Apparatus and method for successive multi-frame image denoising

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first subtractor including a first input to receive a frame of an image, a second input, and an output;

a first Wiener filter including at least one input connected to the output of the first subtractor, and configured to filter the frame of the image and output a filtered frame;

a summation function block or a first adder including a first input connected to an output of the first Wiener filter, a second input connected to the first input of the first subtractor or an output of a second Wiener filter, and an output;

a multiplier including a first input connected to the output of the summation function block or the first adder, a second input for receiving a predetermined fractional value less than one, and an output; and

a frame delayer including a first input connected to the output of the multiplier, and an output, and configured to feedback, to the first Wiener filter, an estimate of the image that is based on the filtered frame,

wherein the second input of the subtractor is the output of the frame delayer or a reference frame, and

wherein the first Wiener filter is further configured to filter each subsequent frame of the image based on a corresponding estimate of the image that is based on a previously filtered frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

the first subtractor including the second input connected to the output of the frame delayer, and the output connected to a first input and a second input of the first Wiener filter;

the summation function block including the second input connected to the first input of the first subtractor; and

the multiplier including the first input connected to the output of the summation function block.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

an image registrator including an input and an output;

a patch extractor including an input connected to the output of the image registrator and an output;

a two dimensional (2D) transformer including an input connected to the output of the patch extractor and an output connected to the first input of the first subtractor;

a spatial denoiser including an input connected to the output of the summation function block and an output; and

a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner including an input connected to the output of the spatial denoiser and an output.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

the first subtractor including the second input to receive the reference frame, and an output connected to a first input of the first Wiener filter;

the summation function block including the second input connected to the first input of the first subtractor; and

the multiplier including the first input connected to the output of the summation function block; and

a second subtractor including a first input connected to the output of the frame delayer, a second input connected to the first input of the first subtractor, and an output connected to a second input of the first Wiener filter.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

an image registrator including an input and an output;

a patch extractor including an input connected to the output of the image registrator and an output;

a two dimensional (2D) transformer including an input connected to the output of the patch extractor and an output connected to the first input of the first subtractor;

a spatial denoiser including an input connected to the output of the summation function block and an output; and

a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner including an input connected to the output of the spatial denoiser and an output.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

the first subtractor including the second input connected to the output of the frame delayer, and the output connected to a first input and a second input of the first Wiener filter;

a second adder including a first input connected to the first input of the first subtractor, a second input connected to the output of the frame delayer, and an output;

the second Wiener filter including a first input and a second input connected to the output of the second adder, and an output;

the first adder including the second input connected to the output of the second Wiener filter; and

the multiplier including the first input connected to the output of the first adder.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

an image registrator including an input and an output;

a patch extractor including an input connected to the output of the image registrator and an output;

a two dimensional (2D) transformer including an input connected to the output of the patch extractor and an output connected to the first input of the first subtractor;

a spatial denoiser including an input connected to the output of the first adder and an output; and

a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner including an input connected to the output of the spatial denoiser and an output.

8. A method, comprising:

subtracting, by a first subtractor, a first input of a frame of an image from a second input;

filtering, by a first Wiener filter, the frame of the image to output a filtered frame;

summing, by a summation function block or a first adder, an output of the first Weiner filter, and the first input of the subtractor or an output of a second Wiener filter;

multiplying, by a multiplier, a predetermined fractional value less than one and an output of the summation function block or the first adder;

inputting a result of the multiplication to a frame delayer;

feeding back, by the frame delayer, to the first Wiener filter, an estimate of the image that is based on the filtered frame; and

filtering, by the first Wiener filter, each subsequent frame of the image based on a corresponding estimate of the image that is based on a previously filtered frame,

wherein the second input of the first subtractor is an output of the frame delayer or a reference frame.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

subtracting, by the first subtractor, the frame of the image from the output of the frame delayer,

wherein the summing comprises summing, by the summation function block, the output of the first Wiener filter and the first input of the first subtractor, and

wherein the multiplying comprises multiplying, by the multiplier, the output of the summation function block and the predetermined fractional value less than one.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, by an image registrator, a registration of images in a signal;

extracting, by a patch extractor, patches from the images;

transforming, by a two dimensional (2D) transformer, an output of the patch extractor;

spatially denoising, by a spatial denoiser, the output of the summation function block; and

transforming, by a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, the output of the spatial denoiser; and

combining, by the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, patches from an output of the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

subtracting, by the first subtractor, the frame of the image from the reference frame,

wherein the summing comprises summing, by the summation function block, the output of the first Wiener filter and the frame of the image received by the first subtractor, and

wherein the multiplying comprises multiplying, by the multiplier, the output of the summation function block and the predetermined fractional value less than one;

subtracting, by a second subtractor, the frame of the image from the output of the frame delayer; and

providing an output of the second subtractor to the first Wiener filter.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining, by an image registrator, a registration of images in a signal;

extracting, by a patch extractor, patches from the images;

transforming, by a two dimensional (2D) transformer, an output of the patch extractor;

providing the output of 2D transformer to the first subtractor;

spatially denoising, by a spatial denoiser, the output of the summation function block;

transforming, by a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, the output of the spatial denoiser; and

combining, by the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, patches from an output of the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

subtracting, by a first subtractor, the frame of the image from the output of the frame delayer;

providing a result of the subtraction to the first Wiener filter;

adding, by a second adder, the frame of the image and the output of the frame delayer;

filtering, by the second Wiener filter, the output of the second adder;

wherein the summing comprises adding, by the first adder, the output of the first Wiener filter and the output of the second Wiener filter, and

wherein the multiplying comprises multiplying, by the multiplier, the output of the first adder and the predetermined fractional value less than one.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining, by an image registrator, a registration of images in a signal;

extracting, by a patch extractor, patches from the images;

transforming, by a two dimensional (2D) transformer, an output of the patch extractor;

providing an output of the 2D transformer to the first subtractor;

spatially denoising, by a spatial denoiser, the output of the first adder;

transforming, by a 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, an output of the spatial denoiser; and

combining, by the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner, patches from an output of the 2D inverse transformer and patch combiner.