12017/07/10: release libxcam version 1.0.0
2 * 360 video stitching performance and quality improvement.
3   - enable geometry map to improve performance.
4   - quality tuned on different resolutions (1080P and 4K).
5   - support CPU and OpenCL path in feature match.
6   - enable lens shading correction based on fisheye image.
7
8 * gyroscope-based video stabilization enabling.
9   - enable gyroscope 3-DoF (orientation) assist video stabilization.
10   - orientation (gyro) data should be measured by quaternion as the pose
11     of target frame reference to base frame
12
13 * CL framework refine.
14   - enable CL argument template instead of member variables in kernel.
15   - CL kernel support async mode.
16   - image handler take over input/output buffer management from image kernel.
17
18 * prepare libxcam debian package and fix most warnings.
19
202017/04/01: release libxcam version 0.9.0
21 * 360 video stitching improvement.
22   - remove sharp boundary in sphere mode by local/global area resize.
23   - tune algorithm parameters to preserve blinking.
24   - integrate 360 stitching pipeline into libxcam module.
25   - gst-xcam-filter supports 360 stitching case.
26
27 * export C APIs for each OpenCL feature.
28   - support stich/3d-nr/wavelet-nr/defog features by xcam handle.
29   - be designed for FFmpeg xcam video filter usage.
30
312016/12/30: release libxcam version 0.8.0
32 * Digital Video Stabilization (DVS)
33   - enable DVS smart analysis plugin.
34   - algorithms used in DVS (feature detect, optical flow, motion model estimation) are based on OpenCV.
35   - implement image warp perspective algorithm in CL kernel.
36
37 * Image stitching to create panorama photography
38   - implement fisheye calculation which map location to equirectangular.
39   - enable feature detection and match based on OpenCV optical flow algorithm.
40   - enable seam mask to improve the quality of blender.
41
42 * gstreamer plugin xcamfilter can co-work with xcamsrc
43
442016/09/30: release libxcam version 0.7.0
45 * 3D-NR quality and performance improvement.
46   - use image exposure parameters to adjust global denoise strength.
47   - calculate image local variation to adjust local denoise strength.
48   - optimize OCL kernel by shared local memory and sub-group to
49     improve performance.
50
51 * defog/dehaze quality improvement based on DCP(dark channel prior).
52   - enable dark channel prior to improve hazy image quality.
53   - fix image corruption in recover step.
54   - add lateral-range filter to smooth dark channel and remove
55     halo effect.
56
57 * enable multi-band blender for image stitching.
58   - based on gaussian and laplacian pyramid and blend images in each
59     band, then reconstruct stitching image from pyramid level.
60   - blender can smooth seams and prevent ghosting.
61
62 * enable geometry correction.
63   - map 2D image from src to dst image based on coordinate table which
64     is center aligned.
65   - prevent sawtooth edge by OCL sampler.
66 * gst-xcamfilter feature supports.
67   - xcamfilter can co-work with different camera source.
68
692016/07/29: release libxcam version 0.6.1
70* enable 3D noise reduction, performance stay tuned.
71   - suppress image noise in both temporal and spatial domain.
72   - the algorithm applies denoise filter based on pixel-block differences
73     in neighbor blocks and previous frames.
74   - the processed image is much more clean and preserves motion objects
75     edge in low-light conditions.
76
77 * support gst xcamfilter plugin which is independent from camera source.
78   - xcamfilter plugin can work with gstreamer source plugins,
79     e.g. videotestsrc/filesrc/v4l2src.
80   - xcamfilter features support defog/wireframe/waveletNR/3d-denoise.
81   - sink pad supports format NV12, src pad supports DMA buffer-sharing
82     for performace if links to HW plugin(encoder).
83   - wireframe/scaler/waveletNR moved to post image processor which can
84     co-work with isp processor(as pre-image processor)
85
862016/06/30: release libxcam version 0.6.0
87 * enable block-split version of histogram based WDR tone-mapping algorithm.
88   - divide image into several blocks and apply bidirectional log based
89     function on luminance to improve the contrast inside each block.
90   - apply weight function based on distance between target pixel and center
91     pixel of each neighbor block to smooth and eliminate block boundaries.
92   - apply weight function based on pixel intensity deviation between neighbor
93     blocks keep differentiation and weaken boundaries.
94   - image quality is improved and more details in both over-exposured and
95     under-exposured area can be shown clearly on screen.
96
97 * Bayesian wavelet shrinkage for adaptive noise filtering.
98    - enable adaptive noise filtering based on Bayesian shrinkage estimation
99    - estimate the image’s background noise level by analyzing.
100      wavelet coefficient.
101    - optimize the threshold T which minimizes the Bayesian risk,
102      i.e, the expected value of the mean square error.
103
104 * Haar wavelet tuning improvement.
105    - fine tuning the threshold statistic data for ultra-low light condition.
106      to prevent edge from over smoothing.
107
108 * face detection supports.
109   - enable face detection framework and support FD plugins.
110   - enable wire-frame to track faces.
111
112 * fog removal improvement based on Retinex algorithm.
113   - support multi-scale algorithm to reduce halo effects.
114   - tune parameters to keep brightness and clear edge.
115   - improve saturation based on chroma enhancement.
116
117 * image processing service framework.
118   - add pipe-manager to support smart-analysis and post image processor.
119   - separate major code into different modules, e.g. xcore/isp/ocl/3a.
120   - support NV12 stream as fake input instead of camera sensor.
121
1222016/03/28: release libxcam version 0.5.0
123 * enable new WDR tone mapping based on histogram adjustment.
124    - apply bidirectional log based function on luminance to improve
125      image contrast.
126    - transmit wide dynamic range image data to 8-bit color data by
127      novel histogram adjustment algorithm.
128    - details in both over-exposured and under-exposured area clearly
129      show up on screen.
130 * enable wavelet-based algorithm for noise reduction.
131    - decompose image into multiple-scales by wavelet transform with
132      low pass and high pass filters.
133    - perform soft threshold on smaller coefficients(high-pass)
134      to reduce noise.
135    - threshold should be suitably decided by tuned parameters.
136    - reconstruct image from scaled low-pass and high-pass images.
137    - enable Haar-wavelet and Hat-wavelet NR filters.
138 * enable fog removal feature based on retinex algorithm.
139    - base on retinex single-scale algorithm.
140    - scale down image for gaussian blur to improve performance.
141    - scale up blured image and amplify log differences with original
142      image.
143 * improve sharpness in normal light with extreme profile.
144 * support cl post processing with isp mode.
145 * support swap-buffer on nv12 format if only single plane need to
146   process.
147
1482015/12/30: release libxcam version 0.4.0
149 * improve performance on OCL pipeline.
150    - design new formats and pipeline to save memory IO.
151    - improve bayer noise reduction with bilateral filter.
152    - support edge enhancement into bayer pipe.
153    - make gpu/cpu working together for 3a-statistics calculation.
154    - move tonemapping kernel from RBG to bayer format.
155 * improve WDR-tonemapping algorithm for quality.
156    - utilize an new adaptive local tone mapping algorithm.
157    - provide the mapping between 16-bit wide dynamic range images to
158      8-bit images to have “nice looking”.
159    - preserve more information on luminance values of the scene
160      especially for high contrast images.
161 * tonemapping parameters calculated to increase the contrast between
162   high light and low light.
163    - tone mapping regularization parameters are calculated according
164      to the distribution of brightness histogram.
165    - the local adaptive parameter are calculated by weighting the
166      neighbor pixels with a Gaussian blur filter.
167 * add bayer raw video input to simulate camera sensor.
168
1692015/10/19: release libxcam version 0.3.0
170 * improved OCL pipeline on basic and advanced/extreme pipeline
171    - add new bayer noise-reduction into demosaic
172    - merged yuv-tnr into yuv-pipe kernel
173    - merged TNR-yuv and TNR-rgb together
174 * support WDR(wide dynamic range) feature
175 * add 3a analysis tuner framework for more features tunning, e.g TNR
176 * add hybrid 3a analysis framework
177    - support partial customized 3a algorith, e.g AWB/AE
178 * add smart analysis framework
179    - generate small scaled picture
180    - support customized to analyze small picture and feedback results
181    - support loading user-defined method on smart analysis
182
1832015/07/31: release libxcam version 0.2.1
184 * improved OCL pipeline on basic 3a image processing
185    - merged bayer kernels with blc, wb, gamma, demosaic and 3a stats.
186    - merged yuv kernerls with rgb2yuv color conversion and macc.
187    - support async framework as option on cl features
188    - support OCL buffer allocation which can choose tiling mode.
189 * support different AIQ versions.
190 * fix capture of dead-loop and sensor format setting.
191
1922015/07/02: release libxcam version 0.2.0
193 * add gstreamer plugin 'xcamsrc' for Linux media framework support
194 * support loading user-defined 3a algorithm lib dynamically
195 * support more manual 3a features on ISP, e.g multiple-ae-window, ae/awb speed...
196 * add OpenCL pipeline for 3a image processing
197   - bayer format features, black level correction, defect pixel
198     correction, whitebalance, 3a statistics calculation,
199     demosaic, gamma correction, HDR(high dynamic range)
200   - RGBA format features, bilateral NR(noise reduction), simple NR,
201     temporal NR, macc, color correction
202   - YUV format features,  temporal NR, edge enhancement, color conversion
203   - support any user-defined 3a algorithms(e.g AIQ)
204 * rich test cases, e.g. test-device-manager, test-cl-image
205
2062015/01/15: Initial xcam version 0.1
207