Viewahead Technology, Inc.

Jon Y Hardeberg

A color processing system is provided that corrects color artifacts such as red eye typically formed in images from a camera flash. An image is captured or processed by inputting the image into the system. To correct red eye artifacts, a &ldquo;redness&rdquo; mask is computed by calculating the colorimetric distance, in an approximately perceptually linear color space, between a prototypical reference &ldquo;red eye&rdquo; color and each pixel of the image, or a selected portion thereof, containing the red eye. Each pixel of the redness mask is then reduced to one of two values by comparing the calculated colorimetric distance recorded by each mask pixel to a threshold value. Various filtering, morphological, and blob analysis techniques may be applied to the mask to eliminate noise, reduce errors, and facilitate a more natural look. The mask serves to identify pixels in the color image needing correction, and further serves to identify the amount of correction needed. Pixels identified as having red-eye artifacts are modified to a substantially monochrome color. The bright, substantially white, specular reflection of the eye, however, is preserved.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Jon Y Hardeberg