WO2000038101A1

WO2000038101A1 - Method for processing digital images with quality control infrastructure

Info

Publication number: WO2000038101A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/030324
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher H. Caffee; Michael G. Broeker; Jesse L. Yerkes
Original assignee: FUSIONWORKS DIGITAL Corp
Current assignee: FUSIONWORKS DIGITAL Corp
Priority date: 1998-12-21
Filing date: 1999-12-20
Publication date: 2000-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2001-06-21
Also published as: AU2198800A

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a method for processing digital images, and more particularly to a method for processing digital images which includes a quality control infrastructure. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method for processing digital images which includes the steps of acquiring one or more digital images (10), said digital image having one or more attributes, storing the digital image, selecting at least one attribute of the more digital image for modification by a processing operation (20), subjecting the digital images to a processing operation, wherein the selected attribute is modified by the processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of the selected attribute, storing the processed digital image (12) and outputting the digital image to an output device (28).

Description

METHOD FOR PROCESSING DIGITAL IMAGES WITH QUALITY CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a method for processing digital images, and more particularly to a method for processing digital images which includes a quality control infrastructure.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The processing of images is currently undergoing rapid transformation. Historically, images have been processed by exposing the image onto photographic film and developing the film in appropriate chemical solution to provide an image. This process has been referred to as the "wet chemistry" method for producing images because of its reliance upon the chemical solvents necessary to produce the image.

As the art of wet chemistry production of images has matured, emphasis has been placed upon providing images of a defined quality with attributes that are predictably reproducible. For example, where it is desired to reproduce an image several times, such as in the production of multiple copies of an image in a book, journal or other printed work, it is desired that the color, tones and clarity of the image remain consistent throughout the production run. In another example, in certain instances, it is desirous that the image provide an accurate depiction, particularly in terms of clarity and color of the subject matter depicted in the image. In still other instances, it is desirable to manipulate certain attributes of the image over those provided in the original subject matter depicted in the image. For example, a photographer often desires to manipulate the colors or tones or otherwise retouch a photograph to provide a final image of the subject matter that is enhanced or otherwise modified over the original subject matter depicted in the photograph.

Significant difficulties must be overcome to control the accuracy or consistency of images provided by the wet chemistry process, and still more significant difficulties must be overcome to enhance or otherwise modify images produced by that process. Such difficulties include, but are not limited to, controlling the interaction of the various chemicals and other process variables involved in the development process and the substantial time and material costs involved in developing an image only to find at the end of the development process that it does not fulfill desired or required standards or goals. With the advent of developments in the computing sciences, there has developed in the relatively recent past the ability to capture or render an image digitally, in a form that can be displayed on the display screen of a computer equipped with the appropriate software. The digital image may be provided by many devices, including but not limited to, digital cameras and digital scanners. Once the image is present in the computer's memory, it may be outputted to any number of devices, including but not limited to, the computer's display screen as described above, to a printer or printers in communication with the computer, and/or sent as a digital file over any communication network including but not limited to, modem/telephone communication systems, local area networks, wide area networks and/or the developing global computer communications network referred to as the Internet.

Just as the maturing wet chemistry image processing arts eventually focused on the ability to control certain attributes of the images, such as accuracy, consistency and the ability to enhance or modify images, so too has there developed a need in the developing digital image arts for methods and apparatus to provide for the control of certain attributes of the digital images. Some of these attributes include those in common with images produced by the wet chemistry process, such as accuracy (e.g., accuracy in color control, tonal control and clarity, among others), consistency (e.g., between each image produced in a production run) or the ability to control the juxtaposition of images on the final media on which the images are produced (e.g., the layout of images on a photographic sheet). Others of these attributes are unique to digital images. Attributes unique to digital images include, but are not limited to, attributes such as the digital image file size, the amount of computer memory necessary to store the digital image, the speed with which the image can be transported over a communications network, the speed with which the image can be sent to and outputted from a printer or other output device. While some methods and devices are presently available for controlling, manipulating, modifying or otherwise processing selected attributes of digital images, such methods and devices suffer from important drawbacks. Notably, presently available methods and devices for processing selected attributes of a digital image are limited to processing only one or at best a few attributes of the digital image. Further, the presently available methods and devices are complicated and cumbersome to use, often requiring the use of several unrelated software programs to process various attributes of the digital image. This last limitation is particularly undesirable, especially where the user is required to shift from program to program or screen to screen to obtain a desired result. As explained in U.S. Patent No. 5,546,528 to

Johnston entitled "Method Of Displaying Multiple Sets Of Information In The Same Area Of

A Computer Screen" (hereinafter the "Johnston patent"), hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Computer screen real estate is valuable and often lost to user interface elements. An objective of most software is to make all of a program's capabilities easily accessible and understandable, without sacrificing valuable screen real estate. See, the Johnston patent at column 1, lines 57-67.

Still further, the presently available methods and devices often require substantial amounts of processing time to process the few attributes they are capable of controlling, manipulating or otherwise modifying.

Still further, none of the presently available methods and devices provide an ability to view or inspect an image either prior to or subsequent to such attribute processing.

Such pre and post processing, viewing or inspection is desirable as, for example, to provide for observation, supervision and/or control, including but not limited to quality control, over the processing of the digital image as, for example, to be able to preview the final image produced by the processing of the attributes of the digital image for quality control or other purposes. Thus, a need remains in the art of a method and device for controlling, manipulating, modifying or otherwise processing attributes of digital images which is easy to use, requires a minimum of processing time to process the image, permits the processing of a substantial number of attributes of the digital image and which provides for inspection of the image prior to, subsequent to, or both of any processing of the digital image in order to control/manipulate/modify or otherwise process one or more of the digital image's attributes.

It would also be advantageous if such method and device would permit the processing of more than one image at a time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to a method and device for processing digital images, and more particularly to a method and device for processing digital images which includes a quality control infrastructure.

More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method for processing digital images which includes the steps of: providing one or more digital images, the digital images having one or more attributes; selecting at least one attribute of the one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; subjecting the one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein the selected attribute is modified by the processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of the selected attribute; providing a means for visually observing the one or more digital images prior to subjecting the one or more digital images to the processing operation; and providing a means for visually observing the one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting the one or more digital images to the processing operation. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the digital image may be subjected to repeated processing operations in order to provide multiple iterations of the modification of the selected attribute, to modify one or more newly selected attributes or both.

The present invention is also directed to an apparatus for processing digital images comprising: a device for providing one or more digital images, the digital images having one or more attributes; a device for selecting at least one attribute of the one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; a device for subjecting the one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein the selected attribute is modified by the processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of the selected attribute; a device for visually observing the one or more digital images prior to subjecting the one or more digital images to the processing operation; and a device for visually observing the one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting the one or more digital images to the processing operation.

The method and device for controlling, manipulating, modifying or otherwise processing digital images of the present invention are easy to use, require a minimum of processing time to process the image, and permit the selection of a single attribute or combination of attributes for modification by the processing operation and, still further, permit such a processing operation to be applied to either a single digital image or simultaneously to a plurality of digital images. It is a particular advantage of the method and device of the present invention that it provides for the visual observation of the image prior to and/or subsequent to the processing of the digital image to provide a quality control infrastructure.

It is also a particular advantage of the method and device of the present invention that it permits the processing of more than one image at a time.

It is yet another particular advantage of the method and device of the present invention that the means by which the digital images to be processed are selected, the means by which the attributes to be processed are selected, the means by which the processed images are selected and the means by which the visual observation of the digital images either before or after processing is performed are all provided via simple and easy to use user interface (e.g., by presentation as a series of presentations, preferably graphical presentations, on a single computer display screen or series of interrelated computer screens).

The present invention is also directed to a method and a device for automatically naming digital images as computer files where such digital images are obtained by a digital image capturing device and input into a computer-based digital image processing unit. The present invention is also directed to a method and a device for providing a contact sheet of the digital images prior to processing, subsequent to processing or both. The present invention is also directed to a method and a device for providing a navigation control process or system to enable a digital image to be selected and removed from processing at any point in a first process for processing one or more of the digital image's attributes, immediately subjecting the digital image to a second process for processing one or more selected attributes of the digital image and returning the digital image to the same point it was selected in the first process to permit the digital image to be processed in accordance with the remainder of the first process's processing operation(s). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a flow diagram of the method for processing digital images in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an example of a computer screen illustrating the incorporation of various elements of the present invention directed to the inputting and naming of digital images; Fig. 3A is an example of a computer screen illustrating the incorporation of various elements of the present invention directed to providing the digital images in a package prior to processing the digital images to provide the package; Fig. 3B is an example of a computer screen illustrating the incorporation of various elements of the present invention directed to providing the digital images in a package subsequent to processing the digital images to provide the package;

Fig. 4A is an example of a computer screen illustrating the incorporation of various elements of the present invention directed to providing the digital images with a border prior to processing the digital images to provide the border;

Fig. 4B is an example of a computer screen illustrating the incorporation of various elements of the present invention directed to providing the digital images with a border subsequent to processing the digital images to provide the border; Fig. 5 is a set of computer screens illustrating the processing of digital images in accordance with the present invention in a series of processing operations, wherein the digital image as processed by a prior processing operation is provided as the input digital image for a subsequent processing operation;

Fig. 6 is an example of a computer screen in which one or more digital images is subjected to a fully automated processing operation, which operation may include, for example, color processing, border processing and packaging processing, among others;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of selected elements of a photographic studio; and

Fig. 8 illustrates a contact sheet in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a process flow diagram of the method of the present invention. As illustrated in block 10, the first step of the method of the present invention is to select, provide or otherwise generally acquire, obtain or identify a digital image for processing in accordance with the method of the present invention. As used herein, the terms "acquire" and "provide" may be used interchangeably unless otherwise clear from their context of use. Also, as used herein, the term "digital images" includes not only images of still photos, but includes digitized audio, digitized video and/or digitized audio-visual files. The method or device for providing the digital image is not limiting to the present invention and any method or device known or hereinafter developed capable of generating or otherwise providing a digital image may be used to provide the digital image for processing. Currently, available devices include, but are not limited to, digital cameras, digital copiers, printers, scanners, x-ray machines or other medical imaging devices and digital audio equipment. Methods of acquiring digital images may employ one or more of these or other devices. Methods of acquiring digital images also include acquiring digital images already provided in a digital format as, for example, digital images resident on a computer disk or other storage media or provided over a communications network, including but not limited to, local area communications networks, wide area networks, the developing global computer network referred to as the Internet or via traditional modem/telephone communications systems.

However the digital image is acquired in block 10, one optional subsequent step of the method of the present invention as illustrated by arrow 12 is to store the digital image as illustrated in block 14. The method of storing the digital image is not limiting to the present invention and may include any known or hereinafter developed methods or devices capable of storing a digital image. Devices currently available include, but are not limited to, computer hard drive storage media, random access memory, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, etc. The digital image may be stored in its original file size or its file size may be compressed or otherwise reduced prior to or concurrent with the storing of the digital image. The compression/file size reduction process may include only the compression or reduction of the file size or, alternatively, may include other processes, including but not limited to, processes which have the effect of causing the reduced file size to provide, in its reduced file size, a digital image having the apparent resolution of the digital image prior to subjecting the digital image to the compression/file size reduction process.

While the process of providing/acquiring a digital image as described in block 10 above and the process of storing the digital image as described in block 14 above have been described using the singular form of the term "digital image", as may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to acquiring and storing a single digital image, but may include the acquisition and processing of any number of digital images. Unless otherwise clear from the context, the following discussion will describe the processing of a single digital image for purposes of simplification in explaining the process of the present invention, but it is to be understood that any number of digital images may be acquired and stored and subsequently processed individually or in batch operations in which a plurality of digital images is processed simultaneously.

A further step of the method of the present invention includes subjecting the digital image to a processing operation as illustrated by block 20 in Fig. 1. In one embodiment of the present invention, this processing operation occurs after the digital image has been stored, as indicated by arrow 16. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the digital image may be subjected to the processing operation immediately upon its acquisition as illustrated by arrow 18 in Fig. 1. An image processed immediately upon its acquisition as indicated by arrow 18. may prior to or concurrent with the processing operation of block 20, be subjected to a compression/file size reduction process similar to that described above in connection with the storing operation of block 12.

During the processing operation of block 20 one or more attributes of the digital image may be modified repetitively, successively, simultaneously or combinations thereof. Such attributes include attributes common to both wet chemistry and digital images, including but not limited, to image color, image tonal qualities, image clarity, image contrasts, image color saturation, image color density range, image gamma, image resolution, image sharpness, image softness, among others, overlaying of additional image(s) over the original image(s). removal of portions of the original image(s), and combinations thereof. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing attributes, one or more attributes unique to digital images may be modified, including but not limited to, digital image file size, the degree of resolution associated with the digital image, the compression/file size reduction process of the digital image file as described above, and combinations thereof. By modification of an attribute it is meant that the digital image file is subjected to one or more processing operations which operate to change the attribute during the processing operation in order to provide a post-processing digital image in which the attribute has been modified in accordance with one or more desired or required parameters. For example, where the present invention is used in the photographic arts, the selected attribute may be to modify the color contrast in the cyan layer present in the original digital image. A pre-processed digital image may exhibit insufficient or excessive contrast, while the post-processing digital image will exhibit improved contrast by operation of the processing algorithm on the digital image file. In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing operation may provide a user interface in which all or some of the attributes which can be processed may be selected by a user of the device or method of the present invention. In an alternative embodiment, the processing operation may be fully or partially automated such that some or all of the attributes to be modified by the processing operation are automatically selected upon initiation of the processing operation. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the processing operation may include a combination of selectable and automated attributes for processing as, for example, where a user interface is included for selecting some of the attributes which may be processed, while other attributes are automatically processed which automatic selection for processing may or may not be indicated by the user interface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after processing, the digital image is stored, as indicated by block 24 and arrow 22. As with the storage of the digital image prior to processing as described above in the discussion of block 14, the method of storing the processed digital image of block 24 is not limiting to the present invention and may include any known or hereinafter developed methods or devices capable of storing a digital image. Devices currently available include, but are not limited to, computer hard drive storage media, random access memory, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, optical disks and other media know by those skilled in the art. The processed digital image may be stored in its original file size, or its file size may be compressed using one or more file compression algorithms.

After the processed image has been stored, it is then output via an output device as illustrated by the arrow 26 and block 28. The output device is not limiting to the present invention and may include any output device presently or hereinafter developed which is capable of outputting a digital image. Presently, available devices suitable for outputting a digital image include printers, digital copiers, digital dye sublimation printers, digital CRT printers, digital light valve printers, digital laser printers and other color or black and white digital output devices as are known in the art. The output device may include communications devices or systems, such as modems/telephone lines, local area networks, wide area networks or the developing global network of computers referred to generally as the Internet.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the processed digital image may be outputted after processing directly to the output device as illustrated by the dotted arrow 30 of Fig. 1 , by-passing the storing operation of block 24. Where the acquisition process of block 10 included the acquisition of multiple digital images, in yet another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the processed digital images may be stored as indicated by the arrow 22 and block 24, while a portion or all of the remaining processed digital images may be outputted directly to the output device as illustrated by the arrow 30 and the block 28.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the processed digital image may be subjected to repeated processing operations to enhance a given attribute through the repeated processing operations, to sequentially modify different attributes or both. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the processed digital image as described in connection with block 20 may be reprocessed as illustrated by arrows 32, 36 and 38, or stored as indicated by the arrows 32 and 36 and stored as indicated in block 14 and then forwarded for reprocessing as indicated by the arrow 16, with the reprocessing modifying the same or different attributes. After reprocessing, the digital image may be stored as described above in connection with block 24, returned for additional reprocessing, or output as described in connection with block 28. Not shown in Fig. 1 is a user interface that may be included in the reprocessing loop to enable a user to select the attribute or attributes for reprocessing.

Similarly, the processed digital image may be output from the storing process of block 24 as indicated by the arrows 34, 36 and 38 for reprocessing, or output and then stored as indicated by the arrows 34 and 36, and after storing as indicated in block 14, the image may be forwarded for reprocessing as indicated by the arrow 16. After such reprocessing, the digital image may then be returned to the storage media of block 24, returned for additional reprocessing or output as described in connection with block 28. Similarly, not shown in Fig. 1 , is a user interface that may be included in such reprocessing loops to enable a user to select the attribute or attributes for reprocessing. The ability to reprocess a digital image is useful. In certain applications, such successive reprocessing operations provide in the aggregate, enhancement or modification of an attribute which might otherwise be largely indiscernible or otherwise unobservable. For example, where the present invention is used to reprocess digital images containing medical content, the reprocessing operation may be used to enhance for visual or other observation the attribute or attributes necessary to make a medical diagnosis and prescribe medical treatment.

Having thus described the processing and reprocessing operations, for purposes of simplification, the following discussion will refer only to the processing operation, it being understood that unless otherwise clear from the context, the following discussion is equally applicable to both processing and reprocessing operations. In a preferred embodiment of the method and device of the present invention, there is provided the ability to inspect the digital image prior to the processing operation, subsequent to the processing operation, or both. As illustrated by the double arrow 40 and block 42, the method and device of the present invention provide the optional step of inspecting the digital image prior to the processing operation of block 20. Similarly, after the processing operation of block 20, the digital image may be inspected as illustrated by double arrow 44 and block 46. The double arrows 40 and 44 are selected to indicate that after inspection the digital image may then be returned for respective subsequent operations, such as processing, reprocessing, storing, outputting, etc. The digital image may be inspected as indicated by blocks 42 and 46 by any methods or devices currently known or hereinafter developed which permit inspection of a digital image as that term has been defined herein, including but not limited to, methods and devices for inspecting digital still photographs, digital video works, digital audio works and/ or digital audio-visual works, depending upon the nature of the digital image being observed. Where the digital image is visual in nature, it may be inspected as, for example, by printing out the image on a printing device or displaying it on a computer screen. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes the ability to enlarge the image as is necessary for ease of observation. While the above discussion has described the operational steps of acquiring the digital image, selecting the attributes to be processed, processing the digital image, optionally reprocessing it and optionally inspecting it prior to and subsequent to processing and optionally storing the image and/or outputting the digital image to an output device as separate operational steps in the process of the present invention, it is important to appreciate that any and/or all of these operational steps may be automated. In other words, from the point of acquiring the digital image to the point of outputting the digital image, any and/or all of the operational steps may be automated. Where all of the operational steps are automated, the user of the method and device of the present invention need only to acquire an image and the digital image will be processed and output without any further user intervention. The present invention as described above may find application in virtually unlimited fields. For example, as set for above, the present invention may be used in the medical field to enhance or modify attributes of medical images for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. More particularly, for example, the present invention may be used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by processing digital images of human or animal tissues, tumors, cells, etc., to enhance those attributes of the image that indicate or contraindicate the presence of cancerous matter in the digital image being analyzed.

Also, by way of example, the present invention may be used in the photographic or printing arts to permit enhancement or modification of those attributes of the digital image that will improve its photographic quality when the image is outputted to photo-quality media as, for example, via a printer onto a photo-quality paper or to a printing press.

While not limited to the photographic or printing arts, the present invention has particular suitability for those arts as described below. The following discussion will focus on the photographic and/or printing arts, but as may be appreciated, the advantages of the present invention are not limited to the photographic and/or printing arts.

One particular difficulty in the printing industry is presented where numerous photographs are to be associated with certain textual material as, for example, in the publication of a high school year book or a corporate personnel book. In such works, it is often desirable to associate particular textual material with a given photograph, such as a high school student's honors, sports affiliations etc., or in the case of a corporate personnel book, the department, title, years of service of the employee, etc. It has been estimated that fully 80% of the man hours devoted to producing the typical high school year book are spent on the process of ensuring that the appropriate textual information is associated with the appropriate photograph as the photograph is subjected to several wet chemistry iterations to improve its appearance.

Thus, it is another embodiment of the present invention that it includes an additional operational step of associating textual material and/or database material or information with the digital image, either prior to processing, subsequent to processing or both. For example, referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown an example of a computer screen 47 and of the process of the present invention for inputting a digital image for processing, wherein textual material or database material is associated with a digital image as the digital image is being acquired.

As illustrated by blocks 48 and 50, a digital image or set of digital images is acquired and displayed in any suitable manner as described above. The block 48 may include a pull down menu or simple list in a dialog or other box as is commonly known in the computer arts to provide a list of digital image input folder names, each folder comprising one or more digital images as a digital image file within the digital image input folder. As used hereinafter, the term "block" as it relates to the boxes in the figures shall be understood to include, but not be limited to, dialog or other boxes as are commonly known in the computer arts, which may in turn include pull down menus or other list of folders as described above. The folders listed in block 48 may be provided in a hierarchal format which includes folders and subfolders as is known in the art. In the following discussion, whenever such folders are described, it may be assumed that such folders may include one or more folders and/or subfolders in a hierarchal format unless otherwise noted. The listing of such folders can be accessed or otherwise manipulated by any means known in the art including, but not limited to, a pointing or cursor control device such as a "mouse", trackball, touch sensitive screen, touch sensitive pad. light pen or by way of a keyboard inputted command to permit the user to select one or more of the folders and/or subfolders identified within the block 48 for inputting into the system for processing.

Where the digital images are provided as individual files which are grouped into folders in block 48, upon accessing a folder of subfolder in block 48, the individual digital image files within that folder or subfolder may be listed as illustrated by block 50, whereupon the user may select one or more individual files for inputting into the system for processing. Upon selection of one or more digital images, the digital image is provided either automatically or by manipulation of an activating device for visual, audio or audio-visual inspection as is relevant to the nature of the digital image as illustrated by block 52. Any method or device appropriate for the type of digital image being inspected may be employed as described above. Where the digital image is visual in nature, it is preferred that the process and device of the present invention further include an operational step for enlarging the image as may be necessary for proper visual observation by the user. Still more preferably, the process and device of the present invention provides for a simple toggle mechanism to move between the enlarged and non-enlarged versions of the image.

As illustrated by block 54, certain image information of a textual, graphic or other nature may be acquired regarding one or more images. This textual or other material may be in the form of an individual file or may be included as sets of related files in one or more folders as illustrated by folder titles 55a, 55b, 55c and 55d in block 54. As illustrated by block 56, where the textual material in block 54 is comprised of multiple folders, individual files within a folder may be displayed and selected by the user in block 56. As may be appreciated, the textual material itself is not limiting to the present invention, however, by way of example, where the present invention is being applied to produce a high school year book, the sets of related textual files in block 54 might include a list of schools for which a year book is being produced, and selecting one such school would provide in block 56 the names of each student in the school to be included in the yearbook. Associated with the particular student's name in block 56 is the textual material relevant to that student as, for example, that student's honors, sports affiliations, etc. In one embodiment of the present invention, the textual material is acquired and is resident on a digital storage device so that upon acquisition of the digital image of a particular student in blocks 50 and 52, it is a simple matter to locate the student's name in block 56 and to then associate the relevant textual or other material within the file of block 56 with that student. Thereafter, the digital image of the student may be processed as described in connection with Fig. 1 above to provide a processed digital image of the student suitable for photographic or printing purposes, to which student's image is associated with any relevant textual or other data. Referring now to Figs. 3A and 3B, there is shown examples of computer screens

57 and 59 and of the process of the present invention for selecting a digital image, selecting attributes of that image to be processed and providing a processed image in which the selected attributes have been processed. More particularly, as illustrated in block 58 in Fig. 3A, a digital image or set of digital images is acquired in any suitable manner as described above, but preferably using the input method described in connection with Fig. 2. Where the digital images includes sets of a plurality of digital images, such sets of images may be displayed as a plurality of folders, such as folders 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d, 58e, etc. illustrated in block 58, which folders are comprised of individual digital images as illustrated by block 58. An individual digital image file name may be separately provided and selected as illustrated by file names 60a, 60b and 60c in block 60. Upon selection of the digital image (as, for example, 60a), the digital image associated with that file name is provided for inspection as illustrated by block 62. The image of block 62 may be provided automatically upon selection of the file name in block 60, or it may be displayed only after actuating an image display process. Any method or device appropriate for the type of digital image being inspected may be employed in block 62 as described above. Where the digital image is visual in nature, it is preferred that the process and device of the present invention further include an operational step for enlarging the image as may be necessary for proper visual observation by the user. Still more preferable is the inclusion of a toggle to permit easy enlargement and reduction of the image.

As illustrated by block 64, there is provided an attribute or set of attributes to be selected for processing. These can be virtually any attributes or combinations of attributes including, but not limited to, digital image attributes common to wet chemistry, attributes unique to digital images and/or any of the specific attributes discussed herein. Non-limiting examples include attributes affecting image color, image packaging, image bordering, image outputting and the like. The following discussion will focus on the packaging attribute as that attribute is particularly easy to illustrate in the drawings, but it is to be understood that the invention is no way limited to packaging attributes. Where the attributes of block 64 include multiple sets of attributes grouped into separate folders, a process for selecting individual attributes for processing may be employed as illustrated by block 66. As may be appreciated, an "individual" attribute may be comprised of a plurality of process operations necessary to modify/control/manipulate the "individual" attribute. A destination folder (e.g., destination folder 68e) is then chosen from a list of destination folders (e.g., destination folders 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d and 68e) as illustrated by block 68 into which the processed image is placed after processing. Upon processing, the processed image file name appears in block 70 as illustrated in Fig. 3B.

By way of specific example, where the present invention is used to process digital images to provide photographic quality prints for students in a high school class, digital images may be acquired in folders in block 58 which folders may be, for example, grouped by students in a particular school. Upon selecting the school in block 58, individual student names appear in block 60 (e.g., Student Banas, 60a), and the individual student's digital image is displayed in block 62. Block 64 may contain groups of attributes, such as, for example, various photographic packages that have previously been inputted into the system, while block 66 includes subsets or individual photograph sizes that are to be produced. The term photographic "package" refers in this sense generally to resizing and/or duplicating the digital image in any number of sizes, formats or combinations. For example, a first "package" may include a single 8 inch by 10 inch photograph and several 4 inch by 5 inch photographs, while a second "package" may include two 8 inch by 10 inch photographs and several 4 inch by 5 inch photographs. If a user desires to select an individual photograph size, that size may be displayed as a selectable attribute in block 66. For example, attribute 66d shown selected in Fig. 3A is directed to providing eight 2 inch by 3 inch photographs of the image shown in block 62. Upon selecting the desired attribute, the user then initiates the processing of the digital image in accordance with the selected attribute (as, for example, by pressing the develop film icon 67) to create a new processed image. The processed image is stored in the destination folder (e.g., in block 68) and under the particular student's name (70a) as shown in block 70 in this specific example. Also, upon processing, the package selected is either automatically or upon actuation of an actuating operation, displayed for inspection in block 62a. As illustrated in Fig. 3B, the selected eight 2 inch by 3 inch package is visually rendered in block 62a. In one embodiment of the present invention only unprocessed digital images are stored, in either a compressed or uncompressed format, and processed digital images are not stored but are simply outputted to an output device. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, both the unprocessed digital image and the fully processed digital image are stored in the system of the present invention in their digital form using any of the devices capable of such storage as described above. In yet an alternative embodiment of the present invention, only the unprocessed digital image is stored in the system of the present invention, while the particular attributes selected to be applied to that particular image are separately recorded and stored in the system in such a way that they can be re-associated with the unprocessed digital image so that the processed digital image may be recreated at any point in time simply by again subjecting the unprocessed digital image to those same particular attributes. Again, building upon the above specific example of Figs. 3A and 3B, where the selected attribute related to packaging, the selected packaging attribute is associated with the student's name (element 70a in block 70a in block 70 of Fig. 3B) by the system of the present invention so that, at a later time, additional such packages may be produced without having to store both the unprocessed and processed digital images of that student. This embodiment is preferred over storing both the unprocessed and processed digital images at least in part because it requires less memory or storage area to do so.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated by block 72 in Fig. 3A, the process of the present invention further includes providing for the ability to select or navigate between groupings of related attributes to produce a final processed digital image. For example, in the discussion above with respect to Figs. 3A and 3B, it will be seen that the packaging attributes 72d was selected over color attributes 72c, border attributes 72d and printing attributes 72e for the packaging attribute processing described above. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the first attribute to be processed could have been the color attribute 72c. Color was specifically not chosen for the above example because packaging was much more easily illustrated. However, upon selecting color as the attribute to be modified in block 72, specifically button 72c, and upon selecting the student's school from block 58 and selecting the student's name from block 60 (specifically 60a), the student's previously acquired but unprocessed digital image appears in block 62, whereupon various groupings of color-modifying attributes may be provided and selected in block 64 or subsets or individual attributes relating to color may be provided and selected in block 66. Upon subjecting the digital image to processing of these selected color attributes, the student's color-processed image can be displayed in block 62a while the student's name is modified as file name 70a in block 70 to reflect the color attributes to which the processed digital image was subjected. If it is then desired to provide this color-enhanced digital image in a certain package, the package attribute 72d may be selected in block 72 as the next group of attributes for processing. Similar to the color-enhancing process described above, selection of the student's school in block 58 and the student's name in block 60 will provide a display of the student's color processed image in block 62. Upon selection of the desired packaging from blocks 64 and/or 66 respectively, the package is displayed in block 62a and the student's name is modified as file name 70a in block 70 to reflect that the student's digital image was subjected to a specific color-enhancing process and to a particular packaging process.

Similar to the color-enhancing process and/or the packaging process as described above, referring now to Fig. 4 A, a group of attributes related to providing borders 72d around the various digital images may be selected in block 72 and applied to the digital image in the same manner as that of the color and packaging attributes described above, and as illustrated in

Fig. 4B where a white fading border is shown about the eight two inch by three inch images.

This process of selecting groups of attributes in block 72 or reselecting attributes may continue ad infinitum until the processed image has acceptable color, packaging, bordering or any other required or desired attributes, whereupon it may be output to an output device such as a printer or printing press to provide a final photographic image or simply permitted to exist as a new digital file.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 3B, 4A and 4B, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes the information provided by blocks 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and/or 72 all on the same computer screen for ease of navigation between the sets of information. As may be appreciated, while the foregoing example described the processing of a single student's digital image, the invention is not so limited and several digital images (e.g., several hundred to several thousand or more student's digital images) may be selected for simultaneous processing of the same attributes in one operation.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the output of one process may form the input for a subsequent process. In this embodiment, the attributes applied to the digital image are recorded and associated with the digital image as it is subjected to various processing operations. In other words, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the groups of attributes provided in block 74 are applied to one or more digital images as an ordered series of related attributes, and in such a fashion that upon processing a digital image or group of digital images with the first group of related attributes, the digital image or group of digital images having such modified attributes are provided as the starting digital images for the next group of related attributes to be applied to the digital image or group of digital images. Referring now to Fig. 5, there is shown block 74 which includes groups of related attributes. The related attributes can be any attributes desired or required to be related, and provided by way of example in Fig. 5 are the groups of attributes labeled image 76, color 78, package 80, borders 82 and printing 84. Upon selecting the packaging attributes 80 highlighted on the left half of Fig. 5, there is provided a first listing of input folders 86, which may include hierarchal folders as described above. In Fig. 5, these are indicated as color rendered images in color rendered folder 86a. Upon selecting the color rendered folder 86a in block 86, a user is presented with a list of file names of the color rendered digital images in the folders 86a which are displayed in an input dialogue dialog box 88 and which images themselves may be automatically or manually displayed in block 94. One or more digital image(s) within the input image dialog box 88 is/are then selected for packaging and packaging attributes are selected with dialog boxes 90 and 92 in the same manner as described above to provide the image in a desired package, which is shown after package processing (described below) in block 94, which may be a preview screen. The input image may also be previewed automatically or upon manual selection after processing within a preview screen. The preview screen may have associated therewith a process for providing the same input image in an enlarged rendition for ease of viewing. In a preferred embodiment, a process for toggling between the enlarged image and the input image in its original preview screen size is provided.

The processing of blocks 90 and/or 92 may change a single attribute or an unlimited number of attributes of the input image, but all of the attributes share in common that they will affect the packaging of the digital image when the process or processes is/are applied to the digital image. A destination folder is selected from a dialog box 96 for the yet to be processed input image. Once an input image has been selected in block 88, and an appropriate process selected in block 90 or 92, there is provided a method for subjecting the digital image to the selected process. That method may employ an icon on the computer screen such as a begin process button or the like such as the "develop film" icon 99 in Fig. 5. The processed image is then copied to the destination folder 96 and the resultant new or processed digital image file name appears in the processed image dialog box 98. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processed image can then be viewed automatically or manually in the preview screen 94 which may again include a toggle function to enlarge the image, as described above. By alternatively selecting the input image and processed image a visual reference appears that offers a quality control method for supervising the applied process. A single digital image or an unlimited number of digital images may be so processed simultaneously. A particularly valuable aspect of the preview screen is that it can be used to verify that the correct input images were selected for processing. Where multiple images are processed simultaneously, the processed images can be individually inspected using the preview screen to judge the results of the process on the original input image. By alternating selecting the input image and the processed image, a visual reference appears that offers a quality control method for processing all of the simultaneously processed images.

As illustrated further in Fig. 5, particularly on the right side of Fig. 5, the processed images of the processed image dialog box 98 and the destination folder 96 may be linked to form the input digital image(s) for the next group of related attributes, such as, for example, the border 82 attributes shown highlighted in block 74 on the right side of Fig. 5. In other words, the input folder for the border attributes 82 process may be comprised of the digital images processed for packaging and previously stored/displayed in destination folder 96a and processed image dialog box 98. Upon selecting, these images and optionally displaying them in preview screen 100 prior to or subsequent to such processing, and subjecting these images to one or more of the group of related border 82 processes set forth in process dialog boxes 102 and 104, the images placed in the processed image dialog box 108 and destination folder 106 will have been processed for packaging and borders as illustrated in block 100. This process may be repeated for any number of groups of related attributes, but for the example provided by Fig. 5, the original input digital image may then in sequence be processed for color, processed for packaging, processed for the type of border that surrounds the digital image(s) in the package and then outputted to a desired output device.

As may be appreciated, when the operational input steps described in connection with Fig. 2 are combined with Figs. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B and/or 5, a powerful process for processing digital images and associating textual materials with those digital images is produced. With such a combination, a user can easily associate inputted textual material with a given image and then process that image to modify whatever attributes are required or desired to provide a final processed digital image having the textual material associated therewith. The process can be fully or partially automated as desired or required by the user or the system manager. Referring now to Fig. 6, there is shown an example of a computer screen and of the process or the present invention illustrating a fully automated processing file. In this embodiment of the present invention, a storage area or device is provided known as input folder 110 which includes and displays one or more folders of digital images which may be provided in a hierarchal format. Selecting one of the folders provides a listing of all digital images in that folder as set forth in the input image display object box 112.

Color processes are displayed in a process display object box 114, available borders are displayed in process display object box 116 and available packages are displayed in process display object box 118. In this embodiment of the present invention, the user simply selects the digital image file, the color processing, border processing and package processing that is desired or required for a given application, and upon initiating the process as, for example, by using a mouse to press a begin process button 120, the image is processed. As may be appreciated, the present invention also includes the option of selecting several individual digital image files from the image display object box 112 and/or one or more folders from the input folder 110, to provide for fully automated simultaneous high speed processing of a plurality of digital images. Upon completion of processing, the processed digital image(s) may be stored in their digital form or outputted to a printer or other device to provide a hard copy of the processed image(s) as described above. The automated process of Fig. 6 may be associated with the input/database association process of Fig. 1 and such a combination provides for a powerful fully automated process for the processing of multiple digital images for a virtually unlimited number of attributes, which processed digital images are then automatically associated with any textual or other digital and/or database oriented information as described in connection with Fig. 1. While the automated process of Fig. 6 may or may not include the ability to preview the digital image(s) prior to processing and/or subsequent to processing, in a preferred embodiment of the invention there is no previewing function in order to permit the process to be fully automated from start to finish with regard to processing the digital images for the attributes selected.

Referring now to Fig. 7, there is illustrated certain elements of a typical digital photographic studio setting 122 which is being used to illustrate yet another important embodiment of the present invention. While it is noted above, digital images may be acquired by any means known or hereinafter developed and that attributes of such digital images may be processed in accordance with the present invention, in a particularly useful embodiment of the present invention, digital images are acquired in a photographic studio utilizing a digital camera in communication with a digital image processing unit (e.g., a computer, including but not limited to, microcomputers, mini computers or mainframe computers).

For example, illustrated in Fig. 7 is digital image capture device 124 which may be used to capture still digital images (e.g., a digital camera) or moving digital images (e.g., a digital video camera) or film-based still or video images which are then captured digitally. The digital image capture device 124 is typically supported on a tripod 126 and is directed to capture an image, represented by a simple stool 128 in Fig. 7. The digital image capture device 124 may be activated in any manner known in the art such as by a remote control device (not shown) or by a switch-type mechanism in communication with the digital image capture device 124. Illustrated in Fig. 7 is such a switch 130 which is connected by cabling 132 and which functions to activate or deactivate the digital image capture device 124. Where digital image capture device 124 is a simple digital camera, the switch 130 may be used to cause the digital camera to "snap" or otherwise record an image upon depressing the switch 130. Where the digital image capture device 124 is a video recording device, the switch 130 may be used to start and stop the image video recording process.

The image, whether acquired as a still digital image (e.g., a digital photograph) or a digital or digitized video image, is then communicated by way of cabling, communication lines (e.g., telephone lines, Intranet lines, Internet lines, Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks), infrared or other electro-magnetic signals to a digital image processing unit 136. Cabling 134 is illustrated in Fig. 7.

The image processing unit 136 processes the digital image in accordance with the present invention and may also function to store the image as required or desired. The image processing unit is illustrated in Fig. 7 as a simple microcomputer, but may include mini computers, mainframe computers, super computers and the like. The microcomputer illustrated in Fig. 7 includes a central processing unit 138 to which is attached a monitor 140, keyboard 142, and optional mouse 144 as is known in the art.

With presently available digital image capturing devices (e.g., digital cameras) it is necessary for the operator (e.g., a photographer) to physically enter a subject's name or other identifying material each time an image is acquired in order to associate such identifying material with the image being acquired. This is undesirable as it is most inconvenient. For example, where the digital image capturing device is a digital camera, and the operator is a photographer attempting to photograph a live subject, such as a child or a pet, requiring the photographer to return to the keyboard after each press of the switch 130 to enter identifying material for the digital image just acquired, destroys the continuity of the photo shoot and may result in missed opportunities to obtain irreplaceable photographs. The present invention eliminates this limitation by including, in one embodiment, automatic naming and storing of the digital image as it is acquired. In a preferred embodiment, as each digital image is acquired, it is provided with a file name which file name indicates the sequence in which the digital images were acquired. For example, the photographer need only enter a subject's name once where the subject is a human (for example "John Smith") at the beginning of the shoot, whereupon each successive activation of the switch 130 acquires a digital image with the digital image capture device 124, causes the image to be downloaded from the digital image capture device 124 into the memory of the image processing unit 136 and causes the digital image to be retained in a named file, for example "John Smith 01". The second activation of the switch 130 repeats the process for a second digital image which is then identified by the file name "John Smith 02". As may be appreciated, the particular image file naming structure is not limiting to the present invention. The important aspect of the present invention is that the image processing unit 136 (e.g. computer) automatically provides sequential file naming permitting the photographer in the above example to focus on the subject of the photo shoot and acquire, store and name the digital image file simply by activating switch 130. The process of the present invention is much preferred over presently available processes that force the operator to stop after each image is acquired and return to the image processing unit to name or otherwise identify the digital image just acquired.

Referring now to Fig. 8, there is illustrated yet another embodiment of the present invention, which is directed to providing a plurality of digital images, either before or after processing on a contact sheet. By way of background, in the photographic arts, it is common practice for photographers to provide the entity commissioning the photographer's services with one or more contact sheets. A contact sheet generally includes several photographs taken by the photographer of the subject matter of the photo shoot contained and combined typically on one sheet, generally about an 8 inch by 10 inch sheet of photographic paper. The photographs on the contact sheet are not processed by the photographer to modify, manipulate, change or otherwise affect any attribute of the image, and are generally provided only in an unprocessed form to provide the entity commissioning the photographer's services with a preview and choice of images for selection for processing. Upon selecting one or more images from the contact sheet, the photographer will then process the selected images to modify certain attributes of the selected images in accordance with traditional wet chemistry processing of the photographic film to provide processed photographs to the entity commissioning the photographer's services. Referring now to Fig. 8, there is shown a representation of a contact sheet 150 in accordance with the present invention. The contact sheet may be present on a computer screen such as that of monitor 140 of Fig. 7 or it may be an individual sheet of photographic paper or other common substrate or digital output media, such as that provided by a digital output device. The digital output device is not limiting to the present invention and may include any output device presently or hereinafter developed which is capable of outputting a digital image as explained above in connection with the discussion of Fig. 1. The contact sheet illustrated in Fig. 8 includes images 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 and 162. In a preferred embodiment, each image has associated therewith identifying material illustrated by blocks 164, 166, 168, 170, 172 and 174. As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to the arrangement of six images on one contact sheet with identifying material below each image as illustrated in Fig. 8, and contact sheets having any number of images thereon with or without identifying material are envisioned as within the scope of the present invention. While it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a contact sheet of a plurality of digital images immediately upon acquisition of the digital images and before processing of any attributes of the digital images, it is an important advantage of the present invention to provide such a contact sheet after processing of one or more attributes digital image in accordance with the present invention. For example, referring now to Fig. 1, after the processing operation of block 20, a plurality of processed digital images may be provided as an on-screen contact sheet for inspection as illustrated by block 46, and/or such a contact sheet may be outputted via an output device as illustrated by block 28 to provide a printed contact sheet. It is a distinct advantage of the present invention that such a contact sheet is comprised of processed images which have had one or more attributes of the images processed in accordance with the present invention, which is not possible with presently available contact sheets. This is a substantial advancement in the photographic art, as the presently available contact sheets required the entity selecting the images for processing to make uninformed guesses as to which images will process satisfactorily. With the present invention, the entity viewing the contact sheet is able to observe fully processed images and to make informed decisions as to which images the entity requires or desires for its purposes.

It is yet another important advantage of the present invention that identifying material such as that illustrated by blocks 164, 166, 168, 170, 172, and 174 may be associated with the processed or unprocessed digital images appearing on the contact sheet 150. In one embodiment of the present invention, this identifying material may take the form of the sequential file naming structure described in connection with Fig. 7 above. Thus, for example, where a photographer is photographing a subject (e.g., an individual named John Smith) with the photo studio equipment described above in connection with Fig. 7, and the digital images of John Smith are acquired and sequentially named "John Smith 01 ", "John Smith 02", "John Smith 03", etc. by the image processing unit 136, the image processing unit 136 may simultaneously or subsequently create a contact sheet in which sequential images of the subject John Smith appear as digital images 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, and 162 with identifying material in blocks 164, 166, 168, 170, 172 and 174, respectively, such as "John Smith 01", "John Smith 02" etc. The contact sheet may appear on the monitor 140 or may be printed via an output device (not shown). The digital images of the subject matter appearing on the contact sheet are preferably processed to modify one or more attributes over the digital image as it was acquired.

As may be appreciated, the contact sheet 150 of the present invention may be employed at any point in the process described above in connection with Figs. 1-7 of the present invention, including but not limited to, immediately upon acquisition of the digital images incorporated into the contact sheet, after the digital image is processed for color, after the digital image is processed for packaging, after the digital image is processed for borders, among others. It is an important advantage of the present invention that a virtually unlimited number of digital images can be selected for placement on contact sheets. Where such contact sheets are present on-screen on a computer monitor, the image can be reviewed for quality control purposes, edited both for image content (e.g., attribute modification) and associated textural or graphic material if any or even removed from the contact sheet in its entirety and substituted by another image and/or associated textural or graphic material. Alternatively, upon removal of an image, the remaining images may be simply recognized by the present invention to provide a new set of contact sheets. In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more computer folders containing a plurality of digital images as distinct files within the folder may be selected, or a plurality of individual files may be selected and by selecting a single icon or button on the computer screen, e. g., a "proofs" or "contact sheet" icon the selected images can be combined into a single contact sheet or series of contact sheets for display on the computer screen or outputting to an output device (e.g., a printer). Where a series of contact sheets are created, the on-screen display preferably includes a mechanism for toggling or navigating between the contact sheets as, for example, the navigation button 176 illustrated in Fig. 8 which indicates that the first of an example 44 contact sheets is displayed and provides the user with the choice of scrolling backwards and forwards through the remaining series of contact sheets. Preferably, the on-screen display of the contact sheet also includes a mechanism for exiting the contact sheet screen and returning to the prior process displayed before the contact sheet option was selected. Such a mechanism may include a simple exit icon or button on the contact sheet, such as exit button 178 illustrated in Fig. 8. Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 3 A, 3B, 4A, 4B and 5, there was described above a process for selecting a digital image for processing, previewing that image prior to processing, processing the image according to selected attributes, post-viewing the image subsequent to processing and storing the processed image. In conjunction with those processes or with the automated process of Fig. 6 or the processes described in connection with the autonaming process of Fig. 7 or the contact sheet described in connection with Fig. 8, it may be desirable to modify one or more attributes of one or more digital images at any point in any of these processes, either before or after the digital image one or more attributes of the digital image has been processed. Therefore, the present invention further includes a navigation control process that may be employed with any of the above-described processes to permit the operator of the system of the present invention select an on-screen image at any point in any of the above processes and associate that image with the means to process any one or more attributes of that image and then return the image to that point in the process from which it was selected, with the image exhibiting its modified attribute or attributes upon return to the point in the process from which it was selected. By way of non-limiting example, where a digital image has been processed to modify attributes relating to image color, packaging and bordering, it may be desirable upon inspection of the final packaged/bordered digital image (e.g., on-screen or by way of a printed sheet) to modify a particular color attribute that was not previously processed or to further modify a color attribute that had been previously processed by subjecting the image to a second processing operation. In accordance with the present invention, the packaged/bordered digital image is selected (e.g., by double-clicking the image with a mouse or other pointer device) whereupon the digital image is automatically associated by the navigation control process with an interface that permits the user of the system to select from any of the attributes capable of being modified by the system of the present invention or by another system or software package capable of performing such functions, such as the ADOBE Photoshop® computer software program available from Adobe Systems Inc. of Mountain View, California. The operator then selects the attribute or attributes to be subjected to this second processing operation (e.g., enhanced color, contrast, etc.) and the selected digital image is then processed by the second processing operation for that attribute. Preferably the operator is provided with an opportunity to observe the image both prior to and after processing. The before and after observation may occur upon return to the first or core process. For example, if after processing the image with the second processing operation, the image is acceptable to the operator, the processed digital image may be closed whereupon the navigation central process returns to the point in the first or core process from which the image was selected. The digital image, in this example, is then returned to its packaged/bordered point in the first or core process, having had and exhibiting its newly modified color attribute or attributes provided by the second processing operation. Also by way of example, the image may have been selected from a contact sheet for such a second processing operation, whereupon after processing with the second processing operation and closing of the image, the navigation control process returns the user to the contact sheet from which the image was selected.

As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to the above example, and any digital image may be selected at any point in any of the above described processes for association with the navigation control process to permit any attributes of the digital image to be selected for processing.

While the present invention has application in virtually unlimited fields, the production of photographic materials and print materials such as the above mentioned high school year book or corporate personnel book are particularly suitable because of its ability to eliminate the currently most labor intensive aspect of that process, e.g., the association of the proper textual materials with an image as that image is improved by wet chemistry techniques. Another important advantage of the present invention is the speed with which such processed digital images may be produced over the considerably slower wet chemistry techniques. Still yet another advantage of the present invention is that all of the capabilities are provided in a flexible easy-to-use seamless system that gives the user not only the optional capability to associate textual material with digital images, but provides the user with the capability to process those digital images to improve or modify a virtually unlimited number of attributes and to do so in a system that may range from a fully custom system to a fully automated system while giving the user the option to view the digital images before processing, after processing or both and to provide a contact sheet or sheets of an unlimited number of processed images at any point in the overall process.

It is yet another advantage and embodiment of the present invention, that the processed digital images may be compared against any standard for further processing. For example, where color is the attribute being modified, the processed image may be compared against a standard for color for the given subject matter as, for example, where the subject matter is a Caucasian, the resultant processed digital image flesh tones may be compared against a standard table for such flesh tones and if not in a preselected range or other parameters, further processing or warnings may be provided to the user. Also by way of example, where the subject matter is of medical tissue, the resultant processed image may be compared against standard tables for certain such tissue and if not within a preselected range or other parameters, the tissue may be flagged as potentially cancerous or otherwise medically unacceptable and the processed image may be automatically flagged for closer scrutiny by a medical professional or automatically subjected to additional processing to confirm the initial results. As may be appreciated, it is yet another advantage of the present invention that many digital images may be so processed simultaneously providing a much greater degree of speed, automation and standardization in evaluating such digital images as has heretofore been possible, permitting the rapid and accurate processing of a large volume of processed images. Finally, as may be appreciated, the present invention's unique ability to provide preprocessing and post processing inspection of the digital image provides a quality control infrastructure that has heretofore been unknown. It is understood that the foregoing detailed description of the present invention is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or from the scope of the below appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing digital images comprising the steps of: providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; providing a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and providing a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation.

2. An apparatus for processing digital images comprising: a means for providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; a means for selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; a means for subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising reprocessing one or more of the processed digital images one or more times to yield a further modified form of said selected attribute.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising storing one or more of the digital images prior to or subsequent to the processing operation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising storing one or more of the digital images prior to or subsequent to the reprocessing operation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the digital images are acquired from digital cameras, digital copiers, printers, scanners, x-ray machines, medical imaging devices, digital audio equipment, computer disks, computer storage media, or a communications network.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the communications network is a local area communications network, wide area network, the Internet, or modem/telephone communications system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the storing is accomplished by computer hard drive storage media, random access media, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, or optical disks.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the storing is accomplished by computer hard drive storage media, random access media, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, or optical disks.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the digital images are stored as files in an original file size or a compressed file size.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the digital images are stored as files in an original file size or a compressed file size.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the compressed file size contains a digital image having the apparent resolution of the digital image prior to compression.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processing operation consists of modifying image color, image total qualities, image clarity, image contrasts, image color saturation, image color density range, image gamma, image resolution, image sharpness, image softness, file size, or resolution of the digital images.

14. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reprocessing operation consists of modifying image color, image total qualities, image clarity, image contrasts, image color saturation, image color density range, image gamma, image resolution, image sharpness, image softness, file size, or resolution of the digital images.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processing operation is fully controlled by automation, partially controlled by automation, or fully controlled by a user at a user interface.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the reprocessing operation is fully controlled by automation, partially controlled by automation, or fully controlled by a user at a user interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising outputting one or more processed digital images.

18. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising outputting one or more reprocessed digital images.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18 wherein the outputting is performed by a printer, a digital copier, a digital dye sublimation printer, a CRT printer, a digital light valve printer, a digital laser printer, a color digital output device, a black and white output device, a communication device, a communication system, a modem/telephone line, a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to the processing operation comprises printing out the digital image on a printing device or displaying the digital image on a computer screen.

21. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said reprocessing operation.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to the reprocessing operation comprises printing out the digital image on a printing device or displaying the digital image on a computer screen.

23. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising associating textual information or database material with the digital image after providing the digital image or subsequent to processing.

24. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising associating textual information or database material with the digital image prior to or subsequent to reprocessing.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23 or claim 24 further comprising storing one or more of the digital images with the associated textual information.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a means for reprocessing one or more of the processed digital images one or more times to yield a further modified form of said attribute.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a means for storing one or more of the digital images prior to or subsequent to the processing operation.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a means for storing one or more of the digital images prior to or subsequent to the reprocessing operation.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for providing one or more digital images comprises digital cameras, digital copiers, printers, scanners, x-ray machines, medical imaging devices, digital audio equipment, computer disks, computer storage media, or a communications network.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein the communications network is a local area network, wide area network, the Internet, or modem/telephone communications system.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein the storing is accomplished by computer hard drive storage media, random access media, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, or optical disks.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein the storing is accomplished by computer hard drive storage media, random access media, read only memory, zip drives, floppy drives, or optical disks.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein the digital images are stored as files in an original size or a compressed file size.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32 wherein the digital images are stored as files in an original file size or a compressed file size.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33 or claim 34 wherein the compressed file size contains a digital image having the apparent resolution of the digital image prior to compression.

36. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the processing operation consists of modifying image color, image total qualities, image clarity, image contrasts, image color saturation, image color density range, image gamma, image resolution, image sharpness, image softness, file size, or resolution of the digital images.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the reprocessing operation consists of modifying image color, image total qualities, image clarity, image contrasts, image color saturation, image color density range, image gamma, image resolution, image sharpness, image softness, file size, or resolution of the digital images.

38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36 wherein the processing operation is fully controlled by automation, partially controlled by automation, or fully controlled by a user at a user interface.

39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein the reprocessing operation is fully controlled by automation, partially controlled by automation, or fully controlled by a user at a user interface.

40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a means for outputting one or more processed digital images.

41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a means for outputting one or more processed digital images.

42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 40 or claim 41 wherein the outputting is performed by a printer, a digital copier, a digital dye sublimation printer, a CRT printer, a digital light valve printer, a digital laser printer, a color digital output device, a black and white output device, a communication device, a communication system, a modem/telephone line, a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet.

43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to the processing operation comprises printing out the digital image on a printing device or displaying the digital image on a computer screen.

44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said reprocessing operation.

45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44 wherein the means for visually observing one or more digital images prior to or subsequent to the reprocessing operation comprises printing out the digital image on a printing device or displaying the digital image on a computer screen.

46. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a means for associating textual information or database material with the digital image after providing the digital image or subsequent to processing.

47. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a means for associating textual information or database material with the digital image after providing the digital image or subsequent to processing.

48. The apparatus as claimed in claim 46 or claim 47 further comprising a means for storing one or more digital images with the associated textual information.

49. A method for processing digital images comprising the steps of: acquiring one or more digital images with a digital image capture device, said digital images having one or more attributes; inputting said one or more digital images into a image processing unit; selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and auto-naming said digital image as it is input into said image processing unit.

50. An apparatus for processing digital images, comprising: digital image capture device for acquiring one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; a means for selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; a means for subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and a means for auto-naming said digital images as it is input into said image processing unit.

51. A method for processing digital images comprising the steps of: providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; providing a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; providing a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and providing said one or more digital images on a contact sheet.

52. An apparatus for processing digital images, comprising; a means for providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; a means for selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a processing operation; a means for subjecting said one or more digital images to a processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said processing operation; and a means for providing said one or more digital images on a contact sheet.

53. A method for processing digital images comprising the steps of; providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a first processing operation; subjecting said one or more digital images to a first processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said first processing operation; visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said first processing operation; selecting said one or more digital images at a point during said first processing operation for processing by a second processing operation, wherein at least one attribute is selected and modified by said second processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a modified form of said selected attribute; and returning said digital image processed by said second processing operation to said point in said first processing operation where said image was selected for processing by said second processing operation.

54. An apparatus for processing digital images, comprising: a means for providing one or more digital images, said digital images having one or more attributes; a means for selecting at least one attribute of said one or more digital images for modification by a first processing operation; a means for subjecting said one or more digital images to a first processing operation, wherein said selected attribute is modified by said processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a first modified form of said selected attribute; a means for visually observing said one or more digital images prior to subjecting said one or more digital images to said first processing operation; a means for visually observing said one or more processed digital images subsequent to subjecting said one or more digital images to said first processing operation; a means for selecting said one or more digital images at a point during said first processing operation for processing by a second processing operation, wherein at least one attribute is selected and modified by said second processing operation to provide one or more processed digital images having a modified form of said selected attribute; and a means for returning said digital image processed by said second processing operation to said point in said first processing operation where said image was selected for processing by said second processing operation.