Adaptive Pixel Block Sizing for Heat Haze Distortion Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies struggle to effectively reduce distortion caused by heat haze in surveillance camera images, especially when both stationary regions and moving objects are present, as they often result in image degradation due to incorrect pixel block sizes and smoothing processes.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that optimizes the comparison-target pixel block size for fluctuation correction, using a parameter control device to automatically determine the appropriate block size based on the level of air fluctuations, allowing for separate detection of object movement and distortion, thereby minimizing image degradation and improving resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple past images are added (averaged) to correct distortion, then distortion caused by air fluctuations is reduced, but moving objects are projected doubly or trebly causing image degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The image is divided into multiple pixel blocks of different sizes. By segmenting the image into different regions with different block sizes, the system can apply different processing strategies to stationary regions (using larger blocks for distortion correction) and moving object regions (using smaller blocks to avoid double projection), thus resolving the contradiction between distortion correction and moving object preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The comparison-target pixel block size is dynamically adjusted based on the detected level of air fluctuations. When air fluctuations are severe, larger block sizes are used for better distortion correction; when fluctuations are mild, smaller block sizes are used to preserve moving object details. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between distortion correction and moving object preservation according to actual conditions
2Device complexity
If a fixed pixel block size is used for fluctuation correction, then processing is simple, but image quality degrades due to incorrect block size selection
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a fixed pixel block size, the system dynamically determines the appropriate block size based on the detected level of air fluctuations. This dynamic approach allows the block size to adapt to different fluctuation conditions, improving image quality without requiring overly complex manual configuration or fixed-size constraints
3Manufacturing precision
If large pixel blocks are used for distortion correction, then distortion reduction is effective, but moving objects cannot be accurately detected
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into multiple pixel blocks of different sizes, allowing different regions to be processed with appropriate block sizes. Stationary regions use larger blocks for effective distortion correction, while regions containing moving objects use smaller blocks to maintain detection accuracy, thus resolving the contradiction between distortion correction effectiveness and moving object detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
Different pixel blocks have different sizes tailored to their specific needs. Rather than applying a uniform block size throughout the image, the system assigns larger blocks to areas requiring distortion correction and smaller blocks to areas requiring moving object detection, ensuring each region receives the appropriate processing quality
Data Source
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AI summary
An image processing apparatus for reducing fluctuations due to a heat haze in an image including a stationary region and a moving object obtains histogram of gradation distribution for each of a target image to be corrected and a frame for correction, and corrects the target image by using the frame for correction while changing a mixing ratio between the target image and the frame for correction depending on similarity between histograms. To adaptively control a size of image blocks for the histograms, the apparatus calculates two indices having different robustness to deformation of an object from image blocks of each of the target image and the frame for correction, and determines suitability of the image block size based on a relationship of the indices. The difference between the histograms and the sum of absolute differences (SAD) between the pixel values can be used as the two indices.