Apple patents image scaling that follows the lines in a picture
Apple describes a method for making images sharper by increasing their resolution. The system detects the main angles in an image, such as the horizon or edges of objects, and uses that information to fill in new pixels more accurately than standard methods.
In the filing’s own words
An electronic device may include scaling circuitry to scale input pixel data to a greater resolution. The directional scaling circuitry may include first interpolation circuitry to receive best mode data, including one or more angles corresponding to content of the image and interpolate first pixel values at first pixel positions diagonally offset from input pixel positions of the input pixel data based on the best mode data and input pixel values corresponding to the input pixel positions. The directional scaling circuitry may also include second interpolation circuitry to receive the best mode data and the input pixel values and interpolate second pixel values at second pixel positions horizontally or vertically offset from the input pixel positions based at least in part on the best mode data and the input pixel values.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An electronic device comprising: an electronic display configured to display an image based on processed image data; and image processing circuitry configured to receive input image data and generate the processed image data based on the input image data, wherein the image processing circuitry comprises: angle detection circuitry configured to determine characteristic angles of content of the input image data; directional scaling circuitry configured to scale the input image data to generate scaled image data based on the input image data and the characteristic angles, wherein the scaled image data comprises a higher pixel resolution relative to the input image data; and enhancement circuitry configured to perform an adjustment to the scaled image data based on a comparison between the scaled image data and the input image data to generate the processed image data.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Directional scaling systems and methods
- Patent number
- US12762661B2
- Application number
- 18416654
- Filed
- Jan 18, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 13, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06T 5/70 Physics & computingG06T 3/4007 Physics & computingG06T 5/50 Physics & computingG06T 2207/20192 Physics & computingG06T 2207/20216 Physics & computingMore from Apple in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.