Image Processing Apparatus Using Signed Pixel Differences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing apparatuses face difficulties in appropriately smoothing and synthesizing images when noise components occur in pixel values, as they may incorrectly weight smoothing filters based on absolute pixel value differences, leading to inappropriate image processing.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that acquires pixel values from multiple smoothed images using different smoothing filters, considers both positive and negative pixel value differences, and adjusts synthesis weights accordingly to perform weighted synthesis, ensuring appropriate smoothing and synthesis even with noise present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If absolute values of pixel value differences are used for weighting smoothing filters, then the synthesis process becomes simpler, but noise components cause incorrect weighting and inappropriate smoothing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using the conventional approach of taking absolute values of pixel value differences, the invention inverts the approach by using the signed pixel value differences directly for weighting. This allows the weighting process to preserve the directional information (whether pixel values increase or decrease), enabling correct identification of the appropriate smoothing filter direction even in the presence of noise components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple smoothing filters are used to reduce noise, then noise reduction effectiveness improves, but determining the correct filter weighting becomes difficult when noise is present
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies feedback by using the pixel value differences (with sign preservation) to determine synthesis weights, which then feed back into the synthesis process. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adaptively select the appropriate smoothing filter based on the actual pixel value relationships, even when noise is present, by leveraging the directional information contained in the signed differences.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus (100) includes a synthetic image acquirer (24) for acquiring a plurality of smoothed images different from each other, in which noise components have been smoothed on an image to be processed, and that is operable to perform weighted synthesis of the smoothed images based on pixel value differences between a pixel value of a pixel of the image to be processed and pixel values of pixels of the acquired smoothed images, in which a positive and a negative have been taken into consideration.