Patent ID: 6807300
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
A digital image processing method for enhancing a color digital image having pixel values, comprising the steps of:a) identifying a pixel of interest in the color digital image; b) using pixels from the color digital image to calculate a color weighting factor for the pixel of interest, including the steps of: (i) identifying one or more color regions in color space; (ii) calculating a pixel color coordinate in color space for the pixel of interest; and (iii) calculating the color weighting factor with the pixel color coordinate and the color regions; c) identifying a local neighborhood of pixels about the pixel of interest; d) using the color weighting factor and the values of pixels sampled from the local neighborhood to calculate a noise reduced pixel value; e) replacing the value of the pixel of interest with the noise reduced pixel value; and f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for other pixels in the color digital image.