Method and apparatus for deblurring and re-blurring image segments

A method of de-blurring a segment of an image, the method comprising:

• selecting the segment;
• identifying pixels of interest near a boundary of the segment;
• calculating blur contributions for the pixels by determining a first color vector relating to the segment, a second color vector relating to at least one adjacent segment in proximity to the pixels, and a third color vector relating to the pixels, wherein the blur contributions are in a same direction as a first difference vector comprising the second color vector minus the first color vector and are proportional to a blur coefficient, wherein the blur coefficient comprises a first dot product between the second and first difference vectors divided by a second dot product between two first difference vectors;
• and
• subtracting the blur contributions from color vectors of the pixels to remove blurring from the segment.

A method of blurring a two-dimensional segment of an image, the method comprising:

• selecting the two-dimensional segment;
• identifying boundary pixels in a boundary region near a border between the two-dimensional segment and one or more adjacent two-dimensional segments;
• determining blur contributions to the boundary pixels from the one or more adjacent two-dimensional segments;
• and
• adding the blur contributions to color vectors of the boundary pixels to add blurring to the two-dimensional segment.

An apparatus for determining blur contributions to a particular two-dimensional segment from adjacent two-dimensional segments of an image, the apparatus comprising:

• means for selecting the particular two-dimensional segment;
• means for identifying boundary pixels in a boundary region near a border between the particular two-dimensional and one or more adjacent two-dimensional segments;
• and
• means for determining the blur contributions for the boundary pixels from the adjacent two-dimensional segment;
• means for subtracting the blur contributions from color vectors of the boundary pixels to remove blurring from the particular two-dimensional segment.