IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICES AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHODS

• US 20170026593A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research (Government of Singapore)
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research (Government of Singapore)
• Inventors: LI, Zhengguo, ZHENG, Jinghong
• Granted Patent: US 9,979,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/21 involving computational photography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10144 Varying exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4015 Image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/583 with different integration times
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/585 with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes

Abstract

According to various embodiments, an image processing device may be provided. The image processing device may include: an input circuit configured to receive input image data including pixels related to varying exposure times; an interpolation circuit configured to determine an output image based on an interpolation based on the data; and an output circuit configured to output the output image.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

an input circuit configured to receive input image data comprising pixels related to varying exposure times;

an interpolation circuit configured to determine an output image based on an interpolation based on the input image data; and

an output circuit configured to output the output image.

2. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the interpolation comprises a spatial and temporal interpolation of the input image data.

3. The image processing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a weighting factor determination circuit configured to determine a weighting factor,

wherein the interpolation circuit is further configured to determine the output image further based on the weighting factor.

4. The image processing device of claim 3,

wherein the weighting factor determination circuit is configured to determine the weighting factor based on an intermediate pixel.

5. The image processing device of claim 4,

wherein the intermediate pixel is based on an intensity mapping function.

6. The image processing device of claim 5,

wherein the weighting factor is close to one if the intensity mapping function is reliable.

7. The image processing device of claim 5,

wherein the weighting factor is close to zero if the intensity mapping function is not reliable.

8. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the input image data comprises an input image comprising rows, wherein the exposure time varies amongst the rows.

9. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the input image data comprises a plurality of images, wherein each image of the plurality of images has an exposure time, wherein the exposure time varies amongst the images of the plurality of images.

10. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the interpolation comprises a cubic interpolation.

11. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the interpolation comprises minimizing a cost function.

12. The image processing device of claim 1,

wherein the interpolation comprises an interpolation of an high dynamic range image obtained based on the input image data to restore under-exposed and saturated pixels of the high dynamic range image without discarding any pixels in the high dynamic range image.

13. An image processing method comprising:

receiving input image data comprising pixels related to varying exposure times;

determining an output image based on an interpolation based on the input image data; and

outputting the output image.

14. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the interpolation comprises a spatial and temporal interpolation of the input image data.

15. The image processing method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a weighting factor, and

determining the output image further based on the weighting factor.

16. The image processing method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the weighting factor based on an intermediate pixel.

17. The image processing method of claim 16,

wherein the intermediate pixel is based on an intensity mapping function.

18. The image processing method of claim 17,

wherein the weighting factor is close to one if the intensity mapping function is reliable.

19. The image processing method of claim 17,

wherein the weighting factor is close to zero if the intensity mapping function is not reliable.

20. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the input image data comprises an input image comprising rows, wherein the exposure time varies amongst the rows.

21. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the input image data comprises a plurality of images, wherein each image of the plurality of images has an exposure time, wherein the exposure time varies amongst the images of the plurality of images.

22. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the interpolation comprises a cubic interpolation without discarding any pixels in an high dynamic range image.

23. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the interpolation comprises minimizing a cost function with different constraints to different pixels according to their reliabilities.

24. The image processing method of claim 13,

wherein the interpolation comprises an interpolation of an high dynamic range image obtained based on the input image data to restore under-exposed and saturated pixels of the high dynamic range image.