Abstract: An apparatus and method electronically registers or aligns ideal raster data to real raster data for subsequent processes such as inspection systems and image processing systems. The electronic image registration system receives ideal and real images in scrolling buffers wide enough to hold the width of the image and high enough to hold the difference in a skewed image. In other words, the real and ideal upper corners must be contained within the buffers for any possible kind of misalignment or distortion. Each buffer has a selector to randomly access frames of image in the vertical direction. Each buffer image frame is moved horizontally out of its lower swath and into its new position in the next upper swath. Horizontal movement of each buffer is independent, such that adjustable sequential access in the horizontal direction is available.

Abstract: A facility is provided which determines the optimum phase of a sample clock signal that is used to acquire a copy of an image containing text. In particular, the phase of the sample signal is set to an initial value and is thereafter incremented by a predetermined amount of time following the acquistion of each of a predetermined number of copies of the image, in which each such copy is defined by respective pixel values. Upon acquiring a current copy of the image, a histogram is formed from ones of the pixel values and is stored in memory in place of a priorly stored histogram if the latest histogram contains more pixel values indicative of text than the priorly stored histogram. The phase of the sample clock signal is then adjusted to the phase associated with the histogram that is stored in memory following the last of such acquisitions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting solid particulate material and calculating mass flow rate of the material through a rotary feeder having helical pockets is provided. At least one radiation source and two or more detectors are positioned in a manner whereby radiation flux is directed through, and attenuated by particulate material contained in a helical pocket. The amount of attenuation is measured at least when the pocket is filled with material and when the pocket has discharged most of the material. The difference in the amount of flux detected at the filled and discharged positions is used to determine the mass flow rate of the particulate material.

Abstract: An optical recognition method and system utilizes a scanner to digitize a complex document comprising regions of text and graphics. A recognition engine, illustratively in the form of a general purpose computer, separates regions of text and graphics and identifies lines of text. Character boundaries are determined in each line of text by forming a shadow of the line of text on the horizontal axis. Each byte from the shadow is utilized to access a table stored in a memory associated with the recognition engine. The value contained in the table provides information as to where boundaries are located in the portion of the line of text corresponding to the byte from the shadow.

Abstract: A photographic slide-to-video tape converter having an elongated supporting base, a video camera mount associated with the base for detachably securing a video camera to the base with the camera lens in a predetermined position, support structure projecting from the base, a photographic slide carrier structure for supporting a slide for imaging by a camera connected to the base, and a light directing unit for directing light through a slide supported by the slide carrier into the lens of a video camera secured to the base. The slide carrier structure has a slide positioner and slide engaging assembly for receiving and supporting a slide at a predetermined position in alignment with the camera lens position. The light directing unit directs light through the slide to the camera lens.

Abstract: A massively parallel digital image data processor provides a large number of processing elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form. Relative indexed addressing among the processing elements is provided, whereby image data may be easily accessed by and shared among all processing elements. A single-instruction/multiple-data (SIMD) architecture provides instructions to the processing elements in parallel in accordance with specific application programs therefor. The processing elements use triple-ported register files for their internal memory which may input and output data independently and simultaneously. The processing elements are memory-mapped into the address space of the processor's embedded computer to simplify addressing thereof. All image data is inputted and outputted in pixel format. All image data is transferred, stored and processed in bit-serial format.

Abstract: A device for fixing a microphone on a video camera including a fixed holder with a groove fixed to the camera, and a corresponding stepped microphone holder with a groove being connected to the fixed holder to thereby turn on a hinge pin. A U-shaped cut is formed on a side of a stepped portion of the microphone holder 4, and locking means with a knob, a threaded shaft and a cushion barrel lock the microphone holder. The threaded shaft is connected to the fixed holder so as to turn on a hinge pin, a spring flat resiliently supports the knob, a guide spring and a bolt are connected to one end of the spring flat, in an upper portion of the stepped microphone holder.

Abstract: Segmentation of characters in a character set (10), made by placing a dark mark against a light background (12), is accomplished by establishing a vertical pixel projection for each pixel column in the image. The vertical pixel projections are filtered with a decay parameter so those pixel columns which contain only background have the highest projection. Thereafter, a set of "cut-points" (points of image segmentation) is obtained so that each cut-point coincides with a pixel column whose vertical pixel projection is both a local maxima and exceeds a predetermined threshold. The number of such cut-points is counted and if the number is not significantly greater than a predetermined number, the image is segmented along the cut-points. Otherwise, the vertical projections of those pixel columns coincident with the cut-points are filtered with a decreasing threshold to reduce the number of potential cut-points.

Abstract: A character recognizing method includes steps of detecting a character using an end of the character line as a start point, normalizing the detected character, comparing the normalized value with a predetermined standard pattern, and detecting a point having a minimum distance difference from the standard pattern as a segmentation point between neighboring characters.

Abstract: An anemometer having a substrate onto which a temperature-dependent surface resistor is deposited. The active surface of the surface resistor is spaced from the leading edge of the substrate. A covering layer extends over the surface resistor and extends to the substrate at least in the area of the active surface.

Abstract: A system for automatically detecting a variation of video information, comprising a video information variation detecting circuit for converting a video signal outputted from a monitoring camera into digital data, storing the digital data, or video data by one frame and comparing the current inputted video data with the stored video data to detect a portion different from each other as the variation of video information, a microcomputer for controlling the system operation, and a video output control circuit for setting a window area on the screen and, if the video information variation detecting circuit detects the variation of video information in the set window area, outputting an alarm control signal and generating a variation indicating marker signal corresponding to the variation detected portion in the set window area, such that the marker signal is overlap-displayed on the current picture on the screen corresponding to the variation detected portion in the window area.

Abstract: An electronic image stabilization method and apparatus has application for use in hand-held video camcorders. The electronic image stabilization apparatus, contained within the camcorder, comprises a definition television (HDTV) image sensor with photosensitive cells, a gimbaled lens configuration and signal processing circuitry. The lens configuration projects a subject image upon only a portion of the image sensor. As the hand-held camcorder is physically jittered, the lens configuration projects the subject image on a different portion of HDTV image sensor. A scanner circuit reads values from the cells, and a threshold circuit compares the values to a pre-determined threshold value. If the photosensitive cell value is greater, the the projected subject image in the larger HDTV image array is determined, only the photosensitive cells illuminated by the projected subject image extracted from the HDTV image sensor. As a result, jitter in the output image, caused by hand-held shakes, is reduce or eliminated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically verifying a signature of an individual is described. The apparatus digitizes an image of the signature and provides a grey scale representation of each pixel. Next, the apparatus determines parameters of this digitized image and compares them to corresponding reference parameter values which were determined from a valid signature. The results of the comparison indicate if the signature to be verified is valid. The parameters include a center of gravity of the pixels within each row and columns of the digitized image, a center of gravity line for the centers of gravity for the rows or columns and the center of gravity for all pixels of the image. Other parameters include the positions of maximum grey scale pixels within each row or column, sums of grey scale values per column or row and the shape of a bow within the signature image.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a CCD solid state imager in which a utilization efficiency of light and a sensitivity of a sensitive unit (pixel) can be increased and a smear can be reduced by improving a shape of a micro-condenser lens formed on the sensitive unit. In the CCD solid state imager of this invention, of four corner portions of the condenser lens, shapes of the three corner portions are round-cornered similarly to corner portions of a sensitive unit opening and the remaining corner portion of the condenser lens is cut along the direction inclined relative to a central line of the condenser lens (i.e., in the direction having an inclined angle of substantially 45 degrees).

Abstract: An apparatus for generating video signals from a photographic image previously recorded on film (a cine-video system) which includes a film transport mechanism for advancing or rewinding the film in order to position a film frame at a film gate for projection, an image projector which detects when a film gate for projection, an image projector which detects when a film frame is positioned at the film gate and projects an illuminated image of that frame, a video pickup system which receives the image and generates a video signal which represents it, and an output circuit which produces a resultant output video signal.

Abstract: A counter circuit which incurs a uniform number of logic changes whether the clock signal is rising or falling is used in both a first counter circuit for measuring the reference signal for horizontal scanning period and a second counter circuit for measuring signals in the vertical blanking period. Since the number of logic changes of the flip-flops with respect to the clock signal is uniform, a driving circuit for a solid-state image sensor is realized in which noise in the vertical blanking period does not appear in the video period even if by using 1H delay line.

Abstract: A self-contained unit has a probe (N) urgeable against a structure to be tested, a shock assembly (H, I, J, F, M) for applying a shock to the structure through the probe (N), and a transducer (A, B, C) for receiving resulting vibrations from the structure through the probe (N) and providing electrical output data. The unit also includes a memory (b) for storing the data. The unit has a tubular body (E) in which the transducer (A, B, C) is receivable. The transducer (A, B, C) is linked to a weight (H) and springs (G, I) such that urging the probe (N) against a structure progressively compresses springs (G, I), drives the enclosure (A, B, C) into the body (E) and raises the weight (H) until the weight is suddenly released and hits the transducer (C) to supply the shock.

Abstract: An automatic control circuit of the depth of focus of a video shooting apparatus for automatically controlling the depth of focus in control of a shutter speed on centerfocusing comprises a switch for switching on the state of the established centerfocus if a control command of centerfocus is applied by a user, a microcomputer for outputting the control signal of the shutter speed to a shutter selector if the state of the established centerfocus is received, a sample and hold circuit for sampling and holding an image signal of an image element controlled by the shutter speed selected from the shutter selector, and a level detection for detector the level of the shutter speed provided by the sample and hold circuit to control the operation of the microcomputer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic focusing camera in which an automatic focusing operation is performed by detecting a high frequency component of a video signal obtained from an image sensor device at every predetermined period, and has a theme that the automatic focusing operation can be performed within an extremely short time. To this end, by a search means, a focus lens is moved from a first position to a second position with relatively coarse steps to obtain a focus evaluating value for each step. In a first method, after the focus lens is moved to the vicinity of a lens position corresponding to a maximum focus evaluating value obtained by the search means, the focus lens is moved with small incremental steps to find a true maximum focus evaluating value.