Intrinsic Image Artifact Correction via Relationship Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing computer vision and image processing techniques face challenges in accurately separating illumination and material aspects of images, leading to inaccuracies and artifacts, particularly at rapid illumination changes.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that generate intrinsic images by identifying illumination and material reflectance images, using techniques such as log chromaticity clustering and relationship maintenance processes to correct artifacts and maintain original pixel relationships.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If illumination and material aspects are separated to improve accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but artifacts appear in the intrinsic images

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of illumination and material separationVSAvoidartifacts in intrinsic images

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by examining reflectance values of preselected pixels relative to neighboring pixels and adjusting the reflectance values to maintain original relationships. This iterative correction process uses the intrinsic images to identify and fix artifacts, with the relationship maintenance process serving as feedback to improve the final output quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by focusing the relationship maintenance process on specific preselected pixels and their neighboring pixels. Instead of treating the entire image uniformly, the method identifies local regions with artifacts and applies corrective adjustments only to these specific areas, preserving the separation accuracy while eliminating local artifacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If relationship maintenance process is applied to correct artifacts, then image quality improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of intrinsic imagesVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by selecting only preselected pixels for the relationship maintenance process rather than processing all pixels in the image. This selective approach reduces the computational workload and processing time while still effectively correcting artifacts in the critical regions where they most commonly appear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If reflectance values are adjusted to maintain pixel relationships, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of reflectance valuesVSAvoidcomplexity of image processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the image processing into distinct functional stages: initial illumination-material separation, artifact identification through relationship maintenance, and selective adjustment of reflectance values. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, managing overall system complexity through modular processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8655099B2Relationship maintenance in an image process

Publication Date: 2014.02.18 INNOVATION ASSET COLLECTIVE

AI summary

In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, generating intrinsic images corresponding to the image, and performing a relationship maintenance process to correct artifacts in the intrinsic images.