Unified Frequency Transform for Artifact-Free Image Clarity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital image enhancement techniques face challenges such as halos, ringing, gradient reversal, flatness, and unrealistically remapped images, and fail to provide flexible full-spatial frequency control, noise filtering, and interactive user control, particularly in enhancing 3D data and parametric databases.

Innovation Solution

The Unified Frequency Transform (UFT) method and system, which performs spatially localized tonemapping, multi-resolution contrast enhancement, noise filtration, and gamut management independently or in combination, using Programmable Unit Interval Transforms (PUITs) for control and extending to various dimensions and parameters, facilitating efficient image and database enhancement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional image enhancement techniques are used, then image clarity may be improved, but artifacts such as halos, ringing, and gradient reversal occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage clarityVSAvoidartifacts (halos, ringing, gradient reversal)
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The image processing is segmented into multiple frequency bands using a frequency transform (e.g., Fourier transform, wavelet transform). Each frequency band is processed independently to enhance specific spatial frequencies while avoiding the generation of artifacts that occur when processing the entire image uniformly. This segmentation allows selective enhancement of edges and details without creating halos or ringing effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The enhancement technique applies different processing characteristics to different regions of the image based on local content. By analyzing local frequency content and applying adaptive filtering or contrast enhancement only where needed, the method improves image clarity in specific areas while preserving natural appearance elsewhere, avoiding uniform artifact generation across the entire image.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If conventional enhancement methods are applied, then certain image features may be enhanced, but flexible full-spatial frequency control is not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexible controlVSAvoidspatial frequency control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The enhancement system implements dynamic control over spatial frequency processing, allowing the processing parameters to be adjusted based on the input image characteristics and user preferences. The frequency-dependent transfer function can be dynamically modified to emphasize or suppress specific frequency ranges, providing flexible full-spatial frequency control while maintaining precise enhancement of desired features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The method employs adjustable parameters in the frequency domain processing, such as cutoff frequencies, gain factors, and filter shapes, that can be changed to control the enhancement characteristics. By modifying these parameters, the system achieves flexible control over which spatial frequencies are enhanced and to what degree, allowing adaptation to different image types and enhancement goals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If noise filtering is applied, then image quality may be improved, but computational resources and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into frequency bands, and noise filtering is applied selectively to specific frequency ranges where noise is most prominent. By concentrating filtering efforts on problematic frequency bands rather than processing the entire frequency spectrum uniformly, the method achieves effective noise reduction with reduced computational complexity and faster processing speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filtering approach applies partial processing to the image data, focusing computational resources on the frequency bands that contain noise while leaving other bands minimally processed or unprocessed. This selective partial action achieves sufficient image quality improvement without the computational overhead of comprehensive full-spectrum filtering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11164295B2Methods and apparatus for enhancing optical images and parametric databases
Publication Date: 2021.11.02 STEWART MICHAEL EDWIN
  • US11164295B2 patent drawing
  • US11164295B2 patent drawing
  • US11164295B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for enhancing optical images and parametric databases are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes identifying a parametric database having one or more dimensions of varying parameter values, and enhancing the parametric database utilizing a pyramid data structure that includes a plurality of pyramid levels as an input to and output from the frequency blender. Each of the plurality of levels of the pyramid data structure includes an instance of the parametric database having a unique parameter sampling resolution, a frequency isolation representation at that resolution, and a frequency blended representation of the parametric database at that resolution. The method also includes utilizing a frequency blender and auto throttle to perform the blending of a plurality of levels, and returning the enhanced parametric database.