Patent ID: 7555164

Claim:
A method for estimating pixel values of pixels of displayed images, comprising: determining a status of a pixel of a displayed image as captured by an image capture device, said determining being based on a confidence value for said pixel and a comparison of an estimated value and a direct sampling value of said pixel; determining whether said pixel is obstructed based at least in part on said status and said confidence value, and based on whether a path of obstructed pixels exists from said pixel to an edge of said displayed image, wherein if said path of obstructed pixels exists, determining said pixel as being obstructed, and else, if said path of obstructed pixels does not exist, determining said pixel as being unobstructed; determining whether to update a pixel value of said pixel based at least in part on said status and whether said pixel is obstructed; and repeating said determining steps for at least one other pixel of said displayed image, wherein said determining whether said pixel is obstructed includes: determining whether said pixel is an obstruction candidate based on said status and said confidence value of said pixel, wherein said determining whether said pixel is an obstruction candidate includes: if said confidence value is not equal to a threshold value, considering said pixel an obstruction candidate; if said confidence value is equal to said threshold value and said estimated value is not equal to said direct sampling value, considering said pixel an obstruction candidate; and if said confidence value is equal to said threshold value and said estimated value is equal to said direct sampling value, not considering said pixel an obstruction candidate.