Imaging system and process for rendering the resolution of images high

An imaging system for electronically obtaining an image of a subject, comprising an optical image-formation means adapted to form the image of the subject, a means adapted to make an optically formed image into a spatially sampled discrete image signal, a means adapted to separate the sampled image signal into multiple component image signals by a spatial frequency, a means adapted to estimate a relative displacement between frames, an image storage means adapted to provide a temporal storage of the image signal, a means adapted to select from multiple frames a frame to which high-resolution image estimation processing is to be applied, a high-resolution image estimation means adapted to estimate a high-resolution image from image signals of multiple frames, an image information identification means adapted to refer to at least one image signal of multiple component image signals separated by said spatial frequency to identify image information, and a means adapted to use information about the image identified by said image information identification means to set an area in an image, wherein information about said area in an image is used to estimate a high-resolution image.

A process for reconstructing a high resolution image from sampled image signals, comprising steps of separating a sampled image signal into multiple component image signals by a spatial frequency, applying interpolation and enlargement processing to a low-frequency component image separated by the spatial frequency, estimating a relative displacement between frames by a displacement estimation means, selecting from multiple frames a frame to which high-resolution image estimation processing is to be applied, estimating a high-resolution image from high-frequency component images each separated from image signals of multiple frames, and combining an interpolated and enlarged image with an image to which high-resolution image estimation processing is applied.

A process for reconstructing a high resolution image signal from sampled image signals, comprising steps of separating the sampled image signals into multiple component image signals by a spatial frequency, estimating a relative displacement between frames, providing a temporal storage of an image signal, selecting from multiple frames a frame to which high-resolution image estimation processing is to be applied, estimating a high-resolution image from image signals of multiple frames, referring to at least one image signal of said multiple component image signals separated by the spatial frequency to identify information about an image by an identification means, and setting an area in an image by said identification means, wherein said step of estimating a high-resolution image uses an area about said area in an image to estimate a high-resolution image.