Digital still camera system and complementary-color-filtered array interpolation method

• US 7,330,209 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Osamato, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, NELSON D
• Application Number:
  US09/745,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 348/223.1, 348/225.1, 348/272, 348/273, 348/278, 348/279, 348/228.1, 348/277, 348/280, 348/224.1, 382/167, 382/300
• US Class Current: 348/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4015 Image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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 25/136 using complementary colours
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A complementary-color-filtered array interpolation by first interpolate each color subarray so each pixel has four colors and then adjust each color at a pixel with addition or subtraction of a color imbalance factor for the pixel. For yellow and cyan the adjustment is subtraction but for magenta and green the adjustment is addition.

Claims

1. A method of interpolation for a complementary-color-filtered array image, comprising the steps of:

(a) provide a complementary-color-filtered array of pixel values with yellow pixel values Ye on a first subarray, cyan pixel values Cy on a second subarray, magenta pixel values Mg on a third subarray, and green pixel values G on a fourth subarray;

(b) interpolating the subarray of yellow pixel values to form a yellow array;

(c) interpolating the subarray of cyan pixel values to form a cyan array;

(d) interpolating the subarray of magenta pixel values to form a magenta array;

(e) interpolating the subarray of green pixel values to form a green array;

(f) adjusting the color values for each pixel by

(i) subtracting a quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 from Ye to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted yellow value where Ye is the pixel'"'"'s yellow value from step (b), Cy is the pixel'"'"'s cyan value from step (c), Mg is the pixel'"'"'s magenta value from step (d), and G is the pixel'"'"'s green value from step (e);

(ii) subtracting the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 from Cy to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted cyan value;

(iii) adding the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 to Mg to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted magenta value; and

(iv) adding the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/8 to G to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted green value.

2. A method of interpolated complementary-color-filtered array image processing, comprising the steps of:

(a) provide an interpolated complementary-color-filtered array of pixel values with a pixel'"'"'s yellow value denoted Ye, cyan value denoted Cy, magenta value denoted Mg, and green value denoted G;

(b) adjusting the color values for each pixel by

(i) subtracting a quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 from Ye to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted yellow value;

(ii) subtracting the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 from Cy to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted cyan value;

(iii) adding the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/4 to Mg to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted magenta value; and

(iv) adding the quantity (Ye+Cy−

2*G−

Mg)/8 to G to generate the pixel'"'"'s adjusted green value.

3. An interpolator for complementary-color-filtered array image, comprising:

(a) a subarray-to-array interpolator for the color subarrays of a complementary-color-filtered array;

(b) a filter coupled to the output of the interpolator to adjust the interpolated colors at each pixel by adjusting with a color imbalance factor for the pixel where said color imbalance factor relates to G+Mg−

Ye−

Cy with G the green value for said pixel, Mg the magenta value, Ye the yellow value, and Cy the cyan value.

4. The interpolator of claim 3, wherein said subarray-to-array interpolator and said filter are implemented as a program on a programmable processor.