Patents by Inventor Steven J. Harrington

Steven J. Harrington has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6636616
    Abstract: A method is described to imbed hidden information in output images that are rendered using error diffusion. The idea is to introduce a bias in the dot placements and then modulate that bias with the pattern to be hidden. The method particularly involves the steps of rendering the output copy using an error diffusion routine that parses through a plurality of stored pixels representing an image; modifying the error diffusion routine with a biasing pattern that influences where on the output copy each of the plurality of pixels is rendered; and further modifying the error diffusion routine with a watermark pattern that modifies the biasing pattern for pixels that are positioned within the watermark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6625306
    Abstract: A mapping system for converting an input signal value to an output value wherein certain outputs are predetermined to be critical. An engine for converting input values to output values is associated with an input value transforming system wherein certain input values corresponding to the critical output values are transformed prior to input to the engine for adjusting the input value so that the engine generates a particularly desired output. The transforming comprises selecting a set of basis functions for effecting a warping of input values near the input value corresponding to the critical output value. The basis functions determine the extent and gradient of input value adjustment for nearby values to the critical value. The basis functions are included within an objective function defining the purpose of the system and the functions are solved to generate the desired adjusted input value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Sidney W. Marshall, Eric Jackson, Steven J. Harrington, Yao Rong Wang
  • Publication number: 20030133161
    Abstract: Systems and methods that shift the halftone screen relative to the image data in the low-addressability direction to compensate for misregistration would be useful. In various exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods of this invention, each pixel of the halftone cell is first divided into high-addressability pixels at the high-addressability factor. The high-addressability factor is the ratio between the base resolution and the high-addressability resolution. The high-addressability pixels are then divided into subrows using the same high-addressability factor. Each high-addressability pixel in each subrow is then assigned its own threshold value. By shifting the threshold values between adjacent subrows based on the subrow, a particular halftone pattern in the low-addressability direction is implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6594403
    Abstract: The scanned image registration systems and methods according to this invention register sets of scanned subimages of an original document into a composite scanned image of the original document. The subimages are formed by scanning portions of the original document on a scanner having a scan area, or window or footprint, that is smaller than the size of the document. An appropriate set of affine parameters, or more generally, transformation parameters, is obtained for each subimage relative to a fixed coordinate system. The set of affine parameters for each subimage defines the rotational and translational deformation necessary to place that subimage into the fixed coordinate system. The fixed coordinate system is preferably defined by selecting one of the subimages as a base image. The other images are then warped into registration with the selected base subimage based on the determined affine parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gozde Bozdagi, Steven J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20030128271
    Abstract: A multiple image station printer system comprising a first imaging station and a second imaging station. The first imaging station can comprise a laser raster output scanner imager. The second station is adapted to be adjusted in order to output an image that matches an image bow that is present in an image produced by the first imaging station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6591060
    Abstract: The command embedding systems and methods enable embedding control signals into standard video signals during recording. Specifically, a user selects a mode of operation of the command signal embedding system. Based on the selected mode, control signals are either manually or automatically embedded in a video signal as the video signal is recorded. The control signals may include, but are not limited to, commands that identify the state of the video camera or the environmental conditions surrounding the video camera or commands that tag key frames in the video signal. Once the control signal is received and embedded, the embedded control signal may be recorded, for example, to facilitate further editing, or may be directly televised or broadcast with further manipulation in mind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Buckley, Steven J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20030122848
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for fast computation of associative operations over fixed size regions of a digital image. More particularly, this invention relates to the application of associative operations—such as MINIMUM, MAXIMUM, AND and OR—to fixed size regions of a digital image such as hexagonal, octagonal and rectangular regions. This is accomplished by tiling the image and calculating two-dimensional running calculations of the operator for each possible corner overlap configuration of a window that is run over the tiles of the image and thus used to analyze the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6583897
    Abstract: A method of smoothing edges of an input image is provided for use in connection with an image rendering engine that supports two opposing intensity levels and a range of intermediate intensity levels there between. The method includes sampling scan lines from the input image. Each scan line includes an array of pixels, and each pixel possesses one of the two opposing intensity levels. Simultaneously a plurality of the scan lines are buffered. Thereafter, the method includes detecting defined patterns in an unbounded region within the buffered scan lines. Finally, intensity levels of selected pixels are adjusted to intermediate intensity levels in response to the defined patterns detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6580812
    Abstract: Systems and methods that add motion lines that indicate motion in a still image include selecting two or more video fields or frames, compensating for global motion in the selected fields or frames, determining the difference between positions of pixels in the selected fields or frames, identifying regions of motion with pixels having a difference that is greater than a threshold value, identifying points of interest in the regions of motion, selecting pixels from the points of interest, determining the motion of the selected points of interest, and adding lines to the still image that extend from the selected pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20030068066
    Abstract: A method and device for creating a notarized document from a document, comprising acquiring image data of the document; generating a document data file based on the image data, the document data file comprising a exemplar table and a block table; and appending the document data file to the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: David Goldberg, Steven J. Harrington, Marshall W. Bern
  • Patent number: 6539125
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for filtering noise out of an image. The image is constructed of pixels having varying intensity values. The method includes reading the intensity values for pixels within a neighborhood of an object pixel. Thereafter, a number of intensity values are selected from the read intensity values. The selected intensity values are those closest to the intensity value of the object pixel. A median value for the selected intensity values is then calculated. Finally, the median value is assigned as a new intensity value for the object pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20030044065
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for implementing a trapping operation on a digital image during image processing. More specifically, the invention is directed to implementation of a trapping technique to prevent visual gaps or overlaps between colors on a poorly registered image that is produced by an imaging device, e.g. a color printer. The invention is most advantageously used in an imaging device that incorporates therein a split-level buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: STEVEN J. HARRINGTON
  • Patent number: 6529643
    Abstract: A system for generating a warped contone image that compensates for beam scan trajectory distortions. The system includes an image buffer for storing a portion of a received contone image. An interpolation coefficient generator provides interpolation coefficients associated with a warped pixel within the warped contone image in response to an input identifying the warped pixel. A pixel interpolator is coupled to the image buffer and the interpolation coefficient generator and provides an output signal that identifies the warped pixel within the warped contone image. The pixel interpolator further retrieves pixels from the contone image stored in the image buffer using the interpolation coefficients and generates the warped pixel by combining the retrieved pixels into a single pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Loce, Martin E. Banton, Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6525741
    Abstract: A method of combining a foreground image and a background image includes scaling up a pixel of interest, which is positioned along an edge between a subject and a key colored backing, into a plurality of edge subpixels. The pixel of interest is included in a digital antialiased foreground image. A corresponding pixel of a digital background scene is also scaled up. The corresponding pixel is associated with the pixel of interest and is scaled up into a plurality of background subpixels. For each of the edge subpixels, if a color of the edge subpixel matches the key colored backing, a respective new color of the edge subpixel is determined as a function of one of the background subpixels, which is associated with the edge subpixel. Also, the new color is stored to the edge subpixel. After all the subpixels have been evaluated, the edge subpixels are scaled down to a new pixel of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: R. Victor Klassen, Steven J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20030020931
    Abstract: A method for utilizing redundant color inks to improve image quality while minimizing any undesirable effects such as texture or graininess. The method comprises tessellating the available redundant color space as defined by the available redundant ink colorants into regions where the regions are arranged so as to minimize the range of luminance variation found within the regions. The result is perceived by the eye as less grainy in texture as well as much more pleasing to the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6507676
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining the texture of the images to be processed are provided. An image data manager is provided that is capable of generating summed-area tables to be applied in texture mapping for texture that have no special direction or orientation, by generating summed-area tables for areas that best approximate circles. The image data manager uses the generated summed-area tables to process the image data. The summed-areas tables applied include a hexagon and an octagon. Accordingly, problems in processing images having textures that have no special direction or orientation, are reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6493042
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting robust fade and dissolve and video sequences. The systems and methods use a two step approach to detect both discontinuous cuts and gradual changes in a video sequence. Specifically, an input video signal is first divided into video segments based on the location of the discontinuous cut. A gradual change detector is then applied to the discontinuous cut segments to determine further cuts based on editing characteristics. By using this two part approach, the systems and methods of this invention can robustly detect scene breaks within a video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gozde Bozdagi, Hong Heather Yu, Steven J. Harrington, Robert Bryll
  • Patent number: 6493039
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing white noise in images. The method does not require knowledge of the image blur or noise statistics, and can remove noise without causing excessive image blur. The image is separated into frequency bands which are then thresholded to remove small image changes, i.e. noise, while maintaining larger changes which are signals. The thresholded components are then recombined to produce an output image with reduced white noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6488356
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a color ink jet printer of the type which prints a swath of the image at a time with each transit across a sheet. An image may be optionally preprocessed with undercolor removal, so that each color pixel in the image is defined by black and, at most, two colored inks. Color will be deposited to print the image on forward and return transits of a multiple color printhead across a sheet. The colors and location printed in each transit are determined prior to the first transit, by determining first, which colors may be printed in the second transit irrespective of their order of deposit. The result of this determination is logically ANDed with a checkerboard pattern to determine printing locations. Then, the other required colors and locations for the image which will not be printed with the second transit are printed on a first transit. Each swath is printed with forward and reverse transits, with checkerboarding of the reverse transit to prevent head signature artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: R. Victor Klassen, Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6490008
    Abstract: A method of removing a noise artifact from a video frame captured from a composite NTSC video signal is disclosed. The captured video frame is stored in a first buffer and includes a first plurality of pixels forming a first interlaced video field and a second plurality of pixels forming a second interlaced video field. For each interlaced field, a first pixel element is accessed from the first buffer, it is then determined whether the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame based on values of a first number of pixel elements including a value of the first pixel element. An adjusted value of the first pixel element is calculated based on values of a second plurality of pixel elements including the value of the first pixel element when the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Harrington