Reduced Time Or Bandwidth For Static Image Communication Patents (Class 358/426.01)
  • Patent number: 8115967
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing the noise induced in a particular section or level of a signal bandwidth. The section is isolated from the rest of the signal data, by rescaling this data to produce a buffer section adjacent the section with little or no data in it. The signal is then transmitted to the output device where all data is the buffer section is considered to be the result of noise, and is mapped back to the predetermined level. The signal data is inversely rescaled to move data back into the buffer section. In this way, more of the data that was input at the predetermined level, will also be at the predetermined level afterwards, thereby correcting noise induced in that level by noise inducing transmission techniques such as JPEG compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Thomas Plunkett, Raul Evelio Vera
  • Patent number: 8094330
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes service modules for performing system side processes on image formation, wherein applications can be added to the image forming apparatus separately from the service modules, and the image forming apparatus includes an application launch part for referring to launch selection information indicating at least a location that stores one or more applications, and launching the one or more applications from the at least a location according to the launch selection information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ohishi, Kohji Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20110317232
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: an unit configured to compress image data based on values of pixels and a layout of the pixels for each tile including the predetermined number of pixels; an unit configured to calculate a representative value from the values of the pixels included in the tile; an unit configured to determine based on a distribution of the representative values of tiles included in a first area including the first number of tiles whether or not a tile of interest included in the first area is to be corrected; an unit configured to calculate a correction value for the tile of interest based on the representative values of tiles included in a second area including the second number of tiles; and an unit configured to add representative values of the tiles, determination results of the tiles, and the correction value to the image data compressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 8086050
    Abstract: A multi-resolution segmentation and fill technique is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises generating a plurality of layers using image data from multiple resolutions, generating a mask describing compositing of the plurality of layers to obtain the image, and filling pixels in each of the plurality of layers where the pixels being filled are those that do not contribute to the image when the plurality of layers are composited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Edward L. Schwartz, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 8077908
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image analysis method for analyzing an image. By inputting starting point coordinates and ending point coordinates of individual image blocks contained in the image, an image block arrangement table is created. The image is analyzed according to the image block arrangement table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Chi-Jen Liao, Tung-Hsuan Pai
  • Patent number: 8068684
    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: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: I.R.I.S.
    Inventors: Michel Dauw, Pierre Demuelenaere
  • Patent number: 8046497
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a communication section connected to a data processing apparatus through a communication line, the apparatus including: a plurality of storage sections each of which has a different free storage capacity and a different access speed; and a control section to obtain data size information of a data-decompressed XPS file from the XPS file which includes the data size information in a head of a file data frame, the XPS file being received from the data processing apparatus through the communication section, to select a storage section to store the file data of the data-decompressed XPS file from the plurality of storage sections on the basis of the data size information, to perform data decompression of the XPS file, and to allow the selected storage section to store the file data of the data-decompressed XPS file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nogawa, Fumihito Akiyama, Masahiro Ozawa, Jun Kuroki, Yasufumi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 8023746
    Abstract: A method is provided for decoding an image of a pattern on an object to determine a digital identifier. An image of a pattern on the object is received. The image includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having an optical attribute with a corresponding value. The image is divided into a plurality of tiles, each of the tiles containing a contiguous plurality of the pixels of the image. A digital bit is assigned to each of the tiles based on the values of the optical attribute of the pixels in the tile. A digital identifier is determined based on the digital bits assigned to the tiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Ackley, Jason Dubin, Nuria E. Romero, Amy K. Van Gilder, Jay D. Williams, Oren R. Aviv, Alexis P. Wieland
  • Patent number: 8023756
    Abstract: This invention encodes an image mixed of a character or line-drawing image and a natural image. An extraction unit extracts the color of a pixel, which constitutes a high-frequency component, from the input image data as an extracted color and generates identification information indicating whether each pixel in the image data is a pixel of an extracted color or non-extracted color. A replacement unit replaces a pixel value of an extracted color with an average value of non-extracted colors. Using a window having a size of 2×2 pixels, a reducing unit generates one pixel from the window after replacement. If even one non-extracted-color pixel exists in the window, the average value of non-extracted colors within the window is determined to be a pixel value of the reduced image. A packing unit concatenates the extracted color, the result of lossless-encoded identification information and lossy-encoded data of the reduced image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Tsutsumi, Hisashi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20110170791
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide a bitstream format for compressed data that would allow multiple processors to access and decompress different parts of the data in parallel. Compressed images are usually defined in terms of macroblocks that have a width less than the image width and a height less than the image height. Thus, an image is divided several bands of multiple lines, and each band of multiple lines is divided into a macroblock. The set of macroblocks that define a band is called herein a macroblock rasterscan. The bit stream format includes, for each image, a picture header followed by image scan data. The image scan data includes data corresponding to a plurality of macroblock rasterscans. The data for each macroblock rasterscan includes data for a plurality of macroblocks for a band of lines in the image followed by padding. The padding ensures that data for each macroblock rasterscan terminates on a data boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventor: Michel Rynderman
  • Publication number: 20110157639
    Abstract: An image processing system to transmit original image data read by an image reading device to an image processing apparatus. The image reading device reads the original image data, performs a variable-length compression operation on the original image data for each block, and transmits compressed data to the image processing apparatus for each unit quantity. The image processing apparatus acquires the original image data size, obtains the total number of the blocks included in the original image data based on the original image data size, and receives the compressed data. The image processing apparatus additionally performs a decompression operation on the received data, obtains the number of the blocks included in the decompressed image data, and displays a receiving progress state from a relationship between the total number of the blocks included in the original image data and the number of received blocks included in the received data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mizuki Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7965897
    Abstract: An image representation format for representing a digital image comprises: image information stored as a bitstream representing sequential image blocks, each block comprising one or more components, each component comprising one or more data units and each data unit being represented as a Huffman-coded stream of coefficients of basis functions, wherein a zeroth order coefficient is represented as a difference to the previous zeroth order coefficient of the corresponding component, and a block information table, which comprises: indicators to the first coefficient of a specified order of each image block in said bitstream, information indicating the number of bits in the bitstream between adjacent coefficients of said specified order of the image block, and the zeroth order coefficient of at least the first data unit of each component, said zeroth order coefficient being represented in a non-differential form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Scalado AB
    Inventors: Sami Niemi, Karl-Anders Johansson, Johan Stén
  • Patent number: 7957038
    Abstract: This invention facilitates an operation required to restore a desired file from code information. To accomplish this, a printing apparatus prints code information generated by encoding a file on a first sheet set, and prints identification information required to identify the sheet on which the code information corresponding to the file is printed. A restoration apparatus scans the first and second sheet sets. The restoration apparatus specifies, based on the identification information on the second sheet set, a sheet on which code information corresponding to a desired file is printed. Furthermore, the restoration apparatus restores the desired file by decoding the code information printed on the specified sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamasuka, Fumio Shoji
  • Patent number: 7945075
    Abstract: Converting a digital image from color to gray-scale. In one example embodiment, a method for converting a digital image from color to gray-scale is disclosed. First, an unconverted pixel having red, green, and blue color channels is selected from the color digital image. Next, the red color channel of the pixel is multiplied by ?. Then, the green color channel of the pixel is multiplied by ?. Next, the blue color channel of the pixel is multiplied by ?. Then, the results of the three multiplication operations are added together to arrive at a gray-scale value for the pixel. Finally, these acts are repeated for each remaining unconverted pixel of the color digital image to arrive at a gray-scale digital image. In this example method, ?+?+?1 and ?>?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Juwei Lu, Mohanaraj Thiyagarajah, Hui Zhou
  • Patent number: 7933049
    Abstract: This invention relates to an MFP having copy and scanner functions. The MFP in which image data flows from a line sensor to a DRAM via an A/D conversion unit and a reading control unit (RCU) and then from an image processing unit (IPU) to a printer via the DRAM has the following arrangement. Both the RCU and the IPU can execute a shading process. In the CM, the RCU executes the shading process. Then, the image is compressed and stored in the DRAM. In the SM, the RCU does not execute the shading process, and the image is temporarily stored in the DRAM without compression. The IPU reads out image data of each rectangle from the DRAM together with shading data, executes the shading process and various kinds of image processing, and outputs the image data to the DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Yoshitani, Hisashi Ishikawa, Norikazu Honda, Hirowo Inoue, Michiaki Takasaka
  • Patent number: 7852502
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to uniquely manage the use of peripherals over a wide range or in two or more bases. The present invention controls whether all job information, managed by a management apparatus, is acquired from the management apparatus managing information on data processing, performed by a device, as job information, or additional job information among job information managed by the management apparatus is acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Horiyama, Koji Nozato
  • Patent number: 7853088
    Abstract: An input video signal is encoded at a plurality of coding layers exhibiting different spatial resolutions. Decoded is a given signal coded at a lower coding layer lower than a specific coding layer among the plurality of coding layers to generate a decoded signal of the lower coding layer. Spatial interpolation is applied to the decoded signal of the lower coding layer to generate an upscaled decoded video signal. The spatial interpolation is an upscaling procedure to upscale the decoded signal of the lower coding layer into a spatial resolution of the specific coding layer. A spatial high-frequency components estimation and scale up procedure is applied to the decoded signal of the lower coding layer to generate a high-frequency components signal. The upscaled decoded video signal and the high-frequency components signal are subtracted from the input video signal exhibiting a spatial resolution of the specific coding layer to produce a predictive-error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakazume, Kazuhiro Shimauchi, Toru Kumakura, Motoharu Ueda
  • Patent number: 7826672
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a device having an emissive portion, a memory, and a dictionary decompressor. The device having an emissive portion is configured to produce a patterned beam. The memory is configured to store a compressed representation of a requested dose pattern, comprising two groups of repeating pattern features, to be formed on a surface by the patterned beam. The dictionary decompressor at least partially decompresses the compressed representation. The dictionary decompressor comprises a first dictionary memory configured to store pattern data corresponding to a first group of the two groups of repeating pattern features and a second dictionary memory configured to store pattern data corresponding to a second group of the two groups of repeating pattern features. The repeating pattern features in the first group have one or more differing characteristics than the repeating pattern features in the second group. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Lambertus Gerardus Maria Kessels, Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans, Remco Johannes Van Engelen
  • Publication number: 20100231983
    Abstract: An apparatus includes: a reading unit performing a reading operation whenever a line start signal is input thereto; a transport unit transporting anyone of the reading unit and the reading target document; an encoder outputting an encoder signal whenever a transport target is moved by a predetermined distance; a control unit transmitting the line start signal to the reading unit; a time measuring unit measuring a time elapsed from a time point when the line start signal was last transmitted; a cycle measuring unit measuring an output time interval of the encoder signal, as an encoder cycle; and a storage unit storing the latest encoder cycle, wherein the control unit transmits the line start signal to the reading unit whenever the elapsed time is equal to or greater than a time obtained by multiplying a value of the encoder cycle by a correction coefficient determined by a ratio R2/R1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nozaki
  • Patent number: 7792372
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for encoding/decoding an image based on a region of interest (ROI). The method and apparatus provide error-resilience by duplicating ROI data in a variable manner according to image features or by reducing non-ROI data. The ROI based image encoding apparatus and method estimate a complexity for each block located in the ROI of an image, transform the image by creating more duplicate blocks for ROI blocks having high complexity and fewer duplicate blocks for ROI blocks having low complexity, and encode the transformed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-yuel Ryu
  • Patent number: 7778480
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a pair of image data blocks separated by a boundary. The image data blocks include image information defining multiple pixels in at least one image. The method also includes identifying at least one filter length based on edge contents of at least some of the pixels in the at least one image. In addition, the method includes filtering at least some of the pixels in the pair of image data blocks along the boundary using the at least one identified filter length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Huang, Patricia Chiang, Lucas Y. W. Hui
  • Patent number: 7773821
    Abstract: A method for compressing image data having pixels arranged like a matrix in a line direction and a sub scan direction orthogonal to the line direction is provided herein. The disclosed method allows for a reduction in memory capacity necessary for the expansion of the data. The method includes the steps of dividing the image data in the line direction and in the sub scan direction into blocks covering a plurality of lines, determining a representative value about density of pixels included in each of the blocks, determining additional information for each line in each of the blocks or for a plurality of lines whose number is smaller than the total number of lines of the block and creating compressed data by using the representative value and the additional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshitsugu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7764834
    Abstract: A system and method facilitating document image compression utilizing a mask separating a foreground of a document image from a background is provided. The invention includes a pixel energy analyzer adapted to partition regions into a foreground and background. The invention further provides for a merge region component adapted to attempt to merge regions if the merged region would not exceed a threshold energy. Merged regions are partitioned into a new foreground and new background. Thereafter, a mask storage component stores the partitioning information in a binary mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Patrice Y. Simard, III, Erin L. Renshaw, James Russell Rinker
  • Patent number: 7751068
    Abstract: A digital copying machine that performs transfer of image data from the image reader to an external computer based on an image reading operation, as well as transfer of image data from the external computer to the printing unit based on a printing operation using the same bus, wherein the image reading operation and the printing operation are performed simultaneously by alternating the two types of transfers in response to the signal, based on the operation timing of the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takaira, Tomonari Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7747801
    Abstract: A technique for reducing information reception delays is provided. The technique reduces delays that may be caused by protocols that guarantee order and delivery, such as TCP/IP. The technique creates multiple connections between a sender and recipient computing devices and sends messages from the sender to the recipient on the multiple corrections redundantly. The recipient can then use the first arriving message and ignore the subsequently arriving redundant messages. The recipient can also wait for a period of time before determining which of the arrived messages to use. The technique may dynamically add connections if messages are not consistently received in a timely manner on multiple connections. Conversely, the technique may remove connections if messages are consistently received in a timely manner on multiple connections. The technique can accordingly be used with applications that are intolerant of data reception delays such as Voice over IP, real-time streaming audio, or real-time streaming video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mu Han, Andres Vega Garcia, Wei Zhong
  • Patent number: 7747089
    Abstract: If a rectangular area extracted from image data is smaller than a predetermined size, the rectangular area is judged as a text area. If a rectangular area has ground pixel rate of no less than 66%, labeling pixel rate of less than 67%, and marginal pixel rate of no less than 50%, the rectangular area is judged as a large text area, and otherwise as a ground area. If a rectangular area having no less than 10 straight lines, or both no less than four straight lines and labeling pixel rate of no more than 12%, has an edge pixel rate of no less than 5%, the rectangular area is judged as a table area, and otherwise as a graph area. If a rectangular area has less than four straight lines or labeling pixel rate of greater than 12%, the rectangular area is judged as a photograph area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 7742645
    Abstract: The encoding device of the present invention comprises a type determination unit inputs each bit of the weblet co-efficient in a depth direction in parallel and determines type information indicating which the bit is, the first “1” bit when viewed from an MSB side, a bit located further on the MSB side than the first “1” bit, a bit located further on an LSB side than the first “1” bit, a buffer unit for buffering the determined type information of each bit for each bit depth and a pass determination unit for determining pass information of a type information to process, of a plurality of pieces of type information, based on the plurality of pieces of buffered type information of the same depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventor: Sou Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20100149554
    Abstract: An image scanning and processing system includes a scanner for generating a stream of data encoding a scanned image; a controller for controlling and processing data received from the scanner; and a file storage unit. In use, the stream of data is written to a master file saved in the file storage unit. The controller is configured to create a preview image with a lower data size than the scanned image from at least part of the data encoding the scanned image. The controller is configured to extract data encoding the preview image directly from the stream of data, and to write the extracted data to a thumbnail file. A method of scanning and processing an image, includes scanning an original and thereby generating a stream of data, encoding a scanned image, saving the scanned image in a master file, and creating a preview image with a lower data size than the scanned image from at least part of the data encoding the scanned image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Anthonius A.J. DE GRAAFF, Tjerk E.C. Hummel, Etienne L.M.E. Van Dorsselaer, Marc P. Schuwer
  • Patent number: 7738722
    Abstract: Reduction in the blockiness of a simulated film grain block can be achieved either by the use of adaptive downscaling or adaptive deblocking filtering to adjust the intensity of the pixels at the block edge in accordance with at least one film grain block parameter, such as film grain size, intensity and texture. Performing such adaptive downscaling or adaptive deblocking filtering achieves improved performance at lower computational cost by avoiding modification of film grain block pixels in lesser affected areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Cristina Gomila, Joan Lllach, Jeffrey Allen Cooper
  • Patent number: 7720299
    Abstract: A system provides lossless split and merge processes of integer discrete cosine transform (DCT) transformed data such that the discrete cosine transform of one data block may be split into two half length DCT odd and even blocks for merging, with split and merge processes being lossless and are generated in the discrete cosine transformed domain. After splitting, the redundancy existing between the two integer discrete cosine transformed half data blocks allows one to approximately reconstruct the original data block in case one of the discrete cosine transformed half data block is lost during transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Hsieh S. Hou
  • Patent number: 7715640
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a region extraction unit, a region compression unit, and a region synthesis unit for synthesizing the image data of the regions compressed by the region compression unit. The device further includes a compression method selection unit for selecting a compression method for each region, wherein the selection unit selects the compression method in accordance with a type of the region from among the plurality of compression methods, and wherein for each type of region, the selection unit selects a compression method only from compression methods in the plurality of compression methods that are designated for the type of region. And, the region compression unit performs the compression process for the image data of each region using the compression method selected for the region by the compression method selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ozawa
  • Patent number: 7711834
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting portions of document images across a network in response to one or more requests are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a plurality of requests for portions of a JPM file and transmitting a JPM file in parts in response to the plurality of requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Gormish
  • Patent number: 7679790
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a decompression unit (302) that is configurable by dynamic reconfigurable logic into either a first decompression circuit (302a) or a second decompression circuit (302b) that has a slower decompression speed and a lower power consumption than the first decompression circuit (302a), a buffer unit (304) that temporarily stores image data decompressed by the decompression unit (302) to be supplied to an engine unit, and a detection unit (305) that detects a data amount accumulated in the buffer unit (304). In accordance with the data amount detected by the detection unit (305), the decompression unit (302) carries out reconfiguration into the first or second decompression circuit (302a/302b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Soda
  • Patent number: 7656561
    Abstract: Lossless, near-lossless, and lossy compression and decompression of digital image data, whereby the image data can be compressed and decompressed on-the-fly with no need for external RAM resources for temporary data storage while compressing/decompressing image data. Implementing the algorithm only requires a very limited amount of silicon and yields very high performance in relation to very low power consumption. The described implementation is optimized for raw image data from a sensor with a Bayer filter pattern but can be used on data from image sensors with ay color filter. The compression algorithm contains a line indexing formation which enables very fast subsampling of an already compressed image and the possibility to decompress only parts of an image—this improves performance and reduces the need for temporary RAM storage greatly when zooming and in postprocessing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Phase One A/S
    Inventors: Claus Mølgaard, Thomas Alexander Rogon, Thomas Andersen
  • Patent number: 7643691
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus holds a compressed image without being subjected to edging, or holds an edged image of the image after the image is subjected to edging, depending on predetermined conditions. The image processing apparatus creates an image on the basis of an edged image created from the compressed image held by a holding unit or on the basis of the held edged image held by the holding unit. Therefore, an optimal performance suitable for the capability of the image processing apparatus is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukimasa Sato
  • Patent number: 7636480
    Abstract: A method for encoding high resolution data to a form having a reduced number of bits can include predefining a plurality of high-output-resolution output patterns, associating respective output-resolution output patterns of the plurality with respective encoded resolution bit patterns, receiving a block of input-resolution input data, determining a respective difference between a pattern of the received block of input data and the respective output-resolution output patterns, selecting a respective output-resolution output pattern associated with a lowest respective difference to be a representative output pattern for the received block of input data and encoding the received block of input-resolution input data as the respective encoded resolution bit pattern associated with the selected respective representative high-output-resolution output pattern. A system includes a library of output patterns in association with encoded resolution bit patterns, a block analyzer, a block selector and an encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yeqing Zhang, Robert P. Loce
  • Patent number: 7634150
    Abstract: A method of removing ringing and blocking artifacts from a decompressed digital image. In one method, a background value of the digital image a background region and foreground regions is determined, and a threshold value is computed. A mapping of the digital image is then generated by thresholding the digital image based on the threshold value to produce a thresholded image, and enlarging the foreground regions of the thresholded image to form a map image. The mapping includes the background pixels of the map image. The background region of the decompressed digital image is then cleansed based on the mapping. In an alternate method, ringing artifacts are removed from a decompressed digital image based on a signal-to-noise ratio of the image. In yet another alternate embodiment, ringing artifacts are from a decompressed digital color image that includes a chrominance channel and a luminance channel. An alternate embodiment removes ringing and blocking artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Basak Oztan, Zhigang Fan, Reiner Eschbach, Amal Z. Malik
  • Publication number: 20090303549
    Abstract: An image processing device including a first image reading unit to read image data on a front side of a document page, a second image reading unit to read image data on a back side of the document page, a first image processing unit to process the image data read by the first image reading unit, a second image processing unit to process the image data read by the second image reading unit, a memory to store image data, a memory control unit to control access to the memory, and a bus switch that connects the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit to the memory control unit. The bus switch includes a first compression unit to compress the image data processed by the first image processing unit, and a second compression unit to compress the image data processed by the second image processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventor: Norio Sakai
  • Patent number: 7630099
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a compressed representation of a two-dimensional image where the image is described as a sequence of pixels in raster order. The method includes receiving the two-dimensional image as a sequence of pixels in raster order. For each pixel, the system determines whether the pixel is part of a first string of pixels that is identical to a second string of pixels found previously in the image at one of a plurality of preselected fixed distances from the first string of pixels. If so, the first string of pixels is encoded as a string token that is a reference to the second string of pixels. Otherwise, the pixel is encoded as a non-string token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Jeffrey H. Hoel
  • Patent number: 7626733
    Abstract: Efficient utilization of a memory medium is enhanced in an image-processing apparatus, in which encoded data of JPEG 2000 or Motion-JPEG 2000 are stored in the memory medium as a file. File size of the encoded data is adjusted close to, but not to exceed an integer multiple of a memory domain management unit (sector size) of the memory medium. Thereby, a memory domain assigned to the image file in its entirety, or almost in its entirety, is used effectively, improving the efficient utilization of the memory medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Kodama, Takao Inoue, Ikuko Yamashiro, Keiichi Ikebe, Takashi Maki, Hiroyuki Sakuyama, Takanori Yano, Akira Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090284803
    Abstract: A check processing method involves capturing at a first compression rate certain portions of a received check, and evaluating, based on that captured image data, whether certain information of the check can be reproduced by image data at a second compression rate that is greater than the first compression rate. If so, then image data representing the subject portions of the check is captured at the second compression rate image data, stored, and used to electronically process a corresponding check payment transaction. If not, then a specific process is executed without using image data at the second compression rate. This processing step outputs a specific signal or stores image data containing representing the subject portions of the received check at the first compression rate. Such process may be embodied in a check processing apparatus and may be carried out in response to a program of instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio Omura, Naoki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20090279145
    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: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Francis Kapo Tse, Ramesh Nagarajan, James Russell, Chia-Hao Lee, John W. Wu
  • Patent number: 7606430
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises an array of individually controllable elements that modulate a beam of radiation, a compressed-pattern memory that stores a compressed representation of a requested dose pattern to be formed on a substrate by the modulated beam, and a dictionary decompressor that at least partially decompresses the compressed representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Lambertus Gerardus Maria Kessels, Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans, Remco Johannes Van Engelen
  • Patent number: 7599087
    Abstract: A programmable image processor capable of realizing a plurality of image formation operations is comprised of an SIMD type data operation processing section, RAMs, memory controllers, and memory switches. The memory controller and the memory switches selectively connect the plurality of RAMs to the data operation processing section thereby changing the memory capacity allotted to each image formation operation among a plurality of image formation operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fukuda, Yoshiyuki Namizuka, Shinya Miyazaki, Sugitaka Oteki, Takako Satoh, Rie Ishii, Takeharu Tone, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Hideto Miyazaki, Fumio Yoshizawa, Yuji Takahashi, Yasuyuki Nomizu
  • Patent number: 7539345
    Abstract: A method of processing image information in which the image information is encoded by the bit plane and compressed by truncating one or more of the bit planes. Since the index parameter indexing the effect of the truncation on the quality of the image information is generated before the truncation, one can determine the bit planes to be truncated based on the index parameter without decoding the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 7536480
    Abstract: An image passthrough extension structure and method facilitating the transfer of compressed data image files from a software application to a device via the computer system operating system. The application determines whether the device is capable of decoding the specific compressed data file by polling the device driver. If the driver returns a “no support” message, the application processes the compressed data file in a conventional manner. If the driver returns a “support” message, the application transfers the compressed data file, along with the additional processing information, to the device driver utilizing the conventional file transfer operating system data structures modified to incorporate the compressed data file passthrough function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: J. Andrew Goosen, Hock San Lee, John C. Bowler, Feng Yue, Gilman Kuey Wong
  • Publication number: 20090122373
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first image reduction unit that creates reduced-image data from image data, a coding unit that creates a reduced-image file from the reduced-image data, a memory unit that stores the reduced-image file in association with an original-image file created from the original image, a display unit that displays the content of the reduced-image file, a display controller that controls the display unit, a transfer unit that transfers the reduced-image file read out from the memory unit to the display controller, and a conversion unit that converts the content of the reduced-image file transferred to the display controller into signals to display on the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7532767
    Abstract: A method of removing ringing and blocking artifacts from a decompressed digital image. In one method, a background value of the digital image a background region and foreground regions is determined, and a threshold value is computed. A mapping of the digital image is then generated by thresholding the digital image based on the threshold value to produce a thresholded image, and enlarging the foreground regions of the thresholded image to form a map image. The mapping includes the background pixels of the map image. The background region of the decompressed digital image is then cleansed based on the mapping. In an alternate method, ringing artifacts are removed from a decompressed digital image based on a signal-to-noise ratio of the image. In yet another alternate embodiment, ringing artifacts are from a decompressed digital color image that includes a chrominance channel and a luminance channel. An alternate embodiment removes ringing and blocking artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Basak Oztan, Zhigang Fan, Reiner Eschbach, Amal Z. Malik
  • Patent number: 7519228
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for encrypting and compressing multimedia data, which transforms and compresses multimedia data through an encryption key in a process of compressing the multimedia data to record and transmit the data, and encrypts the multimedia data to allow the data to be decoded using only the encryption key. The method includes creating Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients by applying input multimedia data to a DCT unit, and quantizing the DCT coefficients; encrypting and compressing transformed Differential Coefficients (DC coefficient) and transformed Amplitude Coefficients (AC coefficient) by transforming encoded DC and AC coefficients depending on a certain encryption key at the time of entropy encoding quantized DC and AC coefficients of the quantized DCT coefficients; and Huffmann coding the encrypted DC and AC coefficients and outputting the coded DC and AC coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Song-yean Cho, Byung-in Mun
  • Patent number: RE41152
    Abstract: An adaptive compression technique which is an improvement to Lempel-Ziv (LZ) compression techniques, both as applied for purposes of reducing required storage space and for reducing the transmission time associated with transferring data from point to point. Pre-filled compression dictionaries are utilized to address the problem with prior Lempel-Ziv techniques in which the compression software starts with an empty compression dictionary, whereby little compression is achieved until the dictionary has been filled with sequences common in the data being compressed. In accordance with the invention, the compression dictionary is pre-filled, prior to the beginning of the data compression, with letter sequences, words and/or phrases frequent in the domain from which the data being compressed is drawn. The letter sequences, words, and/or phrases used in the pre-filled compression dictionary may be determined by statistically sampling text data from the same genre of text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Pinpoint Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Reynar, Fred Herz, Jason Eisner, Lyle Ungar