US 7,071,978 B2 · Image mosaic data reconstruction

Abstract

This invention relates to the reconstruction of a full colour image from image mosaic data in particular where the image mosaic data is unequally weighted between different colours. The image mosaic is composed of a plurality of image pixels. Each image pixel has one of at least three colour values and has a luminance value representing the intensity of the colour value for that pixel in the image mosaic. The pixels of each colour value are interleaved across the image mosaic with pixels of different colour values to form the image mosaic. For each colour value, both a low spatial frequency monochrome image and a high spatial frequency luminance image are generated, the high spatial frequency luminance image extending only across pixels locations of the image mosaic for that colour value. Each of the high spatial frequency luminance images is then combined with a corresponding low spatial frequency monochrome image to form the full colour image.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of de-mosaicing an image mosaic to form a full colour image, the image mosaic being composed of a plurality of image pixels and each image pixel having one of at least three colour values and having a luminance value representing the intensity of the colour value for that pixel in the image mosaic, the pixels of each colour value being interleaved across the image mosaic with pixels of different colour values to form the image mosaic, the method comprising the steps of:

i) for each colour value, generating from the pixels for that colour value a low spatial frequency monochrome image;
ii) for each colour value, generating from the pixels for that colour value a high spatial frequency luminance image that extends only across pixel locations of the image mosaic for that colour value;
iii) combining each of the high spatial frequency luminance images with each of the corresponding low spatial frequency monochrome images to form the full colour image.

A device for de-mosaicing an image mosaic to form a full colour image, the device comprising a processor, software, and a memory, in which the memory stores image mosaic data representative of an image mosaic having a plurality of image pixels, said image mosaic data including for each pixel one of at least three colour values and a luminance value representing the intensity of the colour value for that pixel in the image mosaic, the pixels of each colour value being interleaved across the image mosaic with pixels of different colour values to form the image mosaic, wherein the processor, software and memory are operable to:

a) generate from the image mosaic data, for each colour value, smoothed image data representative of a low spatial frequency monochrome image;
b) generate from the image mosaic data, for each colour value, image data representative of a high spatial frequency image for that colour value that extends only across pixels locations of the image mosaic for that colour value;
c) combine the high frequency image data with the smoothed image data for each colour value to form de-mosaiced image data representative of the full colour image.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image mosaic data reconstruction

Life of this patent

Image mosaic data reconstruction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20