Bayer Pattern Image Reconstruction Architecture

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image and video capture systems using Bayer pattern color filter arrays face challenges in memory size and communication bandwidth due to the need for interpolating missing color values, which is computationally intensive and difficult to implement in handheld devices with limited resources.

Innovation Solution

A simplified architecture that decodes and reconstructs images directly from the Bayer pattern to a target mosaic pattern, using multiple algorithms to calculate target pixels based on real and virtual source pixels, reducing memory size and improving communication bandwidth, and can be easily implemented in hardware like FPGAs and ASICs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional bilinear reconstruction or full RGB pattern methods are used, then image quality is improved, but memory size and communication bandwidth requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidmemory size

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the color filter array into separate red, green, and blue pixel patterns, processing each color channel independently through demosaicing and reconstruction operations. This segmentation allows the system to handle only the necessary color information for each pixel location rather than processing all three color values simultaneously, thereby reducing memory requirements while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and processes only the essential color information from the Bayer pattern by separating the demosaicing and reconstruction operations from the full RGB pattern processing. By taking out the necessary color data and processing it through specialized algorithms, the system achieves high image quality without requiring the full memory bandwidth associated with traditional RGB pattern methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If traditional bilinear reconstruction or full RGB pattern methods are used, then image quality is improved, but communication bandwidth increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidcommunication bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the color filter array into separate red, green, and blue pixel patterns, processing each color channel independently through demosaicing and reconstruction operations. This segmentation allows the system to handle only the necessary color information for each pixel location rather than processing all three color values simultaneously, thereby reducing memory requirements while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and processes only the essential color information from the Bayer pattern by separating the demosaicing and reconstruction operations from the full RGB pattern processing. By taking out the necessary color data and processing it through specialized algorithms, the system achieves high image quality without requiring the full memory bandwidth associated with traditional RGB pattern methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If complex reconstruction algorithms are used to improve image quality, then computational accuracy increases, but hardware implementation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputational accuracyVSAvoidhardware implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the color filter array into separate red, green, and blue pixel patterns, processing each color channel independently through demosaicing and reconstruction operations. This segmentation allows the system to handle only the necessary color information for each pixel location rather than processing all three color values simultaneously, thereby reducing memory requirements while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different reconstruction algorithms tailored to specific local conditions and color channels. By analyzing the local pixel distribution and applying appropriate algorithms (such as different demosaicing methods for different color channels), the system achieves high computational accuracy while keeping the overall hardware implementation manageable through localized processing rather than global complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8165394B2Reconstruction of image in a Bayer pattern

Publication Date: 2012.04.24 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Architecture for decoding (demosaicing) a source image and performing reconstruction directly from the Bayer pattern to reduce memory size and improve communication bandwidth. The architecture can be easily implemented in hardware such as in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).