Abstract: In two-dimensional model based image coding, an image is partitioned into domains, and the pixels of each domain are modeled with a polynomial intensity function. An image coded in this fashion is comprised of a description of the domain boundaries and individual descriptions of polynomial intensity functions. In order to trade rate for distortion it is desirable that the accuracy of the descriptions be proportional to their length. A polynomial description that is natural for trading rate for distortion is a sequence of samples of its generated surface. If the locations of the samples are implicitly determined from domain shape, an n term polynomial description is comprised of n sample values, and rate is traded for distortion via sample value quantization. In order to bound the sample values to the dynamic range of the image, their locations must be constrained to lie within their associated domain.

Abstract: An improved grid moving method of an object image and an apparatus using the same which are capable of reducing the amount of information with respect to the image of an object by moving the grid in accordance with a position in which an image of the object having shape information exists, which include the steps of: a moving step for forming a grid over an image of an object having shape information, segmenting the image into a plurality of unit regions, and moving the formed grid; a judging step for judging an amount of the information at each position to which the grid is moved in the moving step; a detecting step for detecting a position at which the amount of the information is reduced; a compaction step for reforming the grid in accordance with the position detected in the detecting step and for coding the image of the object existing in unit regions of the reformed grid; and a motion estimation step for reforming the grid in accordance with the position detected in the detecting step and for estimating

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently specifying vertex information for a three-dimensional graphical object which includes a plurality of geometric primitives. The method comprises organizing a first subset of the object's vertices into a strip of geometric primitives (typically triangles). The method next includes representing vertices of the strip by encoding a plurality of commands into a data stream. These commands are usable, during decompression, to reassemble the strip of primitives from a list of vertices. Selected commands specify that attributes of a particular vertex (position, color, normal value, etc.) are to be stored into a mesh buffer for use in forming subsequent primitives. The mesh buffer includes a fixed maximum number of memory locations which are accessible during the decompression process. In one embodiment, vertex parameters are "pushed" on to the mesh buffer, which is organized as a stack.

Abstract: An improved grid moving method of an object image and an apparatus using the same which are capable of reducing the amount of information with respect to the image of an object by moving the grid in accordance with a position in which an image of the object having shape information exists, which include the steps of: a moving step for forming a grid over an image of an object having shape information, segmenting the image into a plurality of unit regions, and moving the formed grid; a judging step for judging an amount of the information at each position to which the grid is moved in the moving step; a detecting step for detecting a position at which the amount of the information is reduced; a compaction step for reforming the grid in accordance with the position detected in the detecting step and for coding the image of the object existing in unit regions of the reformed grid; and a motion estimation step for reforming the grid in accordance with the position detected in the detecting step and for estimating

Abstract: A method of automatically dividing the domain of a motion picture is disclosed including the steps of: quantizing at least two sequential picture frames, and simplifying the shapes of the quantized picture frames; obtaining time space slope information from the quantized and simplified picture frames; detecting divides of the picture from the time space gradient information, and obtaining the boundaries between the divides, so as to divide the picture into multiple regions; combining neighboring smaller regions using graph theory, to thereby reduce the number of the divided regions; and dividing the regions into a motionless background object and moving objects, using motion information of the combined regions.

Abstract: In a coding system, an input picture is split into regions with adaptive configurations to a reference picture, a selected region with precedence data is detected of its configuration and of its relative motion to a corresponding region of the reference picture, a prediction region is generated from the corresponding region of the reference picture and the relative motion, a difference region is determined between the selected region and the prediction region, and the precedence data, detected configuration, relative motion and difference ergion are coded. In a decoding system, a decoded prediction region is generated from a decoded relative motion and a corresponding region of a reference picture selected by a decoded precedence data, and a decoded difference region is added to the decoded prediction region to obtain a decoded picture region, which is configuration-corrected by a decoded configuratrion data, before synthesizing a plurality of decoded picture regions to obtain a synthesized picture region.

Abstract: A centroid-based object contour encoding method and device for encoding still images and moving pictures by rendering a more accurate contour representation with increased compression. The method includes the determination of a centroid and incrementing angle, the determination of distances between the centroid and boundary pixels on an object, and the encoding of the information determined. For moving pictures, the difference between the data of a current frame and the data of a previous frame are encoded by discrete cosine transforming and variable-length coding of the difference data.

Abstract: In a compression system, three-dimensional geometry is first represented as a generalized triangle mesh, a data structure that allows each instance of a vertex in a linear stream to specify an average of two triangles. Individual positions, colors, and normals are quantized, preferably quantizing normals using a novel translation to non-rectilinear representation. A variable length compression is applied to individual positions, colors, and normals. The quantized values are then delta-compression encoded between neighbors, followed by a modified Huffman compression for positions and colors. A table-based approach is used for normals. Decompression reverses this process. The decompressed stream of triangle data may then be passed to a traditional rendering pipeline, where it is processed in full floating point accuracy.

Abstract: In a compression system, three-dimensional geometry is first represented as a generalized triangle mesh, a data structure that allows each instance of a vertex in a linear stream to specify an average of two triangles. Individual positions, colors, and normals are quantized, preferably quantizing normals using a novel translation to non-rectilinear representation. A variable length compression is applied to individual positions, colors, and normals. The quantized values are then delta-compression encoded between neighbors, followed by a modified Huffman compression for positions and colors. A table-based approach is used for normals. Decompression reverses this process. The decompressed stream of triangle data may then be passed to a traditional rendering pipeline, where it is processed in full floating point accuracy.

Abstract: A set of orthonormal basis functions is determined with respect to a rectangle which includes an arbitrarily shaped image segment. The set of orthonormal basis functions is used to determine a set of orthogonal basis function candidates which are numbered along a zigzag scan. Subsequently, a first orthogonal basis function candidate is extracted and defined as a first orthogonal basis function. Then, a loop for generating a set of orthogonal basis functions is initiated. First, a next basis function candidate is extracted in numbered order. An orthogonal component is determined which is perpendicular to a hyperplane spanned by the orthogonal basis function. Thereafter, a check is made as to whether an absolute value of the orthogonal component exceeds a threshold. If the absolute value does not exceed the threshold, it is disregarded and the operation returns to the beginning of the loop.

Abstract: A method encodes a current contour of an object in a video signal based on a previous contour thereof by extending the current contour over neighboring pixels thereto. In the encoded method, a displacement between the extended and the previous contours is found to set the displacement as a motion vector for the current contour. The previous contour is overlapped onto the extended contours based on the motion vector to thereby provide an overlapped previous contour and an overlapped extended contour. A mismatch between the overlapped contours is detected and encoded to thereby generate encoded error data, wherein, the encoded contour data includes the encoded error data and the motion vector.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus which temporarily stores frequency-converted data to quantize the data, encodes the quantized data, further, performs multistage quantization and coding based on quantization error generated in the quantization.

Abstract: A pattern recognition device has a drawing area upon which a user may draw an image with a pen designed for that purpose. In a first option available to the user, a user-drawn image is analyzed and saved in the memory of a computer. In a second option, the image is analyzed and an image in a pre-existing image database of the computer is retrieved which most nearly resembles the drawn image. In both options, the user-drawn image is transformed into a target image which is then subdivided into a plurality of image subdivisions and each image subdivision is then further subdivided into sectors. A first binary value is assigned to each sector to indicate whether or not it has at least some graphical data and a second binary value is assigned to indicate whether or not the graphical data occupies a predetermined percentage of the area of the sector. These binary values are strung together, converted into an integer, and the integers are stored in a computer memory.

Abstract: A method of vertex-based hierarchical shape representation and coding includes selecting an image of interest, defining a boundary about an object of interest within the image of interest, wherein the boundary is defined by a set of contour points, selecting a number of layers, each layer having a predefined saliency parameter associated therewith, wherein the saliency parameter defines a range of layers from a most salient layer to a least salient layer, identifying the most salient contour points in the boundary and placing the most salient contour points in the most salient layer, identifying the next most salient contour points in the boundary and placing the next most salient contour points in the next most salient layer until all of the selected layers have contour points placed therein, and hierarchically storing the layers in a database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for carrying out rapid, block-based SAD search operations for facial ellipses in a CIF videophone image frame are disclosed. A set of search templates, each having an ellipse pattern with two concentric, contiguous perimeters is defined and a set of parameter values are calculated off line for each template: a predetermined subfactor, index number, number of pixels in its dithered perimeter pattern, and first and second match thresholds. The pixels in the lower portion of each perimeter in the pattern are thinned by dithering so as to emphasize the upper contour of the ellipse. Values of +2k for interior perimeter pixels and -2k for exterior pixels in the template are then added to corresponding +k edge pixels and -k non-edge pixels in each search position of the template on a thresholded binary edge map of the image frame.

Abstract: A code pattern, such as a glyph code pattern, is parameterized in two-dimensional space by encodings of parallel propagating unique numeric sequence which incrementally vary in phase transversely of the code pattern.

Abstract: An apparatus generates chrominance shape information based on luminance shape information represented by binary values, to thereby describe an object in a video object plane effectively. The apparatus divides the luminance shape information into a multiplicity of sample blocks, a sample block including 2.times.2 pixels, and determines, for each sample block, a chrominance value based on all logic values in a sample block. The chrominance shape information is produced in a form of a matrix based on the chrominance values for all sample blocks.

Abstract: A video signal coding system employing a segmentation technique segments a video frame signal into regions to generate contour and texture information of each region and detects continuous boundaries located between adjacent regions. The contour and the texture information of each region and the boundary information of the continuous boundary are encoded to provide an encoded video signal. The video signal coding system calculates a mean value of pixels in two adjacent regions of each side of a continuous boundary and updates each pixel value within a predetermined distance from a continuous boundary with the mean value.

Abstract: An object-by shape information compression apparatus and a method thereof, which includes a motion compensation prediction circuit provided for motion-compensation-predicting a shape information of a current fame using a shape information of a previous frame and a motion information of a current frame; a subtraction circuit provided for computing a prediction error region by subtracting a shape information predicted by the motion compensation prediction circuit and a current motion region; a threshold operation circuit provided for determining a transfer and disconnection of an information in accordance with time by threshold-operating an isolated prediction error region obtained by the subtraction circuit; a contour prediction circuit provided for compression-coding a shape information by predicting a contour in a prediction error region obtained by the threshold operation circuit; a contour reconstruction circuit provided for reconstructing an isolated prediction error region from a contour coded by the con

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a contour of an object determines a number of vertex points based on a polygonal approximation to the contour. A set of approximation errors calculated at a predetermined number of sample points on each line segment between two adjacent vertex points is transformed to obtain a corresponding set of transform coefficients. The apparatus converts, in response to a masking range designation signal corresponding to each line segment, a part of the set of transform coefficients to zeros and produces a set of masked transform coefficients corresponding thereto. The set of masked transform coefficients is quantized and encoded to be transmitted through a transmitter.

Abstract: A method and system for deconvolution derived from the CLEAN technique. The nonlinear CLEAN method, combined with a priori knowledge of the point spread function allows for extraction and subsequent transmission of the non-redundant information. The point spread function is then treated as the redundancy function. Thus, the data set may be regarded as a convolution of the non-redundant information with the redundancy function. Since the non-redundant data is a small subset of the overall data set, images and/or other data may be transmitted over narrowband channels using the system of this invention. Effective data compression may be further enhanced by using the system of this invention prior to additional compression or encoding techniques based upon the digital data and digital compression techniques.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the output bit rate in a video object planes sequence encoder. An approximation of the shape of an object on a current frame is generated and used, along with a predicted image of the object from a subsequent frame and an estimate of the displacement of the object, to predict an image of the object in a current frame. A stripe is formed around the predicted image and the picture elements contained in the stripe are assigned texture values. The predicted image and stripe are subtracted from the current frame to form an error signal which is masked by the approximate shape of the object and provided to an entropy coder for transmission at an output bit rate.

Abstract: Methods of recognizing rules, solid lines or rectangles, in a bit-mapped image and of using those rules to enable a suitable printer or other suitable device to receive the bit-mapped image quickly. In a preferred embodiment, the methods include the steps of recognizing rules, forming rule descriptors for the rules, and then transmitting the rule descriptors to the receiving device. Vertical rules are recognized by partitioning the bit-mapped image into a plurality of adjacent horizontal stripes of row data, dividing that horizontal stripe into data columns formed from vertically aligned row data bits, and ANDing the data bits in each vertically aligned column to identify, by a HIGH output from the AND function, vertical lines which span the horizontal stripe. Adjacent or continuous vertical lines are then identified. Horizontal rules are identified by dividing the row data into bytes, ANDing individual bits of each byte together, and recognizing a horizontal line by a HIGH output from the AND function.

Abstract: A method (900, 1000) and device (100, 600) are provided for encoding and/or decoding a compact representation of a discrete region contour for the purposes of image and video compression. The compact representation described provides bitstream scalability so that progressively larger subsets of the compact representation can be used to provide progressive better quality in the approximate reconstruction of the discrete region contours. The resulting device and method provide for coding of shape information within object-based and region-based image and video compression systems.

Abstract: A hierarchical object encoding technique or process capable of representing general binary arbitrary shapes that include, for example, embedded or disconnected components. The method decomposes successive layers of general binary arbitrary shapes into simple arbitrary shapes. Each mask formed in this manner is a simple arbitrary shape having only a continuous outer boundary. Accordingly, each outer boundary is encoded, preferably by a contour encoding method, to provide accurate encoding of general binary shapes.

Abstract: A noise reduction apparatus in which decoded image data is input to a block division circuit which divides the input image into blocks each consisting of N.times.N pixels. A process block determination circuit determines the presence/absence of an edge from estimated values of four corner points of an objective block divided by the block division circuit. The process block determination circuit determines the size of a process block in accordance with the determination result. A linear interpolation circuit performs linear interpolation of the process block determined by the process block determination circuit, and outputs corrected image data.

Abstract: A method implemented in an object-based video encoder or decoder uses shape information that describes the boundary of a group of pixels representing an object in a sequence of video frames to identify transparent blocks (e.g., macroblocks or blocks so that coding/decoding of these blocks can be skipped. In the object-based video coding method, encoders code shape separately from motion and texture, and shape information is available before the encoder/decoder codes/decodes texture and motion data. The encoder and decoder use this shape information to identify transparent macroblocks or blocks so that texture coding and possible motion coding can be skipped. This method for transparent block skipping reduces coding and decoding operations and reduces the number of bits needed to store a bitstream representing a compressed video sequence.

Abstract: The current invention discloses methods and devices of storing an additional piece of information along with compressed image data without increasing the compressed data size and without substantially affecting the reproduced image. To accomplish the above objectives, an additional piece of the information such as a data block image characteristic signal is inserted in certain compressed data at or near the least significant bit position. Because of the position, the compressed data does not substantially affect the de-compression process. However, the additional information is used to improve the reproduced image.

Abstract: A method of compressing shape-data used for an image generating apparatus comprises steps of inputting shape-data for each part of the whole shape, seeking a distribution of coordinate values of the shape-data for each part and determining parameters for quantizing each coordinate value for each part and quantizing each coordinate value for each part based on the parameters determined in the foregoing step, and a method of decoding compressed shape-data is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for the model-based compression of speckle images in which the pulse characteristics of the known coherent imaging system which generated the speckle image to be compressed are used together with a scatterer image model to modify that scatterer image to contain impulse information such that when the impulse information is convolved with the pulse, the speckle image is reproduced. The modified scatterer image is compressed and outputted together with the pulse characteristics so that the speckle image can be reproduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a input video signal having a plurality of video frames each of which may be divided into a multiplicity of non-overlapping blocks of K.times.K pixels by using a modified BTC method and a contour coding method, with the apparatus including a masking block for providing a binary frame of the input video signal, a contour coding block for generating contour and binary information for the binary frame, a control block, for each binary block derived from the binary frame, for determining a number L and a control signal, a modified BTC block, for each video block derived from the input video signal, for generating a mean value and two reconstruction values based on intensity values of the K.times.K pixels within each video block and the number L, and selecting either the mean value or the two reconstruction values in response to the control signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a digital video signal of an image based on a still object-oriented coding technique wherein the image signal is divided into a number of blocks of an identical size and pixels lying outside of the object being masked with a zero value comprises a subblock formatter for subdividing each of the blocks into 4.sup.N subblocks; 4.sup.N encoders, each of said encoders for encoding each one of the 4.sup.N subblocks to produce a block of encoded data, respectively; 4.sup.N edge detectors, each of the edge detectors for detecting a sub-object edge in said each subblock to produce an edge detection signal and for determining a pattern of the detected edge to produce an edge pattern identification signal; an interleaving block for interleaving each of the scanned data from each of said encoder to produce a stream of scanned data; and a variable length coder for coding a stream of interleaved scanned data to produce a variable length coded signal.

Abstract: An image coding device capable of securely controlling a total code amount to a fixed amount in coding image data including a character image region and a natural image region mixed together.

Abstract: A block boundary information analyzing circuit extracts block boundary information from an input image signal. A blocking circuit divides the input image signal into block images while changing block boundary positions based on the block boundary information every time a coding operation is performed. A discrete cosine transform coder codes the respective block images. A block boundary information adding circuit adds boundary information to the coded image information.

Abstract: A method for providing an accurately predicted current frame, comprising the steps of: selecting feature points in the previous frame and detecting a first set of motion vectors for the feature points; defining quadrangles by connecting the feature points; defining horizontally split triangles by splitting quadrangles and calculating a variance for each triangle and comparing the variance to select the smallest variance as first variance; defining vertically split triangles by splitting the quadrangles and calculating the variance for each triangle and comparing the variance to select the smallest variance value as second variance value; comparing the first and the second variance and selecting the smaller variance as a third variance and providing triangle information representing the split direction for the third variance; determining quasi-feature points on the current frame and a second set of motion vectors for the quasi-feature points; defining quadrangles formed by connecting the quasi-feature points,

Abstract: A method for adaptively selecting feature points according to motions of objects between the current frame and the reference frame, comprising: detecting a motion vector for each pixel in the current frame between the current frame and the reference frame; providing a pixel value from the reference frame based on the motion vector for each pixel in the current frame; subtracting the pixel value provided from the reference frame from a pixel value of said each pixel of the current frame to thereby provide a differential pixel value; comparing the differential pixel value with a threshold value TH and selecting regions having their respective differential pixel values larger than the threshold value TH; shifting the pixels within the selected regions to positions indicated by their respective motion vectors to thereby provide shifted regions; detecting edge points from the reference frame; determining processing regions from the shifted regions, wherein the shifted regions are overlapped with a portion of the e

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing documentary data, in which document data is first checked for the presence of decodable symbols such as bar code, Postnet code, or Maxicode (bullseye-type) code. If such symbols are detected, they are decoded, their boundaries defined, and identities recorded. Efficient compression is then performed on the decoded data, the symbol locations and the symbol identities, and higher fidelity compression techniques are performed on undecodable symbols such as signatures. Reconstruction of the image is performed by decompression of all data and superimposition of the decoded images over the undecodable images.

Abstract: Compression of a plurality of signal samples y(t.sub.0),y(t.sub.1),y(t.sub.2) . . . y(t.sub.z) may be accomplished by performing a first linear regression to obtain a curve fitted thereto which is represented by a polynomial having a first set of coefficients (a.sub.0,a.sub.1,a.sub.2,a.sub.3 . . . a.sub.n) which is stored in memory (18) or transmitted by a transmitter (20). The error between each of the actual signal samples (y(t.sub.0),y(t.sub.1),y(t.sub.2) . . . y(t.sub.z) and the value approximated by the curve fitted to the values is computed and then thresholded. A second regression analysis is then performed to fit a curve, having a second set of coefficients (b.sub.0,b.sub.1,b.sub.2,b.sub.3 . . . b.sub.q) to the thresholded error values. The second set of coefficients is also stored or transmitted and used, in conjunction with the first set of coefficients, to closely approximate the original set of signal samples.

Abstract: A multidimensional image compression and decompression system wherein, during compression, regardless of how high or low the pixel density is in an image used as an object for processing image data, compressed image data is obtained by extracting only characteristic points included in the image. During decompression, luminance data of pixels except those corresponding to characteristic points are determined by an interpolational plane or solid body which in turn is determined by a plurality of adjacent characteristic points when a position and luminance value of the characteristic points are used for transmission, recording and restoration of images, with respect to image data distributed in two-dimensions and three-dimension when a time base is included. Therefore, it is possible to decompress the multidimensional compressed image using only a short calculation time.

Abstract: A method of compressing inputting two-dimensional object, compressing the two-dimensional data in a short time to a small amount of data and reproducing in any size at any position. This invention reads two dimensional object, e.g. characters, figures, drawings or Illustrations optically, extracts peripheral points from a binary image, approximates the peripheral lines by Fluency functions, reckons curvatures at all points, and finds joints. The peripheral points series are divided by the joints. The lines between two neighboring joints are approximated by straight lines, arcs and free curves in this order. The free curves are approximated by linear combinations of Fluency functions. Adoption of joints greatly alleviates the quantity of data. Approximation by Fluency functions heightens the quality of the reproduced objects.

Abstract: A method for restructuring information stored in physical design image form, such as an image of a layer in a semiconductor package, into a hierarchical area specification model useful in automated design applications. The restructuring results in recognizing identical patterns in the image and storing common information about the patterns in a single location to decrease storage space required and improve access efficiency by design application programs needing the information. Parameters controlling the method can be adjusted to produce a hierarchical model that is particularly suited to the needs of a particular application program.