Resolution and image quality improvements for small image sensors
US6983080B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 19, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 9, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/48
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An image having higher resolution and/or better color is generated from multiple images of a subject taken by a handheld imaging device. The motion of the device, even when a user holds the device steady, gives the images perspectives that differ by an amount ranging from a fraction of a pixel to a few pixels. The differences in perspective provide different information about the subject that can be combined to create a better image. In particular, an image shifted by a non-integer number of pixels relative to another image provides information about portions of the subject that are between the pixels of the other image and usable for increasing resolution. Images shifted relative to each other by an integer number of pixels have aligned pixels that may provide different color information for the same portion of the subject when the aligned pixels correspond sensor elements having different color filters.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.