1. A method of processing image data to aid in discerning patterns therein, the method being performed by a hardware image processing device and including the acts: (a) defining a block of N rows and N columns of pixel data, from a larger set of image data, where N is at least five, the block thereby comprising at least 25 pixel locations; (b) identifying plural gradient values from said block, each of said values comprising a difference between a pixel value at a center location of the block, and a pixel value at another location in said block, each of said gradient values being characterized by a magnitude; (c) identifying a first gradient value having a largest magnitude in said block; (d) assigning different weighting factors to different of said gradient values, wherein by reason of the first gradient value having the largest magnitude in said block, the first gradient value is assigned a first weighting factor that is the smallest of said different weighting factors; (e) weighting each of said plural gradient values by the weighting factor assigned thereto, yielding plural weighted gradient values; (f) combining data corresponding to each of the plural weighted gradient values, and, based on said combined data, establishing a value of a pixel in an output image, at a position corresponding to said center pixel; and (g) repeating acts (b)-(f) for other N×N blocks of pixel data in said larger set, to thereby yield an output image from which certain patterns may more easily be discerned.