Eastman-kodak Company

Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC

Nestor M Rodriguez

John C Brewer

David Long

Karleen M Cirulli

Kenneth Alan Parulski

Andrew Charles Gallagher

Mitchell J Bogdanowicz

Roger A Morton

Martin E Oehlbeck

Steven D MacLean

Christopher L DuMont

Marcelo De C Guimaraes

Haithem Albadawi

In processing a digital image to provide a desired grain appearance, a noise table is formed that represents noise magnitude vs. intensity of the image. A plurality of potential image processing paths are provided. Each path has one or more image transforms. The noise table is modified according to the image transforms in the respective image processing paths to provide a plurality of output noise tables. Noise metrics are generated from each of the output noise tables. The noise metrics each represent the appearance of the image processed by the respective image processing path. An input is then accepted designating one of the paths. The image is processed according to the designated image processing path to provide an output image having desired noise.

Selecting an image processing path to provide desired noise

A method for converting a sequence of electronically captured images into a sequence of modified images for providing the appearance of images captured by a film reproduction system. The film reproduction system being includes motion picture negative film printed onto a motion picture print film that is displayed, or a reversal motion picture system in which the reversal film is displayed, or a motion picture film electro-optically scanned to standard format video by a telecine and further displayed, or a motion picture film electro-optically scanned by a scanner suitable for producing digital data intended for additional digital image manipulation. A digital master is prepared from the aforementioned film formats for electronic distribution or recording out to another film to be used as a printing master for producing distribution optical prints for theatrical projection.

System and method for processing electronically captured images to emulate film tonescale and color

A method for converting a sequence of scan-only film captured images into a sequence of modified images that provide the appearance of images captured by a photographic film reproduction system; the photographic film reproduction system being includes photographic motion picture negative film printed onto a motion picture print film that is displayed, or a reversal motion picture system in which the reversal film is displayed, or a photographic motion picture film electro-optically scanned to standard format video by a telecine and further displayed, or a photographic motion picture film electro-optically scanned by a scanner suitable for producing digital data intended for additional digital image manipulation and further preparation as a digital master for electronic distribution such as digital theatrical projection or various types of broadcast video; or recorded out to another photographic film to be used as a printing master for producing distribution optical prints for theatrical projection.

System and method for processing images to emulate film tonescale and color

A method and apparatus for calibrating a sensor for highlights and for processing highlights is described. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying highlight regions in an image of a scene. The method further includes calculating flare intensity values for the image using the locations of the highlight regions. The method also includes subtracting the flare intensity values from the image.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a sensor for highlights and for processing highlights

An electronic color image capture system includes an optical section for separating an input image into its separate color content and directing the separate color content toward an imaging section, which generates a plurality of color image signals from the input image. The spectral responses of the optical section and the imaging section are selected so as to cascade together to provide all-positive, symmetrical system curves modeled upon red, green and blue color matching functions representative of the human visual system. The color matching functions are derived from three monochromatic light sources and contain no more than three positive lobes as well as one or more negative lobes, wherein the areas under the color matching functions determined by (a) summation of all negative lobes and (b) overlap between the green and red color matching functions are minimized. The color image signals are processed with a color correction matrix with coefficients optimized for signal-to-noise performance for producing an output color image exhibiting an accurate color reproduction of the input image.

Apparatus and method for accurate electronic color capture and reproduction

A sequence of electronically captured images are converted into modified images providing the appearance of images captured by a film reproduction system, where the film reproduction system is of the type that includes a motion picture negative film printed onto a motion picture print film that is displayed, or a reversal motion picture system in which a reversal film is displayed. After electronically capturing the images, the electronically captured image data is transformed into linearized exposure data, which is subsequently transformed with a linear function that emulates a film exposure of the film reproduction system. The exposure-corrected images are then transformed with a non-linear function that renders the exposure-corrected images with a tone scale of the film reproduction system, and the tonescale-corrected images are transformed with a linear function that emulates a film color look provided by the film reproduction system. In order to achieve the desired results, the transformation steps are referenced to scanned film densities of a film used in the film reproduction system.

A sequence of motion images, captured by an image capture system such as a digital camera, are converted into a sequence of modified motion images providing the appearance of motion images captured by the same capture system and subsequently rendered in a post-processing stage to simulate a particular look. The method involves capturing a sequence of motion images using a full resolution image sensor system, then recording the full resolution unprocessed image signals, and providing the recorded full resolution unprocessed image signals to the post-production process, where the images will be subsequently rendered in a post-processing stage to simulate a particular look. Meanwhile, one or more image processing algorithms are applied in the image capture system to the unprocessed image signals to simulate the particular look rendered in the post-processing stage, and the simulated image signals are displayed as a sequence of modified images.

Video tap for a digital motion camera that simulates the look of post processing

An electronic image capture system for capturing a sequence of images, the system includes a camera that captures a sequence of incoming incident light on a sensor and records the sequence of images as wide gamut image data. A processor receives the wide gamut image data and processes the image data to provide a film-like image sequence.

Multi-stage electronic motion image capture and processing system

A process and system for forming a video image with a telecine transfer device is disclosed, the process comprising converting a photographic film image into video signals representative of the image with a telecine transfer device which uses a cathode ray tube flying spot scanner in combination with at least one dichroic beam splitting mirror to separate the light from the cathode ray tube into component spectral segments which are then detected by a light detector, wherein a filter is positioned between the dichroic mirror and the light detector to compensate for an inconsistent spectral distribution of light in at least one component spectral segment resulting from a varying angle of incidence of light originating from various positions of the cathode ray tube onto the dichroic mirrors, said filter reducing the magnitude of the range of spectral change due to the varying angle of incidence. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the light from the cathode ray tube is separated into red, green and blue component segments. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a properly designed filter is used such that the spectral distribution of light that reaches the green component light detector results in a substantially consistent side-to-side contrast detection with various photographic film stocks. The instant invention differs from previous methods of shading correction in that the correction is being done optically instead of electronically. The optical correction is substantially film independent.

Shading correction on a CRT telecine

A soundtrack interface for a motion picture projector allows the projector to sense dye only soundtracks or silver soundtracks. The system includes: a) an infrared filter: b) means for moving the infrared filter into the optical path between the sound system light source and photo detector when a film having a dye only soundtrack is to be projected, and for moving the infrared filter out of the optical path when a film having a silver soundtrack is to be projected; c) a preamplifier; and d) means for switching the preamplifier into a circuit between the photo detector and the sound amplifier when a film having a dye only soundtrack is to be projected and out of the circuit when a film having a silver soundtrack is to be projected.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Nestor M Rodriguez