Image analysis – Applications – Personnel identification
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-29
2001-09-18
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Personnel identification
C382S103000, C382S167000, C382S173000, C382S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292574
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of digital image processing and, more particular to a method for detecting redeye in digital images.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When flash illumination is used for the capture of an image sometimes the pupils of people in the image appear red. This is caused by light from the flash unit entering the pupil, multiply reflecting off the retina, and finally exiting back through the pupil. Because light is partially absorbed by capillaries in the retina the pupil appears red in the image. This phenomena is referred to as “redeye.” The probability of redeye being observed increases the closer the flash unit is to the optical axis of the lens. Therefore, redeye is commonly observed in images captured by a small camera with an integral flash unit.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,863 describes a user-interactive method for the detection of objects in an image that have the color characteristic of redeye. This method automatically detects candidate redeye pixels based on shape coloration and brightness.
Although the presently known method of detecting redeye is satisfactory, it is not without drawbacks. The method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,863 does not determine whether the candidate pixels are located in a face or are part of a human eye.
Consequently, a need exists for detecting redeye that overcomes the above-described drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, the invention resides in a computer program product for detecting eye color defects of a subject in an image due to flash illumination, comprising: a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: (a) detecting skin colored regions in a digital image; (b) searching the skin colored regions for groups of pixels with color characteristic of redeye defect; and (c) correcting color of the pixels based on a location of redeye defect found in step (b).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for automatically detecting redeye defects.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for determining whether candidate redeye defects are part of the human face.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for determining whether candidate redeye defects are part of the human eye.
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G. Marcone et al., “automatic face image recognition : an accurate eye location procedure”, IEEE 1977, pp. 515-517, Jun. 1997.*
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Gray Robert T.
Luo Jiebo
Schildkraut Jay S.
Bella Matthew C.
Chawan Sheela
Eastman Kodak Company
Woods David M.
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