Image Processing Apparatus for Heat Haze Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing methods for correcting heat haze distortion, such as time-series smoothing, fail when a moving body is present, leading to deteriorated image quality and inaccurate position matching, and super-resolution processes are computationally intensive due to the need for precise pixel-level matching.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that calculates similarity information between input images and time-series smoothed images, divides the image into moving body and background regions, and applies spatial and temporal smoothing filters accordingly, enabling accurate image synthesis and super-resolution processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If time-series smoothing is performed to correct heat haze distortion, then image visibility is improved, but image quality deteriorates when moving bodies are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image into multiple regions based on motion detection, separating moving body regions from stationary background regions. Different smoothing strategies are then applied to each region: temporal smoothing is applied to stationary regions to correct heat haze, while motion-compensated processing is applied to moving regions to maintain object integrity. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by preventing the smoothing algorithm from degrading moving objects while still correcting heat haze in stationary areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing quality and methods to different regions of the image. Stationary regions receive full temporal smoothing for heat haze correction, while moving regions receive adapted processing that preserves motion characteristics. This local differentiation allows the system to optimize image visibility in stationary areas without sacrificing the integrity of moving objects, thereby resolving the contradiction between visibility improvement and quality maintenance.
2Illumination intensity
If time-series smoothing is performed on the entire screen, then heat haze correction is achieved, but moving bodies are unintentionally superimposed on regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image into moving body regions and stationary background regions based on motion detection. By identifying which regions contain moving objects, the system applies temporal smoothing only to stationary regions where heat haze correction is needed, while applying motion-compensated processing to moving regions. This segmentation prevents the superposition artifact by excluding moving objects from the smoothing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the processing method based on the detected motion state of each region. When motion is detected in a region, the system switches from static temporal smoothing to dynamic motion-compensated processing. This dynamic adaptation ensures that moving bodies are not subjected to smoothing that would cause them to be superimposed on background regions, while still providing heat haze correction where appropriate.
3Measurement precision
If super-resolution process is performed using multiple temporal neighboring images, then resolution is increased, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing task into region-specific operations based on motion detection. By identifying moving body regions versus stationary background regions, the system applies super-resolution processing selectively and with different parameters for each region type. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high resolution in stationary regions through comprehensive super-resolution while reducing computational complexity in moving regions where motion compensation is applied instead, thereby resolving the contradiction between resolution improvement and computational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an image processing apparatus that can reduce degradation in image quality due to heat haze and the like. An input image memory 110 stores an input image group 200 and an input image 210. A time-series smoothed image memory 112 stores a time-series smoothed image 220 obtained by time series smoothing. A moving body removed image memory 113 stores a moving body removed image 230 that is a background image. A histogram analyzing unit 130 computes a differential of histograms of partial images for the input image 210 and the time-series smoothed image 220 or the moving body removed image 230, and calculates similarity information between the images. On the basis of the similarity information, a region dividing unit 140 divides the input image 210 into a moving body region, and a region other than the moving body region. An image correcting unit 150 performs image synthesis of the input image 210 or the time series-smoothed image 220, for each of the regions.