US 7,352,919 B2Granted

Method and system of generating a high-resolution image from a set of low-resolution images

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsHui Zhou, Graham Sellers, Ian Clarke

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method of generating a high-resolution image from a set of source low-resolution images includes estimating a high-resolution image based on the set of source low-resolution images. The estimated high-resolution image is then transformed into a set of estimated low-resolution images. The set of source low-resolution images is compared with the set of estimated low-resolution images to generate a set of low-resolution errors. The set of low-resolution errors is transfomed into a set of high-resolution errors. A high-resolution error image based on the set of high-resolution errors is generated. The high-resolution error image is combined with the estimated high resolution image to yield an updated estimated high-resolution. The above steps are repeated until the updated estimated high-resolution image is of a desired quality.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of generating a high-resolution image from a set of source low-resolution images comprising:

(a) estimating a high-resolution image based on the set of source low-resolution images;
(b) transforming the estimated high-resolution image into a set of estimated low-resolution images;
(c) comparing the set of source low-resolution images with the set of estimated low-resolution images to generate a set of low-resolution errors;
(d) transforming the set of low-resolution errors into a set of high-resolution errors;
(e) generating a high-resolution error image based on the set of high-resolution errors;
(f) combining the high-resolution error image with the estimated high resolution image to yield an updated estimated high-resolution image;
and
(g) repeating steps (b) to (f) until the updated estimated high-resolution image is of a desired quality;
and
wherein during said estimating, the source low-resolution images are registered, averaged and then scaled to high-resolution space thereby to yield said estimated high-resolution image;
wherein during registering of said low-resolution images, matching corners in adjoining low-resolution images I and I′ are determined and a transform between each adjoining pair of low-resolution images based on said matching corners is estimated;
and
wherein registering each pair of adjoining low-resolution images I and I′ comprises:
extracting features in each of said low-resolution images I and I′ corresponding to high curvature points therein;
determining corners adjacent said features;
and
matching the corners of low-resolution image I to corresponding corners of low-resolution image I′ thereby to register said low-resolution images I and I′.

14 more elements

A computer readable medium embodying a computer program for generating a high-resolution image from a set of source low-resolution images comprising:

computer program code for estimating a high-resolution image based on the set of source low-resolution images;
computer program code for first transforming the estimated high-resolution image into a set of estimated low-resolution images;
computer program code for comparing the set of source low-resolution images with the set of estimated low-resolution images to generate a set of low-resolution errors;
computer program code for second transforming the set of low-resolution errors into a set of high-resolution errors;
computer program code for generating a high-resolution error image based on said set of high-resolution errors;
computer program code for combining the high-resolution error image with the estimated high resolution image to yield an updated estimated high-resolution image;
and
computer program code for iteratively conditioning the first transforming, comparing, second transforming, generating and combining computer program code until the updated estimated high-resolution image is of a desired quality;
and
wherein during said estimating, the source low-resolution images are registered, averaged and then scaled to high-resolution space thereby to yield said estimated high-resolution image;
wherein during registering of said low-resolution images, matching corners in adjoining low-resolution images I and I′ are determined and a transform between each adjoining pair of low-resolution images based on said matching corners is estimated;
and
wherein registering each pair of adjoining low-resolution images I and I′ comprises:
extracting features in each of said low-resolution images I and I′ corresponding to high curvature points therein;
determining corners adjacent said features;
and
matching the corners of low-resolution image I to corresponding corners of low-resolution image I′ thereby to register said low-resolution images I and I′.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.