Patent Application
20140176743
The present principles relate generally to image manipulation and, more particularly, to publishing creative looks as three-dimensional (3D) lookup tables in devices such as cameras.
Consumer and professional still cameras and movie cameras have settings in which the user can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. However, there is significant room for improvement in the implementations of these settings in such cameras. More specifically, the available settings in such available cameras are limited in their ability to provide the optimum resultant picture or movie.
These and other drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art are addressed by the present principles, which are directed at least in part to publishing creative looks as three-dimensional (3D) lookup tables in cameras.
According to an embodiment of the present principles, there is provided a system for publishing creative looks in a camera. The system includes a user input device for receiving user inputs directed to generating the creative looks. The user inputs for each of the creative looks specify a respective title and at least one of set and modify at least one respective value for at least one respective parameter, applicable to at least one of an image still and a movie, and are thereafter associated with a particular one of the creative looks. The system further includes a creative look generator for generating the creative looks responsive to the user inputs. Each of the creative looks is generated in the form of a respective three-dimensional lookup table. The system also includes a creative look publisher for making the creative looks accessible through the camera to a camera user.
According to another embodiment of the present principles, there is provided a method for publishing creative looks in a camera. The method includes receiving user inputs directed to generating the creative looks. The user inputs for each of the creative looks specify a respective title and at least one of set and modify at least one respective value for at least one respective parameter, applicable to at least one of an image still and a movie, and are thereafter associated with a particular one of the creative looks. The method further includes generating the creative looks responsive to the user inputs. Each of the creative looks is generated in the form of a respective three-dimensional lookup table. The method also includes publishing the creative looks to the camera by making the creative looks accessible through the camera to a camera user. The creative look generator includes at least a processor.
According to yet another embodiment of the present principles, there is provided a computer readable storage medium including a computer readable program for publishing creative looks in a camera. The computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the following steps. In a step, user inputs are received directed to generating the creative looks. The user inputs for each of the creative looks specify a respective title and at least one of set and modify at least one respective value for at least one respective parameter, applicable to at least one of an image still and a movie, and are thereafter associated with a particular one of the creative looks. In another step, the creative looks are generated responsive to the user inputs. Each of the creative looks is generated in a form of a respective three-dimensional lookup table. In yet another step, the creative looks are published to the camera by making the creative looks accessible through the camera to a camera user.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and are not necessarily the only possible configuration for illustrating the invention. To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.
The present invention advantageously provides a method, apparatus and system for publishing creative looks as three-dimensional (3D) lookup tables (LUTs) in cameras. Although the present invention will be described primarily within the context of using a modified version of our own (TECHNICOLOR™) color correction application (DP LIGHTS™ MOBILE), a camera, and an application to upload the creative looks (embodied as 3D LUTs) back into the camera, the specific embodiments of the present invention should not be treated as limiting the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and informed by the teachings of the present invention that the concepts of the present invention can be implemented using other applications to enable the creation of creative looks in other image devices, such as mobile devices such as mobile phones in accordance with the present principles while maintaining the spirit of the present invention.
The functions of the various elements shown in the figures can be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions can be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which can be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” or “controller” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and can implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (“DSP”) hardware, read-only memory (“ROM”) for storing software, random access memory (“RAM”), and non-volatile storage. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).
Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views of illustrative system components and/or circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present principles, a method, apparatus and system are provided for publishing creative looks as three-dimensional (3D) lookup tables (LUTs) in cameras. As used herein, the phrase “creative looks” refers to the application of at least one of primary and secondary color correction to obtain a specific desired result with respect to a still image or movie to which a particular creative look is applied. In further detail, primary color correction involves the entirety of an image utilizing control over intensities of red, green, blue, gamma (mid tones), highlights (whites) and shadows (blacks). Secondary color correction isolates a range of color, saturation and brightness values to cause alterations in luminance, saturation, and hue in only the isolated range, while minimally or not at all affecting the rest of the color spectrum.
Recently a new digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera was released which included “picture-styles”. These picture styles included more sophisticated controls over the image than the aforementioned prior art. The picture styles were basically 1dimensional curves which the user could modify using an application provided by the camera manufacturer. These picture styles could then be published in the camera. Before recording still pictures and/or movies, the user could select a picture style used for the shoot.
Advantageously, in an embodiment of the present invention a 3D look-up table (LUT) is uploaded into a camera to generate creative looks for images. That is, a 1D LUT is a one-dimensional data structure that includes an input entry and a corresponding output entry. Typically for color manipulation of images, there is a set of three 1D LUTs required, one for each of the R,G,B color channels. In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, a 3D LUT is a three-dimensional data structure that includes input entries and corresponding output entries. In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, a 3D LUT comprises at least six columns; three input columns and three output columns. A 3D LUT of the present invention defines for each input RBG color triple an output triple. Thus, using a single 3D LUT in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention allows for more information to be obtained relating to each of the three color channels. That is, using a 3D LUT in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention a user can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness and other parameters of images with more detail or can adjust more image parameters in a single setting or style. With the use of 3D LUTs in accordance with the present invention, the quality and variety of creative looks is much superior then with former used methods using 1D parameters. Further, in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, an application is then provided to produce creative looks using 3D LUTs and to publish them back into the camera.
In the system of
The system 100 may also include other elements (not shown), as readily contemplated by one of skill in the art, as well as omit certain elements. For example, various other input devices and/or output devices can be included in the system 100, depending upon the particular implementation of the same, as readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, various types of wireless and/or wired input and/or output devices can be used for communication with, for example, a camera. Moreover, additional processors, controllers, memories, and so forth, in various configurations can also be utilized as readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. These and other variations of the apparatus 100 of
Although the processing apparatus of
More specifically, system 200 described below with respect to
In the embodiment of
In one embodiment of the present invention, the user inputs, that is, the one or more parameters, are directed to primary color correction and/or secondary color correction. That is in one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more parameters can be directed to control over intensities of red, green, blue, gamma (mid tones), highlights (whites) and shadows (blacks) with respect to an entire image and/or control over a particular range of color, saturation and brightness values to cause alterations in luminance, saturation, and hue in only that particular range. It is to be appreciated that the preceding list of parameters is merely illustrative and not exhaustive. That is, given the teachings of the present principles provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily contemplate these and various other parameters that can be used to generate creative looks, while maintaining the spirit of the present principles. It is to be appreciated that such user inputs can be directed to two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional representations of any resultant picture or movie to which the creative look is applied, depending upon the implementation. Thus, some of the parameters can be directed to three-dimensional parameters.
Referring back to
Although in the embodiment of the system 200 of
The system 200 of
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the 3D LUT up-loader 230 can be more advanced than simply a cable and/or wireless transmission device, as readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, given the teachings of the present principles provided herein. For example, the 3D LUT up-loader 230 of an embodiment of the present invention can be specially configured to interface with specific cameras and/or specific functions of specific cameras in order to obtain the best advantage depending upon the specific implementation and the specific camera in which the 3D LUTs are used. These and other variations of the 3D LUT up-loader 230 are readily contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art, given the teachings of the present principles provided herein.
In the embodiment of
It should be noted that in the embodiment of
The method 300 begins at step 310 during which user inputs are received directed to generating creative looks (e.g., via the user input device 210). More specifically, in the embodiment of
For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, user inputs are provided so as to generate a group of creative looks having different parameters (or different values for one or more of the same parameters) with respect to each other, so that a user can select a particular creative look from among the group of creative looks in order to have that particular creative look applied to any subsequent image still(s) and/or movie(s) captured by the camera. This selection and reproducibility of the creative looks is enabled by the publishing step (step 340 herein below) and allows the creative looks to be reproducible on demand by the camera user (by simply selecting a particular creative look) depending on the camera user's particular requirements and/or preferences for a given image still(s) and/or movie(s). The method 300 then proceeds to step 320.
At step 320, creative looks are generated responsive to the user inputs, for example via the creative look generator 220. More specifically, in the embodiment of
At step 330, the creative looks are published (e.g., made available through an application and/or user interface of the camera 250 via creative look publisher 240) so that a camera user can select a particular creative look from among a group of creative looks in order to apply the particular selected creative look to any subsequent image still(s) or movie(s) captured by the camera. More specifically, in the embodiment of
At optional step 340, the creative look 3D LUTs are uploaded into a camera 250, for example via the 3D LUT up-loader 230. The method 300 can then be exited.
In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The present principles as defined by such claims reside in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.
Having described various embodiments for a method, apparatus and system for publishing creative looks as three-dimensional (3D) lookup tables (LUTs) in cameras (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention. While the forgoing is directed to various embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.
