Patent Document ID: 8165388
Application ID: 12042370
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer implemented method for neutral pixel determination in an image path, the method comprising: scanning an image into memory to obtain a plurality of pixels; identifying a current pixel of interest in a 5×3 window of a neighborhood of pixels around said current pixel, said 5×3 window being 3 scanlines by a 5 pixel detection window comprising a total of 15 pixels, each of said pixels having a respective luminance L* and chroma a* and b* determined from 3 color planes; determining an amount of luminance variation using said current pixel and 4 pixels immediately surrounding said current pixel; determining an amount of chrominance adjustment (currC_Adj) based upon said amount of luminance variation; determining an amount of chroma adjusted luminance chroma Adj L); determining a new chrominance for said current pixel, said new chrominance (currC New) comprising: 
 curr C _New =max(0, (max(min C , (curr C −curr C _Adj))−chroma_Adj — L )), where currC is a chroma of said current pixel and minC is a minimum chrominance of said current pixel and 4 pixels immediately surrounding said current pixel; and using at least said new chrominance value to determine a neutral pixel detection tag for said current pixel.