Image analysis – Color image processing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-28
2001-03-20
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2721)
Image analysis
Color image processing
C382S286000, C382S299000, C358S515000, C358S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205245
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention is related to operations on digital images. Specifically, the invention provides a method and apparatus for generating down-scaled digital images directly from a color filter array space.
DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND
Digital photography, which is the use of digital cameras that store image information with a series of ones and zeros, is rapidly replacing traditional film-based photography in many areas.
For digital cameras, it is often desirable to allow the “previewing” of a scene before an image is captured. This preview allows a user to determine, for example, whether a subject to be captured is centered or the scene is framed properly before processing is wasted in capturing an unwanted image. In the alternative, digital cameras may also provide a “thumbnail” (e.g., a smaller preview version of an image) after an image has been captured, to allow the user to determine whether to keep the image and before resources are utilized in transferring the full amount of data for an image from the camera to an output device, such as a printer or a computer for display. Unlike traditional film-based cameras, a user does not have to wait until negatives have been processed to see a close approximation of a captured image. Thus, resources such as power, storage, and time may be saved when a user can preview a picture.
In one approach to providing image preview before capture, a miniature display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), is built into the digital camera to allow the preview of scenes before an image is captured. For providing a preview of images before they are transferred to an output device, such as a printer or a host computer, a smaller version is usually created. This down scaled version of the image is transferred instead of the originally captured version of the image, as the original image is larger in size and takes more time to transfer.
Typically, color images are captured by using an array of light sensitive photodiodes, termed a color filter array (CFA). Each diode is sensitive to one color, such as red, green or blue. To compose a single color pixel, the values of at least one captured cluster of red, green, and blue values are combined. Once a set of color pixels is created from the values of the CFA that represents an image, separate color planes (e.g., the individual red, green, and blue color planes) may be generated to represent the image.
However, in order to down scale a color image, the original image data, which is captured in the format of the CFA space, is converted into a representation that is compatible with existing down scaling processes, such as separate red, green, and blue image planes. This adds an additional step and employs additional processing resources.
As image down scaling is a common task for the purposes of thumbnail generation for preview and review, and saving storage space, it is desirable to have a down scaling system that is efficient and allows the rapid processing of images from the CFA level.
SUMMARY
What is disclosed, in one embodiment, is a method that includes determining an initial image size. The method also includes determining a set of stride lengths, locating a single color pixel of interest, and generating a full color pixel. An apparatus having, in one embodiment, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for performing the above method is also disclosed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5778158 (1998-07-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 5838838 (1998-11-01), Overton
patent: 5901254 (1999-05-01), Iguchi et al.
patent: 5995682 (1999-11-01), Pawlicki et al.
Jones Thomas C.
Pigott Karen
Yuan Po
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Intel Corporation
Kassa Yosef
Mancuso Joseph
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