Multi-Purpose Digital Image Editing Tools Using Background Processing

1 . A method for applying enhancements to a digital image, comprising the steps of:

receiving the image at a first resolution;

displaying a preview of the image to a user;

allowing the user to select a first area in the preview;

allowing the user to assign a first enhancement to the user-selected area;

filtering a subset of pixels of the image at the first resolution;

blending the filtered subset into the image using a mask derived from the user-selected area;

displaying a preview of the image with a blended-in enhanced area; and

providing the user with options to select a second area in the preview, or assign a second enhancement, and repeating the filtering, blending and displaying steps if any option is exercised.

2 . The method of claim 1 , where the preview is at a second resolution.

3 . The method of claim 1 , where the subset of pixels is a sub-sampling of the image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where the subset of pixels contains those pixels in the neighborhood of the user-selected area.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of using a first processing thread to process the subset of pixels, and using a second processing thread to process additional pixels of the image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of voiding the first enhancement when a second enhancement is assigned.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of voiding the first area selection when a second area is selected.

8 . The method of claim 1 , the providing step further comprising the option to expand, modify or shrink a user-selected area.

9 . A method for applying enhancements to a digital image, comprising the steps of:

receiving the image at a first resolution;

recording a series of first enhancements to the image received from the user, into an edit list;

using a first processing thread to display a preview of the result of the enhancement series,

processing a subset of the pixels in the image;

recording a series of second, or modified first, enhancements to the image received from the user, into the edit list;

reprocessing the subset of the pixels with the second, or modified first, enhancements; and

processing the image at a final resolution using the full edit list.

10 . A method for enhancing images based on a multi-threading system, enabling a user to enhance an image in a trial-and-error workflow, comprising the steps of:

allowing the user to define a series of enhancements;

allowing the user to assign regions of interest to one or more of said enhancements;

providing a preview to the user based on a subset of pixels processed by a first processing thread;

using, in parallel to the first thread, a second thread for processing a larger amount of pixels;

allowing the user to make a decision based on said preview whether or not to retain the current set of enhancements and regions-of-interest; and

allowing the user, based on said decision, to do one or more of the following trial-and-error modifications:

a) remove one or more enhancements from the list;

b) change the enhancements associated with a certain region-of-interest;

c) modify one or more of the regions of interest;

d) remove enhancements from said series of enhancements which no longer contribute to the result after the user has performed said trial-and-error modifications resulting in a simplification of said enhancements; and

e) ensuring that any simplification of the series of enhancements is communicated to the second processing thread.

11 . A computer readable medium having contents for causing a computer-based information handling system to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .

12 . A computer readable medium having contents for causing a computer-based information handling system to perform the steps of the method of claim 9 .

13 . A computer readable medium having contents for causing a computer-based information handling system to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 O.