Television – Image signal processing circuitry specific to television – Selective image modification
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-06
2004-04-20
Lee, Michael H. (Department: 2614)
Television
Image signal processing circuitry specific to television
Selective image modification
C348S673000, C382S165000, C382S168000, C345S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06724435
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to color control of real time digital video images and, more particularly, to a method for independently controlling hue or saturation of individual colors in a real time digital video image, without affecting the hue and saturation of any other color in the same real time digital video image.
Controlling colors in a displayed real time digital video image is typically performed by changing the hue, and/or, by increasing or decreasing the saturation of the colors or color components of the real time digital video image. Herein, an ‘individual color’ represents a linear combination of colors or color components, such as red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, and magenta, where, in RGB color space, the basic colors or color components are red, green, and blue, which are used for defining and evaluating the complementary colors or color components yellow, cyan, and magenta, and, in YCM color space, the basic colors or color components are yellow, cyan, and magenta, which are used for defining and evaluating the complementary colors or color components red, green, and blue. Herein, the term ‘hue’ refers to the angle between one color or color component and other colors or color components characterized in a particular color space, for example, RGB color space, featuring a color based three-dimensional coordinate system, within a real time digital video input image. Hue is also referred to as tint, or, as a gradation or shade of a color or color component. Herein, the term ‘saturation’ refers to the intensity of a color or color component characterized in a particular color space, for example, RGB color space, featuring a color based three-dimensional coordinate system, within a real time digital video input image. Saturation is also referred to as vividness of hue.
Different formats are used for characterizing colors or color components in real time digital video images. In one format, real time digital video images feature colors or color components characterized by linear combinations of the basic colors red, green, and blue, in RGB color space. In another format, real time digital video images feature colors or color components characterized by linear combinations of the basic colors yellow, cyan, and magenta, in YCM color space. In still another format, real time digital video images feature colors or color components characterized by linear combinations of the chromatic parts, Cr and Cb, also known in the art as U and V, respectively, in YCrCb or YUV luminance/chromatic color space, respectively. As is well known in the art, one format of a real time digital video image display can be transformed to another format by using appropriate linear combination functions.
In applications involving display of a real time digital video image, a user may desire to adjust or change the hue or saturation of an individual (single) color or color component of the real time digital video image, without affecting the hue or saturation of any other color or color component of the same real time digital video image. For example, a user may desire to adjust the hue or saturation of only one color, such as red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, or, cyan, of a real time digital video image displayed on a television screen, by pushing or turning a color hue or color saturation or intensity control button or dial on a control device associated with the television screen. Unfortunately, however, controlling hue or saturation of an individual color by this procedure affects the hue and/or saturation of all the colors or color components of the television image, and not just the hue or saturation of the individual color desired to be changed by the user.
In PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO/00052938, published Sep. 08, 2000, taking priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/261,193, filed Mar. 03, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,012, by the same inventor of the present invention, there is disclosed a “Method Of Selective Color Control Of Digital Video Images”. The disclosed method features using simple Look-Up-Tables (LUTs), whose values are calculated from uniquely defined color control functions, to digitally change the saturation or intensity of a single color of the chromatic part of a digital video image without affecting the saturation or intensity of any other color of the chromatic part of the same digital video image. A digital video input image is scanned, row by row, pixel by pixel. Each input image pixel value, defined from the chromatic part of the digital video input image, is assigned an address to be operated on by values in individual color LUTs. For a desired change in an individual color of that image, a new digital video output image is produced featuring the desired change in the individual color without affecting the remaining colors of that same image. Application of the disclosed method to display of digital video images precludes the need to convert video components (for example, YCrCb) into RGB (red, green, blue) components.
Selective color control using the just described method enables viewers of real time digital video images to do two things currently not achievable using conventional methods of color control of real time digital video images. Firstly, to very accurately set or adjust individual colors of a given real time digital video image to the actual colors of the subject of the image, and, secondly, to very accurately modify or alter colors of a given video image to produce desired special effects in that real time digital video image.
However, the just described method is notably limited because there is description of selectively controlling only the saturation or intensity, and not the hue, of individual colors of real time digital video images. Additionally, the disclosed method is based on using an algorithm which is particularly described with respect to real time digital video images featuring colors or color components characterized by linear combinations of the chromatic parts, Cr and Cb, or, U and V, in YCrCb or YUV luminance/chromatic color space, and there is no particular description with respect to other formats of real time digital video images, such as the RGB or YCM color space formats.
To date, the inventor is not aware of prior art teaching of a method for independently controlling hue of individual colors in a real time digital video image, without affecting the hue and/or saturation of other colors in the same real time digital video image.
There is thus a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a method for independently controlling hue or saturation of individual colors in a real time digital video image, without affecting the hue or saturation of any other color in the same real time digital video image. Moreover, there is a need for such a method for controlling color of real time digital video images which is efficient and robust, and is particularly applicable to real time digital video images featuring colors or color components characterized by linear combinations of the basic colors of red, green, and blue, in RGB color space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for independently controlling hue or saturation of individual colors in a real time digital video image, without affecting the hue or saturation of any other color in the same real time digital video image.
Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for independently controlling hue or saturation of individual colors in a real time digital video image, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving and characterizing the real time digital video input image featuring input image pixels; (b) selecting to independently change the hue or the saturation of an individual color in the real time digital video input image, by selecting an independent color hue control delta value or an independent color saturation control delta value, respectively, wherein the independent color hue control delta value represents an extent of change in the hue
Friedman Mark M.
Natnael Paulos M.
Oplus Technologies Ltd.
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