Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program for recognizing one or more images within digitized image data that might include a target image desired to be located. The system generates a set of domain blocks from the image data where each domain block represents a discrete portion the image data and a set of range blocks from one or more target images. Either the domain blocks, the range blocks, or both, are transformed by one or more substantially affine transformations with predetermined coefficients to create possible variants of the images. A comparison between the blocks is made to determine similarity, and includes at least a measurement of whether better matching is achieved when a range block is chosen from image data representing the image which is the source of the domain block or when chosen from other image data.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program for recognizing one or more images within digitized image data that might include a target image desired to be located. The system generates a set of domain blocks from the image data where each domain block represents a discrete portion the image data and a set of range blocks from one or more target images. Either the domain blocks, the range blocks, or both, are transformed by one or more substantially affine transformations with predetermined coefficients to create possible variants of the images. A comparison between the blocks is made to determine similarity, and includes at least a measurement of whether better matching is achieved when a range block is chosen from image data representing the image which is the source of the domain block or when chosen from other image data.

Abstract: Digital image data compression apparatus includes a controller circuit for receiving digital image data and for processing the image data into blocks. The controller circuit supplies processed image data to a plurality of transform circuits and to a feeder circuit. The transform circuits receive data from the controller circuit and the feeder circuit, and provide parallel processing to compare blocks of image data and generate fractal transform values representing the image data in a compressed form.

Abstract: Digital image data compression apparatus includes a controller circuit for receiving digital image data and for processing the image data into blocks. The controller circuit supplies processed image data to a plurality of transform circuits and to a feeder circuit. The transform circuits receive data from the controller circuit and the feeder circuit, and provide parallel processing to compare blocks of image data and generate fractal transform values representing the image data in a compressed form.

Abstract: Digital image data is automatically processed by dividing stored image data into domain blocks and range blocks. The range blocks are subjected to processes such as a shrinking process to obtain mapped range blocks. The range blocks or domain blocks may also be processed by processes such as affine transforms. Then, for each domain block, the mapped range block which is most similar to the domain block is determined, and the address of that range block and the processes the blocks were subjected to are combined as an identifier which is appended to a list of identifiers for other domain blocks. The list of identifiers for all domain blocks is called a fractal transform and constitutes a compressed representation of the input image. To decompress the fractal transform and recover the input image, an arbitrary input image is formed into range blocks and the range blocks processed in a manner specified by the identifiers to form a representation of the original input image.

Abstract: Digital image data is automatically processed by dividing stored image data into domain blocks and range blocks. The range blocks are subjected to processes such as a shrinking process to obtain a mapped range blocks. Then, for each domain block, the mapped range block which is most similar to the domain block is determined, and the address of that range block and the processes the block was subjected to are combined as an identifier which is appended to a list of identifiers for other domain blocks. The list of identifiers for all domain blocks is called a fractal transform and constitutes a compressed representation of the input image. To decompress the fractal transform and recover the input image, an arbitrary input image is formed into range blocks and the range blocks processed in a manner specified by the identifiers to form a representation of the original input image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining highly compressed images employing an iterated function system (IFS). An original input or target image is subdivided into regions having similar characteristics. Contractive copies or maps of a particular region, which are the results of affine transformations to the region, are generated and tiled with respect to the input image until the entire region is covered and a collage is formed. Each region is processed in like manner. The affine transformation coefficients or IFS codes completely represent the input image, and are stored or transmitted. To generate an image from the IFS codes, a decoding system is disclosed. One disclosed method involves a chaotic dynamical system. A random iteration of the IFS codes is performed until an attractor, which is the target image, emerges and stabilizes. Another disclosed deterministic method repeatedly and successively applies the IFS codes to an arbitrary starting image until the attractor emerges.