Abstract: Systems and methods for registering hemispheric images obtained using a fisheye lens for panoramic viewing, relating to spatial alignment and colour balancing of complement half-side images derived from the hemispheric images. The systems and methods for spatial alignment determine the displacement of the digitized recorded images using a single translation and rotation model of distortion, which further evaluates the centre of projection, and the extent of translation and rotation. The system and method for colour balancing iteratively increase (or decrease) the values of pixels near the edge (discontinuity) between the two half-sides of an image, each time taking into consideration the average difference of pixel colour across a smaller strip of the edge near the pixel. This invention removes the colour differential but does not remove any detail underlying the features of the image.

Abstract: Techniques and tools for video frame interpolation and motion analysis are described. The techniques and tools may be implemented separately or in combination in software and/or hardware devices for various applications. For example, a media playback device uses frame interpolation and motion analysis in real time to increase the frame rate of streamed video for playback. The device uses feature/region selection in global motion estimation, local motion estimation to correct the global motion estimation at an intermediate timestamp for a synthesized frame, and vector switching in the local motion estimation.

Abstract: Object detection and tracking operations on images that may be performed independently are presented. A detection module receives images, extracts edges in horizontal and vertical directions, and generates an edge map where object-regions are ranked by their immediacy. Filters remove attached edges and ensure regions have proper proportions/size. The regions are tested using a geometric constraint to ensure proper shape, and are fit with best-fit rectangles, which are merged or deleted depending on their relationships. Remaining rectangles are objects. A tracking module receives images in which objects are detected and uses Euclidean distance/edge density criterion to match objects. If objects are matched, clustering determines whether the object is new; if not, a sum-of-squared-difference in intensity test locates matching objects.

Abstract: A Gaussian blur approximation is applied to an image by repeated down-sampling operations followed by an up-sample operation. By using a truncated Gaussian filter as the down-sample filter, the frequency spectrum removed during down-sampling operations closely approximates the frequency spectrum lost during a true Gaussian blur operation. While any “good” up-sample filter may be used, up-sampling via linear interpolation may be especially beneficial in systems having a dedicated graphics processing unit. One benefit of the described technique is that it is computationally less costly to implement than a Gaussian blur. Another benefit is that this computational benefit increases as the size of the blur increases—becoming significant even for small blurs. Yet another benefit of the invention is that a judicious selection of pixel address to convolve with the filter leads to substantially reduced number of texture lookups required to effect a convolution.

Abstract: Th invention relates to a method and system for modifying a digital image (100) consisting of pixels. Said digital image is divided into areas (103). At least one area value is assigned to each area Zi (103). At least one parameter value Vpij (203) is assigned to each of said areas (103). A set of couples (Zi, Vpij) forms a parameter image (201). The inventive method consists (a) in determining the determined parameter values Vpir for each area (103), the parameter image (201) being called determined parameter image, (b) in adjusting the determined parameter image by reducing the variations thereof, (c) in modifying pixel values (102) of the determined pixel (101) of said digital image (100) according to the parameter values (203) of said adjusted parameter image, whereby the digital image is differentially modified for each of said pixels and quasi regularly for contiguous areas.

Abstract: An efficient method and system for eliminating halftone screens from scanned documents while preserving the quality and sharpness of text and line-art is disclosed. The method and system utilizes one or more independent channels with different sensitivities (e.g., Max, High, and Low) to provide high quality frequency and magnitude estimation. The most sensitive channel (Max) derives the frequency estimate, and the remaining channels (e.g., High and Low) are combined to create the screen magnitude. The Max channel is the most sensitive and will usually report the existence of frequencies even when the screen is very weak. Therefore, the screen frequency must be additionally qualified by the screen magnitude. The screen magnitude can be interpreted as the level of confidence that the local neighborhood represents half-toned data.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus to filter two-dimensional (2-D) data. A first filter processes two-dimensional (2-D) data in a block of pixels in a first dimension for a plurality of filter sizes. The block has a swath. A register file stores the 2-D data based on programmable information. A second filter filters the stored 2-D data in a second dimension to generate filter outputs in one of static and dynamic modes based on the programmable information. The static mode leaves the filter outputs fixed for the swath and the dynamic mode selects the filter outputs on a pixel basis. The filter outputs include first and second filter outputs.

Abstract: A selected antialiasing technique is applied to non-labeled gray-scale or color image data by deconstructing an image into a set of binary images, applying the antialiasing method to each binary image to generate antialiased images, and combining the antialiased images to generate an output image. Computational requirements may be reduced by identifying boundaries within the input image data and generating and antialiasing localized binary images only in selected regions of the image.

Abstract: A display system provides temporal stochastic dithering to image data for storage in a frame buffer for display. Stochastic dithering is used to reduce the size of the frame buffer and the complexity of the drive circuitry that is used to display an image in accordance with the image data. The bit depth of the frame buffer is reduced by spatially dithering image data for the image data before the image data is written into the frame buffer. Additionally, the displayed image is temporally dithered by using a different dither pattern for successive frames. Uncorrelated stochastic dither patterns are used to minimize detection of the dither patterns within the displayed image.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device and to a method for noise reduction of a video signal. The device is comprised of the following components. A motion-compensated interpolation means, a recursive filter intended to receive the output of the recursive filter motion-compensated by the interpolation means at a first input, and the video signal at a second input; means for calculating the difference between the video signal and the output of the recursive filter motion-compensated by the interpolation means; wherein the device includes means for providing the first input of the recursive filter either with the video signal if the difference is greater than a predetermined noise level threshold, or the motion-compensated output of the recursive filter, if the difference is less than the said predetermined noise level threshold.

Abstract: The screened printing data are subjected to a filtering method, the raster information being maintained. Intermediate tonal values are produced by the filtering method, using the binary tonal values, the intermediate tonal values being configured in such a way that, by means of a color space transformation, transformed tonal values and/or intermediate tonal values can be formed which represent a true-to-color proof.

Abstract: Various components of the present invention are collectively designated as Analysis of Variables Through Analog Representation (AVATAR). It is a method, processes, and apparatus for measurement and analysis of variables of different type and origin. AVATAR offers an analog solution to those problems of the analysis of variables which are normally handled by digital means. The invention allows (a) the improved perception of the measurements through geometrical analogies, (b) effective solutions of the existing computational problems of the order statistic methods, and (c) extended applicability of these methods to analysis of variables. The invention employs transformation of discrete or continuous variables into normalized continuous scalar fields, that is, into objects with mathematical properties of density and/or cumulative distribution functions. In addition to dependence on the displacement coordinates (thresholds), these objects can also depend on other parameters, including spatial coordinates (e.g.

Abstract: A method for generating output data for a transparent object in a digital image creates a plurality of image areas. The plurality of image areas covers a total area of the transparent object in the digital image. Each image area covers a different portion of the transparent object. The method combines information of the transparent object covered by an image area with information of a background image of the digital image also covered by the image area. The background image does not include the transparent object.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a spatial filtering unit which applies spatial filtering to input image data to generate filtered image data such that the spatial filtering provides a broader dynamic range for outputs than for inputs, and a high-resolution conversion unit which interpolates the filtered image data in a first direction by an average of values of two pixels adjacent in the first direction, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction by an average of values of two pixels adjacent in the second direction, and in a direction diagonal to the first and second directions by an average of four pixels surrounding a pixel of interest, thereby converting the filtered image data into high-resolution image data.

Abstract: An digital image input, possibly being either pre-compressed or decompressed, is enhanced; its edges are preserved while any compression artifacts, like blocking and ringing, are simultaneously reduced. The enhancement method enhances images with luminance and chrominance functions, incompletely defined or undefined, on a set of pixels so that the missing information is extrapolated while the image is simultaneously enhanced. The method consists of up to three integrated sub-processes: the image sharpening flow; the de-quantization filtering; and the means of control of the local rate of flow. The image sharpening flow is an iterative nonlinear filtering schema intertwining a local median filter and a suitably chosen linear filter. A local geometric control mechanism allows selective application and adaptation of an algorithm allowing selective removal of local artifacts.

Abstract: A method of processing a digital image to improve tone scale, includes the steps of: generating a multiresolution image representation of the digital image including a plurality of base digital images and a plurality of residual digital images; applying a texture reducing spatial filter to the base digital images to produce texture reduced base digital images; combining the texture reduced base digital images and the residual digital images s to generate a texture reduced digital image; subtracting the texture reduced digital image from the digital image to produce a texture digital image; applying a compressive tone scale function to the texture reduced digital image to produce a tone scale adjusted digital image having a compressed tone scale in at least a portion of the image; and combining the texture digital image with the tone scale adjusted digital image to produce a processed digital image, whereby the contrast of the digital image is improved without compressing the contrast of the texture in the dig

Abstract: A device that receives and processes an image signal for sub-band decomposition of an image includes a first median filter that receives the image signal and processes signal values of pixel locations (x0, y0), (x0?1, y0), (x+1, y0), (x0, y0?1) and (x0, y0+1) of the image signal to provide a first median filter output signal. A second median filter receives the first median filter output signal and processes signal values at pixel locations (x0, y0), (x0?2, y0), (x0+2, y0), (x0, y0?2) and (x0, y0+2) of the first median output signal to provide a second median filter output signal. A third median filter receives the second median filter output signal and processes signal values at pixel locations (x0, y0), (x0?3, y0), (x0+3, y0), (x0, y0?3) and (x0, y0+3) of the second median filter output signal to provide a third median filter output signal. A first summer computes the difference between the image signal and the first median filter output signal to provide a first sub-band signal.

Abstract: The invention concerns an image-processing apparatus, in which a high-frequency component signal of an original image-signal, representing a plurality of pixels, is added to either the original image-signal or a lowest frequency image-signal of the original image-signal, in order to generate a processed image-signal. The image-processing apparatus includes: a conversion-processing section to apply a conversion-processing to unsharp image-signals, generated from the original image-signal in respect to a plurality of frequency bands, so as to generate converted unsharp image-signals; a differential processing section to generate differential image-signals obtained from differences between the unsharp image-signals and the converted unsharp image-signals; and an addition-processing section to totally add the differential image-signals to generate the high-frequency component signal of the original image-signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for correcting the sharpness of an image signal, using a Haar Wavelet transform and a difference between pixel values adjacent to the edge of the image signal to be corrected while reducing the occurrence of overshoot and undershoot at the edge of the image signal, are provided. The apparatus includes an edge detector for detecting data on the edge of the image signal, by performing a multi-stage Haar Wavelet transform on the image signal, a gain detector for detecting a gain for correcting the image edge, a pixel value detector for detecting a corrected pixel value regarding the edge data at a position to be corrected by performing an operation on the edge data, at least one pixel adjacent to the edge data, and the gain, and an image signal generator for generating an image whose edge is formed based on the corrected pixels.

Abstract: Interlaced video signals are processed by mixing spatially interpolated video signals with temporally interpolated video signals. The respectively interpolated signals are mixed in dependence on a degree of motion at the given location in the video picture, as defined by a motion decision parameter. In order to dependably determine whether motion is to be taken into account in a current frame, motion decisions of previous frames are taken into account. That is, to define the motion decision parameter and to exclude false determinations, the motion decision parameter is computed recursively, by taking into account motion decision parameters of the associated previous fields.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for using non-power of two texture maps with anisotropic filtering is described. An anisotropic perturbation is applied to a texture map coordinate to produce a perturbed texture coordinate. A wrapped texture map index for various wrap modes is computed using the perturbed texture coordinate and an LOD width. In addition to the anisotropic perturbation, the perturbed texture coordinate may also include a tap perturbation.

Abstract: A method is described of bit-mapped image analysis comprising division of all analysis means at one's disposal into several groups differing in accuracy and further processing multi-stage analysis. The analysis comprises a primary analysis stage and at least one profound analysis stage, with supplemental data collected at both stages. The primary analysis, includes preliminary recognition of objects with distortion and detection of objects that require more precise analysis means to overcome the distortion. At the primary analysis stage, the analysis means from the group of the most inaccurate group are used. The profound analysis stage includes repeating recognition of objects with a distortion taking into account the supplemental data obtained at the previous stage, detecting objects that require more precise analysis means to overcome the distortion, and collection of newly appeared supplemental data. Each subsequent profound analysis stage uses analysis means from the group of more accurate means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing image data are described. In one embodiment, a method of processing image data comprises decomposing the image data into multiple decomposition levels by applying a wavelet transform to the image data, and modifying coefficients in at least two of the decomposition levels by scaling coefficients in theses decomposition levels using different scale dependent parameters for each of the decomposition levels.

Abstract: Noise reduction is an important feature in consumer television. This is realized by spatial, temporal or spatio-temporal filters. Spatial filters require pixels from within one image, while temporal filters require samples from two or more successive images. The spatio-temporal filter unit (100) integrates spatial and implicit motion-compensated temporal noise reduction in one filter. For the motion compensation, no motion vectors are required. The spatio-temporal filter unit (100) is provided with a sigma filter (112) having one filter kernel (107) designed to operate on the pixels from both a current image and from the output of the spatio-temporal filter unit, being a temporally recursive filtered image. The operation of the spatio-temporal filter unit (100) can be adjusted by varying the thresholds of the sigma filter (112) and the selection of pixels. The adjustments can be controlled by a motion estimator (222), a motion detector (224) and a noise estimator (220).

Abstract: A spatio-temporal joint filter and a spatial joint filter for noise reduction are disclosed. The spatio-temporal joint filter includes a spatial joint filter including the first and second sub filters having different characteristics and includes a temporal joint filter. When the present invention is adequately used, an edge/detail region of an image is well preserved, an aggressive noise reduction is performed on a flat region, and the temporal flicker problems are eliminated. Additionally, it has an intrinsic motion compensation effect by using the spatio-temporal correlation between the adjacent frames.

Abstract: Input data comprising a video signal is processed using a combination of a known image processing method to deblur, or sharpen, the image and convolution with Pixon™ kernels for smoothing. The smoothing process utilizes a plurality of different size Pixon™ kernels which operate in parallel so that the input data are convolved with each different Pixon™ kernel simultaneously. The smoothed image is convolved with the point response function (PRF) to form data models that are compared against the input data, then the broadest Pixon™ kernel that fits the input data within a predetermined criterion are selected to form a Pixon™ map. The data are smoothed and assembled according to the Pixon™ map, then are deconvolved and output to a video display or other appropriate device, providing a clearer image with less noise.

Abstract: A method for is provided for antialiasing a computer graphics image using filtering. The method comprises the steps of defining a plurality of regions having samples from pixels in the computer graphics image, where the regions are associated with a pixel of interest and adjacent pixels to form an antialiasing filter. Another step is determining a contrast for each region. A further step is blending the regions that form the filter based on the contrast for each region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method for realizing panorama/waterglass functions, which are capable of reducing the size of a memory and simplifying memory control, are provided. In order to write a plurality of consecutive pixel data into memory devices, and simultaneously to read the plurality of consecutive pixel data from memory devices, the consecutive pixel data are separated into a plurality of first-in first-out (FIFO) buffers having a small size, thereby minimizing the size of a memory. Further, an identical clock signal is used, and the separated FIFOs are used when the consecutive pixel data are written to the memory devices and read from the memory devices, thereby simplifying memory control such as address control. Further, when realizing panorama/waterglass functions, the scaling ratio function is variably set, thereby variably realizing memories having sizes which vary according to the scaling ratio function.

Abstract: A method of signal processing for use in reading data includes determining first and second waveforms, determining a cross-correlation of the first waveform with the second waveform, and determining a specific time delay corresponding to a maximum peak in the cross-correlation function. A filter is then applied based on the specific time value. The filter combines the first waveform and the second waveform so as to generate a filter output waveform including coherent information representing the data and including reduced incoherent noise.

Abstract: Signals are separated by introducing a function having a monotonously increasing characteristic like an exponential type function as a cost function, and applying an adaptive algorithm that minimizes that cost function in terms of a signal separation matrix. That is, there is provided a signal processing apparatus that separates and outputs an original signal from the observed signal x(t), in which multiple multidimensional signals are mixed, wherein the nonlinear function 21 is operated on an input observed signal x(t) and an estimated separation matrix W(t?1) estimated at a previous cycle. Then, an error signal e(t) is calculated 22 based on y(t) formed by this nonlinear function 21, the estimated separation matrix W(t?1) estimated at the previous cycle, and the observed signal x(t) at that time.

Abstract: Visual information regarding intensity and intensity-based gradient information is used in a multi-step process for accurately locating and decoding an encoded visual symbol matrix. A symbol is preprocessed with filtering and morphology. A set of coarse locations of candidate symbols is filtered according to coarse geometric criteria to determine which image locations are most viable. Depending upon the symbol type, and information about the edges of the symbols, additional symbol-specific filtering and refinements can be applied or skipped. For 2D matrices filtering according to intensity variance criteria is followed by an edge-locating refinement and by identifying finder patterns and timing patterns. Once finder patterns and timing patterns are precisely located, the data region is decoded. Where a data region does not decode validly, another pass is run, using the non-morphed image, resulting in an overall saving of time, as rejections may require operator intervention.

Abstract: The method identifies a Pixon element, which is a fundamental and indivisible unit of information, and a Pixon basis, which is the set of possible functions from which the Pixon elements are selected. The actual Pixon elements selected from this basis during the reconstruction process represents the smallest number of such units required to fit the data and representing the minimum number of parameters necessary to specify the image. The Pixon kernels can have arbitrary properties (e.g., shape, size, and/or position) as needed to best fit the data.

Abstract: A method of processing an image to form an image pyramid having multiple image levels includes receiving a base level image comprising pixel values at pixel locations arranged in rows and columns; determining sample locations for a next level image in the pyramid such that the sample locations are arranged in a regular pattern and the sample locations exceed the range of the pixel locations of the base level image; determining the pixel values of the next level image by interpolating the pixel values of the base level image using an interpolation filter at the sample locations; and treating the next level image as the base level image and repeating steps of determining sample locations and pixel values until a predetermined number of pyramid image levels are generated, or until a predetermined condition is met.

Abstract: A band-limited image signal generating unit decomposes an input image signal into a plurality of band-limited image signals, each representing an image having different frequencies. An index value obtaining unit obtains an index value indicating a level of noise suppression based on data representing spatial frequencies as well as an evaluation value representing local contrast at a pixel of interest in band-limited images and data representing an X-ray dose. A noise suppression processing unit performs noise suppression processing on each pixel of each of band-limited images based on the index value. A processed image generating unit obtains a processed image, in which noise has been suppressed, by adding signals obtained by subtracting processed band-limited image signals, of which noise has been suppressed, from the band-limited image signals together, extracting a noise image signal, and subtracting the noise image signal from the input image signal.

Abstract: There are described image-processing method and apparatus, which make it possible to reduce the processing load even in the image-processing environment employing the Dyadic Wavelet transform. The apparatus includes a reading section to read an image recorded on a recording medium so as to generate image signals representing the image; a first converting section to apply a multi-resolution conversion processing of at least level 1, which is capable of reducing an image size of the image signals, to the image signals, so as to generate first-converted image signals from the image signals; and a second converting section to apply a Dyadic Wavelet transform of at least level 1 to low frequency band component signals included in the first-converted image signals, so as to generate second-converted image signals from the first-converted image signals. An image size of the first-converted image signals is smaller than that of the image signals.

Abstract: Compact and efficient hardware architectures for implementing lifting-based DWTs, including 1-D and 2-D versions of recursive and dual scan architectures. The 1-D recursive architecture exploits interdependencies among the wavelet coefficients by interleaving, on alternate clock cycles using the same datapath hardware, the calculation of higher order coefficients along with that of the first-stage coefficients. The resulting hardware utilization exceeds 90% in the typical case of a 5-stage 1-D DWT operating on 1024 samples. The 1-D dual scan architecture achieves 100% datapath hardware utilization by processing two independent data streams together using shared functional blocks. The 2-D recursive architecture is roughly 25% faster than conventional implementations, and it requires a buffer that stores only a few rows of the data array instead of a fixed fraction (typically 25% or more) of the entire array.

Abstract: A subband processing apparatus useful for wavelet conversion and compression-decompression operations includes a plurality of memories and a plurality of analytic filter banks. The plurality of memories store an input signal in a way such that the input signal is divided into a plurality of regional signals to correspond to the plurality of memories. The plurality of analytic filter banks analyzes in parallel the regional signals. Each analytic filter bank is configured to be in a one-to-one relationship with one of the plurality of memories. In this apparatus, each of the plurality of memories stores a corresponding regional signal and at least one other signal copied from the leading and trailing portions of other stored regional signals. Reverse processing is provided to synthesize a signal from a plurality of analyzed subband signals.

Abstract: There is described an image-processing method for extracting a main photographed subject from an image, which might be set in various ways in the image corresponding to various kinds of photographic conditions, and further, for making it possible to provide advanced image processing services in a simple manner by employing the results of the extracting operations. The image-processing method includes the steps of: acquiring input image information from an image by means of one of various kinds of image inputting devices; setting a subject pattern including one or more constituent elements from the input image information; applying a multi-resolution conversion processing to the input image information; detecting the constituent elements by employing a decomposed image of a suitable resolution level determined with respect to each of the constituent elements; and extracting the subject pattern from the input image information, based on the constituent elements detected in the detecting step.

Abstract: An imaging system is disclosed that includes an illumination source, a modulator and a variable Fourier diaphragm. The illumination source produces a first illumination field having a first frequency and a second illumination field having a second frequency. The modulator receives the first illumination field and the second illumination field, and produces a first modulated illumination field and a second modulated illumination fields. The variable Fourier diaphragm selectively passes one of the first modulated illumination field and the second modulated illumination field.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a CCD for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long-time-accumulation (n is an integer of “1” or more); a timing control circuit for controlling to read out the image signal accumulated in the CCD according to the n-times long-time-accumulation; a memory for storing the read-out image signal for one frame period or more; and a recursive noise reduction circuit for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the CCD and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the memory. In case of the 2n-times long-time-accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the CCD, the image signal from the recursive noise reduction circuit is written to the memory.

Abstract: A method produces an image from a set of discrete sample points. The sample points can define a 3D volume or surface. Each discrete sample point is projected to a screen space. A continuous resampling filter for each sample point is generated in screen space. The continuous resampling filter is a combination of a continuous reconstruction function and a continuous filter function for the sample point in screen space. The continuous resampling filter is then applied to each corresponding discrete sample in the screen space to generate a continuous sample for the image. The continuous samples can be rasterized to pixels using any known rasterization process or method.

Abstract: A method and structure for adjusting the contrast of a digital image includes inputting an image, dividing the image into a pedestal signal and a texture signal, applying a tone scale function to the pedestal signal to produce a modified pedestal signal, and adding the texture signal to the modified pedestal signal to produce a processed digital image channel. The dividing filters a pixel of the image using weighting that is dependent upon coefficients of neighboring pixels adjacent the pixel. The filtering blurs the pedestal signal such that flat areas of the image are blurred more that discontinuities in the image.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing correlated noise in imagers is disclosed. Methods are described for determining a pixel correction value. Correlated noise in data generated by imagers can be reduced by applying the pixel correction value to adjust image data before being displayed.

Abstract: A filtering circuit for image signal processing has a high frequency filtering circuit and a low frequency filtering circuit. The high frequency filtering circuit only includes one adder to obtain a high frequency component. The low frequency filtering circuit includes one adder and utilizes the high frequency component generated by the high frequency filtering circuit to obtain a low frequency component.

Abstract: A method for converting an original halftone bitmap image to a color converted halftone bitmap image by morphological filtering of the original image to compensate for tone and color reproduction characteristics comprising: providing an original halftone bitmap image. The method includes providing a set of asymmetrical morphological filters that have the property that when they are applied recursively in order, the features in the halftone bitmap image are dilated or eroded by varying amounts by extending or reducing the edges first in one direction, then in two directions, etc.

Abstract: The basic configuration of Single local Adaptive Window Spatial Noise Reducer (SAW-SNR) is based on a preliminary de-noising low-pass filter followed by homogenous region segmentation to the considered pixel in a given local window. The configuration is composed also of an adaptive local mean estimator, an adaptive local statistic estimator which is preferably an economic standard deviation (SD) estimator and finally, a minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) based de-noising technique. The proposed segmentation configuration outperforms existing spatial noise reducers in term of subjective and objective performances, in term of edge preservation, noise reduction in both homogenous regions or picture edges and Peak Signal to noise Ratio (PSNR). A second configuration in the form of a Parallel Multiple local Adaptive Window Spatial Noise Reducer (Parallel M-AW-SNR), is a combination of several basic configurations which implements different segmented windows.

Abstract: An image comprises pixels, and has repetitive high-frequency information. Decision circuitry identifies the repetitive high-frequency information in at least a subset of the pixels of the image to provide a repetitive-sequence signal. A low-pass filter filters the image to produce low-pass filtered pixels. A switch outputs the pixels of the image as adaptive-filter output, and in response to the repetitive-sequence signal, outputs the low-pass filtered pixels as the adaptive-filter output.

Abstract: Image data identifying multiple pixels in an image is received, and a multi-resolution hierarchical structure is created from the image data. Further, output values are calculated for the pixels in the image using a wavelet-based retinex algorithm by propagating pixel values computed at lower resolution levels of the multi-resolution hierarchy to higher levels of the multi-resolution hierarchy and refining the propagated pixel values at the higher resolution levels.

Abstract: In a method of integrating one or more l-dimensional filters into a digital image stream interface a single digital video input is processed by multiple 1-dimensional digital image filters, especially recursive filters, and combined into a single digital image stream which can be transmitted via a high-speed interface to a host computer's memory such that each 1-dimensional filter output can be automatically extracted and placed into its own separate memory buffer for subsequent processing by a secondary image processing device. This additional processing can include the second pass of a two-pass separable filter implemented in software on a general-purpose CPU, and in particular can result in the generation of an image pyramid. This combined hardware and software approach can produce low-cost 2-D digital image filter implementations small enough to be added to existing standard ASIC's while still retaining high performance.

Abstract: The invention relates to known N-dimensional filters (100) and methods for N-dimensionally filtering for applying noise reduction to an original image pixel. However, carrying out only noise reduction to a pixel of an image is often not enough when a good picture quality is required. Thus, additionally sharpness enhancement (peaking) is carried out. However, noise reduction and peaking have contrasting spectral behaviors which leads to non-optimal results when both operations noise reduction and peaking are implemented in series. Starting from that prior art it is the object of the invention to provide noise reduction and sharpness enhancement to the original pixel in an easier and cheaper manner. This object is solved according to the present invention by defining coefficients &agr;(p, n) or &bgr;(p, n) of said transmission function such that the transmission function is capable of applying noise reduction as well as sharpness enhancement to the input signal of said N-dimensional filter (100).