METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROBUST ESTIMATION OF NON-UNIFORM MOTION BLUR

• US 20130236114A1
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Moon, Young Su, Lee, Shi Hwa, CHO, Jung Uk, Lee, Seung Yong, Lee, Chi Young, Cho, Sung Hyun, Cho, Ho Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening

Abstract

A method and apparatus for robust estimation of a non-uniform motion blur that may reduce an amount of the non-uniform motion blur information, that is, a number of homographies by estimating non-uniform motion blur information about a blur in a predetermined area, thereby reducing an amount of time needed to remove the non-uniform motion blur, and may improve accuracy and stability of the non-uniform motion blur information by estimating homographies for an input image while increasing a number of the homographies, iteratively.

Claims

1. A method of estimating a non-uniform motion blur, the method comprising:

receiving an input image comprising a non-uniform motion blur;

estimating non-uniform motion blur information about a blur, included in the non-uniform motion blur, in a predetermined area of the received input image; and

obtaining a latent image by removing the non-uniform motion blur from the received input image, based on the estimated non-uniform motion blur information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information comprises:

estimating homographies for the received input image; and

estimating the non-uniform motion blur information by matching the estimated homographies to the blur in the predetermined area of the received input image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information comprises estimating at least two homographies for the received input image and a homography between the at least two homographies, iteratively.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information further comprises progressively increasing a number of the estimated homographies when a reduction of the error value with respect to a homography set including the estimated homographies is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

normalizing weights for the estimated homographies, using the estimated at least two homographies and the homography between the at least two homographies.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information and the obtaining of the latent image, iteratively.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performing comprises terminating an iterative performance of the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information and the obtaining of the latent image, based on a change in an error value with respect to a homography set including the estimated homographies.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein iterative performance of the estimating of the non-uniform motion blur information and the obtaining of the latent image is completed when a reduction of the error value with respect to a homography set including the estimated homographies is less than a predetermined reference value.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

restoring a final image from the received input image, based on obtained final non-uniform motion blur information when the iterative performance has completed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received input image corresponds to at least one of a single frame comprising the non-uniform motion blur, a multi-frame comprising the non-uniform motion blur, and a multi-frame comprising a single blurred image comprising the non-uniform motion blur and a single noise image without the blur.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program for instructing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the obtained latent image satisfies a predetermined quality, and re-estimating the non-uniform motion blur information, based on the determining.

13. An apparatus for estimating a non-uniform motion blur, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit to receive an input image comprising a non-uniform motion blur;

an estimating unit to estimate non-uniform motion blur information about a blur, included in the non-uniform motion blur, in a predetermined area of the received input image; and

an obtaining unit to obtain a latent image by removing the non-uniform motion blur from the received input image, based on the estimated non-uniform motion blur information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the estimating unit comprises:

a first estimator to estimate homographies for the received input image; and

a second estimator to estimate the non-uniform motion blur information by matching the estimated homographies to the blur in the predetermined area of the received input image.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the estimating unit estimates at least two homographies for the input image and a homography between the at least two homographies, iteratively.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a weight normalizing unit to normalize weights for the estimated homographies, using the estimated at least two homographies and the homography between the at least two homographies.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an iterative performance unit to perform estimation of the non-uniform motion blur information and obtaining of the latent image, iteratively.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the iterative performance unit completes an iterative performance of the estimation of the non-uniform motion blur information and the obtaining of the latent image, based on a change in an error value with respect to a homography set including the estimated homographies.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a restoring unit to restore a final image from the received input image, based on obtained final non-uniform motion blur information when an iterative performance is completed.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the input image corresponds to at least one of a single frame comprising the non-uniform motion blur, a multi-frame comprising the non-uniform motion blur, and a multi-frame comprising a single blurred image comprising the non-uniform motion blur and a single noise image without the blur.

21. A method for robust estimation of a non-uniform motion blur, the method comprising:

estimating, by a processor, homographies of an input image, the estimated homographies comprising a homography set;

iteratively increasing a number of estimated homographies in the homography set; and

obtaining a final image of the input image using the estimated homographies, based on a change of an error value of the homography set.