IP Library Granted Patent US 12,482,147
Granted Patent B2
US 12,482,147 · App. 18/352,943 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Electronic device and method of image processing

Inventor: Kazuhiro Yahata (Icheon-si, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
G06T11/001G06T3/40G06T7/40G06T7/90G06T2207/10024
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,482,147
App. No.
18/352,943
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein is an electronic device and a method of image processing. An electronic device may include an image sensor configured to obtain image data including color pixel values and texture pixel values using color pixels and texture pixels, a resolution converter configured to generate two or more images having different sizes based on the image data, a parameter calculator configured to acquire two or more parametric images, respectively corresponding to the two or more images, using converted color pixel values and converted texture pixel values that are included in each of the two or more images, a parameter synthesizer configured to acquire a synthesized parametric image by synthesizing the two or more parametric images, and an image acquirer configured to acquire an output image based on the synthesized parametric image and the texture pixel values included in the image data.

Claims (58)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

an image sensor configured to obtain image data including color pixel values and texture pixel values using color pixels and texture pixels;

a resolution converter configured to generate two or more images having different sizes based on the image data;

a parameter calculator configured to acquire two or more parametric images, respectively corresponding to the two or more images, using converted color pixel values and converted texture pixel values that are included in each of the two or more images;

a parameter synthesizer configured to acquire a synthesized parametric image by synthesizing the two or more parametric images; and

an image acquirer configured to acquire an output image based on the synthesized parametric image and the texture pixel values included in the image data.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the resolution converter is configured to:

convert a resolution of the image data and then acquire a first image having a reduced size compared to the image data, and

convert a resolution of the first image and then acquire a second image having a reduced size compared to the first image.

3 . The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the parameter calculator is configured to:

acquire a first parametric image corresponding to the first image using first converted color pixel values and first converted texture pixel values that are included in the first image, and

acquire a second parametric image corresponding to the second image using second converted color pixel values and second converted texture pixel values that are included in the second image.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the parameter calculator is configured to obtain a first parameter value corresponding to a first point in the first parametric image by using first converted color pixel values and first converted texture pixel values that are included in a first region centered around the first point in the first image, among the first converted color pixel values and first converted texture pixel values that are included in the first image.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the parameter synthesizer is configured to generate the synthesized parametric image based on the first parametric image for a partial region in which a number of textures equal to or greater than a certain level are present, and generate the synthesized parametric image based on the second parametric image for a remaining partial region.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquirer is configured to:

obtain a function corresponding to the synthesized parametric image, and

generate the output image by inputting a pixel position and a texture pixel value corresponding to the pixel position to the function.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor includes, in each unit pixel arranged in a 2×2 array, one color pixel and three texture pixels, or two color pixels and two texture pixels.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the image sensor is configured to:

output one color pixel value and one texture pixel value in each unit pixel in a first mode, and

output one color pixel value and three texture pixel values, or two color pixel values and two texture pixel values, in each unit pixel in a second mode.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a pixel array and a color filter array,

wherein the color filter array includes color filters, and

wherein the pixel array includes the color pixels configured to receive light of a specific wavelength range transmitted through the color filters, and the texture pixels configured to receive light of a broader wavelength range without passing through the color filters.

10 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the resolution converter reduces a resolution of the image data to acquire a first image smaller than the image data, and further reduces a resolution of the first image to acquire a second image smaller than the first image.

11 . An image processor, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive image data including color pixel values and texture pixel values from an image sensor;

a resolution converter configured to generate two or more images having different sizes based on the image data;

a parameter calculator configured to acquire two or more parametric images, respectively corresponding to the two or more images, using converted color pixel values and converted texture pixel values that are included in each of the two or more images;

a parameter synthesizer configured to acquire a synthesized parametric image by synthesizing the two or more parametric images; and

an image acquirer configured to acquire an output image based on the synthesized parametric image and the texture pixel values included in the image data.

12 . The image processor according to claim 11 , wherein the resolution converter comprises:

a first resolution converter configured to convert a resolution of the image data and then acquire a first image having a reduced size compared to the image data; and

a second resolution converter configured to convert a resolution of the first image and then acquire a second image having a reduced size compared to the first image.

13 . The image processor according to claim 12 , wherein the parameter calculator comprises:

a first parameter calculator configured to acquire a first parametric image corresponding to the first image using first converted color pixel values and first converted texture pixel values that are included in the first image; and

a second parameter calculator configured to acquire a second parametric image corresponding to the second image using second converted color pixel values and second converted texture pixel values that are included in the second image.

14 . The image processor according to claim 13 , wherein the parameter synthesizer is configured to generate the synthesized parametric image based on the first parametric image for a partial region in which a number of textures equal to or greater than a certain level are present, and generate the synthesized parametric image based on the second parametric image for a remaining partial region.

15 . The image processor according to claim 11 , wherein the image acquirer is configured to:

obtain a function corresponding to the synthesized parametric image, and

generate the output image by inputting a pixel position and a texture pixel value corresponding to the pixel position to the function.

16 . An image processing method, comprising:

capturing image data including color pixel values and texture pixel values using color pixels and texture pixels that are included in an image sensor;

generating two or more images having different sizes by converting the image data;

acquiring two or more parametric images, respectively corresponding to the two or more images, using converted color pixel values and converted texture pixel values that are included in each of the two or more images;

synthesizing the two or more parametric images to acquire a synthesized parametric image; and

acquiring an output image based on the synthesized parametric image and the texture pixel values included in the image data.

17 . The image processing method according to claim 16 , wherein generating the two or more images having different sizes comprises:

converting a resolution of the image data and then acquiring a first image having a reduced size compared to the image data; and

converting a resolution of the first image and then acquiring a second image having a reduced size compared to the first image.

18 . The image processing method according to claim 17 , wherein acquiring the two or more parametric images comprises:

acquiring a first parametric image corresponding to the first image using first converted color pixel values and first converted texture pixel values that are included in the first image; and

acquiring a second parametric image corresponding to the second image using second converted color pixel values and second converted texture pixel values that are included in the second image.

19 . The image processing method according to claim 18 , wherein synthesizing the two or more parametric images to acquire the synthesized parametric image comprises:

generating the synthesized parametric image based on the first parametric image for a partial region in which a number of textures equal to or greater than a certain level are present, and generating the synthesized parametric image based on the second parametric image for a remaining partial region.

20 . The image processing method according to claim 16 , wherein acquiring the output image comprises:

obtaining a function corresponding to the synthesized parametric image; and

generating the output image by inputting a pixel position and a texture pixel value corresponding to the pixel position to the function.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2023
From: YAHATA, KAZUHIRO
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 064264/0687 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0019062 · Feb 14, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240273781A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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