Abstract: An image processing method generates color image data for previewing an object image to be formed by a color image forming apparatus. The method discriminates a type of the object image based on color image data for the object image, and generates color image data for previewing the object image by performing a color conversion process on the color image data for the object image. The color conversion process is performed in accordance with the type of the object image.

Abstract: In a template matching method, a region that has a plurality of normalized reference template images as vertex template images in a space of a template-pixel-size dimension is considered, and the vertex template images are linearly interpolated by a parameter w to provide a normalized interpolated template image of a magnitude 1 in the space. Then, matching between the normalized interpolated image and a search image is performed using a normalized correlation therebetween as a similarity measure, by which is obtained a parameter that provides the maximum normalized correlation value, and this normalized correlation value is determined as the maximum one.

Abstract: The present invention provides a document processing apparatus, document processing method and a storage medium for storing thereof on purpose to offer document filing in which document can be registered with a little computation cost and with high speed, and retrieval can be performed with little oversight. In the document processing apparatus, a similar character classifying element classifies characters in a document image into similar character categories in advance and stores the classified categories together with their representative image features. When the document image is registered, a pseudo character recognizing element executes, without identifying each character in the text region, classification into character categories based on the image features less than those used in the ordinary character recognition and stores the category strings generated by identifying each character with the inputted image.

Abstract: The size and orientation of a document are detected by determining the length in the horizontal scanning direction and the length in the vertical scanning direction of the document to be read through a reader. According to the detection result, it is determined whether the image of the document needs to be rotated or not so as to satisfy a condition where a shortest dimension among the transmittable widths in the horizontal scanning direction, at which no part of the image is missing, occurs and the dimension in the vertical scanning direction is minimized. According to the determination result, the document image which has been read through the reader is registered in an image memory and the registered image data is read out to transmit it to a receiver through a telephone line.

Abstract: A method for tracing a contour of an object in an image of a video signal, the image including object pixels and background pixels, indexes each of the background pixels; detects contour pixels; groups the contour pixels to thereby provide one or more groups of contour pixels, each contour pixel in a group adjoining one or more background pixels of a same background index; and traces the contour pixels on a group-by-group basis.

Abstract: An optical character recognition method and system are provided, employing context analysis and operator input, alternatively and in combination, on the same batch of documents. After automatic character recognition, the context analyzer processes the fields that are good enough to expect resolution. This will accept as many fields as possible without any operator intervention. For some other fields, the process uses operator input to certify the character-level OCR result of, or to enter, a certain percentage of the characters, so that context analysis may accept some of the remaining fields. If the context analyzer successfully identifies a small set of very close hypotheses, the process asks the operator to certify one or two characters to resolve the ambiguity between the hypotheses. For the fields that are still not resolved, the fields and the hypotheses are shown to the operator for acceptance, correction, or entry.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus which is capable of mounting many function such as an image enhancement and image recognition processes into one chip, for thus processing an image processing algorithm of an image enhancement and recognition in real time by extracting a characteristic of an object, comparing the thusly extracted characteristic with a reference pattern, recognizing an image, thus enhancing an image by using a convolver which is a spatial region filter, and by selectively outputting a data which was obtaining by processing the recognized image data or the image data, providing an image signal receiving and inputting unit, and a memory in a host computer for storing the data which were obtained through an image enhancement and recognition process, whereby the image recognition apparatus according to the present invention does not need a memory having a large capacity.

Abstract: The color tone distributions of a plurality of types of specific originals are stored in advance in a ROM, and a first similarity between the color tone distributions corresponding to a predetermined discrimination criterion, and an input image signal is discriminated. A second similarity between the color tone distributions corresponding to a discrimination criterion which is changed based on the first similarity, and the input image signal is discriminated. Whether or not an original is similar to one of the plurality of types of specific originals is discriminated on the basis of the first and second similarities.

Abstract: A computer graphics system interpolator for generating pixel values in a destination image of an object in a destination image space. The pixel values in the destination image are generated from a source image of the object in a source image space. The destination image and the source image each typically comprise a two-dimensional array of evenly-spaced pixels. A pixel in the destination image is transformed to an associated resampled point in the source image space. Intermediate pixel values are determined by interpolation between horizontally-aligned neighbor pixels in the source image space. Neighbor pixels in the same row as the resampled point in the source image space are determined. The distance between the pixels in the source image space are normalized to a value of unity and a first distance between the resampled point and an immediately adjacent neighboring pixel is determined.

Abstract: A technique for the enhancement of degraded document images to improve their display quality characteristics and image recognition accuracy. Images believed to be representative of the same symbol which occur in different positions over a image source (e.g., a facsimile page) are clustered together. Using the symbols within a particular cluster, an average character image outline for that cluster of symbols is derived and thereafter used to refine the matching of symbols within the cluster and to determine a final representative symbol for that cluster. The final representative symbols from the various resulting clusters are then used to replace all matching images throughout the image source. Advantageously, the display quality and recognition accuracy of the image source is enhanced after application of the present invention due to the resulting improvement of the images in the image source.

Abstract: A bar code written on a original is read by a bar code reader during the feed of the original and decoded, and an image of the document sheet is read by a CCD, and the decoded bar code is stored in a magneto-optical disk as index information. When a reading error of the bar code occurs, the image of the bar code included in the reading image of the original is displayed on a display unit. An operator watches the displayed image of the bar code and inputs code information corresponding to the bar code from a keyboard.

Abstract: A multiple parallel digital signal processor having a large number of bit processing processor elements arranged in one-dimensional array is treated as a processor block, and a plurality of the processor blocks are connected in sequence, while removing redundancy, to form a processor block column. A plurality of processor blocks are connected in sequence such that a processor block at a subsequent stage is supplied either with output of a processor block at a previous stage or with input data, and an output of any of the processor blocks is delivered as a final output, thereby making it possible to realize a signal processing apparatus which has high performance, versatility, and simple configuration.

Abstract: An image processing system and method for varying the resolution of multi-gradated image data to output image data having a different resolution. In the system and method, the resolution of the multi-gradated image data is converted to prepare image data having alternating dots arranged in lines and rows such that those of said dots present in odd-numbered lines and those of said dots present in even-numbered lines are positioned in alternate rows. The image data having alternating dots is transformed into binarization data. The binarization data is converted into binary gradated image data by using an error diffusion method or an average error minimization method. The dot arrangement of the binary gradated image data is then transformed into a dot arrangement equal to that of the image data having alternating dots. The system and method thus obtains a high quality reproduced image at a speed as high as possible.

Abstract: This is a monolithic infrared detector readout circuit for a capacitive sensing element 111 wherein a high gain preamplifier 115 is biased by a large bias element 113, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.12 ohms. The output of the preamplifier 115 is a band-limited by a low pass single-pole filter 117 having a high value resistive element 119, e.g. on the order of 10.sup.9 ohms, and then is clamped by a clamp circuit 131 to a stable reference in a manner that doubles the amplitude of the signal and minimizes low frequency bias shifts and fixed pattern noise. The output of the clamp circuit 131 is buffered by buffer 123 prior to being multiplexed by row address signals. The output from a multiplex switch 125 is then applied to the column line for output to a video circuit or the like.

Abstract: There is provided a method for detecting horizontal and vertical lines of an encoded run length image to identify cells of the image that are formed by the lines. Initially, the method comprises the steps of filtering excess details, such as text, from the image and grouping a portion of the image for analysis. A top profile of the image is generated and, then, points along the top profile are determined where substantial changes in the profile position occur. A horizontal section of the top profile which corresponds to a line completely visible from the top is then extracted from between the points. By repeating the above steps, each horizontal line of the image is detected and extracted from the image. In addition, in order to detect the vertical lines of the image, the image is simply rotated 90.degree. and processed with the vertical lines being positioned horizontally.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing a segment of one or more strokes which are to constitute any of characters and signs by recognizing a relationship in the position between the frame encompassing the strokes previously hand-written and a stroke newly hand-written; judging whether there is any requirement for changing the segment by referring the above recognized relationship in the position to predetermined relationships; recognizing, if there is no requirement, the above newly hand-written stroke as a stroke which constitutes, alone or in combination with strokes to be hand written later, a character other than the character encompassed by the frame; ascertaining, if there is a requirement, the above newly hand-written stroke as any of one or more changing-instruction strokes which identify predetermined types of strokes for changing the segment; and changing the above segment according to the changing-instruction stroke.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for deriving a composite video image by merging foreground and background video image data supplied from a plurality of separate video signal sources employing pattern-key insertion, rather than prior-art color-key insertion, for this purpose. Pattern-key insertion involves replacing a first pattern in a video scene with a second pattern. This is accomplished by first detecting the first pattern in the video scene and estimating the pose of this detected first pattern with respect to a reference object in the video scene. The second pattern is then geometrically transformed using the pose estimate of the detected first pattern. Finally, the detected first pattern is replaced with the geometrically-transformed second pattern.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to recognize hand-printed characters represented as an electronic ink stream. A first filtering box (300) is defined around a center of a first output point (324) in the electronic ink stream and the first output point is added to a filtered ink stream. A second output point (328) is added to the filtered ink stream only when the electronic ink stream moves outside the filtering box (300). When the second output point (328) is added, the filtering box is re-centered on the second output point (328) only in a dimension that is exceeded after adding the second output point (328) to the filtered ink stream to create a second filtering box (310). Moreover, extraction points (630, 640, 650 and 660) are provided approximately equally spaced across a finite set of points of electronic ink to create a compact representation of a finite set of points of electronic ink.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a method and apparatus for enhanced processing of partitioned image data in a manner which permits efficient processing (for example, real-time processing) of the image data without sacrificing the quality of the reconstructed image. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, image data associated with a partitioned frame of input image data is stored along with information which identifies relative placement of each partitioned subimage within the frame of image data. The information is retained during processing of the input frame of image data, such that the original image can be reconstructed therefrom without the inclusion of holes or artifacts due to misalignment of boundaries. Thus, an input frame of image data which has been partitioned can be efficient transmitted, stored and rendered without concern that quality of the reconstructed image will be sacrificed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and device for binarization of pixel data in which a number of black-and-white binary images each having binarization characteristics of different degrees of sensitivity is formed from a set of grey scale value binary data. A dimension S is calculated for each of these binary images, according to the equation ##EQU1## where FS designates the number of black binary pixels and U designates the number of black-and-white transitions. A selection of the binary image for which the dimension S is at its maximum is optimally carried out.