Image Processing With Selective Hue Patterning for Color-Blind Viewing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing methods for color blind viewers often distort the entire image or require significant user interaction, failing to provide effective color distinguishability while maintaining image fidelity for trichromatic viewers.

Innovation Solution

A method that selectively applies patterns to specific problematic color ranges within video images, using user-defined criteria to identify and enhance these areas with adjustable opacity and pattern type, while leaving unaffected areas unchanged.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If patterns are applied to correct color vision deficiency, then color distinguishability for color blind viewers is improved, but image fidelity for trichromatic viewers deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor distinguishabilityVSAvoidimage fidelity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies patterns selectively only to regions with problem hues (colors that are confused by color deficient viewers) while leaving other regions unchanged. This localized application ensures that color distinguishability is improved where needed without degrading the overall image fidelity for trichromatic viewers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The image is segmented into different hue regions, and pattern application is selectively applied only to segments containing problem hues. This segmentation allows differential treatment of image regions, applying corrections only where necessary while preserving the original image quality in non-problem areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If patterns are applied to correct color vision deficiency, then color distinguishability is improved, but computational load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor distinguishabilityVSAvoidcomputational load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By applying patterns only to regions with problem hues rather than the entire image, the computational load is significantly reduced. The system identifies and processes only the necessary portions of the image, maintaining color distinguishability improvements while minimizing computational overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If patterns are applied to correct color vision deficiency, then color distinguishability is improved, but image naturalness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor distinguishabilityVSAvoidimage naturalness
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The selective application of patterns only to problem hue regions preserves the natural appearance of the majority of the image. Non-problem hues remain unchanged, maintaining image naturalness while still providing the necessary color distinguishability assistance to color blind viewers in the affected regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4625327A1Image processing
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 BRITISH TELECOM PLC
  • EP4625327A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4625327A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4625327A1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

A computer implemented image processing method is described which comprises identifying a degree of similarity between two or more hues as viewed by a colour vision deficient viewer, and determining the two or more hues to be problem hues if the degree of similarity satisfies a similarity criterion. For one or more of the problem hues, a colour group is defined, the colour group including the problem hue and related hues within a colour range of the problem hue. Subsequently, when video images are received, for one or more of the colour groups, one or more regions in a received image having a hue corresponding to that colour group are identified, and a pattern is applied to those regions. In this way, patterns are applied only to regions of the image having a hue within a defined colour group containing a problem hue. As a result, the part of the image formerly represented only by the problem colour is now represented by a pattern, which is easily discernible by a colour-blind viewer. Regions of the image which do not contain a problem hue are not patterned in this way, and so the majority of the image remains unchanged.