Method of removing an artefact from an image

Abstract

A method of removing an artefact from an image captured with a motion invariant camera is disclosed. The captured image is de-blurred using a spatially invariant blur kernel. An edge filter with a fixed offset is applied to the de-blurred image to identify the location of at least one artefact. A parameter is estimated based on a region either side of the identified location. The at least one artefact is removed from the de-blurred image using the parameter.

1 . A method of removing an artefact from an image captured with a motion invariant camera, said method comprising the steps of:
 de-blurring the captured image using a spatially invariant blur kernel;   applying an edge filter with a fixed offset to said de-blurred image to identify the location of at least one artefact;   estimating a parameter based on a region either side of said identified location; and   removing said at least one artefact from said de-blurred image using said parameter.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , where said parameter represents speed of a moving object in the image. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , where a kernel associated with said edge filter is [−1, 1], offset a distance of a T̂2 pixels in direction of motion invariant capture. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , where said estimation is performed by comparing an interval of said de-blurred image with a corresponding interval of a signal obtained by applying an inverse difference filter to said captured image. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , where said inverse filter is obtained by subtracting an inverse point spread function corresponding to zero speed from an inverse point spread function of an estimation speed. 
     
     
         6 . A system for removing an artefact from an image captured with a motion invariant camera, said system comprising:
 a memory for storing data and a computer program;   a processor coupled to said memory for executing said computer program, said computer program comprising instructions for:   de-blurring the captured image using a spatially invariant blur kernel;   applying an edge filter with a fixed offset to said de-blurred image to identify the location of at least one artefact;   estimating a parameter based on a region either side of said identified location; and   removing said at least one artefact from said de-blurred image using said parameter.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for removing an artefact from an image captured with a motion invariant camera, said apparatus comprising:
 means for de-blurring the captured image using a spatially invariant blur kernel;   means for applying an edge filter with a fixed offset to said de-blurred image to identify the location of at least one artefact;   means for estimating a parameter based on a region either side of said identified location; and   means for removing said at least one artefact from said de-blurred image using said parameter.   
     
     
         8 . A computer readable medium comprising a computer program stored thereon for removing an artefact from an image captured with a motion invariant camera, said program comprising:
 code for de-blurring the captured image using a spatially invariant blur kernel;   code for applying an edge filter with a fixed offset to said de-blurred image to identify the location of at least one artefact;   code for estimating a parameter based on a region either side of said identified location; and   code for removing said at least one artefact from said de-blurred image using said parameter.   
     
     
         9 .- 20 . (canceled)