System and method for optimizing image resolution using pixelated imaging devices

• US 20050212827A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kenbe D. Goertzen
• Original Assignee: Kenbe D. Goertzen
• Inventors: Goertzen, Kenbe D.
• Application Number:
  US11/137,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4069 by subpixel displacements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/007 Use of pixel shift techniques, e.g. by mechanical shift of the physical pixels or by optical shift of the perceived pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor

Abstract

A method of processing image data for display on a pixelated imaging device is disclosed. The method comprises: pre-compensation filtering an image input to produce pre-compensation filtered pixel values, the pre-compensation filter having a transfer function that approximates the function that equals one divided by a pixel transfer function; and displaying the pre-compensation filtered pixel values on the pixelated imaging device. In another disclosed method, the method further comprises: pre-compensation filtering an image input for each of a plurality of superposed pixelated imaging devices, at least two of which are unaligned, to produce multiple sets of pre-compensation filtered pixel values; and displaying the multiple pre-compensation filtered pixel values on the plurality of superposed pixelated imaging devices.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:

feeding a plurality of image input data sets to a time-multiplexing optical display device, each image input data set comprising pixel values, the image input data sets corresponding to at least two superposed unaligned display data sets;

using the time-multiplexing optical display device at a first time to display a pixel value corresponding to a first display data set of the at least two superposed unaligned display data sets; and

using the time-multiplexing optical display device at a second time to display a pixel value corresponding to a second display data set of the at least two superposed unaligned display data sets.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time-multiplexing optical display device moves its optics between the first time and the second time.

3. A method according to claim 2, the method further comprising:

using the time-multiplexing optical display device to display pixel values corresponding to six display data sets, the six display data sets being positioned in four spatial phase families, the first and third spatial phase families each corresponding to a separate display data set composed of green chrominance values, the second and fourth spatial phase families each corresponding to a pair of aligned display data sets, each pair having a display data set composed of blue chrominance values and a display data set composed of red chrominance values.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the four spatial phase families are diagonally offset from each other by one-quarter of a diagonal pixel dimension of the display data sets.

5. A method according to claim 2, the method further comprising:

using the time-multiplexing optical display device to display pixel values corresponding to three display data sets, the three display data sets being positioned in two spatial phase families, the first spatial phase family corresponding to a display data set composed of green chrominance values, the second spatial phase family corresponding to a display data set composed of blue chrominance values and to an aligned display data set composed of red chrominance values.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the two spatial phase families are diagonally offset from each other by one-half of a diagonal pixel dimension of the display data sets.

7. A method according to claim 2, the method further comprising:

pre-compensation filtering each of the plurality of image input data sets to produce pre-compensation filtered pixel values, the pre-compensation filtering being performed with a filter having a transfer function that equals the result of gain-limiting and clipping a function that equals one divided by a pixel transfer function.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-compensation filter transfer function is clipped at a frequency that does not exceed the Nyquist frequency of the display data sets.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-compensation filter transfer function is clipped at a frequency that exceeds the Nyquist frequency of the display data sets.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises:

pre-compensation filtering image input data sets that are in a perception-based format to yield a filtered perception-based pixel value for each pixel of each image input data set; and

converting each filtered perception-based pixel value to a corresponding color value, for each pixel of each image input data set.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of pre-compensation filtering comprises filtering each of the image input data sets with a pre-compensation filter having a transfer function that equals the result of gain-limiting and clipping a function equal to:

$H<br><br>\left[u,V\right]=\frac{1}{\left\{\mathrm{Sinc}<br><br>\left[u\right]*\mathrm{Sinc}<br><br>\left[V\right]\right\}}$

where a function Sinc[x] is defined as;

$\mathrm{Sinc}<br><br>\left[x\right]=\{\begin{array}{cc}<br><br>1,& x=0\\ <br><br>\frac{\sin <br><br>\left[x\right]}{x},& x\ne <br><br>0\end{array}$

and “

*”

denotes convolution, and u,V are spatial frequency variables.

12. A method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two superposed unaligned display data sets are square pixel arrays, spatially phase-shifted from each other by equal amounts in the horizontal and vertical directions.

13. A method of image sensing, the method comprising:

sensing light from the image with a set of superposed pixelated imaging devices, at least two of which are unaligned.

14. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

splitting light from the image into components using a beam splitter; and

directing each component for reception by one of the superposed pixelated imaging devices.

15. A method according to claim 14, the method further comprising:

splitting the light into components using a diachroic prism, each component corresponding to a separate color frequency band.

16. A method according to claim 15, the method further comprising:

directing each separate color component for reception by a different one of the superposed pixelated imaging devices.

17. A method according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

splitting the light from the image into six color frequency ranges.

18. A method according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

processing the received components by solving for a lowest energy signal, for a whole sensed image, that satisfies constraints provided by color component values received by each of the superposed pixelated imaging devices.

19. A method according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

solving for a lowest energy luminance and color difference signal.

20. A method according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

processing received color component values from each superposed pixelated imaging device by adjusting for the sagittal and tangential frequency response of each device at its associated color frequency.

21. A method according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

processing received color component values by weighting each color component based on human perception of luminance, Cb, and Cr signals.

22. A method according to claim 16, the method further comprising:

processing received color components to adjust for the two-dimensional frequency response and spatial phase of the superposed imaging device by which it was received.

23. A method of image sensing, the method comprising:

sensing light from the image with a time-multiplexing pixelated imaging device, at a first time and a first location;

moving the time-multiplexing device to a second location such that its pixelated sensors are spatially phase-shifted from, and superposed with, the spatial location they occupied when the time-multiplexing device was at the first location; and

sensing light from the image with the time-multiplexing pixelated imaging device at a second time, at the second location.

24. A method according to claim 23, the method further comprising:

splitting light from the image into components using a beam-splitter; and

directing the components for separate reception by the time-multiplexing imaging device at different locations, including at least the first and second locations.

25. A method according to claim 24, the method further comprising:

processing the received components by solving for a lowest energy signal, for a whole sensed image, that satisfies constraints provided by color component values received by the time-multiplexing imaging device at each of the different locations.

26. A method according to claim 24, the method further comprising:

processing received color component values by weighting each color component based on human perception of luminance, Cb, and Cr signals.

27. A method of recording a motion picture image, the method comprising:

splitting light from the image into components using a beam splitter;

directing each component for reception by one of a set of superposed pixelated imaging devices, at least two of which are unaligned; and

separately recording a component value received by each superposed pixelated imaging device.

28. A method of recording a motion picture image, the method comprising:

splitting light from the image into components using a beam splitter;

directing each component for reception by one of a set of superposed pixelated imaging devices, at least two of which are unaligned;

recording a luminance signal combining component values received by the superposed pixelated imaging devices; and

recording two color difference signals combining component values received by the superposed pixelated imaging devices.

29. A method according to claim 28, the method further comprising:

recording the luminance signal with a resolution that is twice a resolution, in both dimensions, of the color difference signals.

30. A method according to claim 29, the method further comprising:

recording signals obtained by three superposed pixelated imaging devices.

31. A method according to claim 29, the method further comprising:

recording signals obtained by six superposed pixelated imaging devices.

32. A method of playing back a recorded motion picture image, the method comprising:

filtering and interpolating the recorded image; and

displaying the filtered and interpolated image on a set of superposed pixelated imaging devices, at least two of which are unaligned.

33. A method according to claim 32, the method further comprising:

dividing the recorded image'"'"'s energy amongst the superposed pixelated imaging devices, the division being weighted amongst the imaging devices in accordance with human color perception.

34. A method of playing back a recorded motion picture image, the method comprising:

filtering and interpolating the recorded image; and

displaying the filtered and interpolated image using a time-multiplexing imaging device, the time-multiplexing device moving between at least two display positions to create a set of superposed pixelated displays, at least two of the displays being unaligned.

35. A method according to claim 34, the method further comprising:

dividing the recorded image'"'"'s energy amongst the superposed pixelated displays, the division being weighted amongst the displays in accordance with human color perception.