System and method to selectively combine images

• US 8,797,421 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Atanassov, Kalin M., Li, Hsiang-Tsun, Hwang, Hau
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSSELMAN, JOEL W
• Application Number:
  US13/897,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20130251283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/208.14, 348/218.1, 382/103
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10144 Varying exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10148 Varying focus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20016 Hierarchical, coarse-to-fine, multiscale or multiresolution image processing; Pyramid transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/14 Transformations for image registration, e.g. adjusting or mapping for alignment of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

Systems and methods to selectively combine images are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an apparatus includes a registration circuit configured to generate a set of motion vector data based on first image data corresponding to a first image and second image data corresponding to a second image. The apparatus includes a combination circuit to selectively combine the first image data and adjusted second image data that corresponds to the second image data adjusted according to the motion vector data. The apparatus further includes a control circuit to control the combination circuit to generate third image data.

Claims

1. A system to selectively combine multiple images, comprising:

an application specific control circuit;

a hierarchical registration circuit; and

a hierarchical combination circuit, comprising;

a course combining circuit, and

a fine combining circuit, comprising;

a first filter and a second filter, the first filter and second filter being responsive to an input provided by the application specific control circuit, the input configured to indicate a filter response characteristic;

a mean pixel MS difference circuit, configured to perform a pixel by pixel difference operation,

an image combining circuit coupled to the mean pixel MS difference circuit,

wherein the first filter is configured to filter first image data and provide first filtered image data to the mean pixel MS difference circuit,

wherein the second filter is configured to filter second image data and provide second filtered image data to the mean pixel MS difference circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image combining circuit is configured to receive a difference value from the mean pixel MS difference circuit and to determine a pixel value of each pixel in an output image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the application specific control circuit and the image combining circuit are also coupled to a weighting table.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image combining circuit is configured to receive a difference value from the mean pixel MS difference circuit and to determine a pixel value for each pixel in an output image based on the weighting table and the difference value.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the image combining circuit is configured to lookup a weight in the weighting table based on the difference value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the image combining circuit is configured to apply a first weight provided by the weighting table to a pixel value of the first received image data and a second weight provided by the weighting table to be applied to a pixel value of the second received image data.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the image combining circuit is configured to apply a weight W provided by the weighing table to the first received image data, and a weight of 1−

W to a pixel value of the second received image data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mean pixel MS difference circuit is configured to perform a pixel by pixel signed mean square difference operation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the difference operation generates a signed value indicating a difference between the first filtered image data and the second filtered image data, for each pixel in the first and second image data, based at least on the luma and chroma values for the each pixel.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter characteristic indicates one of a low-pass response, a high-pass response, a bandpass response, or any combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the application specific control circuit indicates a type of filtering to be performed by the first filter and the second filter, and indicates a weighting

of how the first image data and the second image data are to be combined by the image combination circuit based on a filtered pixel difference between the first image data and the

second image data, wherein the filtered pixel difference is provided by the mean pixel MS difference circuit.

12. A method of selectively combining multiple images, comprising:

receiving, into a fine combination circuit, first and second image data;

filtering, with the fine combination circuit, the first and

second image data based on a filter response characteristic,

generating a mean pixel difference based on a signed mean square difference of the first and second filtered image data; and

determining, with the fine combination circuit, an output image pixel value based on the difference.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the output image pixel is further determined based on a weighted value of the first image data and a weighted value of the second image data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the weighted values are based on the difference value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the weighted values are further based on input from an application specific control circuit.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the filter response characteristic is one of a low-pass response, a high-pass response, a bandpass response, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the filter response characteristic is indicated by a control signal provided by an application control circuit.

18. A system for selectively combining multiple images, comprising:

means for receiving first and second image data into a fine combination circuit;

means for filtering the first and second image data with the fine combination circuit based on a filter response characteristic,

means for generating a mean pixel difference based on a signed mean square difference of the first and second filtered image data; and

means for determining an output image pixel value based on the difference with the fine combination circuit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for determining an output image pixel value is configured to receive a difference value from the means for generating a mean pixel difference and to determine a pixel value of each pixel in an output image.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the filter response characteristic is indicated by a control signal provided by an application control circuit.