METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DEMOSAICING IMAGES WITH HIGHLY CORRELATED COLOR CHANNELS
First Claim
1. A method of image processing comprising:
- capturing a first captured image with at least a first image sensor, the first captured image including a first frame of initial pixel data captured by a first plurality of camera pixels;
assigning a color mosaic of color information to the initial pixel data to generate alternating single-color pixel data of known color information for each of the first plurality of camera pixels to form at least two color channels;
with a processor, estimating missing color information for each of the first plurality of camera pixels in the first frame;
for each array of a plurality of arrays of camera pixels in the first frame, generating correlation information to determine if a pair of the at least two color channels are substantially correlated in response to the known color information and the estimated color information; and
if a pair of color channels are substantially correlated within an array thendemosaicing each camera pixel in the array in response to its single-color pixel data and the correlation information to generate full color pixel data for each camera pixel within the array and form a portion of a first full color image of the first captured image.
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Abstract
In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is disclosed including an image sensor, a color filter array, and an image processor. The image sensor has an active area with a matrix of camera pixels. The color filter array is in optical alignment over the matrix of the camera pixels. The color filter array assigns alternating single colors to each camera pixel. The image processor receives the camera pixels and includes a correlation detector to detect spatial correlation of color information between pairs of colors in the pixel data captured by the camera pixels. The correlation detector further controls demosaicing of the camera pixels into full color pixels with improved resolution. The apparatus may further include demosaicing logic to demosaic the camera pixels into the full color pixels with improved resolution in response to the spatial correlation of the color information between pairs of colors.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of image processing comprising:
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capturing a first captured image with at least a first image sensor, the first captured image including a first frame of initial pixel data captured by a first plurality of camera pixels; assigning a color mosaic of color information to the initial pixel data to generate alternating single-color pixel data of known color information for each of the first plurality of camera pixels to form at least two color channels; with a processor, estimating missing color information for each of the first plurality of camera pixels in the first frame; for each array of a plurality of arrays of camera pixels in the first frame, generating correlation information to determine if a pair of the at least two color channels are substantially correlated in response to the known color information and the estimated color information; and if a pair of color channels are substantially correlated within an array then demosaicing each camera pixel in the array in response to its single-color pixel data and the correlation information to generate full color pixel data for each camera pixel within the array and form a portion of a first full color image of the first captured image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. (canceled)
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17. A method for a minimally invasive surgical system, the method comprising:
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capturing an image from a surgical site within a patient, the image including a frame of pixel data captured by a plurality of camera pixels; alternately assigning single color information to the pixel data of each of the plurality of camera pixels to form a color mosaic in the frame of initial pixel data; in an array of a plurality of arrays of camera pixels in the frame, estimating spatial correlation in intensity information for each color channel relative to the other color channels over all the camera pixels of the plurality in the array, first demosaicing each camera pixel in the array with neighboring camera pixels the estimated spatial correlation to generate high-resolution full color pixel data for each camera pixel of the plurality in the array, second demosaicing each camera pixel in the array with neighboring camera pixels to generate low-resolution full color pixel data for each camera pixel of the plurality in the array, and selectively combining the first demosaicing and the second demosaicing to generate full color pixel data for each camera pixel of the plurality in the array in response to the estimated spatial correlation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for a minimally invasive surgical system, the method comprising:
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alternately assigning single color information to a plurality of first camera pixels; capturing a first image from a surgical site within a patient, the first image including first pixel data captured by the plurality of first camera pixels; detecting first spatial correlation of intensity information between a pair of colors in the first pixel data of a first array of camera pixels; and variably demosaicing each camera pixel in the array of first camera pixels with its single color information and color information of neighboring camera pixels to generate first full color pixel data for each first camera pixel in response to the first spatial correlation. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25-38. -38. (canceled)
Specification