Abstract: A method of condensing color image data in an image processing system so as to simplify operations while reducing errors in the condensation.The method includes, by computer, generating electrical signals corresponding to color image data representative of a physical image; associating an electrical signal corresponding to a representative code with portions of the signals representative of data in the color image data corresponding to each of the pixels; grouping together electrical signals representative of pixels having identical representative codes to form at least one group; assigning to the representative code for each of the at least one group a condensed pixel representable by the representative code for that group; and setting an electrical signal portion corresponding to each pixel in that group equal to an electrical signal representative of a pixel corresponding to the condensed pixel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of processing an unknown physical fingerprint for use in a data processing system to verify/identify an unknown fingerprint. The method involves obtaining an unknown fingerprint image that includes images of ridges, binarizing the images of ridges in the unknown fingerprint image, generating an image with fused ridges by expanding the images of ridges in the binarized image, shrinking the image with fused ridges to create a scaled-down image, and masking a first portion of the unknown fingerprint image with the scaled-down image so as to create a modified image of the unknown fingerprint.

Abstract: An image processing system has an input portion to which pixel data is inputted, a convolution processing portion processing each set of pixels in a predetermined convolution area so as to output a processed data for every predetermined convolution area. A computational portion calculates a parameter necessary for image processing according to the processed data from the convolution processing portion. A converting portion includes a selecting means, to which the output of the computational portion is inputted, a high speed memory to which the output of the selecting means is inputted and a light computational portion for performing light computation to which the output of the high speed memory is inputted and the output of which is inputted to the selecting means.

Abstract: A method of determining unintended inclination in an image of characters that is to be processed by a device such as a copy machine, a facsimile machine, or an optical character recognition system. An image of characters is generated, and expansion is performed on this image the optimal number of times. The number of expansions is based on the differences in the area of the non-background portion of the image at various stages of expansion. Next, the major direction of inclination is determined for the image. The inclination angle of the image is then determined based on the inclination factors of the character lines for various zones in the image.

Abstract: A method and system for comparing an input image with a stored image. An input image is obtained and processed. By the processing of the input image, a rough judgment of whether the input image corresponds to the stored image is obtained. If the input image does correspond to the stored image, then further processing is preformed on the input image. Characteristics of the processed input image are determined. The system then determines whether the characteristics correspond to characteristics of the stored image.

Abstract: A large scale integrated neural device has a number of processor elements, each with a number of input lines and a single output line. The neural device also has a local bus with a number of conductors. Each conductor receives one of the output lines from each processor. Any input line of any processor element may be connected to any bus conductor through a switch element. Each processor element generates, as an output, an integrated result of weighted input signals. The switch element ON/OFF state may be programmed from external signals.

Abstract: A lighting system for camera comprising light irradiation means which possesses plural luminous objects arranged circularly concentric to a camera lens, and cylindrical shield parts to restrain light from outside arranged between the camera and an object to be photographed.

Abstract: A dither processing method generates a binary-value image from an original image. The original image is converted to a binary-value image by a dither process. For each area in the dither image that corresponds to a dither cell, a representative density is calculated from the number of black (or white) pixels produced by the dither process. A median value of representative densities is then used as a threshold, and the original image is converted to a binary-value image using the threshold. By using the median of representative values, lighting of the original image is corrected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of detecting the inclination of an IC to determine its position for arranging the sides of the IC parallel to an X-axis and Y-axis speedily and precisely without using image information of binarized images or an image of each pin. This method includes the steps of: inputting an image of an IC; defining a plurality of checking areas at predetermined positions in the image, wherein each checking area includes open ends of a plurality of IC pins; generating a density projection along a direction parallel to IC pins in each checking area; detecting the maximum value of a primary differential at the open ends of the IC pins; defining a representative point at a predetermined position on a line along the open ends; and calculating inclination of the IC according to the inclination of a reference line connecting the representative points of the checking areas.

Abstract: A moving vector extractor for detecting a shaking of an image through a video camera in order to improve accuracy of the detection. Even when the image is dark or of low density gradient as a whole, a density gradient value around representative point is calculated. Basic data of moving vector of the difference value between successive frames is obtained by calculating an absolute value or a squared value. The basic data of the moving vector is weighted according to a density gradient value so as to improve the precision of moving vector extraction.

Abstract: A memory control device adaptable to various demands and using a standard DRAM. A memory interface for outputting an address of the memory and controllably reading and writing is connected to the memory. A plurality of input and output ports are connected to the memory interface through a local bus. A host interface is connected to the memory interface through the local bus. A refresh control refreshes the memory through the memory interface. An arbitration structure arbitrates the required access to memory between the refresh control means, the input and output ports and the host interface.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a liquid crystal panel and determining the type of defect. Each part of the liquid crystal panel is extracted and inspected by comparison with an extracted reference part. The parts to be inspected may be found based on the location of previously found parts or by examining a plot of the density in the image. Vector data from a part that is known to be defectless is used to extract the reference part. Alternatively, the contour of a reference part may be determined by analyzing the vector data which was obtained for the parts to be inspected. The type of defect is determined by classifying the defective part according to characteristics of the part's image (e.g., brightness of the pixels) as compared with parts having known defects.

Abstract: An image thinning method for obtaining a resultant image of one pixel width without removing the object being thinned when the object changes width from 3 pixels to 2 pixels. An index pixel value is defined to be a value that is not used in the image. The object is scanned so that each pixel is examined sequentially. The pixel value of the pixel being examined is changed according to the defined rules so as to create a thinned image with a width of one pixel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for discriminating between figure areas, e.g., half-tone photographs, drawings and the like, and text areas in an image. More specifically, an image is processed to determine the difference between maximum and minimum brightnesses in convolutions thereof. When the difference between the maximum and minimum brightnesses is less than or equal to a predetermined level, the center pixel in the convolution is determined to be a half-tone pixel. A half-tone area is detected by determining areas of the image having at least a predetermined number of half-tone pixels. In another aspect of the invention, contiguous areas of the image having fewer than a predetermined number of configuration pixels are determined to be vacant areas having neither figure nor character information.

Abstract: An image verification system for verifying whether a sample image corresponds to a reference image registered beforehand. A relationship between the sample and the reference image is stored when the sample image corresponds to the reference image. The sample image is compared with the reference image by verifying the sample one and the reference according to the relationship between characteristic values of the sample and reference.

Abstract: A data processing system comprising a plurality of neural layers characterized in that a part of neurons in one of the layers are connected to neurons in the following layer.

Abstract: An analog circuit which performs weighting and thresholding for a neural network. Each neuron of the neural network includes an operational amplifier receiving an input signal, the output of which is connected to a transistor. The transistor conducts only when the output exceeds a predetermined value thereby providing a threshold function. The output of the transistor is connected by a variable resistance to other inputs of other neurons. The output of each operational amplifier thereby corresponds to a weighted version of the input signal, which is adjusted for threshold and is also dependent on other neurons of the network.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible for unskilled to inspect the total surface of a liquid crystal panel accurately in short time. It is defined that a liquid crystal panel can be divided into a single part which is a constituent, isolable, and an inspectable area, and that the single part to be "unit area of image" which is defined as a pattern to be inspected. Before the inspection, a unit area of an image without defect is selected from a liquid crystal panel to be inspected. The upper limit reference pattern and the lower limit reference pattern are generated by giving the maximal brightness in a convolution and adding the predetermined brightness and by giving the minimal brightness in the convolution and subtracting the predetermined brightness, respectively, to each pixel of the convolution.

Abstract: It is possible to inspect a printed matter precisely because lines are surely and accurately extracted by the present invention. Extraction of lines are the important point for the judgment if a character is correctly printed or not. The printed matter inspection method according to the present invention comprises the following steps: i) an image of a predetermined area including a line is input; ii) a density projection is performed on said input image; iii) a start point and end point of change of density are emphasized in said density projection; iv) the center pixel in each predetermined convolution is substituted by the minimal density pixel in each said convolution; v) a density projection is performed; and vi) said printed matter defective or not is judged according to said density projection in v).

Abstract: A dither processing method comprising steps of:a) Defining a non-rectangle dither cell and a macro dither cell consisting of a plurality of the dither cells arranged in a predetermined form;b) Defining an order of magnitudes of threshold of pixels in the dither cell;c) Defining an order of magnitude of threshold of the dither cells in the macro dither cell;d) Defining a threshold for each the pixel of each the dither cell in the macro dither cell according to the order of magnitude of threshold of the pixels in the dither cell as well as the dither cells in the macro dither cell.