Method and apparatus for determining the position of eyes and for correcting eye-defects in a captured frame

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, wherein said compensating step comprises: a) converting the value of each pixel in said captured frames into log metric; b) calculating the mean log intensity value of each of said converted images; c) adding the difference between said mean log intensity values to the converted image corresponding to the subtrahend of said difference; and d) converting said compensated log image to the inverse log metric to obtain a compensated frame.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined pairs of regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the red channel for human eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined pairs of regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the green channel for animal eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1, wherein said determined pairs of regions of high intensity pixel value, preferably in the red and green channels for human and animal eyes, are processed according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: analyzing the spacing of a potential eye location and the spatial structure for plausibility.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1 wherein the outputting step comprises recording the pixel coordinates of the center of said regions of high intensity pixel value.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1 wherein said frames of said image scene are consecutive pictures of a video image stream.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the capturing means is a video camera for capturing consecutive frames of an image scene.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the illumination source is a flash light emitting source for triggering direct illumination in synchronization with the capturing of the second image frame of said image scene.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the electronic means is a computer to which a keyboard, a monitor, an external storage, and a printer are connected.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13, wherein said compensating step comprises: a) converting the value of each pixel in said captured frames into log metric; b) calculating the mean log intensity value of each of said converted images; c) adding the difference between said mean log intensity values to the converted image corresponding to the subtrahend of said difference; and d) converting said compensated log image to the inverse log metric to obtain a compensated frame.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of: analyzing the spacing of a potential eye-defect region and the spatial structure for plausibility.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 13 wherein the outputting step comprises recording the pixel coordinates of the center of said eye-defect regions.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 15, wherein said determined eye- defect regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the red channel for human eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 15, wherein said determined eye- defect regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the green channel for animal eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 15, wherein said determined eye- defect regions of high intensity pixel value, preferably in the red and green channels for human and animal eyes, are processed according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 23

Method according to claim 13 wherein based on the user selection the digital camera performs an automatic eye-defect correction of the captured image scene.

Claim 24

Method according to claim 13 wherein, based on the user selection, the digital camera stores the data of the frame bearing said camera triggered illumination along with the obtained spatial data of the centers of each of said eye-defect regions.

Claim 25

A digital camera capable of locating eye-defect regions comprising: a user input control for initiating the eye-defect correction function of the digital camera; means for capturing two color frames of an image scene with a minimum delay between to minimize spatial registration error, wherein said capturing means is provided with an optical lens defining an optical axis; an illumination source for illuminating one of the two frames of said image scene wherein said illumination source is positioned as close as possible to said optical axis; means for storing the data of said two captured frames of said image scene; and electronic means: for compensating said frames for the overall illumination change between said two captured frames to obtain a compensated frame; for determining the difference between said compensated frame and an uncompensated frame of said two captured frames to obtain a compensated color difference image; and for scanning said compensated color difference image and thereby determining pairs of regions of eye-defect, and for calculating spatial coordinates of said eye-defects.

Claim 26

A digital camera capable of locating eye-defect regions comprising: a user input control for initiating the eye-defect correction function of the digital camera; means for capturing two color frames of an image scene with a minimum delay between to minimize spatial registration error, wherein said capturing means is provided with an optical lens defining an optical axis; an illumination source for illuminating one of the two frames of said image scene wherein said illumination source is positioned as close as possible to said optical axis; means for storing the data of said two captured frames of said image scene; and electronic means: for compensating said frames for the overall illumination change between said two captured frames to obtain a compensated frame; for determining the difference between said compensated frame and an uncompensated frame of said two captured frames to obtain a compensated color difference image; and for scanning said compensated color difference image and thereby determining pairs of regions of eye-defect, and for calculating spatial coordinates of said eye-defects.

Claim 27

The digital camera according to claim 22 wherein said means for storing is used to store the captured image having the eye-defect correction automatically performed.

Claim 28

The digital camera according to claim 22 wherein said means for storing is used to store the data of the frame bearing said camera triggered illumination along with the calculated data of the spatial coordinates of the centers of each of said eye-defect regions.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the illumination source is a flash light emitting source.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the electronic means is a built-in central processing unit which controls the functions of the digital camera and an attached memory.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 27, wherein said compensating step comprises: converting the value of each pixel in said captured frames into log metric; calculating the mean log intensity value of each of said converted images; adding the difference between said mean log intensity values to the converted image corresponding to the subtrahend of said difference; and converting said compensated log image to the inverse log metric to obtain a compensated frame.

Claim 34

The method according to claim 27 further comprising the step of analyzing the spacing of a potential eye-defect region and the spatial structure for plausibility.

Claim 35

The method according to claim 29, wherein said determined eye-defect regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the red channel for human eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 29, wherein said determined eye-defect regions of high intensity pixel value, are processed in the green channel for animal eyes, according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 37

The method according to claim 29, wherein said determined eye-defect regions of high intensity pixel value, preferably in the red and green channels for human and animal eyes, are processed according to color, size, shape structure, and spacing.

Claim 38

Method according to claim 27 wherein based on the user selection, the digital camera performs an automatic eye-defect correction of the captured image scene.

Claim 39

Method according to claim 27 wherein based on the user selection the digital camera stores the data of the frame bearing said camera triggered illumination along with the obtained spatial data of the centers of each of said eye-defect regions.

Claim 40

The method according to claim 27, wherein said film includes a magnetic layer and, wherein the recording on the photographic film is magnetic recording on said magnetic layer.

Claim 41

A photographic film camera capable of locating eye-defects comprises: a user input control for initiating the eye-defect free function of the film camera; means for capturing two frames of an image scene with a minimum delay between to minimize spatial registration error, wherein said capturing means is provided with an optical lens defining an optical axis; an illumination source for illuminating one of said two frames of said image scene, wherein said illumination source is positioned as close as possible to said optical axis; a photographic film for capturing said illuminated frame of said image scene, said film including a recording layer; means for temporarily storing data of said illuminated frame and data of said frame bearing ambient illumination of said image scene; electronic means for compensating said frames for the overall illumination change between said two captured frames to obtain a compensated frame; for determining the difference between said compensated frame and an uncompensated frame of said two captured frames to obtain a compensated color difference image; for scanning said compensated color difference image and thereby determining pairs of regions of eye-defect, and calculating spatial coordinates of said eye-defects; and recording means for writing the spatial coordinates of the eye-defects in said recording layer on said photographic film inside said photographic film camera.

Claim 42

A photographic film camera capable of locating eye-defects comprises: a user input control for initiating the eye-defect free function of the film camera; means for capturing two frames of an image scene with a minimum delay between to minimize spatial registration error, wherein said capturing means is provided with an optical lens defining an optical axis; an illumination source for illuminating one of said two frames of said image scene, wherein said illumination source is positioned as close as possible to said optical axis; a photographic film for capturing said illuminated frame of said image scene, said film including a recording layer; means for temporarily storing data of said illuminated frame and data of said frame bearing ambient illumination of said image scene; electronic means for compensating said frames for the overall illumination change between said two captured frames to obtain a compensated frame; for determining the difference between said compensated frame and an uncompensated frame of said two captured frames to obtain a compensated color difference image; for scanning said compensated color difference image and thereby determining pairs of regions of eye-defect, and calculating spatial coordinates of said eye-defects; and recording means for writing the spatial coordinates of the eye-defects in said recording layer on said photographic film inside said photographic film camera.

Claim 43

The photographic film camera according to claim 36 wherein the capturing means comprise a semi transparent mirror located in said optical axis in order to simultaneously illuminate said photographic film and an image sensor, said illumination of said photographic film is controlled by a shutter, positioned prior to said photographic film.

Claim 44

The photographic film camera according to claim 36 wherein the recording layer on said photographic film is a magnetic recording layer and the recording means are designed for magnetic recording of data on said magnetic recording layer.

Claim 45

The photographic film camera according to claim 36 wherein the illumination source is a flash light emitting source.

Claim 46

The photographic film camera according to claim 36 wherein said electronic means is a camera built-in central processing unit which controls the main camera functions, a memory for temporary storing and said recording means.