Kinetic super-resolution imaging

• US 8,750,647 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Jesneck, Jonathan Lee, Phan, Long N., Sarma, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US13/020,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 382/107, 382294-295, 382298-300
• US Class Current: 382/299
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4069 by subpixel displacements

Abstract

Methods and a computer program product for deriving a super-resolution image of a physical object, the super-resolution image characterized by a resolution exceeding a “camera imaging resolution” associated with each of a sequence of lower-resolution images of the physical object. The sequence of images of the physical object is obtained at a plurality of relative displacements with respect to the object. An offset is passively associated with each of the plurality of images to derive effective camera movement, allowing for calculation of a kinetic point spread function on the basis of the effective camera movement. The image sequence is deconvolved, using the kinetic point spread function, to solve for a high-resolution image. Various applications such as portable cameras and infrared imaging for energy conservation are described.

Claims

1. A method for deriving a super-resolution image of a physical object, the super-resolution image characterized by a resolution exceeding a “

camera imaging resolution,”

the method comprising;

a. receiving a sequence of images of the physical object at a plurality of displacements wherein each of the plurality of images is characterized by the camera imaging resolution;

b. passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images to derive effective camera movement, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes associating an offset relative to a reference image;

c. calculating a kinetic point spread function on the basis of the effective camera movement; and

d. deconvolving the image sequence to solve for a high-resolution image on the basis of the calculated kinetic point spread function.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising imaging the physical object at a plurality of displacements to derive the sequence of images wherein each of a plurality of images is characterized by the camera imaging resolution.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reference image is derived using a high-resolution imaging modality distinct from an imaging modality used to obtain the image sequence.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes minimizing a loss function.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes determining a minimum gradient of an error surface.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of deconvolving includes regularization.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the regularization employed in the step of deconvolving includes Tikhonov regularization.

8. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the step of imaging includes imaging in the infrared.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising registering and superposing multiple preliminary images in order to constitute one or more of the plurality of images derived in imaging a physical object.

10. A computer program product for use on a computer system for deriving a super-resolution image of a physical object, the super-resolution image characterized by a resolution exceeding a “

camera imaging resolution,”

the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including;

memory for storing a sequence of images of the physical object at a plurality of displacements wherein each of the plurality of images is characterized by the camera imaging resolution;

a module for passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images to derive effective camera movement, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes associating an offset relative to a reference image;

computer code for calculating a kinetic point spread function on the basis of the effective camera movement; and

a software module for deconvolving the image sequence to solve for a high-resolution image on the basis of the calculated kinetic point spread function.