System for creating a high resolution image from a sequence of lower resolution motion images

Apparatus for creating a high resolution image from a sequence of lower resolution motion images, comprising:

• a. a source for producing a sequence of lower resolution motion images;
• b. an image processor for receiving the sequence of lower resolution images and creating the high resolution image, including:
• i. means for producing a mapping transformation for each low resolution image to map pixels in each low resolution image into locations in the high resolution image;
• ii. means for computing a combined point spread function (combined PSF) for each pixel in each lower resolution image employing the mapping transformations, the means for computing a combined point spread function including means for calculating an effective sensor aperture relative to the high resolution image for each pixel in each lower resolution image employing the mapping transformations, means for calculating PSF's for the effective sensor apertures, means for defining an optical PSF, and means for combining the calculated PSF for each pixel with the optical PSF to produce the combined PSF for each pixel;
• iii. means for generating the high resolution image from the lower resolution images employing the combined PSF by projection onto convex sets (POCS);
• and
• c. a display device for displaying the high resolution image.

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for creating a high resolution image from a sequence of lower resolution motion images, by the steps of:

• a. producing a mapping transformation for each lower resolution image to map pixels in each lower resolution image into locations in the high resolution image;
• b. computing a combined point spread function (combined PSF) for each pixel in each lower resolution image employing the mapping transformations, by
• i. calculating an effective sensor aperture relative to the high resolution image for each pixel in each lower resolution image employing the mapping transformations;
• ii. calculating PSF's for the effective sensor apertures;
• iii. defining an optical PSF;
• and
• iv. combining the calculated PSF for each pixel with the optical PSF to produce the combined PSF for each pixel;
• c. generating the high resolution image from the lower resolution images employing the combined PSF by projection onto convex sets (POCS);
• and
• d. displaying the high resolution image.