# US 2013/0155327 A1 · Method to Process Image Sequences with Sub-Pixel Displacements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155327 A1 - Document ID: US20130155327A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/756,544 - Filed: 2013-02-01 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-01 - Inventors: Geoffrey Louis Barrows - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155327A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/14: Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region (cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00) - G06T 7/269: using gradient-based methods - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method for reducing or removing sub-pixel displacements between images in a sequence of images is disclosed. In the first step, a set of images is acquired using a camera system. In the second step, pairwise distances are computed between every pair of images of the set of images. In the third step, the pairwise distances having the smallest values are identified. In the fourth step, “lucky” image pairs are selected from the image pairs having the smallest displacement. These “lucky” image pairs will have a substantially reduced sub-pixel jitter. In an alternative embodiment, after performing the first step and before performing the second step, the set of images are processed to remove whole pixel displacements between the images in the set of images. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of generating a set of image pairs based on a visual scene, comprising the steps of: acquiring a plurality of images based on the visual scene; generating a plurality of measurements based on the plurality of images, wherein each measurement of the plurality of measurements is associated with two images selected from the plurality of images; selecting a subset of measurements from the plurality of measurements; and generating the set of image pairs based on the two images associated with each measurement of the subset of measurements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images is acquired using a moving camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of measurements is generated based on a function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of a similarity metric and a dissimilarity metric. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the function comprises a distance metric. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring a plurality of images based on the visual scene comprises a step of removing whole pixel displacements from the plurality of images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of image pairs is a set of lucky image pairs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the two images of each image pair of the set of image pairs have a substantially reduced sub-pixel displacement with respect to each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of images comprises a first set of images and a second set of images; the first set of images is acquired during a first time interval, the second set of images is acquired during a second time interval, and the first time interval is nonoverlapping with the second time interval; and each measurement of the plurality of measurements is additionally associated with one image from the first set of images and one image from the second set of images. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each image of the plurality of images is acquired at a different time instant. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of measurements is selected from the plurality of measurements by a method selected from the group consisting of selecting the most positive measurements from the plurality of measurements and selecting the least positive measurements from the plurality of measurements. ### Claim 12 A method of generating a set of image pairs based on a visual scene, comprising the steps of: acquiring a plurality of images based on the visual scene; defining a plurality of image pairs based on the plurality of images, wherein each image pair of the plurality of image pairs comprises two images selected from the plurality of images; generating a plurality of measurements based on the plurality of image pairs; and generating the set of image pairs based on the plurality of measurements and the plurality of image pairs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of images is acquired using a moving camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of measurements is generated based on a function. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the function comprises a distance metric. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of acquiring a plurality of images based on the visual scene comprises a step of removing whole pixel displacements from the plurality of images. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the set of image pairs is a set of lucky image pairs. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the plurality of images comprises a first set of images and a second set of images; the first set of images is acquired during a first time interval, the second set of images is acquired during a second time interval, and the first time interval is nonoverlapping with the second time interval; and each image pair of the plurality of image pairs comprises an image selected from the first set of images and an image selected from the second set of images. ### Claim 19 A method of generating a set of image pairs based on a visual scene, comprising the steps of: acquiring a plurality of images based on the visual scene; generating a plurality of measurements based on the plurality of images, wherein each measurement of the plurality of measurements is associated with a pair of images selected from the plurality of images; selecting a subset of measurements from the plurality of measurements; and generating the set of image pairs based on the subset of measurements and the plurality of images. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the sub-pixel displacement between the two images of each image pair of the set of image pairs is substantially less than one pixel.