Raising Or Lowering The Image Resolution (e.g., Subpixel Accuracy) Patents (Class 382/299)
  • Patent number: 8837854
    Abstract: An image processing method for boundary resolution enhancement is disclosed. Firstly, an image is transferred into an image layer. Noise of the image layer is removed by a bilateral filter and crisp edges are retained at the same time. Moreover, the image layer is interpolated by an interpolation filter for resolution enhancement. The image processing method of the present invention can lower the image blur degree substantially, enhance the image resolution and be widely implemented in all sorts of image/video processing hardware devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Corel Software, LLC
    Inventors: Lihua Zhu, Haihua Wu, Chung-Tao Chu, Richard Hua
  • Patent number: 8837016
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a resolution converting unit, an address generating unit, a density determining unit, and an image path selector. The resolution converting unit converts a resolution of image data into a higher resolution. The address generating unit performs a position determining process of determining a position of an additional pixel on the basis of main-scanning directional positions of pixels composing the converted image data and respective shift amounts of the pixels shifted to a sub-scanning direction. The density determining unit determines a density of the additional pixel on the basis of a density of a pixel located at a position corresponding to the determined position in the image data. The image path selector scales the image data up or down by controlling the address generating unit while adding the additional pixel having the determined density to the determined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Kaima
  • Patent number: 8830395
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for upscaling a digital image. A digital image to be upscaled is accessed, where the digital image comprises a plurality of pixel values. A first half pixel value is computed for a first point in the digital image based on a plurality of pixel values of the digital image surrounding the first point and an activity level. A second half pixel value is computed for a second point in the digital image, and an interpolated pixel of an upscaled version of the digital image is determined using a plurality of the pixel values, the first half pixel value, and the second half pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun Gong, Dam Le Quang
  • Patent number: 8831372
    Abstract: An image processing device for performing edge-preserving smoothing includes a reducing unit for reducing an input image; a reduced image smoothing unit for performing a smoothing processing on a reduced image generated by the reducing unit with edges preserved; and an edge-preserving enlarging unit for enlarging an image generated by the reduced image smoothing unit with the edges preserved. The edge-preserving enlarging unit performs a filtering processing by determining a pixel value of a target pixel for the filtering processing based on weighted addition of pixel values of respective reference pixels. Weighting coefficients for the pixel values of the respective reference pixels is set based on differences between a pixel value of the input image corresponding to the target pixel and pixel values of the respective reference pixels and based on distances between the target pixel and the respective reference pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Naoyuki Akiyama
  • Patent number: 8830309
    Abstract: A hierarchical pattern matching process is improved for use in three-dimensional reconstruction by calculating a disparity field for low-resolution data, and using this low-resolution disparity field to estimate the disparity field for higher-resolution images. By pre-warping a template according to the estimated disparity field, improved correlation results can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Janos Rohaly, Ilya A. Kriveshko
  • Publication number: 20140248001
    Abstract: An image processor receives an image. The image processor creates a low-resolution copy of the image for distribution to one or more recipients. Prior to distribution, the image processor produces permission information specifying whether a recipient is enabled to retrieve a high-resolution copy of the image. In addition to transmitting the low-resolution copy of the image to the recipient, the image processor forwards the permission information to the recipient as well. The recipient uses the permission information to determine whether the recipient is enabled to retrieve the high-resolution copy of the image. If enabled, the recipient can retrieve the high-resolution copy of the image. If disabled, the recipient cannot retrieve the high-resolution copy of the image. Accordingly, the permission information transmitted with the low-resolution copy can be used as a way of preventing or allowing access to the higher resolution copy of the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Inventor: James Marlow Leask
  • Patent number: 8824829
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus according to various aspects take as input image data in a lower-dynamic-range (LDR) format and produce as output enhanced image data having a dynamic range greater than that of the input image data (i.e. higher-dynamic range (HDR) image data). In some embodiments, the methods are applied to video data and are performed in real-time (i.e. processing of video frames to enhance the dynamic range of the video frames is completed at least on average at the frame rate of the video signal).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Coporation
    Inventors: Allan G. Rempel, Wolfgang Heidrich, Helge Seetzen, Gregory John Ward, Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 8824834
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for adaptive sampling guided by multilateral filtering. A plurality of versions of a first image are generated. Each of the plurality of versions of the first image has a respective different resolution. A respective priority map is generated for each of the plurality of versions of the first image. Each respective priority map identifies a plurality of high-priority regions in a corresponding one of the plurality of versions of the first image. A second image is rendered based on the priority maps. The rendering comprises performing a ray-tracing process having a greater number of samples per pixel for the high-priority regions of the second image than for other regions of the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Bochang Moon, Nathan A. Carr
  • Patent number: 8824754
    Abstract: A hand carried medical imaging device includes a probe configured to acquire raw medical image data, an integrated display, a data memory configured to store the acquired raw medical image data, a back end processor, and a user interface operably coupled to the back end processor configured to receive commands from a user and to instruct the back end processor to display the produced medical image on the integrated display at a first resolution, and to either produce and send either the medical image at the second, higher resolution, to send the acquired raw image data, or both, to the external device, in accordance with the commands from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nahi Halmann
  • Patent number: 8818135
    Abstract: A first image at a first resolution is received, the first image having a first hole therein. Based on the first image, a second image is generated at a second resolution lower than the first resolution, the second image having a second hole therein corresponding to the first hole. In the second image, one or more second-image source patches for the second hole are identified. At least one first-image source patch in the first image is identified based on a location of the identified second-image source patch. The identified at least one first-image source patch are stored in memory. Fill content are identified in the at least one first-image source patch stored in the memory. The identified fill content are placed in the first hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Adobe systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Dan Goldman, Elya Shechtman
  • Patent number: 8818085
    Abstract: A method of processing a digital image having a predetermined color pattern, includes converting the predetermined color pattern of the digital image into a converted digital image having a different desired color pattern; and using algorithms adapted for use with the desired color pattern for processing the converted digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
    Inventors: Russell J. Palum, Bruce H. Pillman
  • Patent number: 8811769
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, the system and method of the present invention process light-field image data in a manner that reduces artifacts and that yields 2-D images with extended depth of field, and with variable placement of the center of perspective. Center of perspective can be varied based on user input or on pre-specified parameters. Various techniques for improving the presentation of light-field images with variable center of perspective are described, and for performing other effects in connection with projection of light-field images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Lytro, Inc.
    Inventors: Colvin Pitts, Timothy James Knight, Chia-Kai Liang, Yi-Ren Ng
  • Patent number: 8810605
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for processing adaptive video and a method of scaling video, which generate a graphical user interface (GUI) so that a GUI suitable for the screen size of a display device can be displayed according to the screen size of the display device. The apparatus can realize a GUI most suitable for the screen size of an external display device connected to the apparatus by enlarging or reducing the size of the GUI according to the screen size of the external display device, or by changing the arrangement of items arranged on the GUI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-jun Park, Hee-soo Lee, Byung-soo Kim, Jae-cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 8805120
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method, the image processing apparatus including: an image input unit which receives an image; and an image processing unit which generates reference data on the basis of a plurality of learning images classified into a plurality of first classes according to a noise characteristic and a plurality of second classes according to an image characteristic, and which performs scaling for the received image on the basis of the generated reference data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-sun Min, Bo-gun Park, Byung-cheol Song
  • Patent number: 8804832
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including an acquiring unit for acquiring moving image data containing a plurality of successive frames, and one or a plurality of image data corresponding to the frames and having a spatial resolution higher than the frames; a motion prediction unit for detecting a motion vector between the frames using the moving image data; and an image generation unit for generating motion compensated image data corresponding to a predetermined frame based on the image data and the motion vector. The image generation unit generates the motion compensated image data being positioned between the predetermined frame and a frame corresponding to the image data and corresponding to the frame, and generates motion compensated image data corresponding to the predetermined frame based on the motion compensated image data and the motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ohji Nakagami, Junichi Tanaka, Yoichi Yagasaki
  • Patent number: 8805121
    Abstract: To acquire a high-resolution frame from a plurality of frames sampled from a video image, it is necessary to obtain a high-resolution frame with reduced picture quality degradation regardless of motion of a subject included in the frame. Because of this, between a plurality of contiguous frames FrN and FrN+1, there is estimated a correspondent relationship. Based on the correspondent relationship, the frames FrN+1 and FrN are interposed to obtain first and second interpolated frames FrH1 and FrH2. Based on the correspondent relationship, the coordinates of the frame FrN+1 are transformed, and from a correlation value with the frame FrN, there is obtained a weighting coefficient ?(x°, y°) that makes the weight of the first interpolated frame FrH1 greater as a correlation becomes greater. With the weighting coefficient, the first and second interpolated frames are weighted and added to acquire a synthesized frame FrG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kameyama, Wataru Ito
  • Patent number: 8798397
    Abstract: System and method for converting source image data to tile data including (a) selecting a source image set; (b) computing a scaling value for the source image set; (c) establishing tile set geographic bounds of a tile set that is created based on the scaling value; (d) converting the tile set geographic bounds to discrete tile bounds; (e) for each source image (i) determining source image geographic bounds; (ii) if there is an intersection between the source image geographic bounds and the tile set geographic bounds, (1) extracting image data from the source image at the intersection; (2) scaling the image data based on a pre-selected scale; (3) storing the scaled image data to a tile storage mechanism; and (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for each of the source image sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John T. Sample, Elias Z. K. Ioup
  • Patent number: 8798396
    Abstract: An apparatus usable in an image encoding and/or decoding system includes a segmentation unit to convert a first image of a first resolution into a second image of a second resolution, to segment the second image of the second resolution with one or more blocks of a binary mask layer having a foreground and a background, and to convert the segmented second image into a third image of a third resolution as a segmented image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Hyung-Soo Ohk, Jonghyon Yi, Charles A. Bouman, Eri Haneda
  • Publication number: 20140212036
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment involves receiving an image with a set of undefined pixels and a set of defined pixels and recursively modifying the image to generate a seamless composition comprising only defined pixels. Disclosed are embodiments for recursively modifying the image by recursively down sampling the image by a factor to generate a plurality of down sampled images until the down sampled image generated at each recursive down sampling lacks undefined pixels and then recursively up sampling each one of the down sampled images by the factor to generate an up sampled image from the respective down sampled image. Additionally, at each recursive up sampling instance, pasting the next recursively occurring down sampled image on the up sampled image to generate the next recursively occurring image for up sampling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Sylvain Paris, James McCann
  • Patent number: 8792052
    Abstract: The frame rate of a pause frame of a moving image is detected. The number of frame images of the moving image to be used in a process of increasing the resolution of a low-resolution image is determined such that a larger number of frame images is set for a higher detected frame rate. In a super-resolution process, a high-resolution image is generated using the determined number of continuous frame images including the pause frame of the moving image. This makes it possible to appropriately determine the number of frames to be referred to in the super-resolution process in accordance with the frame rate of a moving image when generating a high-resolution image from the frames of a low-resolution moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Koike
  • Patent number: 8792749
    Abstract: A scaling device for receiving and scaling a digital image signal includes a scaling module and a data quantity control logic. The scaling module scales the digital image signal and then outputs a scaled output signal according to a scaling ratio. The data quantity control logic controls output quantity of the scaled output signal according to a scaling ratio. Thus, when the data quantity outputted from the scaling module is controlled within the data quantity that may be processed by the post stage of the scaling module per unit time, the data quantities that may be processed per unit time in the post stage processing devices of the scaling module approximate a constant value such that the post stage processing speed of the scaling module may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chia-Pei Chang, Hsin-Ying Ou, Hui-Huang Chang
  • Patent number: 8786638
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for processing a digital image in an image file and an electronic device having a function of displaying the digital image stored in the image file. The method is suitable for displaying the digital image on an electronic device including a storage unit and an image processing unit, and includes the following steps: storing a digital image file in the storage unit of the electronic device; analyzing the digital image file to obtain an image matrix of the digital image and a plurality of matrix elements of the image matrix; and generating a first size-reduced image through the image processing unit, where the first size-reduced image corresponds to a first size-reduced image matrix, which includes some of the matrix elements, said some matrix elements being not next to one another in the image matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignees: Inventec Appliances (Pudong) Corporation, Inventec Appliances Corp., Inventec Appliances (Jiangning) Corporation
    Inventor: Ren-Ping Cao
  • Patent number: 8787728
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data reproduction apparatus comprises a reproduction module configured to reproduce image data, a resolution selection module configured to select one of resolutions, an image quality mode selection module configured to select on or off state of an image quality mode, a selection disable module configured to disable the resolution selection module to select a prescribed resolution when the image quality mode selection module selects the on state of the image quality mode, and an image processor configured to improve a quality of the image data reproduced by the reproduction module in accordance with the resolution selected by the resolution selection module when the image quality mode selection module selects the on state of the image quality mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koji Maruyama, Mitsutaka Kuwabara, Satoshi Kataoka
  • Patent number: 8787673
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for automatically recognizing building numbers in street level images. In one aspect, a processor selects a street level image that is likely to be near an address of interest. The processor identifies those portions of the image that are visually similar to street numbers, and then extracts the numeric values of the characters displayed in such portions. If an extracted value corresponds with the building number of the address of interest such as being substantially equal to the address of interest, the extracted value and the image portion are displayed to a human operator. The human operator confirms, by looking at the image portion, whether the image portion appears to be a building number that matches the extracted value. If so, the processor stores a value that associates that building number with the street level image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Wu, Alessandro Bissacco, Raymond W. Smith, Kong man Cheung, Andrea Frome, Shlomo Urbach
  • Publication number: 20140198995
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for computing pyramids of input images (I) in a transformed domain, e.g., for search and retrieval purposes, includes:—arranging input images in blocks to produce input image blocks,—subjecting the input image blocks to block processing including: transform into a transformed domain, subjecting the image blocks transformed into a transformed domain to filtering, subjecting the image blocks transformed into a transformed domain and filtered to inverse transform implementing an inverse transform with respect to the previous transform into a transformed domain, thus producing a set of processed blocks. The set of processed blocks, which is recomposeable to an image pyramid, may be used, e.g., in detecting extrema points in images in the pyramid, extracting a patch of given size around the extrema points detected, and processing the patch to obtain local descriptors such as SIFT descriptors of a feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.I.
    Inventors: Danilo Pietro PAU, Arcangelo Ranieri BRUNA, Ettore NAPOLI, Giorgio LOPEZ
  • Patent number: 8780238
    Abstract: An imager may be configured to perform pixel binning on captured images. Pixel binning may be performed by forming groups of pixels and combining sampled values from the pixels in each group. The sampled values from the pixels may be combined by assigning weights to each pixel, scaling the sampled values by the corresponding weights, and summing the scaled values. The groups of pixels and pixel weights may be selected to produce binned images with even spatial distribution. The pixel binning operation may be performed by processing circuitry that receives captured image data from the imager. The pixel binning operation may also be separated into a horizontal binning step and a vertical binning step that are performed by image readout circuitry during image readout. During the horizontal binning step, pixels of a particular row may be combined. During the vertical binning step, pixel rows may be combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Gabriel Bowers
  • Patent number: 8774562
    Abstract: A method for creating a plurality of layer images from an input image is provided. The method includes analyzing an input image for color content to detect at least one dominant color in the image and for shape recognition to detect at least one object in the image. The method also includes generating a concentric grid for the input image based on the color content analysis and the shape recognition for a depth calculation of the input image. The concentric grid includes a center point, a plurality of lines that radiate from the center point, and a plurality of concentric circles that expand at a spatial distance in the input image. The concentric circles divide the input image into a plurality of sections, each of which represents an equal spatial depth. The method further includes generating a plurality of layer images using at least two of the plurality of sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Inventor: Kyran Daisy
  • Patent number: 8768102
    Abstract: According to various embodiments of the invention, improved downsampling techniques are employed, which can be applied to light field images and which preserve the ability to refocus (and otherwise manipulate) such images. Groups of pixels, rather than individual pixels, are downsampled; such groups of pixels can be defined, for example, as disks of pixels. Such downsampling is accomplished, for example, by aggregating values for pixels having similar relative positions within adjacent disks (or other defined regions or pixel groups) of the image. When applied to light field images, the downsampling techniques of the present invention reduce spatial resolution without sacrificing angular resolution. This ensures that the refocusing capability of the resulting light field image is not reduced and/or adversely impacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Lytro, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi-Ren Ng, Kurt Barton Akeley, Timothy James Knight, Colvin Pitts
  • Patent number: 8767080
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, or method is provided for imaging and for capturing visuals to provide image manipulation options for increasing resolution of subject images. A system, apparatus or method for increasing resolution of subject images using a camera to deliver unexposed photographic emulsion or a digital image and to generate images of greater resolution by modifying digital images or modifying digital and emulsion images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Cedar Crest Partners Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Mowry
  • Patent number: 8767250
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring unit; a resolution converting unit; a receiving unit; a position determining unit; a correcting unit; and a scaling unit. The acquiring unit acquires image data composed of a plurality of pixels; the scaling-factor determining unit determines a scaling factor of the acquired image data; the resolution converting unit converts a resolution of the acquired image data into a higher resolution than the resolution of the image data; the receiving unit receives a designation of a sub-scanning directional shift amount of a correction pixel to be corrected; a position determining unit performs a position determining process; and the scaling unit scales the image data at the determined scaling factor by causing the position determining unit and the correcting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Kaima
  • Patent number: 8768051
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a division unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of tiles of a predetermined size; a resolution conversion unit configured to convert the input image into a low-resolution image; and a determination unit configured to determine an attribute of a tile of interest from a pixel feature in the tile of interest, the tile of interest being included in the plurality of tiles obtained by the division unit dividing the input image; a generation unit configured to generate a histogram for pixels in a low-resolution tile that is obtained by converting an image of the same region as the tile of interest into a low-resolution image, the histogram indicating a relationship between each color of pixels and the number of pixels of that color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taeko Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8768099
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system of content creation, content post processing, new image capture and image composition whereby alternate images or video content may be selectively integrated into an original video in real time. In the present invention, sufficient metadata is created at the time of the creation of the original video content to both describe objects/areas in the original video that are available for integration of alternate images/video and to provide a means of controlling the alternate video capture and processing to fit the alternate image/video into the areas in the original video defined as available for integration of alternate image/video. The result is a mechanism whereby personal/alternate video/images may be integrated with existing video content, such as in one embodiment, music videos (e.g., video Karaoke), games, broadcast video, DVD videos, and the like, in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Mike Arthur Derrenberger, Robert Eugene Trzybinski
  • Patent number: 8761511
    Abstract: A computer implemented that, in various aspects, transforms a grayscale image into an OCR image by applying a combination of steps to the grayscale image is disclosed herein. The grayscale image may include one or more alphanumeric characters. The grayscale image may includes visual content displayed upon a computer screen, so that the grayscale image may have a resolution generally equivalent to a screen resolution of the computer screen prior to application of the combination of steps thereto. The resultant OCR image, in various implementations, is of sufficient resolution and quality that an OCR engine can generally recognize alphanumeric characters imbedded within the OCR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventor: F. Scott Deaver
  • Publication number: 20140169701
    Abstract: Systems and methods which provide generation of high resolution depth maps from low resolution depth information using boundary-based processing techniques are disclosed. Boundary-based depth processing provided by embodiments implements boundary detection and boundary-based interpolation algorithms for providing high resolution depth information from low resolution depth information and high resolution image information. Boundary detection algorithms are implemented according to embodiments to detect object boundaries (e.g., depth discontinuities), where the low resolution depth samples are typically inaccurate and generally in need of refining. Boundary-based interpolation algorithms are implemented according to embodiments of the invention to refine intermediate upsampled depth information (e.g., spatially interpolated low resolution depth information), using the boundary information provided by a boundary detection algorithm, and provide high resolution depth information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventor: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8755638
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit that determines a type of a provided object, a resolution conversion unit that converts a resolution of the object determined by the determination unit as an image into a resolution of an output image, an object processing unit that performs a spatial frequency processing for the object after the resolution conversion by the resolution conversion unit depending on a ratio between a resolution of the object before the resolution conversion and a resolution of the output image, and a generating unit that generates the output image based on the object subjected to the spatial frequency processing in the object processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaomi Sakamoto, Makoto Sasaki, Masaru Okutsu, Daigo Hama
  • Patent number: 8750647
    Abstract: Methods and a computer program product for deriving a super-resolution image of a physical object, the super-resolution image characterized by a resolution exceeding a “camera imaging resolution” associated with each of a sequence of lower-resolution images of the physical object. The sequence of images of the physical object is obtained at a plurality of relative displacements with respect to the object. An offset is passively associated with each of the plurality of images to derive effective camera movement, allowing for calculation of a kinetic point spread function on the basis of the effective camera movement. The image sequence is deconvolved, using the kinetic point spread function, to solve for a high-resolution image. Various applications such as portable cameras and infrared imaging for energy conservation are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Jesneck, Long N. Phan, Sanjay Sarma
  • Publication number: 20140153843
    Abstract: An image decoder includes a base layer to decode at least a portion of an encoded video stream into a first image having a first image format. The image decoder can generate a color space prediction by scaling a color space of the first image from the first image format into a color space corresponding to a second image format. The image decoder includes an enhancement layer to decode the encoded video stream to generate a second image in the second image format based, at least in part, on the color space prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Mohammad Aghagolzadeh, Christopher A. Segall
  • Patent number: 8744200
    Abstract: Described is a knowledge-enhanced compressive imaging system. The system first initializes a compressive measurement basis set and a measurement matrix using task- and scene-specific prior knowledge. An image captured using the imaging mode of the dual-mode sensor is then sampled to extract context knowledge. The compressive measurement basis set and the measurement matrix are adapted using the extracted context knowledge and the prior knowledge. Task-relevant compressive measurements of the image are performed using the compressive measurement mode of the dual-mode sensor, and compressive reconstruction of the image is performed. Finally, a task and context optimized signal representation of the image is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Yuri Owechko, Swarup Medasani
  • Patent number: 8743419
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus and image processing method that make it possible to reduce jaggedness and blurring that may occur when performing resolution conversion of an inputted image from low resolution to high resolution, and make it possible to output a high-resolution image. When performing the conversion from low resolution to high resolution, a multi-gradation signal value pattern that surround a pixel of interest for which interpolation is being performed is acquired. By performing pattern matching, a pattern that corresponds to the acquired signal value pattern is extracted from among pattern files that are prepared in advance for the acquired signal value pattern, after which the image is converted to high resolution by signal value substitution and then outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koya Shimamura
  • Patent number: 8744218
    Abstract: An image processing device is provided that includes an image acquisition unit that obtains video data that includes a plurality of consecutive frames, and also obtains image data that correspond to some of the frames and have a higher spatial resolution than the frames. The image processing device also includes a super resolution processing unit that uses a plurality of the frames to perform super resolution processing on the frames, and that generates super resolution images that correspond to the frames. The image processing device further includes a motion estimation unit that uses the video data to detect a motion vector between the super resolution images and an image generation unit that, based on the super resolution images corresponding to the image data and on the motion vector, generates motion compensated image data that corresponds to the frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ohji Nakagami, Junichi Tanaka, Yoichi Yagasaki
  • Patent number: 8737746
    Abstract: A method of computerized searching for visual objects on an electronic document is disclosed. After receiving a selection of a template visual object, a template raster image is generated therefrom. The template visual object is comprised of one or more template object components. A document raster image is generated from the document, which includes document object symbols comprised of one or more document object components. A broad match candidate subset of document object symbols is generated based upon comparisons to the template object symbol. Then, a narrowed match candidate set is generated from those document object symbols of the broad match candidate subset based upon a comparison of the template object component to the document object components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Peter Noyes
  • Patent number: 8736706
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating high resolution composite imagery are provided. The methods and systems can create a fully-in-focus high resolution composite image by combining a number of source images in which only a part of the source image is in-focus. The composite image can be analyzed to identify portions of the composite image that satisfy an image quality metric. The capture of additional source images can be controlled based at least in part on the image analysis of the composite image. In addition, a control routine for capturing the plurality of source images can be dynamically adjusted based on the image quality of the individual source images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Thomas Valente, Richard Francis Lyon, Peter Gregory Brueckner
  • Patent number: 8731318
    Abstract: A method for enhancing an input image to produce an enhanced output image is provided. The method includes constructing a photographic-mask intermediate image without low-contrast details and a temporary-image intermediate image with enhanced mid-contrast details, retained high-contrast details, and reduced low-contrast details, and employing values for the photographic-mask intermediate image and temporary-image intermediate image to produce the enhanced output image that is globally and locally contrast-enhanced, sharpened, and denoised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Renato Keshet, Pavel Kisilev, Mani Fischer, Doron Shaked, Boris Oicherman
  • Patent number: 8724928
    Abstract: A method for producing an improved high resolution image is disclosed including capturing low resolution images and a high resolution image; combining the low resolution images to provide an aggregate low resolution image; reducing the resolution of the high resolution image to provide an image representative of a low resolution image that could have been captured by the image capture device; interpolating the representative low resolution image to provide an interpolated high resolution image; calculating a residual image from the high resolution image and the interpolated high resolution image; combining the representative low resolution image and the aggregate low resolution image to provide a final low resolution image; and using the final low resolution image and the residual image to provide the improved high resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
    Inventor: Aaron T. Deever
  • Patent number: 8723978
    Abstract: Provided are an image fusion apparatus and method for combining multi-exposure images. The image fusion apparatus and method may generate a sharp high-resolution high dynamic image while fully representing detail in an over-exposed region and an under-exposed region of the image without contrast degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyun Kwon, Hyun-Hwa Oh, Won-Hee Choe, Sung-Chan Park, Seong-Deok Lee
  • Patent number: 8718407
    Abstract: An image processing system includes an image reconstruction unit. The image reconstruction unit is configured to receive an image at a first resolution, apply the image to a look-up table and output a version of the image at a second resolution. The second resolution includes a higher resolution than the first resolution. In addition, the look-up table is generated inputting a plurality of training images; classifying, into a number of classes, a plurality of images patches corresponding to each of the plurality of training images; re-classifying the number of classes into a final class; and synthesizing filters corresponding to each of the class into a final filter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Canada), Inc.
    Inventor: Eduardo R. Corral-Soto
  • Publication number: 20140119675
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and control method thereof are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a plurality of connectors that is connected to a plurality of display apparatuses having a predetermined resolution, an image processor that divides a source image corresponding to the number of the plurality of display apparatuses connected through the connectors, a plurality of scalers that are provided corresponding to the plurality of connectors connected to the plurality of display apparatuses, and scales a resolution of the divided source image to correspond with the resolution of the corresponding display apparatuses and a controller that transmits the plurality of adjusted source images to the plurality of display apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-su KIM, Se-hee Kang, Ho-jin Eo, Se-eun Jo
  • Patent number: 8711941
    Abstract: A video transcoder for converting an encoded input video bit-stream having one spatial resolution into an encoded output video bit-stream having a lower spatial resolution, wherein motion-vector dispersion observed at the higher spatial resolution is quantified and used to configure the motion-vector search at the lower spatial resolution. For example, for video-frame areas characterized by relatively low motion-vector dispersion values, the motion-vector search may be performed over a relatively small vector space and with the use of fewer search patterns and/or hierarchical search levels. These constraints enable the transcoder to find appropriate motion vectors for inter-prediction coding without having to perform an exhaustive motion-vector search for these video-frame areas, which advantageously reduces the computational complexity and processor load compared to those of a comparably performing prior-art video transcoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Aleksey Alexandrovich Letunovskiy, Alexander Markovic, Ivan Leonidovich Mazurenko, Denis Vassilevich Parfenov, Alexander Alexandrovich Petyushko
  • Publication number: 20140111516
    Abstract: A system for authoring, publishing, and distribution of electronic documents is provided. The system includes a content authoring and publishing application to author and publish electronic documents, a content distribution system to distribute electronic documents, and a set of user devices that include digital content viewing applications that are used to read the electronic documents. The content authoring and publishing application is used to author and publish high-resolution versions of electronic documents. The high-resolution version of each document is associated with a set of annotations for each high-resolution image in the document. The annotations allow an electronic document thinning tool in the content distribution system to create a low-resolution version of each image and generate a low-resolution version of the electronic document without receiving low-resolution images from the author of the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David M. Hall, Martin J. Murrett, Christopher E. Rudolph
  • Patent number: RE44983
    Abstract: Methods to zoom a region of interest from a digital image have been achieved. The methods invented support according to the scale of zooming the decrease or the increase of the resolution of digital images. The region of interest to be zoomed is variable; the destination image has a fixed size. In case of a decrease of the resolution of the region of interest the method invented combines interpolating source pixels to calculate the color values of the destination pixels and omitting some rows of source pixels. In case of enlargement the method invented combines interpolation of the source pixels to calculate the color values of the destination pixels, extrapolation of the destination pixels being close to the edge of the image, and replication of some of the interpolated rows of the destination image to gain additional rows according to the scale of the increase of resolution (enlargement) of a digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Youliza, Gehts B.V. Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Detlef Schweng