Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for DRAM 2D video word formatting. In one aspect of the invention, words of data in a DRAM may be arranged for optimal DRAM operating efficiency. The data organization may utilize a 2-dimensional array of samples, for example. In one embodiment of the invention, a 128-bit or 16-byte word or GWord of DRAM may include an 8×2 array of luma samples, comprising 8 horizontal samples and 2 vertical samples from one field, for example. In this regard, either both may be even lines or both may be odd lines. Various other 2-dimensional arrangements may be chosen according to the demands of the video format being processed in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

Abstract: A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a binary mask image from an a inputted digital image of a scanned document, comprising the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, comprising the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.

Abstract: Provided are an adaptive image compression system and method. The adaptive image compression method includes a step of determining, at an adaptive image compression system, characteristics of an image that is to be compressed, a step of determining, at the adaptive image compression system, a quantization scale factor based on the characteristics of the image that is to be compressed, a step of generating an adaptive quantization table corresponding to the image that is to be compressed based on the determined quantization scale factor, and a step of encoding the image that is to be compressed using the generated adaptive quantization table.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a prediction tap acquisition unit that acquires, as prediction taps, values of a plurality of pixels decided according to a pixel of interest from a plurality of input images which are formed by pixels each having a single color component and have different array forms of the pixels, a coefficient data storage unit that stores data of coefficients multiplied by the respective acquired prediction taps, and a prediction calculation unit that computes, through calculation using the prediction taps and the coefficients, a value of the pixel of interest in an output image formed by pixels having a plurality of color components, which is an image obtained by demosaicing the input images.

Abstract: A system and method provide compressing an input color image using selected color samples of the input image. The image compression method comprises accessing the input color image and generating a grayscale image and color channel images from the input image. The method compresses the grayscale image and segments the color channel images into multiple image segments. For each color channel of the input image, the method selects a number of color samples for each image segment and compresses the selected color samples. From the compressed grayscale image and selected color samples, the method generates a compressed input color image.

Abstract: Image data is divided into blocks each of a 2×2 pixel size, and color-reduction processing is performed for the target block based on color data and attribute data of respective pixels forming the target block. A pattern flag indicating the layout pattern of color data contained in the target block is specified by comparing the color data of the respective pixels in the target block having undergone the color-reduction processing. Color data corresponding to a pixel at a position defined in advance in the block having undergone the color-reduction processing is extracted as color data of the first color. When it is determined that the number of colors in the block is one of two to four, color data of the second to fourth colors are extracted. The pattern flag, the color data of the first color of the block, and those of the second to fourth colors of the block are output.

Abstract: A method for determining a scaled color map of a scaled image is described using the transformation of the original color map and the original image only, independently of the scaled image. A number of colors N in the original color map is determined; and provided N>Nmax, all colors in the original color map are reused in the scaled color map. If N<Nmin, the number of colors in the original color map is increased. Otherwise, the scaled color map is formed including: selecting a sub-set of colors in the original color map; increasing a number of colors in the selected sub-set; adding the resulting sub-set with increased number of colors to the original color map; and removing duplicate colors, wherein Nmin and Nmax are respective predetermined minimum and maximum thresholds for a number of colors in the original color map. A corresponding system is also provided.

Abstract: It is expected to increase the size of a display panel and the number of tones to be displayed on the display panel, and it is requested to use a display panel displaying M (M>3) types of colors. This requires a large memory capacity and makes a circuit for performing signal conversion complex due to an increase in the amount of data to be subjected to the signal conversion. An image memory stores image data compressed at a fixed compression rate, and the signal conversion is performed on the compressed image data. This technique reduces a memory capacity and simplifies a signal conversion circuit. The signal conversion makes it possible to improve color reproducibility of an image displayed and the quality of the image due to smoothing of the outline of the image. In the case of a display panel having sub-pixels displaying M types of colors, the signal conversion is performed on a compressed signal for each sub-pixel to improve the quality of an image.

Abstract: An image compression circuit 1 of the invention includes an image calculator 11, a compression-system decision unit 12, and a compression processor 13. Compression-system decision unit 12 determines a variation of pieces of image data of four adjacent pixels based on a variation in luminance Y of the pixels or variations in luminance Y and saturation S of the pixels, compresses the image data into image data of one or two pixels (RGB 888 and RGB 787) expressed by an RGB color space having a small quantization error in the case of the small variation of the pieces of image data, and compresses the image data into data including the luminances of the four adjacent pixels and pieces of image data of two pixels (YCbCr 422) expressed by a YCbCr color space having a large quantization error in the case of the large variation of the pieces of image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit. The CPU comprises a first table specification, a second table specification, an inverse discrete cosine transformation (IDCT) module, a color space converting module and an entropy decoder. The entropy decoder retrieves and processes input image data as a two-dimensional quantized image according to the first table specification. The graphics processing unit performs a dequantizing operation on the input image data according to the second table specification. The IDCT module performs an IDCT operation on the dequantized input image data. The color space converting module performs a color space conversion on the input image data and outputs the converted image data.

Abstract: A decoding system comprises N different decoders each having a unique circuitry that is different from the circuitries of the other N?1 decoders. The decoders each generate at least one texel value based on an input encoded texel block. A value selector is configured to selectively output at least N texel values from at least one of the decoders based on the position of the at least N texels relative a boundary of a texel block comprising at least one of the at least N texels. A pixel calculator calculates a pixel value of a decoded pixel based on the at least N selected texel values from the value selector.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing filling processing for input image data, comprises: a holding unit which holds, for a block formed from a predetermined number of pixels included in the image data, a representative color of the block generated by compression, a color layout of pixels included in the block, and an interpolation color which is a color other than the representative color included in the block; and a fill unit which performs filling processing of the compressed image data using the representative color, the color layout, and the interpolation color, when filling the block of the compressed image data with a specific color, the fill unit replacing the representative color corresponding to a position based on a type of the filling processing with the specific color and replacing the interpolation color with the same specific color as that of the representative color.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image separating unit that separates and creates a plurality of derivative images from an input image based on feature of the input image; a coding unit that codes each of the derivative images separately, couples coded data of the derivative images, and generates multilayer structure data; and a controller that controls a code amount of coded data of at least one derivative image with a low code assignment priority out of the derivative images so that a data amount of the multilayer structure data is equal to or less than a limit amount.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide image compression based on parameter-assisted inpainting. In one implementation of an encoder, an image is partitioned into blocks and the blocks classified as smooth or unsmooth, based on the degree of visual edge content and chromatic variation in each block. Image content of the unsmooth blocks is compressed, while image content of the smooth blocks is summarized by parameters, but not compressed. The parameters, once obtained, may also be compressed. At a decoder, the compressed image content of the unsmooth blocks and the compressed parameters of the smooth blocks are each decompressed. Each smooth block is then reconstructed by inpainting, guided by the parameters in order to impart visual detail from the original image that cannot be implied from the image content of neighboring blocks that have been decoded.

Abstract: An apparatus generates an image coding signal comprising for each image a first pixelised picture and a second pixelised picture having a luminance component and a chroma component. The apparatus comprises a first picture processor (203, 211) which includes image encoding data for an encoded first image in the first pixelised picture. A second picture processor (205, 207, 209, 211) includes dynamic range extension data in the second pixelised picture. The dynamic range extension data may be dynamic range extension data included in a chroma component of the second pixelised picture for generating an increased dynamic range image on the basis of the encoded first image. The compensation data may e.g. be compensation data for correcting another LDR-to-HDR transform, e.g. a prefixed global gamma transformation.

Abstract: Inter-color image prediction is based on color grading modeling. Prediction is applied to the efficient coding of images and video signals of high dynamic range. Prediction models may include a color transformation matrix that models hue and saturation color changes and a non-linear function modeling color correction changes. Under the assumption that the color grading process uses a slope, offset, and power (SOP) operations, an example non linear prediction model is presented.

Abstract: A gamut converting device that applies gamut conversion to image data includes a signal converting unit that performs, when a negative value is included in an image signal value forming the image data, processing for converting the image signal value forming the image data to eliminate the negative value from the image signal value and a gamut converting unit that applies the gamut conversion to the image data, the image signal value of which is converted by the signal converting unit.

Abstract: First and second codewords are determined, based on first feature vector components of the image elements in an image block, as representations of a first and second component value. Third and fourth codewords are determined, based on second vector components, as representations of a third and fourth component value. First N1 and second N2 resolution numbers are selected based on the relation of a distribution of the first vector components and a distribution of the second vector components. N1 additional component values are generated based on the first and second component values and N2 additional component values are generated based on the third and fourth component values. Component indices indicative of the generated component values are then provided for the different image elements.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of controlling data to be processed by an image forming system encode image data to be printed to generate code data, and code information regarding encoding processing or the code data. The code information is used to obtain a predicted decode time, and a print speed level at which decoded data is to be printed. A plurality of print jobs to be processed are re-arranged by the print speed level to generate a print job sequence.

Abstract: A method is described to greatly improve the efficiency of and reduce the complexity of image compression when using single-sensor color imagers for video acquisition. The method in addition allows for this new image compression type to be compatible with existing video processing tools, improving the workflow for film and television production.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image are provided. A buffer is provided and separated into a series of storage units. Each storage unit has a fixed size. The image is divided into pixel groups, and each pixel group corresponds to one storage unit. Each pixel group is compressed by one of candidate compression methods to obtain compressed data so that the compressed data of each pixel group fits the corresponding storage unit.

Abstract: Color image data is compressed by determining the number of colors within a cell of an input image, each cell comprising an N×M array of pixels; in response to determining that the number of colors is greater than a first predetermined threshold, compress the cell using lossy compression; and in response to determining that the number of colors is less than the first predetermined threshold, reduce the number of colors.

Abstract: YCbCr image data may be dithered and converted into RGB data shown on a 8-bit or other bit display. Dither methods and image processors are provided which generate the banding artifact free image data during this process. Some methods and image processors may applying a stronger dither having a same mean with a larger variance to the image data before it is converted to RGB data. Others methods and image processors may calculate a quantization or encoding error and diffuse the calculated error among one or more neighboring pixel blocks.

Abstract: An image processor having an image compression unit to generate first compressed image data by dividing input image data into blocks of M×M pixels with regard to at least luminance signals (Y) of the input image data, wavelet-converting the image data in units of blocks, and reducing the number of bits by quantization, a memory to store the first compressed image data, a coordinate calculator to calculate coordinates to deform images by coordinate conversion and output coordinate information, a compressed image deforming unit to generate compressed deformed image data by reading out the first compressed image data stored in the memory while conducting coordinate conversion based on the coordinate information from the coordinate calculator, and a first image decompression unit to decompress the compressed deformed image data to obtain decompressed image data.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards compressing an image to substantially a preset file size using statistical information obtained from a single subset of the image and an initial compression of the single subset. A representative subset portion of the image is selected based in part on a clustering analysis of the image. The representative subset is then compressed, in one embodiment, twice, in order to obtain statistics useable for the entire image. A scale factor is then determined that may be used in the quantization and for creating a Bit Rate Control (BRC) curve that represents an amount of accumulated bits per Minimal Codec Unit (MCU). During the compression process, the BRC curve is used to prevent accumulating bits from over shooting a final preset file size target.

Abstract: A display drive circuit of the invention has: an initial-color-gamut-apex-coordinate-storing unit capable of storing initial color gamut apex coordinates; a user-target-color-gamut-apex-coordinate-storing unit capable of storing user target color gamut apex coordinates; a saturation-expansion-coefficient-deciding unit for deciding expansion coefficients of saturation data based on the initial and user target color gamut apex coordinates; and an expansion unit for expanding saturations of display data based on the saturation expansion coefficients. The expansion coefficients of saturation data are decided based on the initial and user target color gamut apex coordinates, and saturations of display data are expanded according to the expansion coefficients. Thus, the degree of expanding the saturations can be controlled for each color gamut or each of R, G and B color properties of an LC display panel.

Abstract: Image data is divided into blocks each of a 2×2 pixel size, and color-reduction processing is performed for the target block based on color data and attribute data of respective pixels forming the target block. A pattern flag indicating the layout pattern of color data contained in the target block is specified by comparing the color data of the respective pixels in the target block having undergone the color-reduction processing. Color data corresponding to a pixel at a position defined in advance in the block having undergone the color-reduction processing is extracted as color data of the first color. When it is determined that the number of colors in the block is one of two to four, color data of the second to fourth colors are extracted. The pattern flag, the color data of the first color of the block, and those of the second to fourth colors of the block are output.

Abstract: To reduce artifacts caused by quantization errors in image compression systems, an offset is added to quantized samples at low frequency sections of a macroblock. A decoder uses the offset after decoding to bring the decoded sample closer to the original pre-encoded and pre-quantized sample, thereby compensating for quantization errors.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a cartoon are provided. The method includes receiving a digital image for processing at a server. The method includes executing a color structure coding procedure to produce a color-reduced interim image. The method includes generating a sketch from the digital image with a Difference of Gaussian procedure. The method includes combining the color-reduced interim image and the sketch into a processed cartoon.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including: a first color transform unit carrying out a color transform on a combination of color components with high correlation out of a plurality of color components included in image data; and a second color transform unit carrying out a color transform on a combination of color components aside from the combination of color components subjected to the color transform by the first color transform unit out of the plurality of color components included in the image data.

Abstract: A method for compressing image data into a sequence of codes, the image data being represented by a plurality of input color vectors. The method includes a repetitive processing of one color vector at a time with the following steps: receiving one of the input color vectors; comparing the received input color vector with codebook words in a codebook, the codebook words being expressed as color vectors: compressing the received input color vector to generate a code based on the comparison; updating the codebook with a color vector, the color vector being generated by decoding the code; and outputting the code before receiving a next one of the input color vectors; wherein the updating may include rearranging the order of the codebook words based on the comparison.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image coding method is for coding an image including a luminance component and color difference components. The method includes acquiring a reference image; and generating a predicted image by interpolating the luminance component and the color difference components in the reference image according to a motion vector. If a size of a block, which is designated as a unit of the interpolation, is equal to or smaller than a predetermined first threshold value, the generating includes inhibiting a bi-directional prediction, and performing only a uni-directional prediction to generate the predicted image according to the motion vector.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus for color printing includes a generator unit configured to generate dot sequential data as printing data based on received PDL color data, an image adjustment-conversion unit configured to carry out image adjustment processing and/or image conversion processing on the printing data generated by the generator unit based on a set printing condition, a rendering unit configured to render the printing data held in a page memory on which the image adjustment processing and/or the image conversion processing has been carried out by the image adjustment-conversion unit, and a printing unit configured to print the printing data rendered by the rendering unit.

Abstract: A system for communicating video, the video including 4:4:4 color space frames, includes a 4:2:0 video encoder having a 4:4:4 to 4:2:0 color space frame converter and a 4:2:0 video decoder having a 4:2:0 to 4:4:4 color space frame converter, communicatively connected to the 4:2:0 video encoder. The 4:2:0 video encoder, without conversion by the 4:4:4 to 4:2:0 color space converter, communicates the video as a plurality of encoded 4:2:0 color space frames to the decoder. The 4:2:0 video decoder, without conversion by the 4:2:0 to 4:4:4 color space frame converter, saves the video as a plurality of 4:4:4 color space frames in memory. Each of the 4:4:4 color space frames in memory of the decoder device is identical to its corresponding 4:4:4 color space frame of the video at the encoder device.

Abstract: A natural input image is upscaled, first by interpolation. Second, edges in the interpolated image are sharpened by a lion-parametric patch transform. The result is decomposed into an edge layer and a detail layer. Only pixels in the detail layer enhanced, and the enhanced detail layer is merged with the edge layer to produce a high resolution version of the input image.

Abstract: The invention facilitates adaptive compression of multi-level images, such as captured digital images of a whiteboard, etc., encoding a bitstream comprising a color image component and a black-and-white image component. Either or both of a color and a black-and-white image can be output to a user based on user desires, receiving device capabilities, etc.

Abstract: An image sensor apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor apparatus includes an image sensor for generating pixel data corresponding to a scene under a scene illuminant and a processor. The processor includes an illuminant estimation module for receiving a subset of the pixel data associated with a subset of a color space and finding a chromaticity trend in the pixel data subset to estimate the scene illuminant. A white balance and color correction module in the processor applies white balance and color correction coefficients to the pixel data according to the estimated scene illuminant.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including a prediction section that generates a predicted value of a color difference component of a pixel of an image to be decoded by using a function of a value of a corresponding luminance component, a coefficient calculation section that calculates a coefficient of the function used by the prediction section by referencing a pixel around a block to which the pixel belongs, and a controller that controls a ratio of a number of reference pixels used by the coefficient calculation section to a block size of the block.

Abstract: When an operator starts a pattern separation extraction tool, an input screen is displayed on the display device. The operator can choose and designate any one of document image data within the storage device through the input screen. The document image that is chosen by the operator is displayed on the display device. The operator can choose and designate a color sample by a drag operation on the document image that is displayed on the display device. If the operator inputs the designation to finish the designation of a color sample through the input device after designating some color samples, the pattern separating extraction device generates and outputs the image data that consists of one print pattern for each of the print patterns included in the document image chosen by the operator.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for image compression and decompression using sub-resolution images are disclosed. Compressing of images includes, determining a plurality of entropy code sets based upon statistically similar regions in the input image, generating one or more sub-resolution images including a first sub-resolution image comprising the plurality of entropy code sets, encoding the input image using the generated one or more sub-resolution images to control one or more compression parameters including an entropy code, and outputting the encoded input image and the generated one or more sub-resolution images as a compressed entropy coded image file.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus for compressing an image. The apparatus includes a compressing section configured to compress an image based on N representative colors to generate N-representative-color-based compression data and calculate an indicator for evaluating an image quality of the image compressed based on M representative colors during compressing the image based on N representative colors, where M<N holds.

Abstract: The disclosure herein relates to devices for compression, decompression or reconstruction of image data for still or moving pictures, such as image data detected with a digital camera. In some embodiments, data channels are compressed using a scalable compression algorithm. The compression algorithm may allow customization of compression parameters, such as a quantization factor, code block size, number of transform levels, reversible or irreversible compression, a desired compression ratio with a variable bit rate output, a desired fixed bit rate output with a variable compression rate, progression order, output format, or visual weighting. A lower quality image or an image with lower resolution may be reconstructed using only some of the compressed data. Use of offsets to various layers and color channels allow reconstruction of the image without requiring decompression of all of the full image data.

Abstract: Color management in which a spectral gamut is determined for spectral gamut mapping by constructing subdivisions of a set of samples spanning the spectral gamut. The samples are designated by specifying device values and are subdivided based on their lightness, chroma and hue under a reference illuminant such that the number of samples in each subdivision is limited by a predetermined number. A color value to be spectrally gamut mapped is accepted, and converted into a colorimetric value under the reference illuminant. The converted colorimetric value includes a lightness, a chroma and a hue. Subdivisions within a tolerance of the converted colorimetric value are identified using its lightness, chroma and hue. Samples within the identified subdivisions are searched to find a sample that matches acceptably to the color value relative to an objective function.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for generating digital cinema content and an apparatus and method for playing digital cinema content. The method of playing digital cinema content using a digital cinema package (DCP) including frame data having a first resolution and length information about frame data having a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and a key delivery message (KDM) includes obtaining a material exchange format (MXF) file and a decryption key by parsing the DCP and the KDM, extracting an encrypted triplet from the MXF file, extracting the length information about the second-resolution frame data using the encrypted triplet and the decryption key, decrypting an amount of data required to decrypt the second-resolution frame data in the first-resolution frame data using the length information about the second-resolution frame data, and decoding the decrypted second-resolution frame data.

Abstract: An encoder for encoding a video stream or an image is described herein. The encoder receives an input video stream and outputs an encoded video stream that can be decoded at a decoder to recover, at least approximately, an instance of the input video stream. The encoder includes an encoding logic reducing a color spectral resolution of the input video stream to a range of colors or color differentials similar to that recognizable by a human eye, whereby an encoding efficiency is increased by the color spectral resolution reducing.

Abstract: A method is described to greatly improve the efficiency of and reduce the complexity of image compression when using single-sensor color imagers for video acquisition. The method in addition allows for this new image compression type to be compatible with existing video processing tools, improving the workflow for film and television production.

Abstract: An image processing device and an image processing method provided herein are capable of achieving data compression with reduced image degradation even if the data is image data entered from an input device such as a scanner. The entered original image data is divided into 2×2 pixel blocks. Two-color-form compression processing and four-color holding compression processing are performed on a block-by-block basis. The compression result data which leads to a smaller one of the differences in gradation value between the original image data and the two-color-form compression difference data and between the original image data and the four-color compression difference data is output as the compression processing result of the block.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for compressing color data. Color data for a tile including multiple samples is compressed based on an equality comparison and a threshold comparison based on a programmable threshold value. The equality comparison is performed on a first portion of the color data that includes at least exponent and sign fields of floating point format values or high order bits of integer format values. The threshold comparison is performed on a second portion of the color data that includes mantissa fields of floating point format values or low order bits of integer format values. The equality comparison and threshold comparison are used to select either computed averages of the pixel components or the original color data as the output color data for the tile. When the threshold is set to zero, only tiles that can be compressed without loss are compressed.

Abstract: A foreground pixel block extraction process section divides input image data into a plurality of pixel blocks, and classifies each pixel block as a uniform density pixel block or foreground pixel block. By performing above process, the foreground pixel block extraction process section extracts foreground pixel blocks. A foreground color calculation process section calculates the foreground colors from the extracted foreground pixel blocks as color information. A labeling process section extracts connected foreground pixel block areas as foreground pixel areas by giving the same label to a plurality of adjacent foreground pixel blocks. From these processing results, a foreground pixel extraction process section calculates a representative color for each foreground pixel area, and extracts pixels having pixel values close to the representative color as foreground pixels.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including a receiving unit that receives a point sequence image, a point-plane conversion unit that performs a point-plane conversion processing for the image received by the receiving unit, plural lossy encoding units that perform a lossy encoding processing for the point-plane conversion image by using the point-plane conversion unit, and a control unit that performs control such that transmission of the image to the lossy encoding unit from the point-plane conversion unit is controlled to synchronize lossy encoding processings of the plural lossy encoding units, and each lossy encoding unit changes processing variables used in the encoding processing based on a code amount of the processing result of the lossy encoding unit.