Image Correction Apparatus for Selective Skin Glaze Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image correction methods unconditionally decrease brightness in high-brightness regions, including skin, which can lead to unwanted darkening of non-skin areas like hair, lips, and pupils, resulting in unnatural images.
Innovation Solution
An image correction apparatus that detects specific body regions of a person, such as the face, eyes, and mouth, and adjusts brightness or lightness only within these regions, using intensity values and color components to differentiate and correct the 'glaze' effect specifically, while maintaining high brightness in non-skin areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If brightness is unconditionally decreased in high-brightness regions, then glaze is removed from skin areas, but other high-brightness regions such as hair, lips, and pupils are unnecessarily darkened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between skin regions and non-skin regions. The correction device decreases brightness only in regions identified as skin (predetermined region), while preserving brightness in other high-brightness regions such as hair, lips, and pupils. This is achieved by detecting the predetermined region and applying correction selectively based on region identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image into different regions: the predetermined region (skin) and other regions (hair, lips, pupils, background). By segmenting the image this way, the correction device can apply brightness decrease only to the appropriate segment (skin) while leaving other segments unchanged, thus avoiding unnecessary darkening of non-skin areas.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If brightness is decreased in high-brightness regions, then glaze is reduced on skin, but the natural appearance of the image is compromised due to unnatural darkening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains natural appearance by applying different treatment to different regions. The predetermined region (skin) receives brightness correction to remove glaze, while other regions maintain their original brightness to preserve natural appearance. This selective approach ensures the image looks natural overall.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If manual photo-retouching is used to remove glaze, then glaze can be suppressed, but the process requires operator intervention and visual inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the image correction apparatus to automatically detect the predetermined region and apply brightness correction without requiring manual operator intervention. The detection device automatically identifies skin regions, and the correction device automatically adjusts brightness, replacing the need for manual photo-retouching operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual photo-retouching with an automated image processing system. Instead of requiring an operator to visually inspect and manually adjust brightness using software tools, the system uses detection devices and correction devices to automatically perform the same function through computational methods.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which performs correction only to a high-brightness portion generated in a particular region, in which a decrease in brightness is necessary, and glaze is removed or reduced. A correction process in which the brightness or the lightness is decreased is simply performed to a pixel in which the brightness or the lightness is high, but a predetermined region (for example, face, eyes, and mouth) of a subject is detected and a degree of correction of each pixel is determined based on the detection result (a position and a color of the predetermined region). Therefore, the region in which the decrease in brightness is not necessary is maintained at high brightness, and the image correction is performed only to the region in which the decrease in brightness is necessary (for example, the region in which the glaze of a skin is generated).