Stephen J. Guy

Many Digital Cameras include timestamp directly on image

Metadata in binary image deprecates need for visible timestamp

Experienced Photoshop users can fix imagesBad for novicesNo batch processing

Time stamp on a picture?Is there a way to remove a time

stamp from a picture already taken? Some online (free) program? I took a picture that is basically ruined due to where the time stamp is at. :( I just want to know if there's a way of removing it (if you have the program to do so, help!)

3 months ago

Additional Details3 months ago

This is the picture.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/P...

3 months ago

Ok, photo-shop people. 10 points goes to whoever removes that time stamp successfully! I do not have Photoshop. :(

Image referenced with timestamp

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080818210803AAn9u71

No Paper on how to do it (Not been done before?)No easy database of timestamped imagesTimestamps differ in:

Color – (Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, & White)Length – (From “2007 05 05” to “2004/01/01

00:14:10”)Num of Lines – Both 1 and 2 line timestamps Position & Orientation

JPEG Compression!!Timestamp is different color from “original”Timestamp color depends on picture contentTimestamp color varies throughout pictureBlur Edges

Common Timestamp FeaturesPosition: Near cornersColor Value: Timestamps are bright

unnatural colors High ValueColor Saturation: Timestamp are not

greyish (dull) Med-High saturation*Gradient Magnitude: Text is high

frequency strong edges

Position Saturation & Value

Gradient Magnitude

1) Find all pixels that meet all features

2) Median Filter3) Create color model

from pixels in corner4) Choose corners with

timestamp (most pixels)

5) Select all pixels which meet color model

6) Dilate selection for a safety buffer

Decimate the timestampThresholding is to simple a selection criteria

Select the wrong cornerMost timestamp pixels is to simple a model

Creating the wrong color modelAssuming only 1 color will pass the thresholds

is naïveDilation may be overly aggressive

Simply dilating n-pixels is too simpleDilatation may be underly aggressive

Simply dilating n-pixels is too simple

The Clown’s hair meets all my criteria – It’s oddly colored, vibrant, has large gradients, and near a corner

A more serious failure: Grass is highly textured, saturated, and bright

JPEG Compression causes problems

Fill in timestamp with Efros &Leung style texture synthesis

Fill order:Pixels with the most non-timestamp neighbors

are filled 1st

Only patches form the corner are used as a source for synthesis

Fill order: Black to Red

SlowOnly Take

samples from timestamp corner

Patch Size can be difficult to choose

Fails with structured textures

Better Texture SynthesisGradient oriented hole filling (Criminisi

et. al)Faster Texture SynthesisMore robust timestamp detection

Currently ignore gradient magnitude when finalizing timestamp