Image Processing Apparatus Skin-Based Color Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing methods fail to accurately correct color casting in image data due to the lack of consideration for the correlation between skin and high-intensity portions under different light source conditions, leading to suboptimal color correction, especially when capturing images with varying light sources.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that extracts skin information, separates it into independent components (melanin, hemoglobin, and shading), calculates a bias representing the light source's color information, and performs color correction using a reference bias to match standard light source conditions, thereby correcting color casting effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If characteristic information of light source is obtained by providing separate sensors, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor performs dual functions: capturing image data and providing information for light source characteristic estimation. By utilizing the same sensor for both imaging and light source analysis, the patent eliminates the need for separate sensors, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining measurement precision through software-based spectral analysis of the captured image data
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical approach of using separate physical sensors with a computational approach. By analyzing the spectral characteristics of image data captured by the existing image sensor and applying color adaptation algorithms, the system estimates light source characteristics without additional hardware, substituting computational processing for physical measurement devices
2Ease of operation
If skin portion and high-intensity portion are extracted without considering correlation, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision of color correction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the extracted skin portion information to guide and refine the extraction of high-intensity portions. The system analyzes the spatial and spectral relationship between skin regions and bright regions, using skin color characteristics as a reference to identify and correct color casting in high-intensity areas, thereby improving color correction precision while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing strategies to different regions of the image based on their local characteristics. Skin portions are extracted and analyzed with specific colorimetric methods, while high-intensity portions are processed separately with consideration of their spatial relationship to skin regions. This localized approach allows the system to maintain ease of operation through automated region detection while achieving precise color correction by tailoring processing to each region's specific needs
Data Source
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AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a skin information obtaining unit that extracts a skin area from an image and obtains skin information from the skin area; an independent component extracting unit that extracts independent components constituting the skin area from the skin information; and a bias calculation unit that calculates, based on the independent components, a bias representing color information of a light source used to illuminate the skin area when the image is captured.