System, method, and computer program product for enhancing an image utilizing a hyper-clarity transform

1. A method, comprising:

identifying an image;

enhancing the identified image utilizing a compositor and a pyramid data structure including a plurality of levels as input into the compositor, where each of the plurality of levels of the pyramid data structure includes an instance of the identified image having a unique resolution, an upsampled instance of the identified image, and a resampled instance of the identified image; and

returning the enhanced image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image includes performing spatially localized tonemapping on the image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image includes performing multi-resolution image sharpening on the image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image includes spatially correcting color saturation within the image.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image includes performing noise filtration on the image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image includes enhancing the identified image utilizing a hyper-clarity transform (HCT) engine.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the HCT engine includes a downsampler.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the HCT engine includes an upsampler.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the HCT engine includes the compositor.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the HCT engine includes a chroma adjuster.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a 3×3 bilateral is used during the processing of each level of the image pyramid data structure.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image utilizes a hyper-clarity transform and includes radially varying a threshold adjustment for lens shading compensation.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image utilizes a hyper-clarity transform and is included as a plug-in or part of a still picture editing program.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image is part of a video stream, such that video HCT and local tone mapping are performed.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image utilizes a hyper-clarity transform and is included as a plug-in or part of a video editing program.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image utilizes a hyper-clarity transform and is performed for video games as a post-rendering graphics processing unit (GPU) pass to apply HCT and local tone mapping to achieve increased apparent dynamic range and clarity.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhancing the identified image utilizes a hyper-clarity transform and is embedded in a system on a chip (SOC) for inclusion in one or more of a television and a monitor to apply to one or more of broadcast, playback, and video game inputs.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

identifying an image;

enhancing the identified image utilizing a compositor and a pyramid data structure including a plurality of levels as input into the compositor, where each of the plurality of levels of the pyramid data structure includes an instance of the identified image having a unique resolution, an upsampled instance of the identified image, and a resampled instance of the identified image; and

returning the enhanced image.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor for:

identifying an image;

enhancing the identified image utilizing a compositor and a pyramid data structure including a plurality of levels as input into the compositor, where each of the plurality of levels of the pyramid data structure includes an instance of the identified image having a unique resolution, an upsampled instance of the identified image, and a resampled instance of the identified image; and

returning the enhanced image.