Hierarchical Grid Interpolation for Image Warping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Coarse pixel grids used for image warping result in image artifacts, while finer grids increase processing time and resource usage, and can reveal objects with no existing image data, leading to further distortion.

Innovation Solution

A hierarchical grid with a quad-tree structure is used, where grid partitions are split based on image statistics, allowing for variable granularity and ignoring invalid regions to reduce processing time and bandwidth usage, and using hierarchical interpolation to maintain image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a coarse pixel grid is used for image warping, then processing time and resource usage are reduced, but image artifacts increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple partitions that form a hierarchical grid structure. Each partition can be processed independently with appropriate grid density, allowing fine-grained processing where needed and coarse processing where acceptable, thus balancing image quality and processing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the image are assigned different grid densities based on their importance and content characteristics. Critical regions use finer grids to maintain image quality, while less critical regions use coarser grids to reduce processing load, achieving local optimization of the warping process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If a fine pixel grid is used for image warping, then image quality is improved, but processing time and resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The hierarchical grid structure segments the processing into multiple levels, where a coarse grid provides the overall framework and finer grids provide detailed corrections only where necessary. This segmentation eliminates the need to apply fine-grained processing across the entire image, significantly reducing total processing time while maintaining quality where needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying uniform fine-grid processing across the entire image, the system applies processing at multiple hierarchical levels, using finer grids only partially in regions where image quality is critical. This partial action approach achieves sufficient image quality without the excessive processing cost of applying fine grids everywhere

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of manufacture

If uniform grid partitioning is used, then implementation is simpler, but processing efficiency is reduced due to unnecessary calculations in invalid regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The grid is segmented into multiple partitions with clear hierarchical relationships. Invalid regions are identified and marked at the partition level, allowing the processing system to skip entire partitions rather than calculating individual pixels. This segmentation maintains relatively simple implementation while dramatically improving efficiency by eliminating wasted calculations in invalid regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12106444B2Hierarchical grid interpolation systems and methods
Publication Date: 2024.10.01 APPLE INC
  • US12106444B2 patent drawing
  • US12106444B2 patent drawing
  • US12106444B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An electronic device may include an electronic display to display an image based on processed image data. The electronic device may also include image processing circuitry to determine a hierarchical grid having multiple grid points divided into grid partitions. A first set of grid points associated with a first set of grid partitions may include a first set of mappings to corresponding coordinates of input image data in a source frame. The image processing circuitry may also interpolate between the first set of grid points to determine a second set of grid points of having a second set of mappings to corresponding coordinates of the input image data based on the first set of mappings. The image processing circuitry may also generate the processed image data by applying the first set of mappings and the second set of mappings to the input image data.