Method for processing a digital image

1. A method for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h, comprising removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise, and calculating F based upon B′,

wherein an amount of noise is calculated in a plurality of images B, and the image B′ is selected as an image of essentially minimal noise among the images B.

2. A method for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h, comprising removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise, and calculating F based upon B′,

wherein the amount of noise in an image is calculated using an algebraic expression involving the gradient of a function P(x) obtained by inverse Fourier transform of {tilde over (B)}(q)/{tilde over (h)}(q).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of noise N in an image B is calculated according to the algebraic expression N=∫∇P(x)·∇P*(x)dx, wherein Δ indicates the gradient and “*” indicates complex conjugate.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein {tilde over (B)}′(q), the Fourier transform of B′, is equal to {tilde over (B)} i+1 (q) for some integer i, where {tilde over (B)} i+1 (q) is obtained according to the algebraic expression {tilde over (B)} i+1 (q)={tilde over (B)} 1 (q)(1+ε∥{tilde over (D)}(q)∥ 2 q 2 ) i , where ε is a small positive number.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein {tilde over (B)}′(q) is obtained according to the algebraic expression {tilde over (B)}′(q)={tilde over (B)} 1 (q)e −α∥{tilde over (D)}(q)∥ 2 q 2 , where α is a predetermined constant, and {tilde over (D)}(q) is the Fourier transform of 1/h.

6. A method for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h, comprising removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise, and calculating F based upon B′,

wherein calculating F involves calculating an inverse Fourier transform of the algebraic expression {tilde over (B)}(q)/{tilde over (h)}(q). wherein {tilde over (B)}′(q)is the Fourier transform of the image B′ of reduced noise, and {tilde over (h)}(q)is the Fourier transform of h.

7. A method for processing a deconvoluted image B, the image B having been deconvoluted according to a deconvolution filter D, the method comprising reducing correlation between the image and the deconvolution filter,

wherein an amount of correlation is calculated in a plurality of images P, and an image P′ is selected among the images P as an image having essentially minimal correlation with the deconvolution filter.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the amount of correlation C in an image P is calculated according to the algebraic expression C=∫dq∥{tilde over (D)}(q)∥ 2 ·∥{tilde over (P)}(q)∥ 2 wherein {tilde over (P)}(q) is the Fourier transform of an image P.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein {tilde over (P)}′(q), the Fourier transform of P′, is equal to {tilde over (P)} i+1 (q) for some integer i, where {tilde over (P)} i+1 (q) is obtained according to the algebraic expression {tilde over (P)} i+1 (q)={tilde over (P)} 1 (q)(1+ε∥{tilde over (D)}(q)∥ 2 ) i , where ε is a small positive number.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein {tilde over (P)}′(q) is obtained according to the algebraic expression e,otl P′(q)={tilde over (P)} 1 (q)e −β∥{tilde over (D)}(q)∥ 2 , where βis a predetermined constant.

11. A method for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h comprising the steps of:

removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise;

obtaining function {tilde over (P)} 1 (q) according to the algebraic expression {tilde over (P)} 1 (q)={tilde over (B)}′(q)/{tilde over (h)}(q);

reducing correlation between {tilde over (P)} 1 and 1/{tilde over (h)} so as to product a function {tilde over (P)}′ of reduced correlation; and

obtaining a rectified image F by inverse Fourier transform of {tilde over (P)}′(q).

12. A method for obtaining a radius r of a point spread function h describing an out-of-focus distortion of a digital image B, the method comprising a step of calculating a gradient at a plurality of pixels in the image B, in which a radius r(x) is calculated at each of the plurality of pixels based upon the gradient.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of pixels is located at an edge of the image B.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein a radius r(x) is inversely proportional to the gradient at x.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein r is obtained as the r(x) having an essentially maximal frequency among the calculated radii r(x).

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein a radius r(x) is calculated according to the algebraic expression r(x)=2/πs(x) , wherein s(x) is the absolute value of the gradient of B at x normalized by dividing by the height of the edge at x.

17. A method for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h, comprising removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise, and calculating F based upon B′,

further comprising a step of producing the image B′ from an image B 0 , where the image B 0 was obtained using a digital camera that applies a transformation to a light level detected at a pixel, the transformation having an inverse, wherein B 1 is obtained from the image B 0 by applying to the image B 0 the inverse transformation.

18. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for processing a digital image B 1 , the image B 1 being a convolution of an image F and a point spread function h, comprising the steps of:

removing noise from the image B 1 so as to produce an image B′ of reduced noise;

obtaining function {tilde over (P)} 1 (q) according to the algebraic expression {tilde over (P)} 1 (q)={tilde over (B)}′(q)/{tilde over (h)}(q);

reducing calculation between {tilde over (P)} 1 and {tilde over (1)}/h so as to product a function ′ of reduced correlation; and

obtaining a rectified image F by inverse Fourier transform of {tilde over (P)}′(q).