Patent ID: 7298373

Claim:
A method of modifying at least one of contrast and density of pixels of a processed image comprising the steps of: (a) displaying said processed image on a display screen, (b) specifying an initial density level in said processed image by covering a pixel or pixel region by means of a first indicium which is capable of responding to a user input for moving said indicium relative to the displayed processed image, the density of the pixel or pixel region covered by said indicium being the initial density, (c) in response to a user input, moving a second indicium in at least one of two directions relative to the displayed processed image, (d) changing the contrast of pixels in the displayed processed image which have substantially the same density as said initial density upon receiving the user input for movement of said second indicium in a first of said directions, and (e) changing the density of pixels in the displayed processed image which have substantially the same density as said initial density upon receiving the user input for movement of said second indicium in a second of said directions, wherein contrast and density are changed independently by modifying a multi-scale representation of said image, wherein the modification is derived from at least two gradient functions determined at different scales, and wherein a gradient function at a specific scale specifies how contrast amplification at a scale depends on density.