Noise reduced color image using panchromatic image

A method for producing a noise-reduced digital image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels, comprising:

• a. providing a first image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses;
• b. providing from the first image a panchromatic image and interpolating the panchromatic image to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image;
• and
• c. using the full-resolution panchromatic image and the first image to produce the noise-reduced digital image by setting a plurality of color characteristics of the first image equal to corresponding panchromatic characteristics of the full-resolution panchromatic image at each color pixel location of the noise-reduced digital image, wherein the color and corresponding panchromatic characteristics include a median of differences of directional gradients among color pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the first image and a median of differences of directional gradients among panchromatic pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the full-resolution panchromatic image.

A method for producing a noise-reduced digital image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels, comprising:

• a. providing a first image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses;
• b. providing from the first image a panchromatic image and interpolating the panchromatic image to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image;
• and
• c. using the full-resolution panchromatic image and the first image to produce the noise-reduced digital image by setting a plurality of color characteristics of the first image equal to corresponding panchromatic characteristics of the full-resolution panchromatic image at each color pixel location of the noise-reduced digital image, wherein the color and corresponding panchromatic characteristics include a maximum of directional gradients among color pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the first image and a maximum of directional gradients among panchromatic pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the full-resolution panchromatic image.

A method for producing a noise-reduced digital image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels, comprising:

• a. providing a first image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses;
• b. providing from the first image a panchromatic image and interpolating the panchromatic image to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image;
• and
• c. using the full-resolution panchromatic image and the first image to produce the noise-reduced digital image by setting a plurality of color characteristics of the first image equal to corresponding panchromatic characteristics of the full-resolution panchromatic image at each color pixel location of the noise-reduced digital image, wherein the color and corresponding panchromatic characteristics include a maximum of differences of directional gradients among color pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the first image and a maximum of differences of directional gradients among panchromatic pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the full-resolution panchromatic image.

A method for producing a noise-reduced digital image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels, comprising:

• a. providing a first image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses;
• b. providing from the first image a panchromatic image and interpolating the panchromatic image to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image;
• and
• c. using the full-resolution panchromatic image and the first image to produce the noise-reduced digital image by setting a plurality of color characteristics of the first image equal to corresponding panchromatic characteristics of the full-resolution panchromatic image at each color pixel location of the noise-reduced digital image, wherein the color and corresponding panchromatic characteristics include a minimum of directional gradients among color pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the first image and a minimum of directional gradients among panchromatic pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the full-resolution panchromatic image.

A method for producing a noise-reduced digital image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels, comprising:

• a. providing a first image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses;
• b. providing from the first image a panchromatic image and interpolating the panchromatic image to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image;
• and
• c. using the full-resolution panchromatic image and the first image to produce the noise-reduced digital image by setting a plurality of color characteristics of the first image equal to corresponding panchromatic characteristics of the full-resolution panchromatic image at each color pixel location of the noise-reduced digital image, wherein the color and corresponding panchromatic characteristics include a minimum of differences of directional gradients among color pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the first image and a minimum of differences of directional gradients among panchromatic pixels in a valid pixel neighborhood of the full-resolution panchromatic image.