IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR KEEPING BLACK LEVEL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved image processing method and system capable of surely reproducing an area which hardly or never receives light by an image capturing medium in an input image as a dark area in an output image without seriously increasing the image contrast.

SOLUTION: This method for processing a photographic image captured by an image capture system comprises the step of determining the maximum dark value for the image capture system which shows the response of the system to no light exposure; the step of generating an image processing path for processing an image prior to display on an output device, which has one or more image dependent image transforms and generates the maximum dark value subjected to processing for satisfying a prescribed standard for darkness so a to minimize the problem of 'smoky black' in the processing of the maximum dark value; and the step of applying the image processing path to the photographic image in order to generate a processed photographic image.

COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO