Method and apparatus for synthesis of higher resolution images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image-processing method comprising the steps of:
- (i) obtaining a stream of images including a target object, each image of the stream of images being formed by an array of pixels;
(ii) extracting a current frame portion from an image from the stream of images, the current frame portion being at least a portion of the pixels forming the image, corresponding to a region of interest in the image, the region of interest comprising the target object;
(iii) providing a previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, which has been calculated in a previous iteration of steps (ii) to (iv) of the method, corresponding to the region of interest in the image;
(iv) calculating an updated super-resolved frame portion from the current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, both the updated super-resolved frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion being weighted with respective weightings in the calculation, the weightings being applied on a frame portion basis such that for each frame portion the same weighting is applied to all pixels in the frame portion; and
(v) repeating for a plurality of times steps (ii) to (iv) of the method for successive images, wherein the respective weightings used in the calculation of each of the successive updated super-resolved frame portions are such that the effective contribution made to the super-resolved frame portion by a given frame portion progressively decays with each successive calculated super-resolved frame portion.
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Abstract
An image-processing method includes obtaining an image including a target object, the image being formed by an array of pixels. A current frame portion is extracted from the image, the frame portion being at least a portion of the pixels forming the image, corresponding to a region of interest in the image, the region of interest comprising the target object. A previously calculated current super-resolved frame portion is provided, corresponding to the region of interest in the image. An updated super-resolved frame portion is calculated from the current frame portion and the current super-resolved frame portion.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An image-processing method comprising the steps of:
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(i) obtaining a stream of images including a target object, each image of the stream of images being formed by an array of pixels; (ii) extracting a current frame portion from an image from the stream of images, the current frame portion being at least a portion of the pixels forming the image, corresponding to a region of interest in the image, the region of interest comprising the target object; (iii) providing a previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, which has been calculated in a previous iteration of steps (ii) to (iv) of the method, corresponding to the region of interest in the image; (iv) calculating an updated super-resolved frame portion from the current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, both the updated super-resolved frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion being weighted with respective weightings in the calculation, the weightings being applied on a frame portion basis such that for each frame portion the same weighting is applied to all pixels in the frame portion; and (v) repeating for a plurality of times steps (ii) to (iv) of the method for successive images, wherein the respective weightings used in the calculation of each of the successive updated super-resolved frame portions are such that the effective contribution made to the super-resolved frame portion by a given frame portion progressively decays with each successive calculated super-resolved frame portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An image-processing apparatus comprising:
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(i) an imager for obtaining a stream of images including a target object, each image of the stream of images being formed by an array of pixels; (ii) an image processor including at least one microprocessor configured to a. extract a current frame portion from an image from the stream of images, the current frame portion being at least a portion of the pixels forming the image, corresponding to a region of interest in the image, the region of interest comprising the target object; b. obtain a previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, which has been calculated in a previous iteration of steps (a) to (d), corresponding to the region of interest in the image; c. apply a weighting to the current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, relative to each other in a predetermined manner, the weightings being applied on a frame portion basis such that for each frame portion the same weighting is applied to all pixels in the frame portion; d. calculate an updated super-resolved frame portion from the weighted current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion; and e. repeat for a plurality of times steps a to d for successive images, the respective weightings used in the calculation of each of the successive updated super-resolved frame portions being such that the effective contribution made to the super-resolved frame portion by a given frame portion progressively decays with each successive calculated super-resolved frame portion. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A computer program product embodied on non-transitory, computer-readable medium and configured to cause, when the computer program is executed, data-processing apparatus to:
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(i) receive a stream of images including a target object, each image of the stream of images being formed by an array of pixels; (ii) extract a current frame portion from an image from the stream of images, the current frame portion being at least a portion of the pixels forming the image, corresponding to a region of interest in the image, the region of interest comprising the target object; (iii) provide a previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, which has been calculated in a previous iteration of steps (ii) to (v), corresponding to the region of interest in the image; (iv) apply a weighting to the current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion, relative to each other in a predetermined manner, the weightings being applied on a frame portion basis such that for each frame portion the same weighting is applied to all pixels in the frame portion; (v) calculate an updated super-resolved frame portion from the weighted current frame portion and the previously calculated super-resolved frame portion; and (vi) repeat for a plurality of times steps (ii) to (v) for successive images, the respective weightings used in the calculation of each of the successive updated super-resolved frame portions being such that the effective contribution made to the super-resolved frame portion by a given frame portion progressively decays with each successive calculated super-resolved frame portion.
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Specification