Abstract: There is an image processing apparatus which can further digitally control the density of the image signal read out from the image file in which the dither-processed image signal was stored. This apparatus comprises an input device to input the dither-processed image signal, table memories which output the density correction data using the image signal of a plurality of bits inputted by the input device as an input address, and a visible output device to output the outputs of the table memories as visible outputs, wherein the input device reads out the dither-processed image signal from the image file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic inspection of periodic patterns typically found on patterned silicon wafers, printed circuit board, and the like is disclosed herein. The method comprises an inspection algorithm of two parts: a low-level algorithm and a higher level algorithm. The low-level algorithm utilizes the known periodically of the pattern to find defects by comparing identical cells in the periodic array. The high-level algorithm applies the low-level algorithm, some number of times (N) in succession on the image; accumulates defective pixels to form a separate image; and then applies a threshold-sort operation on a neighborhood to determine center pixel defectiveness.The apparatus for implementing the above method comprises a parallel/pipeline architecture for high speed processing and RAM LUT's to implement a plurality of subtract and compare functions.

Abstract: A scheme for compressing and reconstructing multi-color high resolution navigation image data, such as aeronautical chart images provides an effective bit rate of one bit per pixel. Data representative of the image of a color aeronautical chart is sampled for a plurality of aerial grid points of the image (corresponding to pixels of the displays) each sample being digitized to provide an original color-representative matrix of data points, each resolved to some number of digital bits per basic color, per sample point. The color data is transformed into data representative of luminance (Y) and in-phase and guadrature chrominance (I, Q) components thereof. The Y, I, Q values are compressed using a clustering process that produces, for an aeronautical chart, sixteen clusters of combinations of colors and shades in the Y, I, Q domain.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus is disclosed which allows manual designation of the area to be read. This scanner accepts operator input to position the read head prior to actual scanning. Start and end positions are determined and then stored. The apparatus also displays characters and images such that images stored in memory can be displayed by identification codes in the same manner as characters.

Abstract: A method for use in a recursive spatial filter which interchanges the value of a control pixel with that of the value of a predetermined one of the surrounding pixels in a pixel mask when a specific image pattern occurs in the digital image. The use of such a method eliminates certain highly visible grain patterns from the halftoned digital image while preserving the average gray level.

Abstract: A character recognition apparatus comprises an extracting part for extracting a feature of a character within an image data related to a document in a form of a feature vector having components which are histogram values of n degree peripheral pattern describing the feature of the character by distances from an arbitrary side of a character frame to each of first through nth detected contour of the character within the frame, a compression part for compressing the feature vector into a compressed feature vector having components which are quantized data, a dictionary which stores compressed feature vectors of standard characters, and a matching part for matching the compressed feature vector obtained from the compression part with each of the compressed feature vectors stored in the dictionary so as to output at least one candidate character corresponding to one of the standard characters described by a compressed feature vector having a minimum difference with the compressed feature vector obtained from the

Abstract: In order to correct the swathe related banding effect often seen on swathe-scanned imagers a vertical smoothing function separates out artifact detail from the idealized image and derives, from this, proportional corrections for each channel within a swathe. In cases where the artifact varies from swathe to swathe a second algorithm is used to obtain correction values for each line of the image.