Method and apparatus for inverse tone mapping

1. A method for providing an expanded dynamic range image from a digital image defined by pixels associated with colors represented in a color space separating luminance from chrominance, comprising:

inverse tone mapping luminance values of pixels of said image by applying, for each luminance value of a pixel, an expansion exponent value of said pixel:

to a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value if an edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is low such that the area of said block is smooth, or

to said luminance value itself if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is higher than or equal to an edge/gradient threshold such that there is an edge within said block, or

to a weighted combination of said luminance value and of a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value for any other edge/gradient value if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is lower than said edge/gradient threshold, and,

providing an expanded dynamic range image based on the inverse tone mapped luminance values,

wherein the weight in said weighted combination is proportional to said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in said block.

2. The method for providing an expanded dynamic range image according to claim 1 , wherein said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients around said pixel is obtained by the application of an edge detector algorithm to pixels surrounding said pixel.

3. The method for providing an expanded dynamic range image according to claim 2 , wherein said edge detector algorithm is applied to a low pass filtered luminance value of said surrounding pixels.

4. The method for providing an expanded dynamic range image according to claim 1 , wherein said combination is a sum.

5. An apparatus for providing an expanded dynamic range image from a digital image defined by pixels associated with colors represented in a color space separating luminance from chrominance, comprising a processing unit configured to:

inverse tone map luminance values of pixels of said image by notably applying, for each luminance value of a pixel, an expansion exponent value of said pixel:

to a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value if an edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is low such that the area of said block is smooth, or

to said luminance value itself if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel p is higher than or equal to an edge/gradient threshold such that there is an edge within said block, or

to a weighted combination of said luminance value and of a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value for any other edge/gradient value if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel p is less than said edge/gradient threshold, and,

provide an expanded dynamic range image based on the inverse tone mapped luminance values,

wherein the weight in said weighted combination is proportional to said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in said block.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to obtain said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients around said pixel by the application of an edge detector algorithm to pixels surrounding said pixel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said edge detector algorithm is applied to a low pass filtered luminance value of said surrounding pixels.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said combination is a sum.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions executable to provide an expanded dynamic range image from a digital image defined by pixels associated with colors represented in a color space separating luminance (Y) from chrominance, by:

inverse tone mapping luminance values of pixels of said image by notably applying, for each luminance value of a pixel, an expansion exponent value of said pixel:

to a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value if an edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is low such that the area of said block is smooth, or

to said luminance value itself if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is higher than or equal to an edge/gradient threshold such that there is an edge within said block, or

to a weighted combination of said luminance value and of a low-pass filtered luminance value of said luminance value for any other edge/gradient value if the edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in a block of pixels around said pixel is less than said edge/gradient threshold, and,

providing an expanded dynamic range image based on the inverse tone mapped luminance values,

wherein the weight in said weighted combination is proportional to said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients in said block.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein said edge/gradient value representative of edges and/or gradients around said pixel is obtained by the application of an edge detector algorithm to pixels surrounding said pixel.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said edge detector algorithm is applied to a low pass filtered luminance value of said surrounding pixels.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein said combination is a sum.