SUPER-RESOLUTION DIGITAL ZOOM

• US 20130278604A1
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Georgis, Nikolaos, Carpio, Fredrik, Hwang, Paul Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene

Abstract

When a user selects digital zooming in a camera such as might be included in a wireless telephone or PDA, a series of images are automatically obtained and superimposed using super-resolution techniques to produce an improved digital zoom image transparently to the user.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. Apparatus, comprising:

an imager;

a display; and

a processor configured for accessing instructions to configure the processor for combining at least two images derived from signals from the imager to render a modified digital zoom image from the at least two images, the modified zoom image having a higher resolution than at least one of the two images; and

the processor when accessing the instructions being configured for sending to computer storage or to the display the modified digital zoom image, wherein the processor when executing the instructions renders the modified zoom image responsive to reception of a digital zoom command input to the apparatus.

15. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein the images are superimposed using super-resolution.

16. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus has no capability for optical zooming.

17. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein the imager is a charge coupled device (CCD).

18. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is embodied as a wireless telephone.

19. Apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is embodied as a personal digital assistant (PDA).