Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating the installation and alignment of side punches onto the internal drum of an imaging system. A side of the internal drum is provided with a T-shaped slot for movably positioning a plurality of side punches about the cylindrically shaped imaging surface of the internal drum. The proper radial alignment of the side punches along the T-slot is achieved using a unique band template. The band template includes a plurality of notches, each of which indicates the correct positioning of the pin of a side punch to be installed on the internal drum.

Abstract: A switch detects a vacuum that is created by suctioning air through a port hole in a media support surface. The switch includes a first layer having (i) a first hole therein which is at least partially aligned with the port hole in the media support surface and (ii) a conductive region, and a second layer, which is disposed above the first layer relative to the media support surface and which is substantially non-conductive. The second layer has a second hole therein which aligns, at least in part, to the first hole in the first layer and to the port hole in the media support surface so as to allow air to flow through the port hole, the first hole, and the second hole. A third layer, which is disposed above the second layer relative to the media support surface, comprises a printed circuit pattern that aligns, at least in part, to the second hole. The printed circuit pattern on the third layer comprises an open circuit.

Abstract: A method for automatically processing a job in a prepress printing environment includes the steps of: moving an image receiving substrate from a storage bin to a staging area; moving the image receiving substrate from the staging area into a drum; imaging a predefined area of the image receiving substrate in the drum with a laser while simultaneously moving a next image receiving substrate from the storage bin to the staging area; upon completion of the imaging of the image receiving substrate in the drum, simultaneously (a) moving the image receiving substrate from the drum into a processing area for developing an image on the image receiving substrate, and (b) moving the next image receiving substrate from the staging area into the drum; and finally repeating the above steps until the job is completed.

Abstract: The screen printing process together with halftoning techniques for reproducing continuous tone color images has given considerable moire problems. Interferences between the halftoning technique and the screens, and the subsequent screens may be alleviated by appropriate orientation of the screens with respect to each other. Preferentially a frequency modulation halftoning technique is used for halftoning the color components.

Abstract: A halftone screen is presented for use in combination with reproduction devices that are capable of rendering more than two tone levels. The screen is optimized to minimize both tone and color shift in the presence of variations in the printing process. The intermediate density levels, which are assigned to a minority of the microdots within each halftone cell, are different within adjacent halftone cells. FIG.

Abstract: The invention resides in an imaging apparatus comprising a stationary support element for supporting an imaging material, an imaging device for exposing an image onto the imaging material, and a loading device for automatically loading and unloading the imaging material onto the stationary support element. The loading device includes an output conveyor mechanism for removing the imaging material from the stationary support element without contact between the image on the imaging material and an adjacent platen.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed to obtain a color gamut description of a multidimensional color reproduction device. The method is based on dividing the domain of the device into a number of subdomains that are selected such that the union of the color gamuts of the corresponding subdomains equals the color gamut of the multidimensional color reproduction device.

Abstract: A screening system comprises at least one screen of which the phase is tone or image level dependent. This tone dependent phase shift influences the rosette structure and can be used to improve the neutral balance and color fidelity in multi-color reproduction and to minimize the visibility of such rosette structures in highlight and shadow areas.

Abstract: A film cassette may be used for housing film units of the self-developing type, each having a photosensitive area, a pod of processing fluid, and a leading edge. The film cassette may be used in a film assemblage, camera back, or imaging device having either a straight or a curvilinear film path configuration. One such film cassette includes: a chamber defined by forward and rear walls, a pair of side walls, and leading and trailing end walls; means for resiliently supporting the film units within the chamber; first spread control means for use when the imaging device has a straight film path configuration, the first spread control means including at least one projection formed on an interior surface of the forward wall; and second spread control means for use when the imaging device has a curvilinear film path configuration, the second spread control means including at least one projection formed on a bottom surface of the rear wall.

Abstract: An image processing system for sample rate conversion of an image signal representing an image of pixels from a first sample rate to a second sample rate includes: an image acquisition device for acquiring the image signal from an image signal source at the first sample rate; a first memory for buffering the input signal; a second memory for storing predetermined discrete cosine transform coefficients; a dot product multiplier for multiplying the image signal retrieved from the first memory times the predetermined coefficients to produce an output signal at the second sampling rate; a third memory for buffering the output signal; control sequencer logic for controlling operation of the image processing system; and an output device for providing a resampled image at the second sampling rate from the output signal. The image processing system facilitates sample rate conversion by segmenting the image into segments of image data points wherein a separate and different offset is determined for each segment.

Abstract: Full color resolution of an image is realized by reconstructing an array of image data points from an image signal representing the image into a shifted array of pseudo pixels. The particular grid type of the array will dictate whether color recovery uses only vertical resolution, only horizontal resolution, vertical resolution followed by horizontal resolution, or horizontal resolution followed by vertical resolution. For each color channel, interpolation of missing color components is accomplished by first, taking a DCT of the image data points, then taking a modified IDCT of the DCT coefficients.

Abstract: A method and system for filtering a digital image with a filter larger than the hardware capabilities of the imaging system is workable by subdividing the large filter into a number of small filters which can each be individually processed by the system. The method includes the steps of: segmenting the digital image into data blocks of a predetermined size; overlapping adjacent data blocks by a predetermined number of pixels; providing a preselected filter kernel; generating small filters by processing a preselected group of components of the filter kernel; applying each of the small filters to each overlapped data block to produce component data blocks; and merging and saving the component data blocks into filtered data blocks according to a predetermined specific criteria, whereby the filtered data blocks represent the filtered digital image.

Abstract: An image rendering system, for generating discrete tone image data representing a continuous-tone image for rendering by a rendering device, the image rendering system includes a stochastic threshold array generating arrangement and an image data processing section. The stochastic threshold array generating arrangement generates a plurality of stochastic threshold arrays from a random seed pattern that have been subsequently optimized to reduce image artifacts in the rendering of tones. Each pattern is optimized to reflect (i) a selected trade-off between grain and possible mottle in the rendered image, (ii) distortions introduced by the rendering device in rendering an image defined by the pattern and an observer in viewing the image, and (iii) boundary effects so that the patterns, when tiled together, have optimal visual characteristics proximate their respective edges.

Abstract: Image processing methods and apparatus by which images in the spatial domain can be represented in the frequency domain through the use of discrete cosine transforms, conveniently operated on to achieve scaling and filtering effects while in the frequency domain, and then retransformed to the spatial domain or stored, displayed, reproduced or transmitted to distant locations for subsequent reuse. The scaling techniques which the invention utilizes can be for image enlargement by interpolation or image reduction by decimation. In the case of decimation, a filtering operation preferably is first performed in the frequency domain to avoid artifacts in the decimation process. The filtering operation is mathematically equivalent to a linear convolution in the spatial domain as a consequence of the properties of the DCT transformation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel process and system for removing noise from an image by first noise modeling an image signal source to generate noise masks and LUT values characteristic of noise at different frequency levels for each channel, and then applying the stored noise masks and LUT values to an image signal for noise removal. The image is first captured as an electronic image signal by the image signal source, then represented by a pyramid structure whereby each successive level of the pyramid is constructed from DC values of the previous level, and each level of the pyramid corresponds to a different frequency band of the image signal. A Wiener variant filter using DCT transforms is used to filter DCT coefficients at each level. The image is restored with reduced noise by replacing DC values with next level IDCT coefficients then performing an IDCT on the results.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a digital image signal which represents an image can be made to optimally map luminance values versus a tonal reproduction capability of a destination application. Specifically, the system includes a device for partitioning the image into blocks, then combining certain blocks into sectors. An average luminance block value is determined for each block and a difference is determined between the maximum and minimum average luminance block values for each sector. If the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, then the sector is labeled as an active sector and an average luminance sector value is obtained from maximum and minimum average luminance block values.

Abstract: An instant photography camera can contain a combination of improved features including cleaning pads for continuous cleaning of spread rollers throughout the life of the camera, a flexible non-coiled film shade for preventing light piping along a film unit which is exiting the camera, and a dual independent spread control feature on a film cassette so that the same film cassette can be used in different cameras. The film cassette includes first and second spread control features for providing even spreading of processing liquid across a film unit; the first spread control feature used in a straight film track configuration, and the second spread control feature being used in a chute film track configuration.

Abstract: The image processing system of the present invention provides electronic edge detection in keeping with ISO/JPEG/MPEG international compression standards for electronic imaging. Specifically, a novel electronic image processing system for edge detection includes: an image acquisition device for acquiring and representing an image as an electronic image signal; a video memory for storing the image signal; a display for displaying the image signal; a raster to block converter for converting the image signal into block format; a DCT/IDCT processor for transforming the converted signal in accordance with predetermined basis matrices stored in a basis matrix memory; a mask multiplier for generating a mask multiplied signal in accordance with predetermined Laplacian matrices stored in an A matrix memory; a buffer for storing the mask multiplied signal; and a controller for controlling the image processing system in accordance with instructions from a central processing unit (CPU).

Abstract: An imaging device is fitted with a handstrap adjustable for holding the device with either the left or right hand without having to detach the handstrap from the body of the imaging device. Such an imaging device includes: a body; a conduit fixedly attached to the body and, a strap having a predetermined length with an intermediate portion and first and second end portions, each of the end portions being attached to the body, the intermediate portion being movable through the conduit to allow formation of a loop on either side thereof which is sufficient in size to accommodate a single hand of a user to engage the imaging device.

Abstract: A folding assembly for use with an imaging device can foldably connect a first housing section to a second housing section so as to accommodate movement of the first and second housing sections relative to each other between erect and folded positions.