Image Quality Improvement Apparatus for Shoot Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image quality improvement techniques reduce edge transition time but often result in overshoot and undershoot, which distort the image and degrade quality.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that generate a quality-improved image signal by improving transition properties of the original image signal, filtering local overshoot and undershoot at edges, and controlling suppression of shoots using a transient improvement circuit and filter, which determines and corrects overshoot and undershoot based on derivative signals and edge frequency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If transient improvement technique is applied to reduce edge transition time, then image sharpness is improved, but overshoot and undershoot occur causing image distortion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveedge transition timeVSAvoidovershoot and undershoot

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent detects overshoot and undershoot phenomena in the transient-improved image signal and converts these harmful effects into beneficial corrections by restoring the signal to its original values, thereby eliminating distortion while preserving the sharpness improvement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the transient-improved image signal is compared with the original image signal to detect overshoot and undershoot conditions, and the correction process uses this feedback information to restore the signal appropriately

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If edge transition time is reduced to sharpen image, then image quality is improved, but distortion increases due to larger overshoots and undershoots

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage sharpnessVSAvoidimage fidelity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the harmful distortion caused by reduced transition time into a detectable signal characteristic, allowing the system to identify and correct overshoot and undershoot while maintaining the sharpness benefit

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing to different regions of the image signal - transient improvement is applied to all edges, while overshoot/undershoot correction is selectively applied only where these phenomena are detected, preserving local image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8049819B2Method of shoot suppression and an image quality improvement apparatus

Publication Date: 2011.11.01 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method of shoot suppression when transition properties of an image signal are improved. The method includes improving transition properties of an original image signal and filtering a local overshoot and/or undershoot at edges of the transient-improved image signal. Accordingly, a transition time of the original image signal may be reduced and generation of shoots may be suppressed so that a quality-improved image is generated.