Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for an image processing system including a threaded scheduler providing compact and efficient dataflow as a pipeline management and data flow layer.

Abstract: An illuminated edging module is provided for attaching a light strand (e.g. a rope light) to an existing conventional edging. The edging module includes a housing comprising an elongated connector portion adapted to removably couple the edging module to the upper portion of the existing edging and a housing upper portion containing the light strand. The housing upper portion can be translucent or transparent. The housing portion and the connector portion are integrally formed of plastic and can be co-extruded so that they are made of different materials. A translucent or transparent coupler formed as a slotted cylinder and surrounding the housing upper portion can be used to join adjacent sections of the illuminated edging module. One or more sleeves can be provided with a coloring to color the light emitted from the light strand when it is attached over the housing upper portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modifying the perceived quality of a document or image. The method includes inputting image or document data representing the image or document to be modified, analyzing the image or document data for one or more objects, evaluating the objects as one or more of acceptable, improvable or deficient based on one or more quality factors. For each object that is evaluated as other than acceptable, the method and apparatus creates, displays and possibly applies a quality recommendation for the objects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interactively and automatically enhancing image data by modifying one or more features of an image. The method includes inputting image data representing an image to be modified, analyzing the image for features to be modified, automatically selecting one or more feature to be modified, determining a first degree of modification using a automatic image enhancement techniques or a stored user preference, reversibly modifying the image based on the selected image feature and the first degree of modification, showing the image before improvement, showing the image after improvement and allowing the user to further modify at least one feature of the image data.

Abstract: A method and device for describing a complex color raster image as a collection of objects in a hierarchical and device independent format can be carried out using an apparatus for generating an image capable of being displayed and printed.

Abstract: This invention provides a device and method for processing data with a data processing string having push type and pull type tasks. Push tasks processes data and pushes the output of the process to downstream push tasks based on link paths. On the other hand, pull tasks sends data requests via upstream links to upstream pull tasks to acquire data for processing. Data processing strings are usually configured with either push tasks and/or pull tasks to maintain consistency in the direction of links. The preferred embodiments of this invention provides a method and apparatus for inserting push tasks in a string of pull tasks and inserting pull tasks in a string of push tasks. The inserted push and pull tasks are enhanced with forward and backward message links and interface tasks are provided to interface between the inserted pull or push tasks in the strings of push or pull tasks, respectively.

Abstract: A scheme that generates image processing source code for custom applications automatically by using structured image (SI) technology in a way that takes advantage of the unbound and incomplete features of SI. Resulting custom applications developed by this method can be defined and converted to running source code in minutes, or shipped to a co-user of the system in a compact portable form for remote code generation.Nested sub-component references and associated image processing operations necessary to generate an output raster image are obtained from a structured image template. Image processing operations and the order of said operations within an image processing definition are stored within the structured image definition. Unbound structured image references to undefined component objects and incomplete structured image references to image processing operations and parameters not explicitly defined within said structured image are input options.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system optimizes Huffman codes within the Huffman tables without requiring buffering an entire uncompressed original image. Compression of a whole image is performed prior to storage in a buffer. Therefore, the necessary buffer size for performing computation of symbol frequencies in order to optimize Huffman codes is reduced. Default Huffman codes are used to pre-compress the image for storage in the buffer. Simultaneously, the input symbol frequency is determined to produce optimized Huffman codes. The optimized Huffman codes are used to optimally re-encode the encoded image data to reduce the space of the re-encoded data. The optimally encoded image data can then be stored and/or transmitted.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method for automatic cropping of images containing regions where intensity levels are uniform and other regions where intensity levels vary considerably. An image to be automatically cropped is scaled down to a grid and divided into non-overlapping blocks. The mean and variance of intensity levels are calculated for each block. Based on the distribution of variances in the blocks, a threshold is selected for the variance. All blocks with a variance higher than this threshold variance are selected as regions of interest. The regions of interest are then cropped to a bounding rectangle.

Abstract: A method of correcting out-of-range 8-bit pixel values, which should range from 0 to 255 by successively finding an out-of-range pixel, correcting it by adding (subtracting) an amount to restore that value to 0 (255), and then subtracting (adding) an equal amount to an adjacent pixel or pixels. An alternative, most useful for text, is to find an out-of-range pixel, and then replace it, and all adjacent pixels that are within a predetermined limit of 0 (255), with 0 (255).

Abstract: A method and device for describing a complex color raster image as a collection of objects in a hierarchical and device independent format. The purpose of structured imaging (SI) is to expand the scope of a raster image to a collection of individually manipulable component objects. An SI is a hierarchical description of a single output image raster which may be used as one component of a page in a structured document. Objects contributing to the output raster may originate from text, graphics, other rasters or a combination thereof, and all maintain their heritage for selectability and modification. The SI describes not only the source data but also the image processing operations required for rendering the output raster. SI technology supports re-editability, customization and enhancement, automatic image assembly and high performance imaging. Thus, such a model has implications not only in an image editing and processing arena, but also in the filing and printing services used for image handling.

Abstract: A method for varying the color of an image including lines and background. Where the image includes the colors black and white and a plurality of gray pixels, where gray refers to the presence of pixel values between the maximum and minimum pixel values, inclusive, the image is first converted to a color space, such as for example, r, g, b (red-green-blue). Pixel values are thresholded for differentiation between lines and background. When pixels have a value indicating that the pixel is background, that pixel is set to a background color that has been previously selected. Otherwise, that pixel is set to a foreground color. The result is that background is set to a single color, and lines are set to a second color. Alternatively, where intermediate values are present, the foreground color value may be added to the intermediate level color value to produce a gradually varying colored line.

Abstract: An image editor includes a pixel buffer for storing color data for an image to be edited. A monitor screen displays the image and an active area having a graphic that represents two color descriptor variables. A pair of overlays controls the respective color descriptor variables singly or together. In one embodiment, the active area is a circle with a color wheel about which hue varies angularly and along the radius of which chroma varies. A radial overlay line controls hue and a concentric radially movable ring controls chroma. In another embodiment among others, the active area is a square with a checkerboard graphic. Black and white squares within the checkerboard indicate increasing brightness in the vertically upward direction and increasing contrast in the rightward horizontal direction. Horizontal and vertical hairline overlays control the brightness and contrast, respectively.

Abstract: Image appearance characteristics for a display may be defined by two data sets, a first standard data set for the image, and a second set for the area to be dodged, where the dodged area is separated from the remainder of the image by a series of edges. The appearance of any particular pixel in the original is determined by the first bit, or control plane, of the image data, the state of which indicates that pixel appearance is determined by one of the first or second data sets. To soften the transition of the image from one data set to another data set, at the dodged area edges, a filter function is applied to the control plane values, acting on areas adjacent the edge, to create a distribution of control plane values over an area adjacent to the edge.

Abstract: In an original image in red, green, blue color space (RGB) defined by a large number of colors, color variety of the original image is accomplished by displaying a reduced representative color set. The reduced representative color set is produced by initially treating each color separation individually, to reduce the number of levels defining the image, in a manner which retains much of the image information. Subsequently, the separations are combined into an index into color set in a look up table (LUT) having between about 27 and 120 RGB triplets. Each RGB triplet defined by one of the LUT triplets is converted to a luminance/chrominance value. Modifications are made to the image in luminance/chrominance, and converted back to RGB space to reload the LUT for real time color variation of the image.

Abstract: An electrostatographic printing machine in which a plurality of transparencies are reproduced simultaneously on a common copy sheet.The printing machine utilizes a pair of slide projectors arranged so that they simultaneously project non-over-lapping light images of the transparencies onto the charged portion of the photoconductive member.

Abstract: An electrostatographic printing machine in which a plurality of transparencies are reproduced. The transparencies are stored in an ordered sequence and advanced automatically into communication with the reproduction system so as to form ordered sets of copies thereof.

Abstract: An electrostatographic printing machine in which a plurality of transparencies and at least one opaque original document are reproduced. The transparencies are stored in an ordered sequence and advanced automatically into operative communication with the reproduction system. After a pre-determined number of transparencies have been copied, the opaque original document is reproduced to form an ordered set of copies having copies of the transparencies and opaque original documents.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which the platen thereof is a field lens. In the opaque reproduction mode, the original document is positioned on the platen in a light receiving relationship with the illumination system. The presence of the field lens does not interfere with the opaque copying mode of the printing machine. When a transparency is being reproduced, the light image of the transparency is projected through the platen. The field lens converges the diverging light rays of the transparency light image.

Abstract: A half-tone screen in which a substantially transparent substrate has a plurality of opaque regions disposed thereon. The opaque regions are arranged in at least a high frequency repetitive pattern and a low frequency repetitive pattern. This type of screen may be employed to modulate the light image of a color transparency being reproduced by an electrophotographic printing machine.