Abstract: An image data coding apparatus adopting the method of this invention includes a divider section for dividing an image having gray levels into a plurality of blocks, each consisting of a plurality of pixels; a pre-processing section for detecting the density and the presence/absence of an edge in an image of each divided block; and a vector quantizing section for encoding an image of each block in accordance with the detected density and the presence/absence of the edge in the image of the block. The pre-processing section detects a standard deviation of density levels of the pixels included in each block. The vector quantizing section divides the density levels of the pixels included in each block into a plurality of level sections so as to obtain a code indicating the level section in which the density level of each pixel is included. In the vector quantizing section, the obtained code is again encoded by means of vector quantization.

Abstract: In an image transmitting system such that an image frame is divided into plural blocks and video signals are transformed block by block in accordance with an orthogonal transform method before coding and transmission of the transform coefficients, transform coefficients are coded, only when differences in transform coefficient between the preceding frame and the current frame are significant, to reduce the coding speed and therefore the video signal transmission speed. In addition, transform coefficients are weighted under consideration of human visual characteristics (the weighting is increased with decreasing order of transform coefficient). Further, when only differences in transform coefficient are coded and transmitted, it is possible to further reduce the transmission speed.

Abstract: A gamma stage of a television camera is automatically provided with regulation removing effect of variations in temperature, supply voltage and the like by means of two series of control pulses added to the video signal in blanking intervals of the signal before processing by the gamma stage. One series of pulses inserted in the horizontal blanking intervals, is compared after passing through the circuit with a reference value in a gated comparison amplifier providing a constant voltage output for the duration of a horizontal scanning interval, which is utilized to correct the d.c. offset of the video signal before it enters the gamma stage. Another set of control pulses inserted in the vertical blanking intervals is supplied to a gated comparison amplifier to produce an output signal that remains constant for a vertical scanning interval, which is used to provide a multiplicative correction to the output of the gamma stage for controlling the amplification of the circuit as a whole.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting a high-definition television signal containing picture information which, on display, forms first picture frames at a rate of 2n frames per second, where n is a standard number of picture frames per second formed by the picture information in a standard television signal, and having a width which is wider than that of a standard aspect ratio picture frame, said high-definition television signal having a bandwidth greater that that of a standard television signal, each of said first picture frames including a single field having m sequentially scanned scanning lines, where m is a standard number of interlaced scanning lines in each picture frame formed by the picture information in said standard television signal, in which said scanning lines are arranged in two interlaced fields.

Abstract: A charged beam pattern defect inspection apparatus for inspecting pattern defects on materials such as masks or wafers comprising: a collecting charged beam irradiation apparatus including scanning deflection device for accelerating and focusing the scanning beam, and a detector for detecting phenomenon produced by incident particles such as reflected electrons, secondary electrons, cathodeluminescent light, X rays, or absorption currents; a scanning and synchronous signal generator for generating a scanning signal to be control the scanning deflection means and a synchronous signal to fed into an A/D converter; a two-dimensional video memory including an A/D converter and an address signal generator; a video signal operator for operating the video signal stored in the two-dimensional video memory; a stage driving apparatus for driving a stage for holding the material to be inspected, which includes a position detector for detecting the position of the stage; an auxiliary memory device for storing inspection

Abstract: An apparatus for indicating the position of an object in a three dimensional space is described. The apparatus includes a video arrangement for producing a stereoscopic image of a scene including the object. Overlay generators superimpose on this image a stereoscopic image of a cursor. Cursor control means are provided for varying the apparent position of the cursor in the scene and for providing an output representing the apparent position of the cursor.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) which generates a clock signal having a frequency of N times the line frequency and being phase-locked to the horizontal line synchronizing signal. The clock signal produced by this PLL has a frequency which tends to jitter between N+1 and N-1 times the line frequency. To compensate for this jittering in the frequency of the clock signal, phase alignment circuitry is coupled to the PLL to align the phase of the clock signal to the horizontal drive signal produced by the PLL on the occurrence of each horizontal drive pulse. The PLL also includes a delay element which delays the horizontal drive signal applied to the phase comparator of the PLL. This delay element effectively advances the phase of the horizontal drive signal and the line-locked clock signal with respect to the horizontal sync signal to compensate for signal processing delays imparted in the generation of the horizontal drive signal and the clock signal.

Abstract: An image signal processor which includes a local image register for receiving local image area data of m rows.times.n columns pixels, and a expansion use register of m row.times.l column pixels coupled to the output of the local image register. Thereby, expansion of local image area, and parallel processing can be readily conducted.

Abstract: A general purpose video special effects system and method is provided which utilizes at least one video rate RAM which has stored in it pre-computed data which is stored at addresses determined by all possible values of the video inputs to be utilized. Each special effect has a pre-computation which is accomplished by a threaded interpretive code technique operating on a parameter stack to facilitate the speed of computation. By the use of more than one video rate RAM, the effect may be changed on a line-by-line basis or even faster. Special effects are stored using a "composition of functions" technique that allows the same special effect to be pre-computed for changing bit widths or positions of input and output channels. Special effects can be built by using or combining functions provided. New functions can be defined by the operator by composition of standard or previously created functions.

Abstract: A method for the automatic separating useful and noise information in microscopic images, particularly, microscopic images of wafer surfaces, for example, upon which printed circuits are formed for automatic recognition of wafer identifications which is divided into an image editing step, a conversion of the image content into a representation by data structures (FIG. 6) and also into actual separating steps for discriminating between noise and useful information. The method allows the automatic recognition of greatly disturbed wafer identifications. It allows then identification contours on a wafer to be reconstructed in an undisturbed manner even where there are extreme disturbances and where there is a very small signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vertical synchronizing pulse generating circuit in a television receiver, wherein a vertical synchronizing separation circuit (VS) is so composed not as to directly integrate pulses sequentially outputted from a composite synchronizing separation circuit, but as to integrate a small amount of electric current outputted according to the sequentially outputted pulses. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the capacity of a capacitor (22) used for the integration and at the same time, it is possible to incorporate the capacitor in an integrated circuit, Thus, it is possible to decrease the number of pins provided to the integrated circuit. Furthermore, the small amount of electric current can be regulated according to the electric current flowing through an externally connected load (28).

Abstract: A method and apparatus is featured for encoding electronic intelligence into the horizontal synchronizing pulses of a television video signal, utilizing Amplitude Modulation of the horizontal synchronizing pulses during the active picture portion of the video field. The prime function of the invention is to utilize television transmission links as a co-existant transport medium for another form of electronic intelligence, typically, but not limited, to text, simultaneously with the transport of the television video signal. The invention clearly multiplies the efficiency and utility of existing and future television transmission links, by allowing another form of electronic intelligence to share transport mediums in a parasitic manner.

Abstract: A card and a card identifying apparatus. The card is imparted with a predetermined characteristic information in the form of an embossment pattern, a character pattern, a fingerprint pattern, a colored pattern or a combination of selected ones of these patterns, while information corresponding to the predetermined characteristic information is stored in a memory incorporated in the card. Upon insertion of the card into the card identifying apparatus, the latter senses the characteristic information while reading out the corresponding information from the card for collation. When coincidence is found between both information, it is decided that the card is genuine.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image memory for storing digital image data obtained by A/D-converting a video signal, an arithmetic circuit for performing an arithmetic operation of the image data so as to emphasize an edge, a first plane memory for storing the edge image data, and a second plane memory for storing binary data of all "1"s or "0"s. The first and second plane memories are addressed in response to address data from an address generator. The readout edge image data and the binary data are processed to paint the edge image. That is, the area surrounded by the edge line is painted with the binary data.

Abstract: In an image processing system for elimination of speckle a signal derived from a scan is passed to a statistical processor (21). An output characteristic of a statistical parameter of the local value of this image signal is passed to a comparator (4) and compared with a reference characteristic of speckle to derive a control signal for a variable bandwidth filter (6) used to enhance the image.

Abstract: A system which inspects pattern-bearing material that is subject to topical distortions which scans in a first direction a plurality of predefined local regions of a pattern to be inspected to provide an image of each local region and generates a reference image for each of the local regions. The system shifts the position of the image of each local region and the position of its corresponding reference image relative to each other to align the images in the second direction and/or modifies in the first direction the dimension of the image of each local region and the dimension of its corresponding reference image relative to each other to align the images in the first direction. For each local region the system compares the aligned images to detect errors in the pattern independent of misalignment of and topical distortions of each local region.

Abstract: A recording apparatus receives a video signal containing a horizontal sync signal and a data signal comprised of a given number of image bit data arranged within each horizontal scanning period, and stores the number of image bit data in synchronization with the horizontal sync signal. A voltage-controlled oscillator produces in synchronization with the horizontal sync signal a frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the sync signal. A divider frequency-divides the frequency signal by a given factor to produce a number of sampling pulses corresponding to the given number of image bit data. A data sampling circuit receives the data signal for sampling therefrom the number of image bit data in response to the corresponding sampling pulses to thereby write the image bit data into memory. Another divider frequency-divides the frequency signal by the product of the given factor and the given number to produce a feedback signal.

Abstract: A method for measuring the type of motion and configuration of objects by observation of the objects and evaluation of the observation results, including the steps of: producing data representative of an image of the objects in a selected plane at successive time intervals; deriving, from the data, for each time interval, a representation of only one pair of coordinate values in the plane for each object; producing, from the coordinate values, representations of motion paths for the objects during a plurality of the time intervals; and producing, from the motion path representations, representations of the path traversed by each object, and the average local position, the period of dwell and number of reversals of direction of motion of each object during the plurality of time intervals.

Abstract: A neighbor image processing exclusive memory device comprises a data input/output device for supplying and receiving image data; a plurality of memory blocks coupled to the data input/output device for receiving, storing and transmitting neighbor image data via the data input/output device, individual segments of the data having corresponding addresses; and a plurality of address converters coupled to the memory blocks for selectively reading, writing and converting addresses in response to conversion mode signals received from an external source thereof. The converters simultaneously supply the addresses to the memory blocks for simultaneous access to individual segments of the neighbor image data in the memory blocks.

Abstract: A horizontal phase detector of a television apparatus receives an analog composite video signal that is sampled and digitized at a rate determined in accordance with a clock signal. The leading edge of a simulated sync pulse signal is computed from the digitized signal using interpolation. The phase detector also receives a second signal that is indicative of a transition edge of a horizontal oscillator signal. The timing of the transition edge is contained in first and second signal parts. The first part is a periodic signal having a transition edge coincident with that of the clock signal, and the second part is a skew signal that represents a fraction of the period of the clock signal. The leading edge of the computed sync pulse signal is phase-compared with the oscillator transition edge to generate a phase difference signal for synchronizing horizontal oscillator operation.