Imaging system for providing multiple simultaneous real time images

Claim 2

An imaging system for providing first and second simultaneous real time images from a sensor for viewing on a display said image sensor providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene, said imaging system comprising: processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representative of said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals and said second simultaneous real time image being a resolution enhanced view of a portion of said scene and display means for displaying said second simultaneous real time image within the display of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 3

The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said processing means includes resolution enhancing means for providing said enhanced view of at least one portion of said scene and format controller means for controlling said enhancing means.

Claim 4

The imaging system of claim 2 wherein said resolution enhancing means includes sampling rate means for selectively increasing a sampling rate of said image sensor.

Claim 5

The imaging system of claim 3 wherein said sampling rate means includes multiple image registration means for forming at least one multiply-registered video portion of a frame consisting of a mosaic of displaced subpixels from successive video frames generated by said image sensor.

Claim 6

The imaging system of claim 4 wherein said enhancing means includes frame memory means for selectively storing at least one portion of said multiply-registered video frame and said video frame generated by said image sensor as controlled by said format controller.

Claim 7

The imaging system of claim 5 wherein said enhancing means includes deconvolving means for selectively deconvolving said multiply-registered video frame and selectively deconvolving said video frame generated by said image sensor as controlled by said format controller to provide a set of deconvolved signals.

Claim 8

The imaging system of claim 6 wherein said deconvolving means includes means for deconvolving said portion of said multiply-registered video frame with the inverse of a point spread function associated with the degradations of said image sensor at said increased sampling rate.

Claim 9

The imaging system of claim 6 wherein said deconvolving means includes means for deconvolving said video frame generated by said image sensor with the inverse of a point spread function associated with the degradations of said image sensor.

Claim 10

The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said display means includes at least one display connected to said processing means and adapted for displaying a combination of portions of said scene and said enhanced views of portions of said scene.

Claim 11

The imaging system of claim 9 wherein said enhanced view of said scene is a magnified high-resolution view of a portion of said scene.

Claim 12

The imaging system of claim 9 wherein said enhanced view of said scene is a set of magnified high-resolution views of multiple separate portions of said scene.

Claim 13

An imaging system for providing first and second simultaneous real time images from an image sensor comprising: sensor means for providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene; processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representing said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene, said processing means including enhancing means for providing enhanced views of portions of said scene to provide said second simultaneous real time image and format controller means for controlling said enhancing means, said enhancing means including: means for effectively increasing a sampling rate of said sensor means, means for deconvolving the video resulting from said increased sampling rate of said sensor means with the inverse of a point spread function associated with the degradations of said sensor means to provide a set of deconvolved signals; and display means for displaying said second simultaneous real time image within the display of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 14

An imaging system for providing first and second simultaneous real time images from an image sensor comprising: sensor means for providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene; processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representing said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene, said processing means including enhancing means for providing enhanced views of portions of said scene to provide said second simultaneous real time image and format controller means for controlling said enhancing means, said enhancing means including: means for effectively increasing a sampling rate of said sensor means, means for deconvolving the video resulting from said increased sampling rate of said sensor means with the inverse of a point spread function associated with the degradations of said sensor means to provide a set of deconvolved signals; and display means for displaying said second simultaneous real time image within the display of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 15

The imaging system of claim 12 wherein said means for effectively increasing a sampling rate of said sensor means includes multiple image registration means for forming a mosaic of displaced subpixels from successive video frames generated by said sensor means.

Claim 16

The imaging system of claim 13 wherein said means for effectively increasing a sampling rate of said sensor means includes frame memory means for selectively storing said mosaic of displaced subpixels from said multiple image registration means and for selectively storing portions of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals.

Claim 17

The imaging system of claim 12 wherein said display means includes at least one display connected to said processing means and adapted to display a combination of portions of said scene and said enhanced views of portions of said scene.

Claim 18

The imaging system of claim 15 wherein said enhanced views are high-resolution magnified views of portions of said scene.

Claim 21

An imaging system for providing first and second simultaneous real time images from a sensor for viewing on a display, said image sensor providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene, said imaging system comprising: processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representative of said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals and said second simultaneous real time image being an enhanced view of a portion of said scene, said processing means including enhancing means for providing said enhanced view of at least one portion of said scene and format controller means for controlling said enhancing means, said enhancing means including sampling rate means for selectively increasing a sampling rate of said image sensor, said sampling rate means including multiple image registration means for forming a multiply-registered video portion of a frame consisting of a mosaic of displaced subpixels from successive video frames generated by said image sensor and frame memory means for selectively storing said multiply-registered video frame and said video frame generated by said image sensor as controlled by said format controller and display means for displaying said second simultaneous real time image within the display of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 22

An imaging system for providing first and second simultaneous real time images from a sensor for viewing on a display, said image sensor providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene, said imaging system comprising: processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representative of said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals and said second simultaneous real time image being an enhanced view of a portion of said scene, said processing means including enhancing means for providing said enhanced view of at least one portion of said scene and format controller means for controlling said enhancing means, said enhancing means including sampling rate means for selectively increasing a sampling rate of said image sensor, said sampling rate means including multiple image registration means for forming a multiply-registered video portion of a frame consisting of a mosaic of displaced subpixels from successive video frames generated by said image sensor and frame memory means for selectively storing said multiply-registered video frame and said video frame generated by said image sensor as controlled by said format controller and display means for displaying said second simultaneous real time image within the display of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 23

The imaging system of claim 18 wherein said enhancing means includes deconvolving means for selectively deconvolving said multiply-registered video frame and selectively deconvolving said video frame generated by said image sensor as controlled by said format controller to provide a set of deconvolved signals.

Claim 24

The imaging system of claim 19 wherein said deconvolving means includes means for deconvolving said multiply-registered video frame with the inverse of the point spread function associated with the degradations of said image sensor at said increased sampling rate.

Claim 25

The imaging system of claim 19 wherein said deconvolving means includes means for deconvolving said video frame generated by said image sensor with the inverse of the point spread function associated with the degradations of said image sensor.

Claim 26

The imaging system of claim 18 wherein said display means includes at least one display connected to said processing means and adapted for displaying a combination of portions of said scene and said enhanced views of portions of said scene.

Claim 27

The imaging system of claim 22 wherein said enhanced view of said scene is a magnified high-resolution view of a portion of said scene.

Claim 28

The imaging system of claim 22 wherein said enhanced view of said scene is a set of magnified high-resolution views of multiple portions of said scene.

Claim 29

An image processing system for processing first and second simultaneous real time images from a sensor, said sensor providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene, said processing system comprising: processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representative of said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals and said second simultaneous real time image being a resolution enhanced view of a portion of said scene and image storage means for storing said second simultaneous real time image within a storage area of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.

Claim 30

An image processing system for processing first and second simultaneous real time images from a sensor, said sensor providing a first set of electrical signals in response to inputs received thereby from a scene, said processing system comprising: processing means for processing said first set of electrical signals to provide a second set of electrical signals representative of said first and second simultaneous real time images, said first simultaneous real time image being a view of a portion of said scene represented by said first set of electrical signals and said second simultaneous real time image being a resolution enhanced view of a portion of said scene and image storage means for storing said second simultaneous real time image within a storage area of said first simultaneous real time image in response to said second set of electrical signals.