Abstract: Customized index prints incorporating user determined graphical representations and optional textual information is generated from user selectable digital index print description files having template data and bit-mapped graphical representations. Digital image data is provided from a film scanner along with frame number information and is resized using size instructions from the index print description file to fit the imagette areas in the index print template. Optional textual data is entered via a user interface to provide customized information to the customer. The processed imagette data and bit-mapped graphical representations (and optional textual information) is then merged into the index print template data to create a printable customized index print template file which can be sent directly to a digital printer or stored for subsequent off-line printing.

Abstract: An image compression and expansion processor includes a dual port memory configured with image and compressed data processing blocks, a host processor for managing movement of predefined blocks of data between an external frame store memory and the dual port memory, and a digital signal processor for compressing or expanding the data stored in the dual port memory. Because minimum redundancy encoding and decoding is employed to reduce the data stream according to the complexity of the image, data streams of undefined length (relative to the predefined blocks of data) are periodically resident in the compressed processing block. By maintaining bit length definition of the data in the compressed block (relative to the predefined blocks), the host processor is able to move defined lengths of compressed data from the dual port memory while the digital signal processor is concurrently processing the predefined blocks of image data.

Abstract: A video transceiver includes a compressor which grabs a pair of blocks of image data from a video frame store and loads them into a dual port memory. A first processor, working through one of the dual ports, performs a portion of an image compression algorithm, while a second processor, working through a second one of the dual ports, performs the remainder of the compression algorithm on each one of the two pairs of blocks, both processors operating in parallel to speed up the entire process. A key word in each block is changed in accordance with each step, so that each of the two processors is prevented from grabbing the wrong one of the two blocks from the dual port memory. The resulting compressed data is queued in a temporary buffer, from which it is returned to another portion of the video frame store in serial fashion, rather than block, in preparation for serial transmission.

Abstract: A preview still video image, comprising a smaller number of binary bits to expedite digital transmission, is constructed block-by-block from a full-quality still video image by (a) sampling every n video pixels in each horizontal video line of each block and averaging between adjacent ones of the sampled pixels, and (b) sampling every m horizontal video lines in each block and averaging between adjacent ones of the sampled lines. An image is reconstructed from the preview image by using a buffer which temporarily stores the last video line in each block, and interpolating it with the first line in the next block, as well as interpolating all subsequent adjacent line pairs in the block. Adjacent pairs of the sampled pixels in each line are also interpolated. The image thus reconstructed comprises as many pixels and horizontal lines as the full-quality image.