Filter system and method for efficiently suppressing noise and improving edge definition in a digitized image
US5933540A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N1/4092
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A filter system and associated method efficiently suppress noise and improve edge definition in a digitized image. The filter system has a statistical noise determination mechanism which initially determines a baseline noise level of the image. The baseline noise level is used by a filter(s) which operates upon the image data at a later time. After the statistical noise determination mechanism, the filter system generally comprises three independent system branches. Each branch has one or more filters. Each filter is configured to receive an image data array and to modify the image data array to derive a respective modified image data array. Further, each branch has a gain control mechanism adapted to modify a respective modified image data array based upon a gain factor. Finally, an assimilation mechanism combines the modified image data arrays from the gain control mechanisms to derive an improved image data array. Optionally, a rescale mechanism may be employed for adjusting intensities corresponding with pixel values of the improved image data array so that the intensities reside within a predefined range, without degradation in image resolution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.