Dynamic Color Removal in Image Processing Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image capture devices often produce images with unwanted color components that are not considered important by human viewers, leading to artifacts and inefficiencies in storage and transmission due to the assumption that all color is either preserved or removed uniformly.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus dynamically determines the importance of color components in images by analyzing pixel information, preserving color when important and eliminating or reducing it when not, using techniques like conversion to grayscale or posterization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If color components are uniformly preserved in all images, then image quality is maintained, but file size increases and transmission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the color preservation parameter based on image content analysis. The system analyzes color information associated with pixels and determines whether to preserve or remove color components based on the specific image characteristics, thereby optimizing the balance between image quality and file size for different types of images
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different processing treatments to different regions or types of images. Instead of uniform color removal or preservation, the system selectively preserves color in regions where it is important (such as photographs) while removing it from regions where it is not important (such as text documents), achieving localized optimization of image quality and compression
2Quantity of substance
If color components are uniformly removed from all images, then file size is reduced and transmission efficiency improves, but image quality deteriorates when color is important
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the color preservation parameter based on image content analysis. By analyzing color information associated with pixels and determining the importance of color in each specific image or region, the system optimizes the balance between file size reduction and image quality preservation, avoiding unnecessary color removal in images where color is important
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms by analyzing the color information in captured images and using this analysis to determine subsequent processing actions. The system continuously evaluates color importance and adjusts color preservation decisions based on this feedback, ensuring that color is preserved when important and removed when not, thereby maintaining image quality while reducing file size
3Measurement precision
If color information is analyzed for each pixel, then color importance is accurately determined, but processing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the image processing task into distinct stages: color information analysis, importance determination, and selective preservation/removal. This segmented approach allows the system to process color information systematically across pixels while managing computational complexity through structured processing steps
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by analyzing color information for determining overall image characteristics rather than processing every single pixel with equal depth. The color importance determination is based on sampled or representative pixel analysis, which provides sufficient accuracy for making global color preservation decisions without the excessive computational burden of exhaustive pixel-by-pixel processing
Data Source
AI summary
In general, this disclosure relates to processing techniques for processing images captured by an image capture device. More particularly, the techniques relate to automatic color removal in digitally captured images. In accordance with this disclosure, an image processing apparatus dynamically determines whether a color component of an image is likely to be considered important by a human viewer based on color information associated with the image, and removes at least a portion of the color component of the image during image processing when it is not likely to be considered important.