Patent ID: 8588535

Claim:
A method for estimating compression noise in an image, said method comprising: a) receiving an image in a noise-estimation system; b) computing a horizontal difference value for each pixel in a first plurality of pixels in said image, thereby producing a plurality of horizontal difference values; c) computing a vertical difference value for each pixel in a second plurality of pixels in said image, thereby producing a plurality of vertical difference values; d) computing a plurality of horizontal standard deviation values, wherein each of said horizontal standard deviation values in said plurality of horizontal standard deviation values is associated with a horizontal offset within said image; e) computing a plurality of vertical standard deviation values, wherein each of said vertical standard deviation values in said plurality of vertical standard deviation values is associated with a vertical offset within said image; f) computing a first horizontal statistic using said plurality of horizontal standard deviation values; g) computing a second horizontal statistic using said plurality of horizontal standard deviation values; h) computing a first vertical statistic using said plurality of vertical standard deviation values; i) computing a second vertical statistic using said plurality of vertical standard deviation values; j) combining said first horizontal statistic and said second horizontal statistic to form an estimate of horizontal compression noise; k) combining said first vertical statistic and said second vertical statistic to form an estimate of vertical compression noise; and l) combining said estimate of horizontal compression noise and said estimate of vertical compression noise to form a compression noise estimate.