Patent US 7,961,973

Brightness and color tone shift distortion of captured images by a non-ideal lens can be compensated by applying an inverse transfer function to the captured image. An estimate of the lens transfer function can be measured based on a radius from a center of the lens. The lens transfer function can be measured by capturing a flat field image. The center of the lens can be determined based on a relative brightness maximum. The relative brightness of the captured flat field image can then be measured as a function of radius to generate a lens response curve. Separate response curves can be measured for each color component. A correction curve can be determined as the inverse of the response curve. The correction curve can be applied to subsequent captured images to compensate for lens degradation.