Patent ID: 8582884

Claim:
A method for processing images, comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of edges derived from an image, each edge having positive and negative opposing sides, an edge magnitude and direction; (b) projecting from each edge, a scaled intensity value into a region abutting a positive side of the edge and into a region abutting a negative side of the edge; (c) generating positive and negative maps, wherein the positive maps include a combination of the projected scaled intensity values corresponding to the positive side of each edge and the negative maps include a combination of the projected scaled intensity values corresponding to the negative side of each edge; (d) determining for each edge a ratio of combined local intensity values in each of the positive and negative maps; (e) projecting for each edge, intensity values weighted by the ratio into a region abutting a positive side of the edge and intensity values weighted by the ratio into a region abutting a negative side of the edge; and (f) generating revised positive and negative maps, wherein the revised positive maps include a combination of the projected, weighted intensity values from the positive side of each edge and the revised negative maps include a combination of the projected, weighted intensity values from the negative side of each edge.