Depth-of-focus imaging process method
AssigneeRCA Corporation
InventorEdward H. Adelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved-focus 2-D image is derived from an assemblage of M separately focused 2-D images of the same 3-D scene by (1) employing the Burt Pyramid image analyzing technique to separately analyze each of the M separately focused images into N similar sets of pixel samples, (2) selecting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis from each group of M corresponding sets of the assemblage, the best focused pixel, to derive a single analyzed image of N sets of improved-focus pixels, and (3) employing the Burt Pyramid image synthesizing technique to synthesize the improved-focus 2-D image from the single analyzed image of N sets.
Claims8
A method for processing M (where M is a first plural integer) two-dimensional images of a given three-dimensional spatial scene, which images are separately focused in the depth dimension, to derive therefrom a single improved-focus two-dimensional image of said given three-dimensional scene, each of said M images being defined by a spatial-frequency spectrum corresponding thereto;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing the respective spatial-frequency spectra of said M two-dimensional images into M substantially similar assemblages of N separate sets of pixel samples having sample levels that vary in height and defining N specified spatial frequency bands (where N is a second plural integer), each of said N separate sets occurring at a sample density that corresponds therewith and the respective sample densities of each individual group of sets that define corresponding ones of said specified bands of said M assmblages being substantially the same as one another;
- (b) selecting, as a given function of the relative levels of a sub-group of corresponding samples of each of said individual group of sets, a single one of the corresponding samples of that sub-group to derive thereby respective single sets of improved-focus pixel samples for each of said N bands;
- and
- (c) combining corresponding pixel samples of said respective single sets to derive thereby said improved-focus two-dimensional image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.