This invention describes an efficient super-resolution method for image enhancement that leverages prior knowledge about the specific task for which detail information is recovered. The particular case of barcode scanning is considered. The barcode localization and decoding algorithm of the present invention employs a subpixel-accurate search algorithm which allows for estimating barcode bit values at a higher resolution than that available in the image data itself. It thus allows for the synthesis of image detail from multiple frames with the result containing more detail than any of the input frames. For efficiency, it leverages special properties of the quadrilateral target object as well as prior knowledge about constant patterns in the barcodes of interest. This allows for real-time software implementations on portable devices such as camera-equipped cell phones where super-resolution helps to overcome some of the typical camera resolution and processing power constraints.