mixing the different colors, the extent of said mixing dependent on the computed cost;
• and
• at least one of storing, displaying, and transferring, the colorized image.