IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,417,521
Granted Patent B2
US 12,417,521 · App. 17/786,841 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Systems and methods for manipulation of shadows on portrait image frames

Inventors: David Jacobs (Mountain View, CA); Yun-Ta Tsai (Mountain View, CA); Jonathan T. Barron (Mountain View, CA); Xuaner Zhang (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06T5/94G06T5/50G06T2207/20081G06T2207/30201
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,417,521
App. No.
17/786,841
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods described herein may relate to potential methods of training a machine learning model to be implemented on a mobile computing device configured to capture, adjust, and/or store image frames. An example method includes supplying a first image frame of a subject in a setting lit within a first lighting environment and supplying a second image frame of the subject lit within a second lighting environment. The method further includes determining a mask. Additionally, the method includes combining the first image frame and the second image frame according to the mask to generate a synthetic image and assigning a score to the synthetic image. The method also includes training a machine learning model based on the assigned score to adjust a captured image based on the synthetic image.

Claims (22)

1. A method, comprising:

causing an image capture device to capture an image frame;

comparing a shadow shape in the image frame to a plurality of synthetically shadowed image frames provided by a trained machine learning model;

based on the comparison, selecting a mask shape from a plurality of masks associated with the trained machine learning model, wherein the shape of the selected mask is one that most closely fits the shadow shape in the image frame; and

adjusting the image frame according to the mask shape to provide an adjusted image frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the image capture device to capture an image frame comprises capturing the image frame with a camera, opening an image frame file, or accessing the image frame by way of a cloud-based computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask shape substantially matches a shape of at least a portion of a shadow within the image frame.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted image frame has more or less of a shadow than the image frame.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein an image adjustment value is selected so as to soften, sharpen, or remove the shadow within the image frame.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein image adjustment value comprises a noise value, wherein increasing the noise value will soften the shadow within the image frame and decreasing the noise value will sharpen the shadow within the image frame.

7. A system, comprising:

a computing device including a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium stores a set of program instructions provided by a trained machine learning model, wherein the processor executes the program instructions so as to carry out operations, the operations comprising:

causing an image capture device to capture an image frame;

comparing a shadow shape in the image frame to a plurality of synthetically shadowed image frames provided by the trained machine learning model;

based on the comparison, selecting a mask shape from a plurality of masks associated with the trained machine learning model, wherein the shape of the selected mask is one that most closely fits the shadow shape in the image frame;

adjusting the image frame according to the mask shape to provide an adjusted image frame; and

displaying the adjusted image frame.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computing device comprises at least one of: a mobile computing device, a laptop, a cloud-based computing device, or a desktop computer.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein causing the image capture device to capture an image frame comprises capturing the image frame with a camera, opening an image frame file, or accessing the image frame by way of a cloud-based computing device.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a control interface configured to controllably adjust the image frame according to the selected mask.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control interface comprises tuning knobs that are controllably operable to soften, sharpen, or eliminate shadows within the image frame.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the image frame according to the mask shape is done automatically.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2022
From: JACOBS, DAVID; TSAI, YUN-TA; BARRON, JONATHAN T.; ZHANG, XUANER
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 061049/0888 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230351560A1 · Nov 2, 2023
References Cited (10)
US 10530991B2 · Wang · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20120206470A1 · Frank et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20180220061A1 · Wang et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190340810A1 · Sunkavalli · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200082515A1 · Cardei · 2020 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2020068158A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
PCT International Search Report, Application No. PCT/US2019/068266, mailed Aug. 17, 2020, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
PCT Written Opinion, Application No. PCT/US2019/068266, mailed Aug. 17, 2020, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Le et al., “Shadow Removal via Shadow Image Decomposition”, IEEE, 2019, 8577-8586. [cited by applicant]
English translation of the First Office Action, Application No. CN2019801032852, issued Jul. 31, 2024, 13 pages. [cited by applicant]