Abstract: A system for recording facsimile or teletype signals includes a switch connecting either signal to a graphic printer recording in raster format and means converting the teletype signals into raster format for recording on the same printer as are the facsimile signals.

Abstract: A motion-compensated image-sequence compression technique is disclosed in which the motion of an object point in a video screen occurring between the present frame and the following frame is predicted. The technique, useful in video teleconferencing, comprises calculating an initial estimate of the displacement of the object point and recursively updating the initial displacement estimate. The step of calculating an initial displacement comprises projecting the displacement forward along the trajectory of the motion of the object point from the present frame to the following frame.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus has a recorder, a control circuit, a display circuit, a sensor for detecting a quantity of remaining recording paper, and an auxiliary memory for storing data which has been received but not yet recorded due to short supply of recording paper. When image information is recorded in a divided manner or recording of image information is interrupted during reception of such information, this state can be displayed.

Abstract: A data decoding apparatus decodes MH codes having different code lengths in real time and at high speed. The apparatus has an image memory, a tristate buffer group, a parallel to serial converter, code length and run length decode ROMs, and a PAL group if desired. The tristate buffer from which the next code is to be read out can be selected immediately after decoding a given code in accordance with the code length of the given code. The PAL group is used to detect an end of line if an error occurs in a given line. The error can be eliminated with one line.

Abstract: In a plotter (10) having a plurality of pens (14) stored in a rotatable turret (16) for selective use in a plotting operation, the turret may be rotated by the drive motor (32) used to move the paper (12) bidirectionally, thereby eliminating the cost and weight associated with a pen turret drive motor. The rotation of the turret is mechanically coupled to a grit wheel shaft (34), which is used to move the paper and which is driven by the paper drive motor. The turret is positioned on a spindle (86) provided with slots (88) associated with the location of the pens. The bottom of the spindle is provided with a worm gear (110), which is continuously engaged by a worm (94) mounted on one end of a worm shaft (96). The grit wheel shaft is also provided with a gear (104) which is selectively engageable by a sliding gear (102) mounted on the other end of the worm shaft. A lever engager (98) is actuated by a foot (106 ) on the bottom of the carriage assembly (56) which supports a pen during the plotting operation.

Abstract: A laser picture drawing apparatus comprises a movable stage for supporting a screen having a surface on which a figure is to be drawn, a laser oscillator for emitting a laser beam, a galvanomirror for deflecting the laser beam, a F-.theta. for focussing the deflected beam a focal point on the surface to be drawn upon, and a mirror disposed movably along an optical axis between the F-.theta. lens and the surface to be drawn upon, for reflecting the beam from the F-.theta. lens in a figure-drawing direction. The reflector is moved along the optical axis at a distance equal to the thickness of the screen.

Abstract: In a time base corrector for correcting time base fluctuations of signals reproduced from a record medium, on which a plurality of time-compressed component signals occurring within one horizontal period in a predetermined sequential order are recorded in response to a clock signal with a predetermined frequency, a write clock pulse generator used in the time base corrector includes a phase shifter for shifting the phase of an incoming write clock signal, whereby the write clock signal having a frequency different from the predetermined frequency is generated in response to a horizontal synchronizing signal, the start time of each of the plurality of reproduced component signals is detected and the shifting amount of the write clock signal by the phase shifter is switched in accordance with the detected output so as to synchronize the write clock signal with the start time of each of the reproduced component signal.

Abstract: A recorder has functions of optically reading image information drawn on a board (record medium), converting the image information to an electrical signal, recording the image information on a record sheet by record means, optically reading a document sheet separately, and outputting the document image onto the board. Further, another image information may be drawn over the image information on the board, and the composite image may be read and recorded on a record sheet.

Abstract: A laser beam printer includes: a recording medium for forming an image; a scanning unit for scanning a beam modulated by an image signal on the recording medium; a beam detector for detecting the position of the beam scanned by the scanning unit and outputting a synchro signal which defines the record start position on the recording medium; a sheet position detector for detecting the position, in the direction of scanning the beam, of a sheet to which the image formed on the recording medium is transferred; and a controller for controlling the output timing of the synchro signal in accordance with the position of a sheet detected by the sheet position detector.

Abstract: In an apparatus for coding digital video data in the form of block of data, the dynamic range information is generated from maximum and minimum values of plural picture elements in a block, the minimum value is subtracted from each of the digital data to generate modified digital video data, the modified digital video data is encoded with a variable digitized bit number determined by the dynamic range information, and the encoded data and an additional code for each block formed of at least two of the maximum value, the minimum value, and a signal representing the dynamic range information are transmitted.

Abstract: A video signal compression circuit for encoding a video signal to reduce the quantity of video information that is transmitted without loss of information and a video signal decompressing circuit for recovering the video signal from its compressed coded form. The encoding circuit includes means for detecting the motion contained in the video signal to generate motion vectors which are representative of this motion. Each picture frame produced from the transmitted video signal is divided into many block units. The motion vectors are generated according to the order of the block units rather than according to the order in which the video signal is transmitted. Thereafter, the vectors are reconverted to the order of the input video signal. The input video signal and the converted motion vectors are used for generating a prediction error signal which indicates motion in the video signal. The prediction error signal is encoded using a variable length coding scheme.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image recording apparatus in which an image is read with an image sensor such as CCD and is supplied to light emitting diodes as recording elements for recording on an electrophotographic drum. The image data from the image sensor are stored in plural memories in parallel manner. A control circuit is provided for controlling the drive signals applied to each of the diodes, to drive such diodes a plural number of times in accordance with image signals applied thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for communicating image sequences through a bandwidth limited channel have circuitry for estimating, for successive images of the sequence, a motion vector field. The motion vector field measures the motion displacement between successive images of the sequence for block regions of the image. A lossy coding circuitry represents the sequentially generated motion vector field for an image as a coded motion signal. An error reconstruction circuitry generates an error signal in response to the vector field coded motion signal and a channel encoder transmits the motion vector field coded signals and the error coded signals over the channel to a receiver. At the receiver, the transmitted error and motion coded signals are received and decoded, and a received image is derived therefrom. The lossy coding circuitry can be any of a number of different circuitries, and in particular, block transform coding can be employed.

Abstract: A picture transmission system of the present invention is adapted to code picture data by a variable sampling rate coding system to transmit the same. Picture data are stored in a frame memory (16) of a transmission area so that differential values between the same and predictors from a predictive circuit (43) are obtained by a subtracter (41) and compression-coded by a variable sampling rate compression circuit (42) to be transmitted. The compression-coded differential values are expansion-decoded by a variable sampling rate expansion circuit (40) so that original differential values are supplied to an adder (45). The adder (45) adds up the differential values with predictors, to produce predictors for subsequent sampling points. In a receiving area, transmitted codes are expansion-decoded by a variable sampling rate expansion circuit (51), so that the decoded values are added up with predictors from a predictive circuit (53) by an adder (52) to output the original picture data.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for an efficient coding which reduces the number of bits per one pixel of digital television signals. The pixel data in the present field is predicted by way of a linear combination of the pixel data in the past several fields and parameters as prediction coefficients, and the parameters which make this prediction difference minimum are derived, and this parameter is transmitted.

Abstract: In an apparatus for coding digital video data in the form of blocks thereof dynamic range information is generated from maximum and minimum values of the digital video data representing plural picture elements in each block, the minimum value is substracted from each of the digital data to generate modified digital video data, the modified digital video data is encoded with a fixed digitized bit number less than that of the original digital video data, and the encoded data and an additional code for each block are transmitted, with such additional code being formed of at least two of the maximum and minimum values for the respective block and a signal corresponding to the dynamic range information for each block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing a multi-dimensional, finite extent, information containing signal in a locally sensitive, frequency domain representation employs transforming the digital signal using a Short-Space Fourier transform having overlapping basis functions. The theory and application of the Short-Space Fourier transform provide, in one particular application of picture image transmission, an improved image quality over previously employed block transform coding methods and apparatus. A particularly preferred window function for use in connection with image signal processing is the multi-dimensional sinc function which has the unique advantage of a rectangular bandpass signal in the frequency domain.

Abstract: There is provided an optical disc of high reliability, with the recording film protected from deterioration. The optical disc of this invention is produced by forming a tellurium suboxide film or optomagnetic recording film on a substrate made by injection molding from a polycarbonate resin. The substrate is made from a polycarbonate resin containing a phosphite ester-based antioxidant in a specific low amount.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus using a continuous length of recording paper with its first surface for recording and its second surface for transmitting scripts. Received facsimile signals are recorded on the first surface through a recording section, and scripts which are to be transmitted are written on the second surface and read through a reading section. This arrangement needs only one paper feeding passage and enables the paper to be efficiently used, since a non-recording surface of the paper can be used as a surface on which scripts are written.

Abstract: An image scanner for microscopic objects. The image scanner has a microscope with a high precision computer controlled motor driven stage to provide X,Y plane displacements in order to scan microscopic objects under the microscope. There is an image sensor and a digitizer in association with the microscope to sense a horizontal image line or a two dimensional image and provide a digital representation of the line or image. A digital signal processor processes digitized signals from the sensor. There is a computer to control the mechanical and electronic scanning and to store and display information from the digital signal processor. Methods of scanning a microscopic object are also described. The methods comprise positioning the object on a motorized stage of a microscope having an image sensor in a focal plane. The object is scanned and signals received from the sensor during scanning are digitized.