Image processing method and device
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsStephen Bernard Pollard, Richard Oliver Kahn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of reconstructing an image captured as a stream of image data, for example as input received from a linear sensor in unconstrained scanning, comprises reconstructing the image in the form of a plurality of tiles. Each tile comprises a pixel grid of predetermined dimension representing a specific spatial region of the image. The tiles tessellate a rectilinear image space. Tiles can be created when required and compressed when no longer active, thus minimizing memory requirements. Devices utilizing this method are provided. The method is especially appropriate for use in an unconstrained hand scanner, but can also be applied to panoramic capture with a digital camera.
Claims28
A method of reconstructing an image from a plurality of discretely captured image elements, each image element comprising image data captured in an image sensor and position data indicating a position of that image element with respect to others of the image elements, the method comprising:
- defining a reconstruction space having a plurality of tile locations, each tile location comprising a pixel grid of predetermined dimension representing a specific spatial region of the image in the reconstruction space;
- mapping each image element onto one or more tiles in appropriate tile locations in the reconstruction space to provide a reconstructed image in the form of a plurality of tiles.
A scanning system comprising:
- an image capture device for discrete capture of a plurality of image elements, the image capture device comprising an image sensor wherein each image element comprises image data captured in the image sensor and position data indicating a position of that image element with respect to others of the image elements;
- and
- a signal processor adapted to reconstructing the image from the plurality of image elements, wherein the signal processor defines a reconstruction space in the form of a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising a pixel grid of predetermined dimension representing a specific spatial region of the image, and wherein the signal processor is maps each image element onto one or more tiles in appropriate tile locations in the reconstruction space to provide a reconstructed image in the form of a plurality of tiles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.