Method and apparatus for generating a synthetic image by the fusion of signals representative of different views of the same scene
First Claim
1. A method for processing first and second digital image signals, each of said image signals being representative of a different two dimensional view of the same scene, each of said image signals including a two dimensional array of pixels, each of said pixels having an associated value representative of a detectable characteristic at a corresponding position in said scene, comprising the steps of:
- A. center-surround shunt processing said first image signal to generate a first processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including performing a computation associated with each pixel in said first image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said first processed image signal,B. center-surround shunt processing said second image signal to generate a second processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including performing a computation associated with each pixel in said second image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said second processed image signal,C. center-surround shunt processing portions of said first and second processed image signals to generate a third processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including a computation associated with each pixel in one of said first and second processed image signals, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding a central element corresponding to said central element in the other of said first and second processed image signals form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said third processed image signal.
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Abstract
A method and system for processing two input digital image signals, each being representative of a different two dimensional view of the same scene, to produce three processed image signals. A center-surround shunt processor transforms each input image signal to produce a respective processed image signal. Another center-surround shunt processor produces the third processed image signal from the first two processed image signals. In the latter processor, one of the first two processed image signals is selected as a center image and the other is selected as a surround image. The processor performs a computation associated with each pixel in the center image with data selected from the center image to form a central element for the computation and data selected from the surround image to form a surround element for the computation. The result of each computation is a pixel of the third processed image signal. The three processed image signals may be applied to the respective RGB inputs of an RGB display device.
120 Citations
86 Claims
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1. A method for processing first and second digital image signals, each of said image signals being representative of a different two dimensional view of the same scene, each of said image signals including a two dimensional array of pixels, each of said pixels having an associated value representative of a detectable characteristic at a corresponding position in said scene, comprising the steps of:
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A. center-surround shunt processing said first image signal to generate a first processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including performing a computation associated with each pixel in said first image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said first processed image signal, B. center-surround shunt processing said second image signal to generate a second processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including performing a computation associated with each pixel in said second image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said second processed image signal, C. center-surround shunt processing portions of said first and second processed image signals to generate a third processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing including a computation associated with each pixel in one of said first and second processed image signals, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding a central element corresponding to said central element in the other of said first and second processed image signals form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said third processed image signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 72, 73, 74, 83, 84)
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36. A system for processing first and second digital image signals, each of said image signals being representative of a different two dimensional view of the same scene, each of said image signals including a two dimensional array of pixels, each of said pixels having an associated value representative of a detectable characteristic at a corresponding position in said scene, comprising:
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A. means for center-surround shunt processing said first image signal to generate a first processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing means including first computation means for performing a computation associated with each pixel in said first image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said first processed image signal, B. means for center-surround shunt processing said second image signal to generate a second processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing means including second computation means for performing a computation associated with each pixel in said second image signal, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel collectively form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding said central element collectively form a surround element for said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said second processed image signal, and C. means for center-surround shunt processing portions of said first and second processed image signals to generate a third processed image signal including a two dimensional array of pixels, said processing means including third computation means for performing a computation associated with each pixel in one of said first and second processed image signals, wherein for each of said computations, pixels in a neighborhood including at least said associated pixel form a central element for said computation, and pixels in a neighborhood at least surrounding a central element corresponding to said central element in the other of said first and second processed image signals form a surround element of said computation, wherein a result of each of said computations is a pixel of said third processed image signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86)
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Specification