Virtual image generation

摘要

There is described a method for the creation of at least a second, virtual image (200) from a first image (100) captured by a user or retrieved from a storage device to aid interpretation of image content. This allows, for instance, implementing a multishot image quality enhancement scheme based on the real image and the virtual image.

主权项

1. A method of creating at least a second image from a first image, defined by pixel values, comprising:
selecting a first pixel in the first image at a position defined by coordinates in the first image; defining a first neighbourhood of pixels around the first pixel of the first image, said first neighbourhood of pixels having defined size and position; defining a further neighbourhood of pixels as a search area window of defined size and position sufficient to contain at least the first pixel; selecting second and subsequent pixels in the first image, said second and subsequent pixels being different from the first pixel and contained within the search area window; defining second and subsequent neighbourhoods of pixels of defined size and position around each second and subsequent pixel selected, respectively, said size of said second and subsequent neighbourhoods of pixels corresponding to the size of the first neighbourhood of pixels; computing distance values between the first neighbourhood of pixels and second on the one hand, and subsequent neighbourhoods of pixels on the other hand; processing the computed distance values; selecting, among the second and subsequent neighbourhoods of pixels, one neighbourhood of pixels corresponding to a chosen distance value; selecting a reference pixel in the first image corresponding to the pixel in the first image associated with the selected neighbourhood of pixels; attributing the value of the selected reference pixel to a pixel at defined position in the second image corresponding to the position of the first pixel in the first image relative to the first image boundaries; and completing the second image by repeating the above steps for further pixels in the first image.