Reduced Time Or Bandwidth For Static Image Communication Patents (Class 358/426.01)
  • Patent number: 10965943
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, the image processing apparatus including: a decoding section configured to decode an encoded stream to generate a decoded image; a determination section configured to determine whether to apply an extended strong filter, which is applied in an extended application range in which an application range of a deblocking filter is extended, to pixels positioned near a block boundary of the decoded image generated by the decoding section, in accordance with a state of pixels included in the extended application range; and a filtering section configured to apply the extended strong filter to pixels for which the determination section determines to apply the extended strong filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaru Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10841975
    Abstract: A method for identifying redundantly received information in which the information is contained in vehicle-to-X messages, one vehicle-to-X message comprising at least one item of information, a plurality of vehicle-to-X messages being received by a receiver, and at least one portion of a total number of items of information being received redundantly. The received items of information are entered into an information table and matched with one another before the received information is processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Ulrich Stählin, Thomas Grotendorst, Richard Scherping
  • Patent number: 10805489
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image former; a display showing an image formation setting screen; an operator accepting a user command; a storage; and a controller. If the operator accepts a setting registration command when the display shows the setting screen, the controller stores setting contents of the setting screen along with an image of the setting screen in the storage. If the operator accepts a setting call command, the controller makes the display show a list of images of setting screens related to the setting contents stored in the storage. If the operator accepts a command to select an image from the list of images of setting screens, the controller makes the display show a setting screen, to which setting contents related to a selected image are reflected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Kubota
  • Patent number: 10735734
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an encoder including a quantization stage, an entropy encoder, a residual quantization stage and a coded signal former. The quantization stage is configured to quantize an input signal using a dead zone in order to obtain a plurality of quantized values. The entropy encoder is configured to encode the plurality of quantized values using an entropy encoding scheme in order to obtain a plurality of entropy encoded values. The residual quantization stage is configured to quantize a residual signal caused by the quantization stage, wherein the residual quantization stage is configured to determine at least one quantized residual value in dependence on the dead zone of the quantization stage. The coded signal former is configured to form a coded signal from the plurality of entropy encoded values and the at least one quantized residual value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Benjamin Schubert, Grzegorz Pietrzyk, Markus Multrus, Bernhard Grill
  • Patent number: 10652538
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for encoding a video stream. The encoding includes determining a level of relevance for areas in an image frame to be included in the video stream, determining a block size value for coding blocks in the image frame, the block size value is depending on the level of relevance determined for the area including each coding block, respectively, encoding the image frame using coding block sizes based on the determined block size values for each of the coding blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: AXIS AB
    Inventors: Fredrik Pihl, Xing Danielsson Fan
  • Patent number: 10565753
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating image data for output to a display device such as an HUD or HMD defining pixels of an image for display. The image data for each pixel defines a predetermined background colour or a non-background colour. In an example implementation, the image generator comprises at least one image rendering module and a memory accessible by the at least one rendering module providing at least one frame buffer in which image data may be assembled. The at least one rendering module is arranged to process or to generate image data using a tile representation of an image for display, each tile comprising image data defining each of a predetermined number of pixels of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: Neil Turnbull Davidson, Ian Gray Rigge
  • Patent number: 10515464
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of the disclosure include a customized image character system that generates and provides customized image characters across computing devices. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the customized image character system provides a color modifier control as part of a messaging application for drafting digital messages with standardized image characters. The customized image character system can detect user selection of a standardized image character (e.g., an emoji image) and a new color (via the color modifier control) and dynamically generate a customized image character (e.g., a customized emoji image). The customized image character system can also send a digital message to a second client device such that the second client device displays the digital message with the customized image character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: WhatsApp Inc.
    Inventor: Dmitri Stukalov
  • Patent number: 10418002
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for merging compressed access units according to compression rates and/or positions of the respective compressed access units. The method can include receiving a sequence of compressed access units corresponding to a sequence of raw access units partitioned from an image or a video frame and corresponding to a sequence of memory spaces in a frame buffer, determining a merged access unit including at least two consecutive compressed access units based on compression rates and/or positions of the sequence of compressed access units. The merged access unit is to be stored in the frame buffer with a reduced gap between the at least two consecutive compressed access units compared with storing the at least two consecutive compressed access units in corresponding memory spaces in the sequence of memory spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Ping Chao, Ting-An Lin, Tung-Hsing Wu, Kung-Tsun Yang, Wan-Yu Chen, Chuang-Chi Chiou, Ping-yao Wang, Wei-Gen Wu, Hsin-Hao Chung, Chih-Ming Wang, Han-Liang Chou, Chung Hsien Lee, Yung-Chang Chang, Chi-Cheng Ju
  • Patent number: 10298369
    Abstract: A reference signal transmission method in a downlink MIMO system is disclosed. The downlink MIMO system supports a first UE supporting N transmission antennas among a total of M transmission antennas (where M>N) and a second UE supporting the M transmission antennas. The method includes transmitting, by a base station (BS), subframe-associated information which designates a first subframe in which data for the first UE and the second UE is transmitted and a second subframe in which data only for the second UE can be transmitted within a radio frame having a plurality of subframes, and transmitting the first subframe and the second subframe. Reference signals corresponding to antenna ports ‘0’ to ‘N?1’ of the N antennas are mapped to the first subframe, and reference signals corresponding to antenna ports ‘0’ to ‘M?1’ of the M antennas are mapped to the second subframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Hoon Lee, Dong Youn Seo, Ki Jun Kim, Joon Kui Ahn
  • Patent number: 10136128
    Abstract: An example embodiment may involve obtaining an a×b pixel macro-cell from an input image. Pixels in the a×b pixel macro-cell may have respective pixel values and may be associated with respective tags. It may be determined whether at least e of the respective tags indicate that their associated pixels represent edges in the input image. Based on this determination, either a first encoding or a second encoding of the a×b pixel macro-cell may be selected. The first encoding may weigh pixels that represent edges in the input image heavier than pixels that do not represent edges in the input image, and the second encoding might not consider whether pixels represent edges. The selected encoding may be performed and written to a computer-readable output medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Michael M. Chang, Kenneth A. Schmidt, Dongpei Su, Sheng Li, Kendrick Wong
  • Patent number: 10002410
    Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed of enhancing cell images for analysis. The method includes performing a multi-thresholding process on a cell image to generate a plurality of images of the cell image; smoothing each component within each of the plurality of images; merging the smoothed components into a merger layer; classifying each of the components of the merged layer into convex cell regions and concave cell regions; combining the concave cell regions with a cell boundary for each of the corresponding concave cell regions to generate a smoothed shape profile for each of the concave cell regions; and generating an output image by combining the convex cell regions with the concave cell regions with smoothed shape profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA LABORATORY U.S.A, INC.
    Inventors: Jingwen Zhu, Yongmian Zhang, Foram Manish Paradkar, Haisong Gu
  • Patent number: 9582412
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of digital media recording such as video or audio, where compression is used to reduce the amount of data to save onto a data storage. In particular the invention relates to recording media, wherein the memory area required to store the media is unknown. The invention discloses a method for recording digital streamed media with a number of media frames in a memory by encoding each media frame into an encoded frame comprising a first number of sets of data, representing different characteristics of the media stream. The invention further relates to detecting if the data storage is full and if the data storage is full, storing new frames in the data storage previously occupied by the data sets representing the least prioritized characteristics of the previously stored encoded frames. The invention also relates to a corresponding media recorder and computer program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SAAB AB
    Inventors: Henrik Dikvall, Per Cronvall
  • Patent number: 9565418
    Abstract: An exemplary decoding method of an input video bitstream including a first bitstream and a second bitstream includes: decoding a first picture in the first bitstream; after a required decoded data derived from decoding the first picture is ready for a first decoding operation of a second picture in the first bitstream, performing the first decoding operation; and after a required decoded data derived from decoding the first picture is ready for a second decoding operation of a picture in the second bitstream, performing the second decoding operation, wherein a time period of decoding the second picture in the first bitstream and a time period of decoding the picture in the second bitstream are overlapped in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Te-Chi Hsiao, Yung-Chang Chang, Ching-Chieh Wang, Shih-Hung Lin, Chi-Cheng Ju
  • Patent number: 9124858
    Abstract: A content processing apparatus is provided, which includes an inputter configured to receive an input of high resolution content, a data processor configured to generate video frames by processing the high resolution content, and a controller configured to control the data processor to configure an object that corresponds to the high resolution content as an object for low resolution and to add the object to the video frame if an output resolution of a display panel to display the video frames is a low resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Gangneung-wonju National University Industry Academy Cooperation Group
    Inventors: Yong-seok Jang, Sung-wook Park, Tae-yun Chung, Min-seok Kim, Bong-gil Bak, Hong-seok Park, Jong-ho Yang, Jae-jun Lee
  • Patent number: 8995780
    Abstract: A method for creating a binary mask image from an inputted digital image of a scanned document, including the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, including the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: I.R.I.S.
    Inventors: Michel Dauw, Pierre De Muelenaere
  • Patent number: 8958653
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for decoding last position information indicating a horizontal position and a vertical position of a last non-zero coefficient in a predetermined order within a current block to be decoded, the current block being included in a picture and including a plurality of coefficients. The apparatus includes one or more processors, a communication unit, and storage coupled to the one or more processors and the communication unit. The communication unit is configured to transmit a request for a bitstream to an external system, and receive the bitstream from the external system. The one or more processors are configured to obtain the bitstream, perform first arithmetic decoding, perform second arithmetic decoding, derive a horizontal component of the last position information, and derive a vertical component of the last position. A system for decoding and a displaying method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hisao Sasai, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8947717
    Abstract: A print data processing apparatus is provided which includes: a generation unit configured to generate image information and attribute information from print data; a conversion unit configured to convert an attribute of a first area included in the attribute information, wherein an attribute of a second area included in the attribute information is not converted; a compression unit configured to compress the image information and the attribute information in which the attribute of the first area has been converted by the conversion unit; an area information generation unit configured to generate area information indicating the first area having the converted attribute; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the image information compressed by the compression unit, the attribute information compressed by the compression unit, and the area information generated by the area information generation unit, to a printing apparatus as transfer data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakane
  • Patent number: 8923634
    Abstract: A decoding method decodes last position information indicating horizontal and vertical positions of a last non-zero coefficient in a predetermined order within a current block to be decoded, the current block including plural coefficients. The decoding includes obtaining a bitstream including first, second, third and fourth partial signals, in this order, performing first arithmetic decoding on the first and the third partial signals respectively to obtain decoded first and decoded third partial signals, performing second arithmetic decoding on the second and the fourth partial signals respectively to obtain decoded second and decoded fourth partial signals, the second arithmetic decoding being different from the first arithmetic decoding, deriving a horizontal component of the last position information from the decoded first and decoded third partial signals, and deriving a vertical component of the last position information from the decoded second and decoded fourth partial signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hisao Sasai, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8908247
    Abstract: Color image data composed of pixels arranged in a matrix wherein colors are expressed in bit rows is created from an acquired document file, and same-resolution binary image data and low-resolution binary image data composed of binary pixels arranged in a matrix are created based on the color image data. A first combining process is performed in which a lower bit value of a predetermined color of the pixels of the color image data is replaced with the value of the corresponding ones of the pixels of the same pixels, and a second combining process is performed in which a lower bit value of a color other than the bit replaced in the first combining process in the pixels of the first combined image data is replaced with the value of the corresponding ones of the pixels of the low-resolution binary image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoichi Nakajo, Kenichi Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8897591
    Abstract: Methods for reducing blocking artifacts at the boundary between adjacent blocks reconstructed from a frame of compressed video information are disclosed herein. The frame includes a prediction stage parameter and a residual error attribute with respect to at least one of the blocks. One method includes reconstructing the at least one block based on the prediction stage parameter and the residual error attribute, categorizing the at least one reconstructed block into one of a plurality of categories based on the prediction stage parameter and the residual error attribute, identifying a filter strength value for the category in which the at least one reconstructed block is categorized based on at least one of the prediction stage parameter or the residual error attribute associated with that category, and filtering the boundary adjacent to the at least one reconstructed block using the identified filter strength value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Wilkins, James Bankoski, Yaowu Xu
  • Patent number: 8885969
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a corresponding apparatus for detecting coding artifacts in an image. The proposed apparatus comprises an edge position detector that detects an edge position of an edge in said image, a border position detector that detects a border position of a border between a texture area and a flat area in said image, and an artifact position defining unit that defines the area between said edge position and said border position as artifact area potentially comprising coding artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Springer, Frank Moesle, Zhichun Lei, Matthias Brueggemann
  • Patent number: 8830545
    Abstract: A document image processing system includes an extraction portion, an estimation portion, a calculation portion, a substitution portion, and a generation portion. The extraction portion extracts first and second document elements of an inputted document image and a preprint data. The estimation portion estimates first and second representative colors due to first and second document elements in a color space, respectively. The calculation portion calculates first and second planes to separate the color space into first and second sub-spaces which each includes each of the first and second representative colors, respectively. The substitution portion substitutes a color of a first pixel of the first document elements with the first representative color and a color of a second pixel of the second document elements with the second representative color. The generation portion subtracts each of the substituted first pixel from each of the substituted second pixel to generate a difference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Naoaki Kodaira
  • Patent number: 8817308
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus of this invention converts image data into a predetermined transmitting format in turn from a read page before images are read from all pages of originals. Upon completion of reading operations of all the pages of the originals, the image processing apparatus controls a transmitting unit to transmit image data in association with the image data of a page, which has already been converted into the transmitting format, and controls to convert image data into the transmitting format and then controls the transmitting unit to transmit the image data, in association with the image data of a page, which has not been converted into the transmitting format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Tonegawa
  • Patent number: 8761538
    Abstract: In a deblocking operation, pixel values within a first block of pixels are compared, and pixel values in the first block are also compared to pixel values in a second block of pixels that is adjacent to the first block. Based on the results of the comparisons, a digital deblocking filter and a region of interest can be selected, where the region of interest identifies a number of pixels in the first block and a number of pixels in the second block to which the selected filter is to be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Rochelle Pereira, Santanu Dutta
  • Patent number: 8749831
    Abstract: A printing system provided with a printer and a host computer which transfers image data to the printer includes a data transfer unit configured to transfer the image data as image data of a first data format in the case where a connection between the printer and the host computer is first connection means, and transfer the image data as image data of a second data format in the case where a connection between the printer and the host computer is second connection means, wherein the second connection means has less data communication amount per unit time than the first connection means, and when given image data is transferred, image data of the second data format, corresponding to the given image data, has less data amount than image data of the first data format, corresponding to the given image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Yamazaki, Shinichi Arazaki, Kohei Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 8711452
    Abstract: A method for forming a final digital color image includes capturing an image using an image sensor having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the captured image a digital panchromatic image and an intermediate digital color image; and using the digital panchromatic image and the intermediate digital color image to provide the final digital color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Hamilton, Jr., John T. Compton
  • Patent number: 8670625
    Abstract: An image coding method including: binarizing a first component and a second component which are included in last position information, to generate a first binary signal and a second binary signal, respectively; coding, by first arithmetic coding, a first partial signal which is a part of the first binary signal and a second partial signal which a part of the second binary signal, and coding, by second arithmetic coding, a third partial signal which is another part of the first binary signal and a fourth partial signal which is another part of the second binary signal; and placing the coded first through fourth partial signals in a bit stream, wherein in the placing, (i) the coded second partial signal is placed next to the coded first partial signal, or (ii) the coded fourth partial signal is placed next to the coded third partial signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hisao Sasai, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8666185
    Abstract: A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a binary mask image from an a inputted digital image of a scanned document, comprising the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, comprising the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: I.R.I.S.
    Inventors: Michel Dauw, Pierre Demuelenaere
  • Publication number: 20130229694
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus of this invention converts image data into a predetermined transmitting format in turn from a read page before images are read from all pages of originals. Upon completion of reading operations of all the pages of the originals, the image processing apparatus controls a transmitting unit to transmit image data in association with the image data of a page, which has already been converted into the transmitting format, and controls to convert image data into the transmitting format and then controls the transmitting unit to transmit the image data, in association with the image data of a page, which has not been converted into the transmitting format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Tonegawa
  • Patent number: 8447127
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present principles, simulation of a block of film grain for addition to a block of an image occurs by first establishing at least one image parameter in accordance with at least one attribute of the block. Thereafter, a block of film grain is established in accordance with the image parameter. Deblocking filtering can be applied to the film grain block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Cristina Gomila, Joan Llach, Jeffrey Allen Cooper
  • Patent number: 8416434
    Abstract: A communication terminal apparatus includes a network facsimile device having network functions, and an SIP adapter device connected to the network facsimile device to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control. The SIP adapter device has a first IP telephone number for use in first communication defined as communication performed between a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses and a second IP telephone number for use in second communication defined as communication performed by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal. The SIP adapter device comprises a controller for causing the network facsimile device, according to a result of selection by the network facsimile device, to implement either the first communication by using the first IP telephone number or the second communication by means of a voice coder/decoder by using the second IP telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Access Technica, Ltd
    Inventor: Atsushi Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 8386675
    Abstract: There is disclosed a data transmitting apparatus for transmitting data including a plurality of data elements, each of which is a bit sequence of a plurality of bits. At least one bit in the bit sequence of a first one of the kinds of data elements that most frequently occurs has the same value as a bit at a corresponding place in the bit sequence of a second one of the kinds of data elements that second most frequently occurs. The data-block generating portion generates a data block, by rearranging the bit sequences of the data elements of the raw data such that bits at the same place in the respective bit sequences as each of the at least one bit are arranged in a series in the data block. The data compressing portion creates a compressed file. The transmitting portion transmits the compressed file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Murashima
  • Patent number: 8331706
    Abstract: A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a binary mask image from an a inputted digital image of a scanned document, comprising the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, comprising the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: I.R.I.S.
    Inventors: Michel Dauw, Pierre Demuelenaere
  • Patent number: 8331731
    Abstract: When a multi-level image having a first resolution is converted into a multi-level image having a second resolution lower than the first resolution, attribute data including a conversion processed flag indicating a kind of conversion and a conversion result is generated and held associated with pixel data of a pixel on interest undergone the conversion corresponding to an attribute flag indicating an attribute in which a pixel before the conversion is located. When the multi-level image having the first resolution is restored from the multi-level image having the second resolution, the pixel data of the pixel of interest is replaced with pixel data of a plurality of pixels in correspondence with the conversion processed flag in the attribute data held associated with the pixel data of the pixel on interest and pixel data of pixels around the pixel of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichi Kashibuchi
  • Patent number: 8326075
    Abstract: Methods for decoding frames of compressed video information are disclosed. Each frame includes a plurality of blocks having a prediction stage parameter and a residual error attribute. One method includes categorizing each of the blocks into categories based on at least one of the prediction stage parameter or the residual error attribute, determining a loop filter strength value to each of the categories, and filtering the boundary adjacent to at least one of the blocks using the loop filter strength assigned to the category in which that block is categorized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Wilkins, James Bankoski, Yaowu Xu
  • Patent number: 8270040
    Abstract: An image-encoding apparatus includes an encoding unit that performs intra-frame encoding or inter-frame encoding on each picture of moving image data to output encoded data that includes an encoded group that includes at least one encoded picture, an encoding distortion calculating unit that calculates an amount of encoding distortion, an inter-frame correlation calculating unit that calculates a correlation between frames in the moving image data, an index value calculating unit that calculates an index value that is used to determine a structure of the encoded group based on the correlation, condition data, and the amount of encoding distortion, and an encoding control unit that outputs a control parameter for controlling at least the structure of the encoded group in the encoding unit based on the index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8264715
    Abstract: An approach is provided for implementing locked printing on a printing device with remote unlock. The printing device includes a locked print process that is configured to examine print data received by the printing device and determine whether locked printing is to be used for the print data. Print data designated for locked printing is stored on the printing device. The printing device also includes a Web application configured to generate Web pages that define a Web-based graphical user interface. When processed at a client device, the Web pages allow a user to enter authorization data that is transmitted to the Web application on the printing device. The locked print process verifies the authorization data and if the authorization data is successfully verified, allows the user access to locked print data on the printing device. The approach may also be implemented using a common repository to store print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jayasimha Nuggehalli
  • Patent number: 8254700
    Abstract: An optimized method and system for entropy coding is described. The system may include an input module to receive a digital image, a Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) module to obtain a plurality of DCT coefficients associated with the digital image, a statistics generator to generate statistics associated with the plurality of DCT coefficients, a placement module to store the generated statistics in the plurality of DCT coefficients and entropy coder to generate uniquely decodable (UD) codes for the plurality of DCT coefficients. The entropy coder may utilize the statistics stored in the plurality of DCT coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Anubha Rastogi
  • Patent number: 8248649
    Abstract: Disclosed is an information processing apparatus comprising: a storage section to store data; and a control section to detect whether a data access to the storage section exists or not, to detect whether unnecessary data stored in the storage section exists or not, and to overwrite/delete the unnecessary data in a case where the data access does not exist and the unnecessary data exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Fumihito Akiyama, Yoshinori Tanaka, Masahiro Ozawa, Jun Kuroki, Hiroshi Nogawa, Yasufumi Aoyama, Kunikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 8203732
    Abstract: Even if there are many printed images similar to a query image, this invention can effectively use a display window with a limited size and support to specify the print request source of each similar image by classifying and displaying the images according to additional information containing information indicating the print request source which has issued a print request for the image. Therefore, when a query image is input and images similar to the query image are found, the similar images are classified according to the user names of users who have printed them. The numbers of times of printing of the similar images and maximum similarities are displayed for the respective user names.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Shiiyama
  • Patent number: 8204271
    Abstract: A digital watermark embedding apparatus includes: an extractor configured to extract a specific frequency component from each of N kinds of scaled images about an input image signal to generate N kinds of extracted signals; a generator configured to compress the amplitude of the respective extracted signals on the basis of N kinds of to-be-embedded information corresponding to the N kinds of extracted signals to generate watermark image signals by shifting the predetermined phases; and a superimposer configured to add the N kinds of watermark image signals to the input image signal to generate an output image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nakada Kogure, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 8189856
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for evaluating the reliability of a watermarking technique for a video sequence, said system and apparatus comprising: a) a calibrating means adapted to calibrate said system and apparatus using a test original video sequence and a test attacked video sequence in compliance with predetermined degrees of quality; b) an attacking means adapted to attack embedded watermark in said video sequence, said attack selected from a group of attacks; and c) an evaluating means including a comparator means for comparing the test original video sequence with test attacked video sequence and the watermark in the test original video sequence with the watermark in the test attacked video sequence to evaluate the reliability of a watermarking technique to give a reliability score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
    Inventors: Chattopadhyay Tanushyam Sibnath, Pal Arpan Dipak Kumar
  • Patent number: 8179540
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that holds counter information obtained by integrating a consumption of a consumable that depends on usage of service provided by the image forming apparatus. A log corresponding to the usage of the service is set in job log information with a synchronization flag set off. The log in the job log information, for which the synchronization flag is set off, is set on. The counter information and the job log information are output after the synchronization flag for the log having the synchronization flag set off has been set on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Hiruma, Nobuyuki Tonegawa
  • Patent number: 8171169
    Abstract: A system and method for updating a display unit remotely located from a computing system are described. The method includes copying display information from a video buffer of a computing device executing an application to generate a display update, calculating a size of the display update, and determining an amount of available bandwidth of a network connecting the computing device and the display unit. The method also includes calculating a time period required to communicate the display update from the computing device to the display unit, transmitting the display update to the display; and repeating the method after the time period has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Bullard, Toby Opferman, David J. Kasik
  • Patent number: 8149469
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus has an image sensor in which a plurality of sensor arrays for reading a document image are connected into a line, and parallel-output image data. In the image reading apparatus, of image data output from each sensor array, image data of a pixel at one end and image data of the remaining pixels are compressed by different compression methods. The compressed data of one line are decompressed by a set method at the timing when the number of pixels reaches a preset number of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Tada
  • Patent number: 8144999
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus determines an image frame to extract as a reference image frame from a plurality of image frames constituting a moving image, using a histogram, for example, and generates a reference image data file. An encoder unit encodes the plurality of image frames after reducing the resolution thereof, and generates an encoded moving image data file. A list associating the reference image frame with information specifying the corresponding reference image data file is generated with a content information list generating unit. The reference image data file, the encoded moving image data file and the list are then recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Morikawa, Satoshi Kirihara, Shuntaro Aratani, Eiichi Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8144949
    Abstract: A method of image segmentation includes receiving a set of voxels, segmenting the set of voxels into a foreground group and a background group, and classifying voxels of the foreground group as either lesion voxels or normal anatomy voxels. The method also includes blocking the normal anatomy voxels and performing a second segmentation on voxels of the background group and the lesion voxels, the second segmentation forming a stage two foreground group comprising the lesion voxels and a portion of the voxels of the background group. The method further includes classifying voxels of the stage two foreground group as either stage two lesion voxels or stage two normal anatomy voxels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Simon, Edward B. Gindele, Lawrence A. Ray
  • Patent number: 8139873
    Abstract: The image data processing system and method disclosed, processes intermediate compressed binary data representing images scanned for copy or exporting, thereby enabling storage of the copy or export file to a common memory storage device. According to an exemplary embodiment, the image data processing system comprises a binary lossless decompress module, a binary to contone restoration module, and an export processing module, the export processing module processing multiple bit image data for exporting to an image data receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Francis Kapo Tse, Ramesh Nagarajan, James Russell, Chia-Hao Lee, John W. Wu
  • Patent number: 8139872
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates optimally and efficiently utilizing an image file format. A server can host an image that is partitioned into two or more tiles, wherein the two or more tiles collectively represent the image in entirety and are defined in at least one image file format. A tile generator can evaluate at least one tile to identify a suitable image file format based upon at least one of a characteristic of such file format or a context of a use for the tile. A browser can utilize the tile in the identified file format in order to render a portion of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Howell, Jeremy E. Elson, John R. Douceur
  • Patent number: 8134742
    Abstract: An output device which outputs pixel data corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit to the printing unit includes an image buffer which stores image data, a generation unit which generates density data corresponding to the color material based on image data read out from the image buffer, a print buffer which stores density data generated by the generation unit, and a conversion unit which converts density data read out from the print buffer into pixel data corresponding to the resolution of the printing unit synchronously with the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Hagiwara