Abstract: A system is disclosed which increases the level of accuracy and precision for quantifying formations in paper. A CCD camera is used to capture data from a large portion of the paper. A diffuse illumination source is used to back light the paper sample. A microcomputer uniquely analyzes digitized image data. In this regard, after the image is stored in memory, a two-dimensional window is created and scanned over the entire frame to two-dimensionally analyze the image intensity level data. Average window intensity levels are generated that are compared to one another. In this regard, smaller local pixel variations are compared to these windows giving both regional and local variation data. Hundreds of thousands of data points are considered in these comparisons which are divided into sixty four difference levels.

Abstract: A microcomputer based digital analysis system is disclosed which includes a microcomputer and a flatbed optical scanner to analyze test sheets of paper fabricated from a batch of pulp to be tested. A keyboard is utilized by an operator to select one of a predetermined number of reports. After a report is selected, a menu is displayed on a CRT which enables the operator to start the sample tests under the control of the microcompuer. Once the total document is scanned either by operator manipulation or under the control of an automatic document feeder, the microcomputer tabulates the data retrieved during each of the individual sheet tests as necessary to generate the report selected by the operator. The microcomputer processes the image data on a line by line basis. A dot buffer is created having a location for each pixel across the scanned line, wherein numbers are incremented as dots having image data are encountered in the scanned line.