Raising Or Lowering The Image Resolution (e.g., Subpixel Accuracy) Patents (Class 382/299)
  • Patent number: 8400549
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an imaging and display apparatus and method for providing small and reasonable apparatus while the imaging frame rate of the imaging element can be high without decreasing the resolution of the display image. For this object, an imaging and display apparatus comprises an imaging element 12 for performing photo electric conversion on an optical image formed by an optical system 11, a display element 20 for displaying image information, a readout control section 14 for sequentially reading out the image information from the imaging element 12, and a image selection section 17 for selecting image information to be displayed on the display element 20 from the image information sequentially read out of the imaging element 12 by the readout control section 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Satoshi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20130064474
    Abstract: Super-resolution images may be produced by dividing a higher resolution image into a set of non-overlapping rectangular tiles of substantially the same size. Then, each pixel in each lower resolution image is mapped to the higher resolution image and it is determined which tiles are mapped to which lower resolution image pixels. A continuous buffer may be allocated for each tile and the relevant lower resolution pixels may be stored, together with optical flow vectors, in that continuous buffer. Then, the determination of gradients may use the information now stored in the buffer to facilitate symmetric multiprocessing using multi-core processors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventors: Oleg Maslov, Vadim Pisarevsky, Konstantin Rodyushkin
  • Patent number: 8390728
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus may include an image frame determiner to determine one standard image frame and at least one reference image frame using light field data about a scene, a point spread function determiner to determine a point spread function based on sub-pixel displacement between the standard image frame and the at least one reference image frame, an image interpolator to interpolate the standard image frame into a high-resolution standard image frame having a higher resolution than the standard image frame, and an image restorer to restore a high-resolution image by updating the high-resolution standard image frame using the generated high-resolution standard image frame, the point spread function, and the at least one reference image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-guyn Lim, Hyun-wook Ok, Byung-kwan Park, Seong-deok Lee, Joo-young Kang
  • Patent number: 8390874
    Abstract: An optimal resolution imaging system comprises a resolution engine adapted to apply at least one resolution rule to at least one zone of an object to determine an optimal reduced resolution setting for the at least one zone while maintaining a predetermined quality level for the at least one zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven J. Simske, Roland J. Burns
  • Patent number: 8391646
    Abstract: An image processing device, which performs, on image data, image quality adjustment processing and resize processing to adjust an image size to a target size, and which outputs processed image data, including: an adjustment parameter creation unit which creates adjustment parameters for the image quality adjustment processing, on the basis of original image data; a contrast information creation unit which acquires the image size of the original image data and the target size, and creates size contrast information; a resize amount detection unit which determines the resize amount in the resize processing on the basis of the size contrast information; and an adjustment parameter modification unit which modifies the adjustment parameters in accordance with the resize amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Shingai, Nobutaka Sasazawa, Yukihito Takeshita
  • Patent number: 8391609
    Abstract: A method of pattern and image recognition and identification includes building a data store of known patterns or images having known attributes and comparing those patterns to unknown patterns. The data store and comparison processing may be distributed across processors. A digital pattern recognition engine on each of the processors has the ability to compare a known pattern from the data store and an unknown pattern and compare the two patterns to determine whether the patterns constitute a match based on match criteria. If the comparison indicates a match, the match may be communicated to the data store and added as a known pattern with detected attributes to the data store. If the comparison does not indicate a match, the pattern may be flagged, transmitted to manual recognition, or further processed using character thresholding or cutting or slicing the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Inventors: Stephen G. Huntington, Bevan Rowley, E Derek Rowley
  • Patent number: 8391648
    Abstract: An imaging system compensates for mask frame misalignment with non-mask frames in an image sequence of patient anatomy. The system includes an image data processor. The image data processor determines a compensation zoom factor for individual image frames of an image sequence of an object of interest in response to data indicating distance between the object and a radiation detector for the individual image frames. The processor then associates individual zoom factors with corresponding individual image frames of the image sequence. The individual zoom factors associated with corresponding individual image frames of the image sequence are stored in a repository. An individual determined zoom factor is applied to align an associated corresponding image frame with a mask frame to provide an aligned image frame. Data representing an image difference frame, comprising a difference between data representing the aligned image frame and a mask frame, is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: David Janes
  • Patent number: 8385427
    Abstract: A video signal can be decoded at a reduced resolution by receiving a video signal encoded at a first resolution; determining a second resolution at which the received video signal is to be decoded, wherein the second resolution is lower than the first resolution; and decoding the received video signal at the second resolution. The second resolution can be selected from a plurality of predetermined decoding resolutions. Further, the second resolution can be selected in response to an input received from a user. Decoding of the received video signal can include scaling one or more reference pictures by a first scaling factor and scaling one or more non-reference pictures by a second scaling factor. Additionally, scaling can comprise transforming a first portion of frequency coefficients associated with a block of picture information and discarding a second portion of frequency coefficients associated with the block of picture information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Siladitya Bhattacharya, Haitao Guo, Giovanni Agnoli
  • Patent number: 8384936
    Abstract: Even when vector data contains resolution dependent data, the vector data is generated at a resolution of quality without deterioration even if the vector data is output from any device on a network. When spooling the vector data, an MFP 1, receiving PDL data containing resolution information on a data processing resolution from a PC 2, analyzes the resolution information, and determines a processing resolution used at a time when an image forming device executes resolution dependent processing. After that, when the resolution dependent processing is necessary to generate the vector data, the MFP 1 executes the resolution dependent processing in accordance with the determined processing resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naohiro Isshiki
  • Patent number: 8385674
    Abstract: This invention makes it possible to obtain an enlarged image while suppressing noise and maintaining the sharpness of an original image only by setting a simple enlargement ratio without no special knowledge. Original image data (Ia) is enlarged in accordance with a set enlargement ratio (E) to generate an enlarged image (IA). The enlarged image (IA) is smoothed by using a smoothing filter with a size depending on the enlargement ratio (E) to generate smoothed image data (IB). Difference image data (IC) is generated by calculating the difference between the enlarged image data (IA) and the smoothed image data (IB). The generated difference image data is multiplied by an emphasis coefficient. The product is added to the enlarged image data, thereby obtaining image data (IS) that has undergone enlargement/unsharp masking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Hanamoto, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Patent number: 8385661
    Abstract: A hand-held mobile apparatus and method of quickly displaying online community friends' images applicable thereto are disclosed. The hand-held mobile apparatus includes a network communication module for linking to an online community server; a comparison module for comparing and determining whether data of a web image in the online community server matches data of a local image in a storage unit of the apparatus; a recognition module for determining an image type of the web image when the web image data is different from the local image data; a processing unit for downloading the web image of a first type in a smallest image size or the web image of a second type in an image size matching a screen resolution of the apparatus, and storing the web image in the storage unit as the local image; and a display unit for displaying the local image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignees: Mitac International Corp., Mitac Research (Shanghai) Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhu Chen, Gang Chen, Qi Guo
  • Patent number: 8385669
    Abstract: Functionality for storing and modifying multi-resolution texture atlases is provided so that applications can expose methods to enable users to access and browse a collection that includes multiple multi-resolution images. The images are stored as thumbnails in a texture atlas having different levels of detail in which the levels are arranged in an image pyramid that includes multiple tiles that are each stored as separate files. The thumbnails are spatially storable as textures in the texture atlas using a fractal layout (which in one illustrative example is a Morton layout) that enables images to be efficiently packed in the tiles. The fractal layout ensures that no more than one tile stores less than a fully packed texture at each level of detail. The same packing order scales across each level of detail in the texture atlas so that layout information is stored for the individual images in the collection only once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Lutz Gerhard, Adam Szoforan, Radoslav Nickolov
  • Patent number: 8380011
    Abstract: Described is a technology in which a low resolution image is processed into a high-resolution image, including by a two interpolation passes. In the first pass, missing in-block pixels, which are the pixels within a block formed by four neighboring original pixels, are given values by gradient diffusion based upon interpolation of the surrounding original pixels. In the second interpolation pass, missing on-block pixels, which are the pixels on a block edge formed by two adjacent original pixels, are given values by gradient diffusion based upon interpolation of the values of those adjacent original pixels and the previously interpolated values of their adjacent in-block pixels. Also described is a difference projection process that varies the values of the interpolated pixels according to a computed difference projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yonghua Zhang, Zhiwei Xiong, Feng Wu
  • Patent number: 8380005
    Abstract: Systems and methods for interactive image compositing may integrate image searching using visual search criteria (e.g., color, composition, tonal distribution, or lighting effects), non-destructive image compositing, and high-performance rendering using a fast gradient solver to provide an efficient workflow for users. An image compositing application, executable by a CPU and/or GPU, may employ a sketch-and-refine approach, whereby a user draws a rough perimeter around an object of interest in an image and (following an initial application of the fast gradient solver to a lower-resolution version of the image) receives a preview of how it would fit into a composition. The fast gradient solver may differentiate between the object and its background by applying artificial intelligence techniques and/or dependent on user-supplied hints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael D. Jonsson
  • Patent number: 8380010
    Abstract: A method resizes input images by first constructing a grid graph. The grid graph includes one node for each pixel in the input image, and adjacent nodes in the grid graph are connected by arcs. Each arc is directed and has an associated cost. A cut is applied to the arcs of the grid graph using a cost function. A seam of pixels is determined from the cut so that coordinates of the pixels in the seam enforce monotonicity and connectivity constraints. Then, the input image is resized according to the seam to produce an output image while minimizing a change of energy in the output image when compared with the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Rubenstein, Arial Shamir, Shmuel Avidan, Matthew E. Brand
  • Patent number: 8380008
    Abstract: Upon enabling an automatic cropping feature, a computer-implemented method for cropping a plurality of images retrieves a number of images to process among the plurality of images, and selects an image from the plurality of images to determine a set of crop values for the image until the set of crop values for each image have been determined. Determining a set of crop values for an image includes scanning the image from a first side to an opposing side to determine for each scan line of the image an amount representing a degree of color variation among the pixels for that scan line. The amount determined for each scan line is then compared to a threshold value until a crop value for a first area of the image can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harita Jayendra Patel, Daniel Lipton
  • Publication number: 20130038758
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a storage section, an estimation calculation section, and an image output section. A pixel is sequentially shifted so that overlap occurs to acquire a light-receiving value of the pixel as a low-resolution frame image. The storage section stores the low-resolution frame image. The estimation calculation section estimates estimated pixel values at a pixel pitch smaller than the pixel pitch of the low-resolution frame image. The image output section outputs a high-resolution frame image that has a resolution higher than that of the low-resolution frame image based on the estimated pixel values. The estimation calculation section calculates the difference between the light-receiving value of the pixel set at a first position and the light-receiving value of the pixel set at a second position, and estimates the estimated pixel values based on the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Olympus Corporation
  • Patent number: 8373890
    Abstract: A printing processing device that includes an analyzing unit that analyzes the components of print data. Based on the analysis results, a first raster processing unit performs raster processing at a first resolution for the print data of a portion of the components of the print data other than an optically read printing portion. Similarly, based on the analysis results, a second raster processing unit that performs raster processing at a second resolution higher than the first resolution, for the print data of the optically read printing portion of the components of the print data. Further, the printing processing device includes a resolution conversion unit that converts the print data that has been processed by the first raster processing unit into the second resolution and a synthesizing unit that synthesizes the print data that has been converted into the second resolution by the resolution conversion unit and the print data that has been processed by the second raster processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Yamakado
  • Patent number: 8374444
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to providing higher resolution images on an embedded device by performing a super resolution technique on a compressed image sequence and one or more motion vectors are described. In one example, the method includes compressing an image sequence using a video compression technique, wherein the image sequence comprises a plurality of lower resolution images and applying a super resolution technique to the compressed image sequence to generate a higher resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Crisan, Nikolaos Georgis
  • Patent number: 8374464
    Abstract: In super-resolution processing in which a plurality of low resolution images are synthesized to generate a high resolution image, a high-quality high-resolution image is to be generated with suppression of the noise ascribable to motion estimation error. Motion estimating means 11 estimates motion of pixels between a basis image selected out of plural low resolution images and remaining reference images, and outputs a result of motion estimation. Motion estimation reliability evaluating means 12 evaluates reliability of the result of motion estimation output from the motion estimating means 11, based on such as analogy in luminance of pixels, correlated by the results of the motion estimation, and outputs a motion estimation reliability value indicating the degree of reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Toda
  • Patent number: 8374456
    Abstract: A virtual image is synthesized from a reduced resolution depth image storing depth values at each pixel location. The reduced resolution depth image is scaled up to produce an up-scaled depth image. Then, at least one filter is applied to the up-scaled depth image to produce a reconstructed depth image, and the virtual image is synthesized using the reconstructed depth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Vetro, Sehoon Yea, Kwan-Jun Oh
  • Publication number: 20130034313
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a regression-based learning model in image upscaling are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of image patch pairs for each of a set of images is generated. Each of the image patch pairs contains a natural image and a corresponding downscaled lower-resolution image. A regression model based at least in part on the set of image patch pairs is defined. The regression model represents a gradient of a function of the downscaled lower-resolution image. An image is upscaled based at least in part on the regression model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Zhe Lin, Scott D. Cohen, Jen-Chan Chien, Sarah A. Kong, Jianchao Yang
  • Patent number: 8369653
    Abstract: Systems and methods for upsampling input images may evaluate potential upsampling solutions with respect to an objective function that is dependent on a sparse derivative prior on second derivative(s) of the potential upsampling solutions to identify an acceptable higher-resolution output image. The objective function may also be dependent on fidelity term(s) and/or sparse derivative prior(s) on first derivative(s) of potential upsampling solutions. The methods may include applying the iteratively re-weighted least squares procedure in minimizing the objective function and generating improved candidate solutions from an initial solution. The identified solution may be stored as a higher-resolution version of the input image in memory, and made available to subsequent operations in an image editing application or other graphics application. The methods may produce sharp results that are also smooth along edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Scott D. Cohen
  • Patent number: 8368774
    Abstract: Imaging devices and techniques that utilize multiple optical detectors are described and, in particular, imaging geometries for imaging devices that include three or more optical detectors with overlapping fields of regard. The imaging geometries are determined and provided in consideration of one or more performance criteria evaluated over multiple different operating conditions for a process of generating a reconstructed image from the captured images. Imaging systems and methods utilizing the imaging geometries are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas J Grycewicz
  • Patent number: 8369649
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image correction processing unit configured to correct an input image so as to generate a corrected image and a super-resolution processing unit configured to receive the corrected image generated by the image correction processing unit and increase a resolution of the corrected image through super-resolution processing so as to generate a high-resolution image. The image correction processing unit performs at least one of a time-direction noise removal process, a space-direction noise removal process, a compression noise removal process, and an aperture control correction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takefumi Nagumo
  • Publication number: 20130028538
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method for image upscaling. The method includes anti-aliasing an input image and downsampling the input image to create a lower resolution image. The method also includes interpolating the lower resolution image to obtain a higher resolution image and creating a filter map from the input image and the higher resolution image. The method also includes upsampling the input image using the filter map to create a high-resolution image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Steven J. Simske, Dalong Li
  • Patent number: 8363975
    Abstract: There is provided an image determining device including a frequency band signal detecting unit for dividing an image into a plurality of local regions and detecting for each local region signals of a plurality of frequency bands from the image signal; an average value calculating unit for calculating an average value of a characteristic value corresponding to an amplitude, for each local region and for each signal of the plurality of frequency bands; a local region selecting unit for selecting at least one local region based on image information; an average value selecting unit for selecting the average value corresponding to the selected local region; a relative value calculating unit for calculating a relative value of one average value with respect to another average value both of the average values being of the selected average values; and an image determining unit for determining an image based on the relative value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Masami Ogata, Kazuhiko Ueda
  • Patent number: 8363263
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a region determination unit detecting attributes of image data generated by a reading unit; an image modification unit generating attribute data based on the results of the determination performed by the region determination unit; an image conversion processing circuit performing resolution conversion processing on the image data of a pixel of interest; and an attribute conversion processing circuit performing resolution conversion processing on the attribute data of the pixel of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Saka, Tomohiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8363985
    Abstract: An image generation method for generating image information of an image C by using an image A and an image B having a resolution higher than that of image A. Image C having the same resolution as image B is generated by enlarging image A; presence or absence of a point in image B corresponding to each pixel position of image C and the position of the relevant corresponding point are estimated; and to each pixel position in image C for which it is estimated that there is a corresponding point, image information of the corresponding position in image B is assigned. It is possible to generate image information at each pixel position in image C for which it is estimated in the corresponding point estimation that there is no corresponding point, by using the image information assigned according to an estimation result that there is a corresponding point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kimata, Shinya Shimizu, Kazuto Kamikura, Yoshiyuki Yashima
  • Publication number: 20130016920
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing device including a model-based processing portion that generates an estimated low resolution image from a high resolution image, using an observation model that performs motion compensation processing and down-sampling processing, a feature amount calculation portion that calculates a feature amount of at least one of a spatial feature amount and a temporal feature amount from one of an observed low resolution image, which is a low resolution image that is actually observed, and the high resolution image, and a prediction operation portion that predicts and generates an image with higher image quality based on the high resolution image, using a parameter which corresponds to the calculated feature amount and which is obtained from the observed low resolution image, from the estimated low resolution image and from learning that is performed in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Matsuda, Takahiro Nagano, Masashi Uchida
  • Patent number: 8355596
    Abstract: An image generation method for generating image information of an image C by using an image A and an image B having a bit depth higher than that of image A. Image C having the same bit depth as image B is generated by increasing the bit depth of image A by means of tone mapping; presence or absence of a point in image B corresponding to each pixel position of image C and the position of the relevant corresponding point are estimated; and to each pixel position in image C for which it is estimated that there is a corresponding point, image information of the corresponding position in image B is assigned. It is possible to generate image information at each pixel position in image C for which it is estimated in the corresponding point estimation that there is no corresponding point, by using the image information assigned according to an estimation result that there is a corresponding point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kimata, Shinya Shimizu, Kazuto Kamikura, Yoshiyuki Yashima
  • Patent number: 8355603
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a data conversion apparatus and a learning device in which an image can be converted into a higher-quality image. A class-tap generating circuit (2) and a predictive-tap generating circuit (3) respectively generate from an SD image a class tap for classifying a specified pixel of an HD image and a predictive tap for determining the specified pixel. A classification circuit (4) classifies the specified pixel based on the class tap. A coefficient RAM (5) obtains a tap coefficient for the class of the specified pixel from tap coefficients obtained by using supervisor pixels and learner pixels and by learning the relationship between the supervisor pixels and the learner pixels for each of at least one class while applying weighting to the supervisor pixels and the learner pixels based on the activity of the predictive tap generated from the learner pixels. A predictive-computation circuit (6) determines the specified pixel by using the tap coefficient and the predictive tap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsujiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 8351732
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for bit resolution enhancement and edge enhancement in an electronic device are provided. The method includes determining a Contour Counter (CC) and determining a type of each region of the input image, determining a Bit Resolution Enhancement (BRE) parameter and an edge enhancement parameter of each region according to the determined region type, determining a first weight for each region of the image and enhancing a bit resolution of the input image, and determining a second weight for each region of the image and performing edge enhancement for the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Min-Kyu Park, Seung-Joong Hwang, Doo-Hyeon Kim
  • Patent number: 8346021
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an image processing system. The image processing system may comprise a content detection module having an input to receive a sequence of input pixels and configured to generate an adjustable parameter based on detected differences between adjacent pairs of input pixels, and a digital filter having an input for the sequence of input pixels and a control input coupled to an output of the content detection module. The digital filter may adjust filtering coefficients according to the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lin Li, Tianjiang Li, Wei Che, Huide Li
  • Patent number: 8345300
    Abstract: A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for document processing, the process includes: receiving image data obtained by, with an image reading apparatus, reading a document of a predetermined format in which contents of an electronic document stored in a storage portion while being associated with identification information, the identification information, and an entry for additional information are arranged; extracting entered additional information from the entry area of the received image data; and correlating the extracted additional information with an electronic document associated with the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 8346012
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of addition means and an image processing means. The addition means performs addition processing of adding pixels of a differential image at a second resolution representing a difference between an inputted image at a first resolution and an image at the second resolution higher than the first resolution as pixels of an inputted image at the second resolution. The image processing means is configured to perform second and subsequent addition processing, and generate an image of the second resolution as a processing result by performing the addition processing for a predetermined number of times. The addition processing is performed with inputs of an image at the first resolution and an image at the second resolution obtained by an immediately preceding addition processing, which are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takefumi Nagumo
  • Publication number: 20120328212
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for restoring a resolution of a low resolution view image from a multi-view image. In the resolution restoration method, detailed information may be generated using a reference image neighboring a criterion image, and a resolution of the criterion image may be restored using the detailed information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Lee, Byung Tae Oh, Jae Joon Lee, Ho Cheon Wey, Seung Sin Lee
  • Patent number: 8340471
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus that is capable of effectively generating a high-resolution image with high image quality from multiple low-resolution images having displacements by an iterative reconstruction processing based on a reconstruction-based super-resolution processing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Eiji Furukawa, Masayuki Tanaka, Masatoshi Okutomi
  • Patent number: 8335392
    Abstract: A method for reducing image artifacts in an image that includes a number of pixels each of which includes at least one video information value, includes generating a plurality of filter coefficients for at least some of the pixels of the image, on the basis of which the video information values of the pixels can be reconstructed. Artifact detection is performed to detect artifact regions within the image. At least some filter coefficients of those pixels that lie within the artifact regions are modified to generate modified filter coefficients. The video information values are synthesized using the filter coefficients, the modified filter coefficients being employed for the synthesis for pixels lying within the artifact regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich Niedermeier, Peter Rieder
  • Patent number: 8335371
    Abstract: A method for vision field computing may comprise the following steps of: forming a sampling system for a multi-view dynamic scene; controlling cameras in the sampling system for the multi-view dynamic scene to perform spatial interleaved sampling, temporal interleaved exposure sampling and exposure-variant sampling; performing spatial intersection to the sampling information in the view subspace of the dynamic scene and temporal intersection to the sampling information in the time subspace of the dynamic scene to reconstruct a dynamic scene geometry model; performing silhouette back projection based on the dynamic scene geometry model to obtain silhouette motion constraints for the view angles of the cameras; performing temporal decoupling for motion de-blurring with the silhouette motion constraints; and reconstructing a dynamic scene 3D model with a resolution larger than nominal resolution of each camera by a 3D reconstructing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Qionghai Dai, Di Wu, Yebin Liu
  • Patent number: 8335403
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for processing a low resolution image by performing a high resolution edge segment extraction on the low resolution image; performing an image super resolution on each edge segment; performing reconstruction constraint reinforcement; and generating a high quality image from the low quality image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
    Inventors: Shengyang Dai, Mei Han, Wei Xu, Ying Wu, Yihong Gong
  • Patent number: 8335394
    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: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Corel Corporation
    Inventors: Lihua Zhu, Haihua Wu, Chung-Tao Chu, Richard Hua
  • Publication number: 20120314975
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a resolution of a block-based image. The method includes: dividing a low resolution image frame into a plurality of blocks, each block having a predetermined size; performing motion prediction in a sub-pixel unit of each of the divided blocks and determining a motion vector in the sub-pixel unit; dividing the motion vector of the sub-pixel unit into a first motion vector having an integer pixel unit and a second motion vector having the sub-pixel unit; determining at least one low resolution reference block corresponding to each of the divided blocks by using the first motion vector having the integer pixel unit; converting each of the divided blocks into high resolution block by using the second motion vector having the sub-pixel unit and the one low resolution reference block; and generating a high resolution image frame by using each of the converted high resolution blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gun-shik SHIN, Se-hyeok PARK, Jong-hyun PARK, Chang-su HAN
  • Patent number: 8331731
    Abstract: When a multi-level image having a first resolution is converted into a multi-level image having a second resolution lower than the first resolution, attribute data including a conversion processed flag indicating a kind of conversion and a conversion result is generated and held associated with pixel data of a pixel on interest undergone the conversion corresponding to an attribute flag indicating an attribute in which a pixel before the conversion is located. When the multi-level image having the first resolution is restored from the multi-level image having the second resolution, the pixel data of the pixel of interest is replaced with pixel data of a plurality of pixels in correspondence with the conversion processed flag in the attribute data held associated with the pixel data of the pixel on interest and pixel data of pixels around the pixel of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichi Kashibuchi
  • Patent number: 8331720
    Abstract: It is possible to provide an image processing device, a method, and a program which can prevent image degradation which occurs when modifying the image magnification. The image processing device includes: an image input unit (10) which performs an image input; an edge direction calculation unit (24) which detects the edge direction contained in an image inputted by the image input unit (10); and an interpolation position decision unit (26), an interpolation object pixel decision unit (28), a first direction interpolation unit (30), and a second direction interpolation unit (32) which perform an interpolation process in the edge direction detected by the edge direction calculation unit (24) on the image inputted by the image input unit (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Kazuo Toraichi, Jia Lee, Yasuhiro Ohmiya
  • Patent number: 8331732
    Abstract: A method for performing binary image reduction on binary image data includes receiving binary input image data; determining a conversion factor to scale (i) an input resolution to an output resolution and/or (ii) an input size to an output size; applying the conversion factor to the input image data to obtain intermediate data, where each intermediate data corresponds to at least one input pixel and at least a portion of another input pixel; obtaining a binary output image data comprising a plurality of output pixels by thresholding the corresponding intermediate data; determining an error value for each output pixel, the error value is a non-integer value obtained as a result of thresholding the intermediate data corresponding to the output pixel; and propagating the obtained error value to an adjacent output pixel in a scanline, where the output image data is scaled to the output resolution and/or the output size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Metcalfe, Clara Cuciurean-Zapan
  • Patent number: 8330827
    Abstract: A method for increasing the resolution of a digital image comprising: receiving an input digital image of a scene; interpolating a high-resolution image using an interpolation function; receiving a blur kernel associated with the interpolation function; initializing a candidate sharp high-resolution image; determining a plurality of differential images representing differences between neighboring pixels in the candidate sharp high-resolution image; determining a combined differential image by combining the differential images; repeatedly updating the candidate sharp high-resolution image responsive to the interpolated high-resolution image, the blur kernel, the candidate sharp high-resolution image and the combined differential image until a convergence criterion is satisfied; and storing the final candidate sharp high-resolution image in a processor-accessible memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Sen Wang
  • Patent number: 8326013
    Abstract: A technique is disclosed for reducing noise in a medical image, wherein plural anisotropic areas continuous with a pixel-of-interest contained in the medical image are set with the pixel-of-interest being centered a statistical amount of pixel values of pixels constituting each anisotropic area is calculated with respect to each of the plural anisotropic areas, and either an anisotropic area having the minimum statistical amount out of the plural anisotropic areas is determined and an anisotropic shape filter in the same direction as the anisotropic area concerned is constructed, or an anisotropic area having the maximum statistical amount out of the plural anisotropic areas is determined and an anisotropic shape filter is constructed by clockwise or counterclockwise rotating the anisotropic area concerned around the pixel-of-interest by 90° .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8320712
    Abstract: Satellite image fusion method and system are provided. The satellite image fusion method includes matching sizes of a panchromatic image and a multispectral image captured from a satellite image; dividing the panchromatic image and the multispectral image into a plurality of blocks; calculating coefficients to acquire Intensity (I) component image data using pixel values of each block of the multispectral image; and generating fused multispectral image data by applying the acquired I component image data to a fusion algorithm. In the multispectral image fusion, the distortion of the color information can be minimized and the multispectral image data of the high resolution can be attained. In addition, the present invention is applicable to not only the IKONOS images but also other satellite images, and the present image fusion can be carried out fast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
    Inventors: Myung-Jin Choi, Dong-Han Lee, Hyo-Suk Lim
  • Patent number: 8319892
    Abstract: For providing a technology for preferably achieving high resolution of video signals of a video signal or moving video, with a small number of frames thereof, a video signal processing apparatus comprise an input unit to be inputted a plural number of video frames, a resolution converter unit, having resolution converting characteristics differing from each other, depending on a direction thereof, by composing 2 pieces of the video frames from the inputted video frames, thereby increasing a number of pixels making up the video frames, and a mixer unit for obtaining the output video frame by mixing output results of the resolution converter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kageyama, Koichi Hamada, Shigeki Nagaya