Patents Examined by Cheryl Cohen
  • Patent number: 5495298
    Abstract: An apparatus for concealing error data of pixel data in a digital image signal. The apparatus includes a deframing circuit for detecting errors every predetermined unit to generate a first error flag in high order bit planes including at least the most significant bit plane of bit planes of pixel data in a received digital image signal and for forming a second error flag representing the presence or absence of an error in each of the bits forming the pixel data every pixel data in the high order bit planes on the basis of the first error flag. The apparatus further includes an error correcting device for calculating a plurality of possible data values of the pixel data and for selecting one data value from among the plurality of possible data values, taking the correlation between the pixel data and surrounding pixel data into consideration, on the basis of the second error flag representing the presence or absence of an error in each of the bits forming the pixel data when the pixel data has an error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Uchida, Tetsujiro Kondo, Hideo Nakaya
  • Patent number: 5493333
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including an image sensing unit for converting light from an object into a video signal and outputting a video signal, and a vibration compensation unit for compensating picture vibrations of the video signal provided by the image sensing unit. Also included are a driving unit for driving a head relative to a recording medium, and a servocontrol unit for controlling a driving condition associated with the driving unit. A control unit is also included to control an output of the vibration compensation unit. The output is controlled on the basis of an error signal of the servocontrol unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisataka Hirose
  • Patent number: 5493335
    Abstract: An electronic camera is adapted for processing images of different resolution to provide a user selectable image record size. A buffer memory is provided for storing color image pixels from a sensor as baseband signals corresponding to at least one image. A timing controller responsive to a resolution mode switch controls the order in which color image pixels are selected for storage in both vertical and horizontal directions. The order selected by the resolution switch includes a full resolution mode, and at least one reduced resolution mode in which the color image pixels are subsampled such that each chrominance image pixel is selected to be spatially adjacent to a selected luminance image pixel. Additionally, the buffer memory can store a burst of low resolution images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Parulski, Richard M. Vogel, Seishi Ohmori
  • Patent number: 5491510
    Abstract: A visual information system to capture an input image using a camera 22, manipulate the image using processor 28, and project the processed image using optics 33 to superimpose the processed image on the actual object being observed by a viewer. Processing is done in real-time to allow the viewer to see both the actual and processed images while the viewer moves and changes viewing angles. Areas of interest in the displayed image may be highlighted or include graphical information for the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert J. Gove
  • Patent number: 5485217
    Abstract: A line tripler for an NTSC/HDTV dual receiver includes a control signal generation section for generating write enable signals and read enable signals. A FIFO line memory section writes each line of an NTSC video signal three times at a predetermined write sampling rate in response to the write enable signals from the control signal generation section to triple each line. The memory section sequentially outputs the stored three lines of the NTSC video signal at a predetermined read sampling rate in response to the plurality of read enable signals from the control signal generation section. The increase in the number of samples of each line of the NTSC video signal is made possible by adjusting the sampling rate or clock signal frequency in reading the stored three lines of the NTSC video signal. A format of the NTSC signal can be converted into an HDTV format of 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong S. Park
  • Patent number: 5485203
    Abstract: An encoder decomposes an input color image signal into a luminance signal and color signals, places the color signals in image memories, then fetches color signals of a given screen before and after. A detector calculates differences between the color signals to detect color misregistration either on a pixel basis or a block basis. On the other hand, color signals of a last image acquired before occurrence of color misregistration are stored in frame memories. When color misregistration is detected, a corrector reads the color signals of the last image from the frame memories, and produces correction signals. A counter carries out counting for each difference between color signals of given screens before and after, then detects a distribution of color misregistration of a screen. A selector checks the distribution of color misregistration of a screen to identify the cause of color misregistration, then selectively outputs either the input color image signal or a correction signal sent from the corrector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunari Nakamura, Kenji Matsunaka, Akira Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5483288
    Abstract: An interpolating component generator for a scanning line interpolator using pseudo median filters wherein in generating an interpolating component signal required for converting an image signal of the interlaced scanning system into an image signal of the progressive scanning system, a determination is made whether an inter-field variation is larger than an intra-field variation, based on a determination signal from an inter-field/intra-field determination processor so that an intra-field pseudo median filter is used when the inter-field variation is larger than the intra-field variation, whereas an inter-field pseudo median filter is used when the intra-field variation is larger than the inter-field variation, so as to calculate a pixel value to be finally used in interpolation, thereby solving problems such as a step edge phenomenon and a reduced vertical resolution encountered in fixed intra-field or inter-field interpolation systems, an overlap phenomenon occurring in median filters, arid an increase in c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung H. Hong
  • Patent number: 5477277
    Abstract: Apparatus and method which commands the displaying of audio information on a television receiver display in the case where it is judged that a sound muting control unit was operated, whereby the audio information is displayed by a single operation of the sound muting control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Shimoyanagida, Yoshifumi Muramoto
  • Patent number: 5475425
    Abstract: Video output emulating the broadcast look of motion picture film is created by the present invention. A video camera for real time simulation of the visual appearance of motion picture film that has been transferred or converted to a video signal comprising analog signal input conditioning circuitry, an analog to digital convertor, timing and control circuitry, an address multiplexer and memory control, a digital adder, and a digital to analog convertor. A method for creating the look of broadcast motion picture film comprising the steps of increasing the scan rate of CCD image sensors to output non-interlaced video images, converting said video images from analog to digital form, writing said video images to memory, adding a selective, adjustable amount of two dimensional, electronic artifacts to simulate film grain, reading said video images from said memory banks to a video output data bus at predetermined rates, and converting said video images from digital to analog form for recording or broadcast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignees: Przyborski Productions, Keystone Computer Resources Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn B. Przyborski, Robert F. Gibson, John H. Harn, Lloyd R. Hucke, III
  • Patent number: 5473382
    Abstract: A method of converting and displaying scan lines for displaying interlace video signals permitting television or the like, represented by the NTSC standard, on a non-interlace display apparatus, including a reduction of images. Scan lines of a video signal are converted by a horizontal coordinate conversion circuit, a horizontal filtering circuit, a vertical coordinate conversion circuit, a vertical filtering circuit, and a one-scan line portion of line memory. The coordinates are converted on the basis of the coordinate system of the frame of the interlace video signal; and filtering in the vertical direction is performed in field units based on the coordinate conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nohmi, Tomohisa Kohiyama, Masami Yamagishi, Munekazu Kamo
  • Patent number: 5471240
    Abstract: A scene based nonuniformity correction method (40) that computes and applies offset correction errors to a video signal corresponding to an image derived from a imaging sensor (11). A video signal derived from the sensor (11) is processed such that a vector representing offset correction terms is formed, and this vector is initially set to zero. Each element in this vector represents a correction term for a particular detector of the sensor (11). The vector is applied to each pixel of the image by a processor (13) as the pixels are read from the sensor (11). To measure the offset error, the image is separated into vertically oriented regions, each comprising a plurality of channels. The average of each channel within a region is computed (42), and a set of region vectors is foraged, such that there is one region vector for each region. Each region vector is then globally high-pass filtered and then edges larger than a predefined threshold are detected (43), and marked (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Prager, Stephen J. Herbst, Jerry N. Sisneros, John J. Wootan, Douglas M. Gleichman
  • Patent number: 5459587
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus for processing inputted binary image data including a first area in which data are binarized by a pseudo half-tone binarizing method and a second area in which data are binarized using a predetermined threshold value by a non-half-tone binarizing method, there is calculated a number of adjacencies representing an adjacency state of the same kind of pixels located within a block area composed of a plurality of pixels including a specified pixel to be processed. Further, there is judged whether each pixel of the inputted binary image data is included in the first area or the second area, based on the calculated number of adjacencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigenobu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 5459526
    Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus wherein image signals of plural kinds transmitted in different TV systems can selectively be reproduced, to provide an image signal processing apparatus wherein image signals of plural kinds transmitted in different systems can selectively be reproduced with simple construction, high cost-effectiveness, and high practicability. The apparatus has a sync signal generating unit for performing arithmetic operation processing for extracting a sync signal component from an input image signal, by changing a processing program in accordance with a transmission system of the input image signal, and a decoding unit for decoding the input image signal on the basis of a sync signal generated by the sync signal generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5459513
    Abstract: A device for coding still images, wherein the still images are segmented into homogeneous regions whereto a specific label is attached. The contents and the contours of the regions are coded by circuitry including a sub-assembly (30) for coding contour information which itself includes a contour detector. On the contours of each region the real direction of orientation on the type of contour edge retained for the transmission is detected, and tested by comparing, for each pair of successive image points of each contour segment, the real direction of orientation thus detected and the instantaneous direction of orientation between these two points. The device further includes circuitry for coding segments traversed in the detected real direction of orientation, and for re-initializing the entire procedure for each of the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Christophe Oddou
  • Patent number: 5452013
    Abstract: A vertical filter circuit comprises a first shifter connected to an S/P converter, a calculation circuit connected to the first shifter and a second shifter, a buffer memory connected to the calculation circuit, first and second delay circuits each connected to the calculation circuit, and a second shifter connected to the first and second delay circuits. The first delay circuit comprises a first write selector, a first line memory, and a first read selector, all of which are connected in series. The second delay circuit comprises a second write selector, a second line memory, and a second read selector, all of which are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Ohmori
  • Patent number: 5452002
    Abstract: A video color encoding apparatus (10 ) having a lens (14) for focusing an image (16) on an imaging element (20). The imaging element (20) has a monochromatic CCD imager (22) and a tricolor grating assembly (26) interposed between the CCD imager (22) and the lens (14) such that the image (16) is spatially and spectrally modulated onto the monochromatic CCD imager (22) in data compressed format. The image (16) can be reconstructed using conventional optical techniques with an optical reconstruction apparatus (46) or, alternatively, using mathematical means by a digital computer (42) to be displayed directly on a computer screen (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Inventors: Guo-Guang Mu, Zhi-Liang Fang, Fu-Lai Liu, Ming-Ze Lu
  • Patent number: 5448380
    Abstract: A color image processor and method thereof which performs a first conversion on the output signal of a color image input device into the intermediate color space, and divides the region according to the deviation characteristics in the converted intermediate color space, and re-corrects the color, includes a first transform matrix, a region discriminator and a plurality of transform matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Doo-sik Park
  • Patent number: 5448307
    Abstract: The system generates a composite image on a pixel-by-pixel basis by selectively mapping source pixels provided by video sources of different video formats onto destination pixels in the composite image. The mapping is accomplished by encoding the source pixels into digital words, each word having a color information part and a video format identifier, used to decode the color information part upon processing to organize the composite image. Combining video signals with computer-generated graphics data is achieved under control of the graphics data being interpreted either as video format identifier or as color. If the color of the destination pixel is determined by one of the video sources, the graphics data is used to select the appropriate decoding. The system permits a modular architecture and simple merging with a PC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Johan H. A. Gelissen, Robert A. H. .Van Twist
  • Patent number: 5446498
    Abstract: In a method of scaling interlaced video signals suitable for layered coding, an interpolation process is restricted within a frame where the interpolation of one field in a frame is derived from the same field and its opposite field in the same frame. The first field is converted to a first progressive image such that an interpolated line in the first field is formed by a weighted average of two or more adjacent lines in the first field plus a weighted average of two or more adjacent lines in the second field where one of these lines is at the same position as the interpolated line in the first field. Similarly, the second field is converted to a second progressive image such that an interpolated line in the second field is formed by a weighted average of two or more adjacent lines in the second field plus a weighted average of two or more adjacent lines in the first field where one of the lines in the first field is at the same position as the interpolated line in the second field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Choong S. Boon
  • Patent number: 5444499
    Abstract: A television receiver can output advice information to the viewer when the viewer risks missing a favorite broadcasting program. This television receiver includes in its control unit a timer for obtaining day and time data, a calculating circuit for compiling broadcasting station number currently being viewed by using the time information as parameters, and a weekly tuning information storage unit for storing therein data representing a personal weekly viewing trend on the basis of the compiled result, in which, when it is determined that present tuning data read out from the weekly tuning information storage unit and the present tuning broadcasting station are not coincident with each other, advice information is supplied to the viewer in the form of displayed message or sound message before or after that time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsumasa Saitoh