Patent ID: 8675982

Claim:
An image processing method for removing a noise component contained in an original image, comprising: generating a plurality of band-limited images assuming sequentially lower resolution levels by filtering an original image; separating each band-limited image to a temporary noise-free image and a temporary noise component; extracting an edge component in the temporary noise-free image in correspondence to each band-limited image through edge detection executed on the temporary noise-free image; synthesizing temporary noise component signals in the band-limited images having been separated, so as to generate a synthesized temporary noise component assuming a resolution level matching a resolution level of the original image; synthesizing edge component signals in the band-limited images having been extracted, so as to generate a synthesized edge component assuming the resolution level matching the resolution level of the original image; determining, based upon the synthesized edge component, a quantity of an edge component in the original image contained in the synthesized temporary noise component; extracting an actual noise component by excluding the edge component in the original image from the synthesized temporary noise component; and removing noise from the original image based upon the extracted actual noise component.