The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 16, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 03, 2007
Richard Lee Swanson, Hopkins, MN (US);
Earl John Adolphi, Los Lunas, NM (US);
Michael John Surma, Eagan, MN (US);
John Robert Reinert Nash, Prior Lake, MN (US);
Richard Lee Swanson, Hopkins, MN (US);
Earl John Adolphi, Los Lunas, NM (US);
Michael John Surma, Eagan, MN (US);
John Robert Reinert Nash, Prior Lake, MN (US);
Lifetouch Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Abstract
A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.