Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of modifying an image defined by data representing the colour component content of each pixel of the image, the method comprising, for each colour component of each pixel, (a) generating unsharp (U) and sharp (S) data and performing an unsharp masking algorithm on the sharp and unsharp data to generate fringe data (F); (b) modifying (40) the fringe data with a weighting function (φ) determined in accordance with the values of the sharp or unsharp data for all of the colour components (U C ,U M ,U Y ) of the pixel; and (c) combining the modified fringe data with the pixel data to generate modified pixel data (41).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the unsharp data is generated by calculating a weighted average of the pixel data in a region (71) surrounding the pixel (70).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weighting function is determined by selecting areas of the image having different required degrees of modification, and calculating the weighting function in accordance with the average colour and required degree of modification of each selected area.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
29 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the weighting function (φ) is a mathematically continuous function in the coordinate space defined by the unsharp colour signals.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
30 words
A method according to any of the previous claims, further comprising applying colour correction to the pixel data, wherein the pixel data in step (c) is colour corrected pixel data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus (24) for modifying an image defined by data representing the colour component content of each pixel of the image, the apparatus comprising generating means (23,31) to generate unsharp (U) and sharp (S) data, for each colour component of each pixel; processing means (32) to perform an unsharp masking algorithm on the unsharp and sharp data to generate fringe data (F), means (36,40) to modify the fringe data with a predetermined weighting function (φ) in accordance with the values of the sharp or unsharp data for all of the colour components (U C ,U M ,U Y ) of the pixel; and means (34) for combining the modified fringe data with the pixel data to generate modified pixel data (41).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the generating means (31) generates unsharp data by calculating a weighted average of the pixel data in a region (71) surrounding the pixel (70).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, comprising means (42) to select areas of the image having different required degrees of modification, and means (43) of calculating the weighting function in accordance with the average colour and required degree of modification of each selected area.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the weighting function (φ) is a mathematically continuous function in the coordinate space defined by the unsharp colour signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a colour converter (33) to apply colour correction to the pixel data, wherein the colour corrected pixel data is combined with the modified fringe data.