IP Library Granted Patent US 7,724,946
Granted Patent B2
US 7,724,946 · App. 11/236,790 · Granted May 25, 2010

Software carrier containing corrected blotches in component images

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,724,946
App. No.
11/236,790
Granted
May 25, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Blotches may be identified and processed to reduce or eliminate the blotch. The blotch may be in just one of several separations and multiple separations may be used, for example, to identify the blotch. An implementation (i) compares a first component image of an image with a first component image of a reference image, (ii) compares a second component image of the image with a second component image of the reference image, and (iii) determines based on these comparisons whether the first component image of the image includes a blotch. Multiple image separations also, or alternatively, may be used, for example, to modify the blotch, as well as to evaluate whether a modification is beneficial.

Claims (30)

1. A computer-readable storage device encoded with executable code and a processed image, the processed image comprising an irregularly-shaped modified blotch, the modified blotch having color that is similar to, but different from, color of a neighboring area, such that the difference defines a border between the modified blotch and the neighboring area,

wherein the executable code includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising enabling display of the processed image, and

wherein the processed image is encoded on the computer-readable storage device by:

accessing a first image comprising a blotch;

processing the first image including the blotch to generate a second image, the second image comprising the irregularly-shaped modified blotch, the modified blotch having color that is similar to, but different from, color of the neighboring area, such that the difference defines a border between the modified blotch and the neighboring area; and

storing the second image on the computer-readable storage device as the processed image.

2. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the processed image is part of a series of images of a particular scene, the series of images representing the particular scene at different points in time, and

color of the modified blotch matches color of a corresponding portion of another image in the series of images.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1 wherein the processed image further comprises an artifact from a blotch modification process, the artifact being adjacent to the modified blotch and having color that differs substantially from color of the modified blotch.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 3 wherein the artifact comprises a portion of a blotch, the portion being free of modifications from the blotch modification process.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4 wherein the modified blotch comprises a modification of another portion of the blotch.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable storage device is at least one of a hard disk, a floppy disk, a CD, a DVD, a cassette, a tape, a ROM, and a RAM.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1 wherein the processed image is part of a restored version of a movie, the restored version of the movie is stored on the computer-readable storage device, and the executable code includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising enabling display of the restored version of the movie.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1 wherein the executable code includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising displaying the processed image.

9. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon a data structure including image data that defines an image, the image comprising an irregularly-shaped modified blotch, the modified blotch having color that is similar to, but different from, color of a neighboring area, such that the difference defines a border between the modified blotch and the neighboring area,

wherein the data structure, when accessed by an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising enabling display of the image, and

wherein the image data is stored on the computer-readable storage device by:

accessing a first image comprising a blotch;

processing the first image including the blotch to generate a second image, the second image comprising the irregularly-shaped modified blotch, the modified blotch having color that is similar to, but different from, color of the neighboring area, such that the difference defines a border between the modified blotch and the neighboring area; and

storing the second image on the computer-readable storage device as at least a portion of the image data.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein:

the image is part of a series of images of a particular scene, the series of images representing the particular scene at different points in time, and

color of the modified blotch matches color of a corresponding portion of another image in the series of images.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the image further comprises an artifact from a blotch modification process, the artifact being adjacent to the modified blotch and having color that differs substantially from color of the modified blotch.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11 wherein the artifact comprises a portion of a blotch, the portion being free of modifications from the blotch modification process.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12 wherein the modified blotch comprises a modification of another portion of the blotch.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the computer-readable storage device is at least one of a hard disk, a floppy disk, a CD, a DVD, a cassette, a tape, a ROM, and a RAM.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the image is part of a restored version of a movie, the restored version of the movie is stored on the computer-readable storage device, and the data structure, when accessed by an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising enabling display of the restored version of the movie.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the data structure, when accessed by an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising displaying the image.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 16, 2010
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N A
To: AOL INC; AOL ADVERTISING INC; GOING INC; LIGHTNINGCAST LLC; MAPQUEST, INC; NETSCAPE COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION; QUIGO TECHNOLOGIES LLC; SPHERE SOURCE, INC; TACODA LLC; TRUVEO, INC; YEDDA, INC
Reel/Frame 025323/0416 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 14, 2009
From: AOL INC.; AOL ADVERTISING INC.; BEBO, INC.; ICQ LLC; GOING, INC.; LIGHTNINGCAST LLC; MAPQUEST, INC.; NETSCAPE COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION; QUIGO TECHNOLOGIES LLC; SPHERE SOURCE, INC.; TACODA LLC; TRUVEO, INC.; YEDDA, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICAN, N.A. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 023649/0061 →