Image Processing Apparatus Specular Reflection Reduction Signal-to-Noise Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Polarization images captured using polarization filters have a low signal-to-noise ratio, making image processing challenging in dark environments due to light loss, which affects the removal of specular reflections.
Innovation Solution
An image processing method that involves obtaining normal and polarization images, calculating a difference image, and synthesizing them using a coefficient to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and reduce specular reflections, even in dark environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a polarization filter is used to capture polarization images, then specular reflection can be reduced, but the signal-to-noise ratio decreases due to light loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines polarization images and normal images through image synthesis to achieve both specular reflection reduction and high signal-to-noise ratio. The synthesized image merges the advantages of both image types: polarization images provide specular reflection removal while normal images maintain high light intensity and signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a normal image as an intermediary element that compensates for the signal loss in polarization images. By comparing and synthesizing polarization images with normal images, the system recovers signal information that would otherwise be lost in the polarization filtering process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If polarization images are used in dark environments, then specular reflection can be removed, but image processing becomes challenging due to low light amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges polarization images with normal images to create a synthesized image that maintains high signal-to-noise ratio suitable for dark environment processing. The normal image component provides sufficient light information for accurate image processing while the polarization image component removes specular reflections.
3Reliability
If all polarization components are captured in a normal image, then light amount is maximized, but specular reflection cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the strengths of normal images (high light amount, high signal-to-noise ratio) with polarization images (specular reflection removal) through image synthesis. The synthesized image achieves both high signal quality and specular reflection removal by intelligently merging both image types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively produces images with a higher signal-to-noise ratio and reduced specular reflections, improving image quality in dark environments by leveraging the difference between normal and polarization images.
Implementation Method 1
a polarization image captured with specific polarization components out of all the polarization components of the light
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing method which includes obtaining a normal image captured with all polarization components of light from an object, and a polarization image captured with specific polarization components out of all the polarization components of the light. The method further includes generating a difference image between the normal image and the polarization image; calculating, using pixel values of the difference image, a coefficient to be multiplied by at least one of a pixel value of the normal image and a pixel value of the polarization image; and synthesizing the normal image and the polarization image using a pixel value obtained by multiplying the coefficient by the at least one of the pixel value of the normal image and the pixel value of the polarization image to generate a synthesized image.