US5818525A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
RGB image correction using compressed flat illuminated files and a simple one or two point correction algorithm
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
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Filing: 1996-06-17
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Granted: 1998-10-06
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Expires: 2016-06-17
Abstract
Abstract A memory efficient system of storing color correction information for liquid crystal tuning filters when used with electronic imaging cameras to produce color images, which color correction information is stored with maximum possible gain to optimize accuracy preparatory to compression. The system bins the color correction image, for example, from a 4K×4K CCD sensor into a 500×500 or 1K×1K file, and then applies the JPEG and/or wavelet compression algorithm with a default configuration and/or a custom quantization table that emphasizes low frequency changes with more bits than high frequency changes with less bits. At the end of the compression, the compressed R, G, B files and an n-point correction executable algorithm are stored on floppy disk or CD ROM and are used to automatically take control of image enhancement when invoked by the photographer.
Inventors
- 👤 Hammam Elabd
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:44
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/102; H04N19/124; H04N19/126; H04N23/00; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/843; H04N19/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
Apparatus for enhancing color images produced by electronic imaging cameras when used with liquid crystal tuning filters, comprising: means, having a sensing matrix of n×n, for sensing a color image produced by an LCTF filter and storing the sensed n×n signals representative of said color image; means for binning the stored n×n signals into a binned file; means for storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm; and means for invoking said stored binned file and said correction executable algorithm to automatically take control of image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced, to enhance said color image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus for enhancing color images produced by electronic imaging cameras when used with liquid crystal tuning filters, comprising: means, having a sensing matrix of n×n, for sensing a color image produced by an LCTF filter and storing the sensed n×n signals representative of said color image; means for binning the stored n×n signals into a binned file; means for storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm; and means for invoking said stored binned file and said correction executable algorithm to automatically take control of image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced, to enhance said color image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as in claim 1 further comprising: means for compressing said binned file before being stored by said storing means and for allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said compressing means comprises means for performing a JPEG compression using a default luminance quantization table.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said compressing means comprises means for performing a JPEG compression using a custom quantization table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said compressing means comprises means for applying a wavelet compression algorithm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said invoking means comprises means for decompressing said stored compressed file and executing said correction executable algorithm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said means for storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm comprises means for storing a color correction white flat file composed of raw histograms for flat field RGB files used in correction, and further comprising: means, operable before said means for compressing, for subtracting and storing the offset for use during image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said means for binning the stored n×n signals comprises means for binning said n×n signals into an m×m file, where n>m, and further comprising: means for compressing said m×m file and allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system as in claim 8 wherein n=4K and m=one of 500 and 1K.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises means for performing gamma correction on the color image being enhanced.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises means for producing real image file data Γ iR , Γ iG , Γ iB , and dark field image file data Γ d , and said stored binned file comprises R, G, and B file data, and further comprising means for reproducing enhanced color images comprising means for executing: ##EQU1## where g 1 , g 2 , and g 3 are gain or scaling factors for the individual colors to balance the image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as in claim 1 further comprising: means for separately binning said sensed n×n signals representative of said color image; and means for correcting for image non-uniformities due to said sensing means to decouple said non-uniformities from non-uniformities due to said liquid crystal tuning filter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises one of a snap-shot sensor, a video coded sensor, and a video uncoded sensor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises a coded sensor having clear aperture sensor sites, each with at least one opaque memory site coupled thereto for storing a color image frame charge packet transferred from said coupled clear aperture sensor site.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises a coded sensor and further comprising means for executing said executable correction algorithm to produce coded image enhancement with 2×2 resolution.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
89 words
A memory efficient method for storing color correction information for liquid crystal tuning filters when used with electronic imaging cameras to produce color images, comprising the steps of: producing a color image using an imaging camera with a sensing matrix of n×n and an LCTF filter, and storing the n×n signals representative of said color image; binning the stored n×n signals into an m×m file, where m<n; and storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm making it available to automatically take control of image enhancement when invoked.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
89 words
A memory efficient method for storing color correction information for liquid crystal tuning filters when used with electronic imaging cameras to produce color images, comprising the steps of: producing a color image using an imaging camera with a sensing matrix of n×n and an LCTF filter, and storing the n×n signals representative of said color image; binning the stored n×n signals into an m×m file, where m<n; and storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm making it available to automatically take control of image enhancement when invoked.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of: compressing said binned file before said storing step and allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said compressing step comprises performing a JPEG compression using a default configuration table.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said compressing step comprises performing a JPEG compression using a custom quantization table.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said compressing step comprises applying a wavelet compression algorithm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the step of storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm comprises storing a color correction white flat file composed of raw histograms for flat field RGB files used in correction, and further comprising the step of subtracting and storing the offset, before the compressing step, for use during image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 21 wherein floating point wide word is used for the calculations in said step of subtracting and storing the offset.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of: compressing said m×m file and allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the step of producing a color image comprises producing real image file data ν iR , ν iG , ν iB , and dark field image file data ν d , and said stored binned file comprises R, G, and B file data, and further comprising the step of reproducing enhanced color images by executing: ##EQU2## where g 1 , g 2 , and g 3 are gain or scaling factors for the individual colors to balance the image.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of separately binning said sensed n×n signals representative of said color image and correcting for image non-uniformities due to said sensing means to decouple said non-uniformities from non-uniformities due to said liquid crystal tuning filter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of performing gamma correction on the image being produced.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said correction executable algorithm comprises an n-point correction algorithm.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
188 words
A system for storing color correction information for liquid crystal tuning filters when used with electronic imaging cameras to produce color images, comprising: means, having a sensing matrix of n×n, for sensing a color image produced by an LCTF filter and producing real image file data ν iR , ν iG , ν iB , dark field image file data ν d , and R, G, B file data from the sensed n×n signals representative of said color image; means for binning said n×n signals into an m×m file, where n>m; means for compressing said m×m file and allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes; means for storing said compressed file with a correction executable algorithm; and means for invoking said stored compressed file and said correction executable algorithm to decompress said stored file and automatically take control of image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced to enhance the color image, said invoking means comprising means for executing: ##EQU3## where g 1 , g 2 , and g 3 are gain or scaling factors for the individual colors to balance the image.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
188 words
A system for storing color correction information for liquid crystal tuning filters when used with electronic imaging cameras to produce color images, comprising: means, having a sensing matrix of n×n, for sensing a color image produced by an LCTF filter and producing real image file data ν iR , ν iG , ν iB , dark field image file data ν d , and R, G, B file data from the sensed n×n signals representative of said color image; means for binning said n×n signals into an m×m file, where n>m; means for compressing said m×m file and allocating more bits to low frequency changes than high frequency changes; means for storing said compressed file with a correction executable algorithm; and means for invoking said stored compressed file and said correction executable algorithm to decompress said stored file and automatically take control of image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced to enhance the color image, said invoking means comprising means for executing: ##EQU3## where g 1 , g 2 , and g 3 are gain or scaling factors for the individual colors to balance the image.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system as in claim 28 further comprising means for separately binning said sensed n×n signals representative of said color image and correcting for image non-uniformities due to said sensing means to decouple said non-uniformities from non-uniformities due to said LCTG filter.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as in claim 28 wherein said sensing means comprises means for performing gamma correction on the color image being sensed and stored.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
69 words
A system as in claim 28 wherein said means for storing said binned file with a correction executable algorithm comprises means for storing a color correction white flat file composed of raw histograms for flat field RGB files used in correction, and further comprising: means, operable before said means for compressing, for subtracting and storing the offset for use during image enhancement when a color image is being reproduced.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 28 wherein said sensing means comprises a coded sensor and further comprising means for executing said executable correction algorithm to produce coded image enhancement with 2×2 resolution.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 28 further comprising means for storing several flat fields at different intensities.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-10-05 | 2002-04-06 | 2002-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-10-05 | 2006-04-06 | 2006-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-10-05 | 2010-04-06 | 2010-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |