Kinetic Super-Resolution Imaging

• US 20120201477A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/279
• 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;

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 passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes associating an offset relative to a reference image.

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

5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes minimizing a loss function.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein passively associating an offset with each of the plurality of images includes determining a minimum gradient of an error surface.

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

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

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

10. 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.

11. 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 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;

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.