Patent · US Expired

Image processing method based on processing of interrelated image gradients

US4561022A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
8References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 11, 1983
Grant dateDec 24, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 11, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N1/409
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved image processing method prevents unwanted processing artifacts from degrading the reproduction of an image by stressing the interrelationship of various image gradients in the image. Image signals are generated representative of the light value of elements of the image. A local gradient signal is generated in response to a combination of image signals representative of an image gradient over a local portion of the image. An extended gradient signal is also generated representative of an image gradient over an image portion greater than the local portion. The image gradients are interrelated in a composite signal generated from a combination of the local and extended gradient signals. As an example of the combination, the composite signal is made to vary as a function of the difference between the gradient signals. The image signals are then modified subject to a characteristic of the composite signal, e.g., the magnitude of the composite signal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.