Patent ID: 8456711

Claim:
An image processing method for corner enhancing a digital image received by an image processing system for rendering on an image output device, the method comprising: a) receiving a digital image including a plurality of pixels representing an image to be rendered on the image output device; b) selecting a portion of the digital image for corner detection, the portion including a plurality of pixels; c) selecting a target pixel within the selected portion; d) calculating the USAN associated with the target pixel within a first window including the target pixel, the first window defined as a predetermined area of pixels within the selected portion of the digital image; e) performing steps c) and d) for a plurality of target pixels within the selected portion of the digital image to generate a plurality of USAN values associated with the respective plurality of target pixels; and f) determining that one or more of the plurality of target pixels are corner pixels as a function of the USAN values generated for the respective target pixels; and g) modifying one or more of the corner pixels, pixels adjacent to the corner pixels and pixels substantially near the corner pixels to generate a corner enhanced digital image which renders an image with enhanced corners on the image output device relative to the digital image received by the image processing system.