Patent US6466618B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6466618B1
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US
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Resolution improvement for multiple images
Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Inc
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Filing: 1999-11-23
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Granted: 2002-10-15
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Expires: 2019-11-23
Abstract
Abstract A system constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images where each of the low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes. The system receives the plurality of low resolution images where the plurality of color planes of each of the low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner. Motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of the low resolution images is determined. The high resolution image is constructed, having a resolution greater than the low resolution images, based upon the non-coincident color planes of the low resolution images, together with the motion data.
Inventors
- 👤 Dean Messing
- 👤 Muhammed Ibrahim Sezan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 16:39
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T3/00; G06T3/40; G06T3/4053; G06T3/4069; H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/01; H04N7/0125; H04N7/0135; H04N7/014
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 76
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for constructing a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) receiving said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) determining motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) constructing said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for constructing a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) receiving said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) determining motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) constructing said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said color planes of said low resolution images are completely non-coincident.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is implicitly defined.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is explicitly defined.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and a plurality of said plurality of color planes is at least partially coincident within each of said first set of images.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said motion data is determined based upon said first set of images.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising determining said motion data based upon the luminance of said first set of images.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said color planes of said first set of images is totally coincident.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said first set of images include data representative of red, green, and blue.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of low resolution images is obtained by a digital imaging device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said digital imaging device is at least one of a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and digital scanner.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said low resolution images are in a Bayer pattern.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and said plurality of color planes is coincident within each of said first set of images.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said first set of images is on an orthogonal grid.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said first set of images is the result of a CCDDSP algorithm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing said plurality of low resolution images with a single charge coupled device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is predetermined.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a greater size than each of said low resolution images.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a smaller size than each of said low resolution images.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a size the same as each of said low resolution images.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image includes said plurality of color planes spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said high resolution image is processed by a CCDDSP algorithm to construct a second image that has its color planes arranged in a coincident manner.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 22 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is determined based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes having the greatest density in comparison to each of the remaining said plurality of color planes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 24 wherein said first color plane is green.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of color planes are in a Bayer pattern.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is determined based upon, at least in part, determining first motion information based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes and second motion information based exclusively upon a second color planes of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 27 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are compared against each other for consistency.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 28 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are combined to determine, at least in part, said motion data.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image is in a Bayer pattern where at least one of said plurality of color planes of said low resolution images is shifted with respect to at least one of the other of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 30 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 31 wherein at least one of said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to said green color plane, and said red colors and said blue colors are shifted with respect to each other.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is calculated based upon at least a first metric and a second metric, where said first metric is different than said second metric, said first metric is used for a first color plane of said plurality of color planes, and said second metric is used for a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 33 wherein said first color plane is green and said second color plane is at least one of blue and red.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 34 wherein said second metric is defined by, If x={x 1 , . . . 1 x N } is an arbitrary N-dimensional vector then the 1 1 norm of x is defined by ∥x∥ 1 :=Σ N n=1 |x n |.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 35 wherein said first metric is defined by, ∥x∥ ∞ :=max{|x n |:n ε{1, . . . , N}}.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
114 words
An image processor that constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) said image processor receives said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) said image processor determines motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) said image processor constructs said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
114 words
An image processor that constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) said image processor receives said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) said image processor determines motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) said image processor constructs said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said color planes of said low resolution images are completely non-coincident.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
13 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is implicitly defined.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
13 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is explicitly defined.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
58 words
The image processor of claim 37 further comprising said image processor constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and a plurality of said plurality of color planes is at least partially coincident within each of said first set of images.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
19 words
The image processor of claim 41 wherein said motion data is determined based upon said first set of images.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
25 words
The image processor of claim 42 further comprising said image processor determining said motion data based upon the luminance of said first set of images.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
19 words
The image processor of claim 43 wherein said color planes of said first set of images is totally coincident.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image processor of claim 44 wherein said first set of images include data representative of red, green, and blue.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said plurality of low resolution images is obtained by a digital imaging device.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
27 words
The image processor of claim 46 wherein said digital imaging device is at least one of a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and digital scanner.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
16 words
The image processor of claim 38 wherein said low resolution images are in a Bayer pattern.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
52 words
The image processor of claim 48 further comprising said image processor constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and said plurality of color planes is coincident within each of said first set of images.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
17 words
The image processor of claim 39 wherein said first set of images is on an orthogonal grid.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
19 words
The image processor of claim 41 wherein said first set of images is the result of a CCDDSP algorithm.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
24 words
The image processor of claim 37 further comprising said image processor sensing said plurality of low resolution images with a single charge coupled device.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
12 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is predetermined.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
22 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a greater size than each of said low resolution images.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
22 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a smaller size than each of said low resolution images.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
23 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a size the same as each of said low resolution images.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
26 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image includes said plurality of color planes spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
34 words
The image processor of claim 57 wherein said image processor processes said high resolution image with a CCDDSP algorithm to construct a second image that has its color planes arranged in a coincident manner.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
17 words
The image processor of claim 58 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
41 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is determined based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes having the greatest density in comparison to each of the remaining said plurality of color planes.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
13 words
The image processor of claim 60 wherein said first color plane is green.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
17 words
The image processor of claim 61 wherein said plurality of color planes are in a Bayer pattern.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
52 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is determined based upon, at least in part, determining first motion information based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes and second motion information based exclusively upon a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
27 words
The image processor of claim 63 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are compared against each other for consistency by said image processor.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
31 words
The image processor of claim 64 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are combined to determine, at least in part, said motion data by said image processor.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
48 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image is in a Bayer pattern where at least one of said plurality of color planes of said low resolution images is shifted with respect to at least one of the other of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
17 words
The image processor of claim 66 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
46 words
The image processor of claim 67 wherein at least one of said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to said green color plane, and said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to each other.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
66 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is calculated based upon at least a first metric and a second metric, where said first metric is different than said second metric, said first metric is used for a first color plane of said plurality of color planes, and said second metric is used for a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
26 words
The image processor of claim 69 wherein said first color plane is green and said second color plane is at least one of blue and red.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
47 words
The image processor of claim 70 wherein said second metric is defined by, If x={x 1 , . . . , x N } is an arbitrary N-dimensional vector then the 1 1 norm of x is defined by ∥x∥ 1 :=Σ N n=1 |x n |.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
24 words
The image processor of claim 71 wherein said first metric is defined by, ∥x∥ ∞ :=max{|x n |: nε{1, . . . , N}}.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image is constructed using at least two types of filters.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image is constructed using at least two types of filters.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-10-14 | 2006-04-15 | 2006-10-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-10-14 | 2010-04-15 | 2010-10-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-10-14 | 2014-04-15 | 2014-10-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |