Regional Image Processing in an Image Capture Device

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments of applying image processing techniques in an image capture device. Regions of an image can be isolated and a respective region type identified. The image capture device can apply various image processing techniques to various regions of the image based at least upon a region type that is identified for the various regions.

1 . An image capture device, comprising:
 at least one image sensor; and   an application executed in the image capture device, the application comprising:
 logic that initiates capture of at least one image via the at least one image sensor associated with the image capture device; 
 logic that isolates at least one region of the image; 
 logic that identifies a region type associated with the at least one region; 
 logic that applies at least one image processing technique to the at least one region of the image based at least upon a preconfigured image processing configuration associated with the region type. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , the logic that isolates the at least one region of the image further comprises:
 logic that identifies at least one object in the image; and   logic that designates the at least one object as at least one region of the image.   
     
     
         3 . The image capture device of  claim 2 , wherein the image capture device is configured to capture a plurality of images associated with a plurality of frames of a video, and the image capture application further comprises:
 logic that tracks the object in subsequent frames of the video; and   logic that applies the image processing technique associated with region type to the at least one region in the subsequent frames.   
     
     
         4 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic that isolates the at least one region of the image further comprises:
 logic that performs at least one edge recognition algorithm on the image; and   logic that extracts at least one region of the image associated with at least one edge identified in the image.   
     
     
         5 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic that identifies the region type associated with the at least one region further comprises performing at least one image recognition algorithm on the at least one region, the image recognition algorithm configured to determine whether the at least one region corresponds to a region type specified by a region library accessible to the image capture device. 
     
     
         6 . The image capture device of  claim 5 , wherein the region library comprises at least one signature associated with a respective known region type, the at least one signature comprising at least one parameter uniquely associated with the respective known region type. 
     
     
         7 . The image capture device of  claim 6 , wherein the logic that identifies the region type associated with the at least one region further comprises:
 logic that generates a respective signature associated with the at least one region; and   logic that determines whether the respective signature is within a predetermined rage of the at least one signature associated with the respective known region type.   
     
     
         8 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic that applies the at least one image processing technique to the at least one region of the image further comprises recording the at least one image processing technique to meta data associated with the image. 
     
     
         9 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic that identifies the region type associated with the at least one region further comprises:
 logic that generates a confidence score associated with identification of the region type, the confidence score corresponding to a confidence level of the identification; and   logic that adjusts a level associated with the at least one image processing technique associated with the region type based at least upon the confidence score.   
     
     
         10 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the region type is one of: a landscape region, a portrait region, a low light region, a fireworks region, a backlight region, sky region, a high motion region, and a facial region. 
     
     
         11 . The image capture device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic that identifies a region type associated with the at least one region further comprises:
 logic that identifies a first region type associated with a first region;   logic that identifies a second region type associated with the second region;   logic that applies a first image processing technique to the first region, the first image processing technique associated with the first region type; and   logic that applies a second image processing technique to the second region, the second image processing technique associated with the second region type.   
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 capturing, in an image capture device, an image via an image sensor associated with the image capture device;   isolating, in the image capture device, at least one region of the image;   identifying, in the at least one image capture device, a region type associated with the at least one region; and   applying, in the image capture device, at least one image processing technique to the at least one region of the image based at least upon a preconfigured image processing configuration associated with the region type.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of isolating the at least one region of the image further comprises:
 identifying at least one object in the image;   extracting the object from the image; and   designating the object as at least one region of the image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of isolating at least one region of the image further comprises:
 performing at least one edge recognition algorithm on the image; and   extracting at least one region of the image associated with at least one edge identified in the image.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of identifying the region type associated with the at least one region further comprises performing at least one image recognition algorithm on the at least one region, the image recognition algorithm configured to determine whether the at least one region corresponds to a region library accessible to the image capture device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the region library comprises at least one signature associated with a respective known region type, the at least one signature comprising at least one parameter uniquely associated with the respective known region type. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of applying the at least one image processing technique to the at least one region of the image further comprises recording the at least one image processing technique to meta data associated with the image. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of identifying a region type associated with the at least one region further comprises:
 generating a confidence score associated with identification of the region type, the confidence score corresponding to a confidence level of the identification; and   adjusting a level associated with the at least one image processing technique associated with the region type based at least upon the confidence score.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of identifying a region type associated with the at least one region further comprises:
 identifying a first region type associated with a first region;   identifying a second region type associated with the second region;   applying a first image processing technique to the first region, the first image processing technique associated with the first region type; and   applying a second image processing technique to the second region, the second image processing technique associated with the second region type.   
     
     
         20 . A system, comprising:
 means for capturing an image via an image sensor associated with the image capture device;   means for isolating at least one region of the image;   means for identifying a region type associated with the at least one region; and   means for applying at least one image processing technique to the at least one region of the image based at least upon a preconfigured image processing configuration associated with the region type.