Image Processing Apparatus Texture Blending for Flicker Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing techniques for enlarging digital images often result in image degradation and flicker when applied to moving images, as they frequently switch between different block images during enlargement processing, leading to unstable and lower-quality output images.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that generates an output image with resolution equal to or higher than the original by converting the image resolution, detecting similar areas in intermediate resolution images, generating similarity information, combining high-frequency components to create texture images, and blending these with the output resolution image to compensate for high-frequency components, thereby stabilizing and enhancing image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If block image enlargement processing is performed by selecting the block with highest similarity, then image enlargement is achieved, but image stability deteriorates due to frequent switching between blocks causing flicker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stability evaluation mechanism that dynamically assesses the stability of selected block images during enlargement processing. When a block image exhibits instability (frequent switching), the system adjusts by selecting alternative blocks or applying smoothing operations, thereby maintaining image stability while preserving quality enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by evaluating the stability of enlarged image regions and adjusting the block selection process accordingly. When flicker or instability is detected, the feedback mechanism triggers reselection of blocks or application of stabilization techniques, ensuring consistent image quality without harmful switching artifacts.
2Device complexity
If linear interpolation is used for image enlargement, then processing simplicity is maintained, but image quality deteriorates due to blurring of high-frequency components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image into multiple blocks and processes each block independently using similarity-based selection. This segmentation allows the system to preserve high-frequency components in each block while maintaining overall processing efficiency, avoiding the blurring effect of global linear interpolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality enhancement by selecting block images based on similarity metrics for each specific region. This local approach preserves high-frequency components and fine details in different parts of the image, contrasting with the uniform blurring effect of linear interpolation while keeping processing complexity manageable.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple intermediate resolution images are generated and processed, then image quality is enhanced through multiple texture images, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a stability evaluation mechanism that determines when sufficient quality enhancement has been achieved. By evaluating the stability and quality of intermediate results, the system can terminate processing early when acceptable quality is reached, avoiding unnecessary computation time while still providing quality enhancement when beneficial.
Data Source
AI summary
A image processing apparatus includes a first image converting section for converting an original image into an output resolution image, a second image converting section for converting the original image into an intermediate resolution image, a similarity information generating section for detecting a plurality of similar areas, in a block in the intermediate resolution image corresponding to a predetermined partial area in the output resolution image, that resemble the partial area, and for generating similarity information including a position of each of the plurality of similar areas in the intermediate resolution image and a weight of the position, a texture generating section for generating a texture image by combining high-frequency components of the intermediate resolution image at the position according to the weight, and a texture blending section for blending the output resolution image and the texture image to generate output image.