Image processing device and method for producing a restored image using a candidate point spread function

A method of producing a restored image from an input degraded image, the restored image having smaller blur than the degraded image, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) setting an nth restored image where n=1, 2, . . . , N (N is an integer not less than 2);
• (B) selecting a plurality of image block pairs from the degraded image and the nth restored image, each of the image block pairs being formed by two image blocks at identical coordinates in the degraded image and the nth restored image;
• (C) obtaining a plurality of point spread functions respectively corresponding to the plurality of image block pairs;
• (D) selecting a candidate point spread function which defines blur of the degraded image from among the plurality of point spread functions obtained in the PSF estimation section;
• and
• (E) producing a (n+1)th restored image from the degraded image using the candidate point spread function,
• wherein respective ones of steps (A) to (E) are started from n=1 and repeated till a N+1th restored image is produced.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for controlling an operation of an image processing device that is configured to repeatedly perform a restoration process based on an input degraded image to produce a restored image, the restored image having smaller blur than the degraded image, the program comprising the steps of:

• (A) setting an nth restored image where n=1, 2, . . . , N (N is an integer not less than 2);
• (B) selecting a plurality of image block pairs from the degraded image and the nth restored image, each of the image block pairs being formed by two image blocks at identical coordinates in the degraded image and the nth restored image;
• (C) obtaining a plurality of point spread functions respectively corresponding to the plurality of image block pairs;
• (D) selecting a candidate point spread function which defines blur of the degraded image from among the plurality of point spread functions obtained in the PSF estimation section;
• and
• (E) producing a (n+1)th restored image from the degraded image using the candidate point spread function,
• wherein the program instructs the image processing device to perform a process of starting respective ones of steps (A) to (E) from n=1 and repeating steps (A) to (E) till a N+1th restored image is produced.