Variable Threshold, Gain, Or Slice Level Patents (Class 382/270)
  • Patent number: 6580805
    Abstract: A music score image is read, a two-valuing threshold is set based on a staff interval and a line width of the staff so as to input the music score image as a two-valued image, then music signs are recognized to prepare data for playing and/or music score displaying. With this arrangement, the image two-valuing threshold which seriously affects the recognition rate can be automatically set to an optimum value for the recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Seiji Nakano
  • Patent number: 6577762
    Abstract: A thresholding technique for generating a background image of a pixmap image is described. For one embodiment of the present invention, background image is used to generate a background threshold surface for thresholding a pixmap image. For another embodiment of the present invention, the background image is used to normalize the background of the pixmap image. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the background image is used as input for other image processing algorithms such as extracting features from a grey-scale image for character recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Mauritius Seeger, Christopher R. Dance
  • Publication number: 20030103681
    Abstract: An image recovery algorithm that recovers completely lost blocks in an image/video frame using spatial information surrounding these blocks. One application focuses on lost regions of pixels containing textures, edges and other image features that pose problems for other recovery and error concealment algorithms. The algorithm of this invention is based on the iterative application of a generic de-noising algorithm and does not require any complex preconditioning, segmentation, or edge detection steps. Utilizing locally sparse linear transforms and overcomplete de-noising, good PSNR performance is obtained in the recovery of such regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventor: Onur G. Guleryuz
  • Patent number: 6563511
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus to generate an anti-flickered pixel from a source pixel having a source pixel value in a display memory. The apparatus comprises a plurality of storage elements, a filter, a comparator, and an output selector. The plurality of storage elements store a sequence of pixels in the display memory which includes the source pixel. The filter is coupled to the plurality of storage elements to filter the sequence of pixels. The filter generates a filtered pixel corresponding to the source pixel. The comparator is coupled to the plurality of storage elements to compare the source pixel value with a threshold value. The comparator generates a comparison result. The output selector is coupled to the filter and the storage elements to select one of the source and filtered pixels according to the comparison result. The selected one of the source and filtered pixels is the anti-flickered pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Teralogic, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerard K. Yeh, Anoush Khazeni
  • Publication number: 20030086623
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing compressed images is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises characterizing quantization noise in reconstructed low pass coefficients generated in response to application of an inverse wavelet transform and removing the quantization noise from the reconstructed low pass coefficients constructed during decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Michael J. Gormish, Edward L. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 6559975
    Abstract: A method for transforming an image, containing an arbitrary number of colors from a full color process printing mode to a spot color printing mode while preserving the user's intended color usage as much as possible. The method is contained in a utility and referred to as “Spot Color Transformation” (SCT). The SCT utility provides a user the ability to transform an image generated by a computer program module, such as a desktop publishing computer program module, from a full color mode into a spot color mode. The SCT utility operates on an object-by-object basis to map objects within an image to one of several partitions: a black partition and a color partition. The SCT utility maps each object that has an associated color that is substantially black or a tint of black to the black partition. Next, the SCT utility converts the colors of unmapped objects to a tint of the spot color based on the luminance value of the particular color relative to the lowest luminance value found in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Justin G. Tolmer, Edward H. Ringness, Paul C. Elliott
  • Patent number: 6549655
    Abstract: A binarization method of binarizing an image by extracting lightness (brightness, density) as a feature amount from the image. When a pixel is selected in an image, a sensitivity is added to and/or subtracted from the value concerning the Y value of the selected pixel to set a threshold value range. Next, when another pixel is selected, the sensitivity is added to or subtracted from the value concerning the Y value of the selected pixel and a new threshold value range is set containing the calculation result and the already setup threshold value range. The pixel with the value concerning the Y value of any pixel in the image within the threshold value range is extracted as the same brightness as the selected pixel and the extraction result is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Keyence Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Ikushima, Kazuhito Saeki
  • Patent number: 6546149
    Abstract: A method of reducing noise in a digitally sampled image is achieved in which an entire frame image is divided into regions which are used to determine the relative noise level of the static image over a period of several frames. The relative noise level is taken as a measurement and is then used by the firmware to make adjustments during the digital sampling process. By using less than the entire frame of the image information the method of reducing noise can be implemented without requiring the presence of a frame buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventors: Carl J. Ruggiero, Alan Lasneski
  • Patent number: 6515770
    Abstract: Calibrated dither masks adaptable to most printers are constructed in such a way that the threshold values can be adapted to a printer so that said printer can print the originally intended number of distinct tone levels. This adaptation can be done computationally so that the time it takes is not prohibitive. Furthermore, the resulting calibrated dither mask is such that there is no need for a tone reproduction curve in the halftoning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravishankar Rao, Gerhard R. Thompson, Charles P. Tresser, Chai W. Wu
  • Patent number: 6498660
    Abstract: A method for the conversion of grayscale images with a non-white background into halftone images is disclosed. The illustrated embodiment of the present invention addresses the difficulties current conversion methods have in converting multi-bit grayscale images with a non-white background into single bit halftone images. Through manipulation of the grayscale image data, the edges of text and line art features in the grayscale image data are located and extracted from the non-white background through the use of a weight driven conversion algorithm resulting in more defined halftone images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Oak Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard G. Haltmaier
  • Patent number: 6490375
    Abstract: An efficient and reliable method that identifies possible reference sites in an image is disclosed. The method emphasizes customizing the identification of reference sites for each application by providing for initialization of various parameters, such as the size of the reference site. The method then uses a series of measurable parameters to filter possible reference sites in the image and produces and ordered set of possible reference sites. The highest-ranking site of the ordered set is expected to be chosen as the reference site for production. A preferred implementation is disclosed that uses multi-resolution images to enhance efficiency of the identification and that specifically measures the symmetry, orthogonality and uniqueness of the windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Arman Garakani, Leonid Taycher
  • Patent number: 6473532
    Abstract: A visual lossless encoder for processing a video frame prior to compression by a video encoder includes a threshold unit, a filter unit, an association unit and an altering unit. The threshold unit identifies a plurality of visual perception threshold levels to be associated with the pixels of the video frame, wherein the threshold levels define contrast levels above which a human eye can distinguish a pixel from among its neighboring pixels of the frame. The filter unit divides the video frame into portions having different detail dimensions. The association unit utilizes the threshold levels and the detail dimensions to associate the pixels of the video frame into subclasses. Each subclass includes pixels related to the same detail and which generally cannot be distinguished from each other. The altering unit alters the intensity of each pixel of the video frame according to its subclass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: VLS COM Ltd.
    Inventors: Semion Sheraizin, Vitaly Sheraizin
  • Patent number: 6470094
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention includes a method for locating text in digital images. The method includes scaling a digital image into images of multiple resolutions and classifying whether pixels in the multiple resolutions are part of a text region. The method also includes integrating scales to create a scale integration saliency map and using the saliency map to create initial text bounding boxes through expanding the boxes from rectangles of pixels including at least one pixel to include groups of at least one pixel adjacent to the rectangles, wherein the groups have a particular relationship to a first threshold. The initial text bounding boxes are consolidated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rainer Wolfgang Lienhart, Axel Wernicke
  • Patent number: 6466693
    Abstract: The present invention is an image processing apparatus comprising: dividing means for dividing an image signal obtained by scanning an original document into predetermined local blocks and output a predetermined including a target pixel; a binary coding processing section which converts the image signal in the predetermined block into binary code information; means for calculating each area (dimension) of the binary values; means for calculating number of times that the binary values are changed; a threshold processing section for performing threshold processing by properly and selectively using a threshold of the maximum density difference in the predetermined area, each area (dimension) value after binary coding and number of counts as a parameter; and a judgement processing section for judging the image signal in the predetermined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Otsu, Yasushi Adachi, Toshihiro Kanata
  • Patent number: 6459470
    Abstract: An image printer for printing images with less cross-talk between images and less image flickering is provided. A plurality of images are interleft in one or a plurality of line units and a lenticular lens is used to make it possible for each individual pixel to be distinguished. The difference in brightness between an attentional pixel and the surrounding pixels that surround this attentional pixel is taken, and a correlation value is produced, the correlation value being reduced if the difference is large and increased if the difference is small. The image printer is equipped with a pixel shape controller that makes the printed pixels smaller in a region where the correlation value is low, and makes the printed pixels larger in a region where the correlation value is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Iwano, Hiroshi Akahori, Kunio Nobori, Kazuhiro Kayashima, Makoto Fujimoto, Yasuhito Kawamata
  • Patent number: 6459817
    Abstract: When image data are processed to generate pseudo-tone patterns, a predetermined threshold is modified according to at least two periodic functions with different spatial periods. The picture elements are compared with the modified threshold, and the comparison results are used to generate an output image. The periodic threshold modifications cause dots to appear preferentially in regular patterns, thereby reducing dot noise, and providing improved control over the overlaying of dot patterns in different color planes in a color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhito Matsushiro
  • Publication number: 20020114010
    Abstract: A method for the conversion of grayscale images with a non-white background into halftone images is disclosed. The illustrated embodiment of the present invention addresses the difficulties current conversion methods have in converting multi-bit grayscale images with a non-white background into single bit halftone images. Through manipulation of the grayscale image data, the edges of text and line art features in the grayscale image data are located and extracted from the non-white background through the use of a weight driven conversion algorithm resulting in more defined halftone images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Oak Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard G. Haltmaier
  • Publication number: 20020110269
    Abstract: An imaging device for sequentially imaging a portion of a continuously moving web to provide a digital data stream which is then analyzed by a single computer without the used of dedicated signal processing hardware. Techniques for operating on the data stream from an imaging device are disclosed, particularly including operations based on blob information stored in terms of starting position and segment run lengths in a crossweb direction. These allow definitions of blobs to be accumulated in a line-by-line fashion, and allow classes of defects commonly found in continuous web manufacturing to be identified with far less computing power than was previously required. In particular, in the challenging application of inspecting flexible circuits, data rates in excess of 10 mega-pixels/second are achieved and successfully processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Steven P. Floeder, James A. Masterman, Matthew P. Peick, Carl J. Skeps, Steven R. Wageman, Wenyuan Xu, Xin Yu
  • Patent number: 6434254
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting objects from a sequence of images of a scene containing an object by using two distinct methods for object detection. One is suited for well-lit scenes (e.g., daytime), while the other is suitable for poorly-lit scenes (e.g., nighttime) where the objects have lights mounted on them. Further, the method and apparatus are adaptive to the image statistics of the objects being detected, and can be programmed to filter out “weak” detections that lie below a certain percentile in the observed statistical distribution of image measures. The specific percentile is determined based on whether the scene has been determined to be well- or poorly-lit and whether it contains shadows or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventor: Lambert Ernest Wixson
  • Patent number: 6415052
    Abstract: A color image processing apparatus for digitally reading a color document and effecting digital printing comprises a character region extracting device for extracting a character region of the color document; a black portion extracting device for extracting a black portion of the color document; and a single black color processing device for processing a single black color only with respect to a region which falls within the character region and the black portion in the color document, so as to allow character portions to be distinguished favorably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidefumi Ohsawa
  • Publication number: 20020057845
    Abstract: An image sensor for capturing and producing an image includes a photoreceptor array that receives light and produces a signal for each pixel of the image. The image sensor further includes amplification circuitry that amplifies the signals. The amplification circuitry provides two distinct gains for each of the signals to produce two output signal levels. The image sensor also includes a fusion module, which combines the two output signal levels into one signal level. Accordingly, overall dynamic range of the image sensor is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Eric R. Fossum, Yibing Wang, Barna L. Sandor
  • Patent number: 6389172
    Abstract: A pseudo random number pattern which does not contain the minimum and maximum gradation values of pixels of input image data, and consists of, as elements, threshold values set at nearly equal intervals, is generated, and input image data is binarized by ordered dithering using this pseudo random number pattern. Since the elements of the pseudo random number pattern do not contain the minimum and maximum gradation values of the pixels of the input image data, even when a binary image is input, noise components, i.e., black or white isolated pixels can be prevented from periodically appearing. Since the threshold values of the pseudo random number pattern are set at nearly equal intervals, a dither image with quality as high as that can be obtained by the conventional method can be obtained even when a halftone image is input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Namco Limited
    Inventor: Atsushi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 6389157
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and displaying clustered microcalcifications in a digital mammogram, wherein a single digital mammogram is first automatically cropped to a breast area sub-image which is then processed by means of an optimized Difference of Gaussians filter to enhance the appearance of potential microcalcifications in the sub-image. The potential microcalcifications are thresholded, clusters are detected, features are computed for the detected clusters, and the clusters are classified as either suspicious or not suspicious by means of a neural network. Thresholding is preferably by sloping local thresholding, but may also be performed by global and dual-local thresholding. The locations in the original digital mammogram of the suspicious detected clustered microcalcifications are indicated. Parameters for use in the detection and thresholding portions of the system are computer-optimized by means of a genetic algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Qualia Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Rogers, Randy P. Broussard, Edward M. Ochoa, Thomas F. Rathbun, John E. Rosenstengel
  • Patent number: 6373600
    Abstract: An A/D converter converts analog data received from a light-receiving element via an amplifier to digital data. From the A/D converter, digital data is transmitted via a multiplier to a comparing circuit. The comparing circuit compares the digital data with a reference data, and when the absolute value of the difference thereof is equal to or more than a present threshold value outputs the digital data to the switch circuit via the multiplier, and also updates the reference value. Then the reference data is updated with the digital data. When a bus line is idle, a controller switches output from the switch circuit and outputs the digital data to the bus line. Then address data and time code are appended to the digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Fourie, Inc.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Nishida
  • Patent number: 6373977
    Abstract: A three-dimensional model of a scene is reconstructed from a plurality of images of the scene taken from different viewpoints. A set of voxels that include the scene is defined, and each of the voxels in the set of voxels is processed. Each voxel is projected onto a set of pixels in each of the images. A first color-standard-deviation of not-occluded pixels is determined across all images. A second color-standard-deviation of not-occluded pixels is determined for each individual image. A mean of the second color-standard-deviations is determined across all images. A coloring threshold that is a function of the mean is established. If the first color-standard-deviation is less than the coloring threshold, the voxel is colored. Otherwise, the voxel is left transparent. The coloring threshold is established adaptively and depends on the color variation across the projection of the voxel in each individual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: W. Bruce Culbertson
  • Patent number: 6373891
    Abstract: A system and method for recognizing image sequences. A video decoder having a raster/cluster converter and an image carousel having a memory organized as a shift register are connected to each other by a discrete cosine transform (DCT) transformer. The system extracts characteristics from individual images of an image sequence provided by the video decoder based on the brightness of the images. A correlator connects a reference memory to the image carousel such that the image sequence from the video decoder is supplied to the correlator as a characteristic vector and combined with a reference sample for storing in the reference memory. The system decorrelates the characteristics by a quasi-stochastic characteristics extraction over a plurality of the images, digitizes the characteristics, and compares the digitized characteristics to the reference sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventor: Klaus Schulze
  • Patent number: 6363526
    Abstract: An objectionable outlining effect, seen as dark edges and white edges outlining everything in a scene, is eliminated by clipping or limiting the spikes generated by excessive enhancement. Specifically, a method is used for improving the quality of an enhanced video image, while simultaneously maintaining or improving image sharpness, by clipping the RGB levels of the enhanced video image, at the points of enhancement, to upper and lower level bounds representing the signal levels of the video signal prior to its enhancement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Ultimatte Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Vlahos, Arie Berman, Arpag Dadourian
  • Patent number: 6359702
    Abstract: Image data for a margin around the image area of a book form original can be erased and image data for a book center portion are obtained without loss. In a photograph mode, a low threshold value is set in first binary conversion means 4, and image data having been input are binary converted by using this value. Based on the image data having been converted, a first coercion signal generating unit 6 judges a margin around the original image. A high threshold value is set to second binary conversion means 5 and image data having been input are binary converted by using this value. Based on the image data having been converted, a second coercion signal generating unit 7 judges a margin around the original and a portion including a book center portion. A character processing binary conversion unit 3 carries out binary conversion on input image data for the portion within the original, and outputs whitening data which erase the margin around the original.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Irie, Shinya Okada, Yoshiyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 6353688
    Abstract: The method identifies a Pixon element, which is a fundamental and indivisible unit of information, and a Pixon basis, which is the set of possible functions from which the Pixon elements are selected. The actual Pixon elements selected from this basis during the reconstruction process represents the smallest number of such units required to fit the data and representing the minimum number of parameters necessary to specify the image. The Pixon kernels can have arbitrary properties (e.g., shape, size, and/or position) as needed to best fit the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Richard Puetter, Amos Yahil
  • Patent number: 6351566
    Abstract: A method for binarizing a gray-level input image including a plurality of pixels having respective gray-level values. A lower threshold and an upper threshold are determined. A first binary value is assigned to the pixels in the gray-level image having gray-level values above the upper threshold, and a second binary value is assigned to the pixels in the gray-level image having gray-level values below the lower threshold. The pixels in an intermediate group having gray-level values between the lower and upper thresholds are processed so as to determine optimal assignments of the pixels in the intermediate group to the first and second binary values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines
    Inventor: Aviad Zlotnick
  • Publication number: 20020012475
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for classifying image data. A video peak/valley counter may count peaks and valleys within a window of the input image data. The apparatus and method checks whether any peaks or valleys are located within a neighborhood of a pixel under consideration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 1998
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Inventors: XING LI, MICHAEL E. MEYERS, FRANCIS K. TSE
  • Patent number: 6320981
    Abstract: Block representative values are set adaptively based on the feature amount concerning the distribution state of a prepared histogram of input image data. Thus, if block truncation coding is executed based on an input image having mixed CG image and scanned image areas, efficient coding can be performed and a high-quality decomposed image can be provided. Further, when the histogram is divided into image data groups, the image data groups can be again divided to provide a high-quality decomposed image, thus efficient coding can be performed and a high-quality decomposed image can be provided more reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Yada
  • Publication number: 20010028468
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus, operating as described below, employing an error distribution method to perform a halftone process intensively providing dots to achieve high resolution and a high level of tone representation simultaneously. The image processing apparatus, employing the error distribution method to convert an image represented by multiple values into an image provided in binary representation, employs a distribution weighting coefficient to distribute an error caused at a target pixel to a neighboring pixel. The distribution weighting coefficient simply decreases and ultimately attains zero as the distance from the target pixel increases, and the distance extending to attain zero is also set to vary with direction. Such a distribution weighting coefficient allows a halftone process providing dots intensively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Applicant: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshitsugu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6282325
    Abstract: In an image processing technique for binarizing an image scanned by a shuttle type scanner in a multifunctional machine using a small amount of memory, after scanning pixels of one slice from a document, each pixel of the scanned slice are binarized using a mask. The processing results of the error values generated during binarizing of final pixels of a plurality of slices of the band are stored in a first memory, and the processing results of error values generated during binarizing of each of the pixels of the scanned slice are stored in a second memory. When each of the first pixels of a plurality of slices in the next band are binarized, the processing results of the error values of the final pixels of a plurality of slices in the previous band, stored in the first memory, are scanned and then binarized. By using minimum band memories, the cost of the multifunctional machine can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji-Hoon Han
  • Patent number: 6275620
    Abstract: An improved technique for processing a color or gray scale pixel map representing a document is disclosed. The pixel map is decomposed into a three-plane representation, a reduced-resolution “upper” plane, a reduced-resolution “lower” plane, and a high-resolution binary selector plane. The “upper” and “lower” planes contain the color or gray scale for the page as well as the continuous tone pictures that are contained on the page. The selector plane stores information for selecting from either the foreground plane or background plane during decompression. Information contained in the selector plane is first used to pre-process the upper and lower planes to reduce the amount of data on each of the other two planes that will be subjected to further processing. Each of the pre-processed planes is compressed using a compression technique optimal for the type of data that resides upon it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ricardo L. de Queiroz, Reiner Eschbach, William A. Fuss, Robert R. Buckley
  • Patent number: 6269194
    Abstract: A method and apparatus implementing dynamic thresholding techniques in processes that use image subtraction. The subtracted image is separated into a positive difference image using a positive image map and a negative difference image using a negative image map. A positive threshold map and a negative threshold map process a Gaussian filtered first image to generate respective positive and negative dynamic threshold images. The positive and negative threshold map mask out irrelevant areas and implement adaptive gain in pixel thresholds proportional to a difference or contrast between foreground or feature of interest and local background. Dynamic thresholding is a subtraction providing a subtracted positive image and a subtracted negative image. The subtracted positive and subtracted negative images are combined to provide a merged image which is binarized. Edge or Interface detection involves edge detection and true peak detection to find the edge peaks in a pre-image and post image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventor: Sanjay Nichani
  • Patent number: 6269186
    Abstract: This invention relates to an image processing method of quantizing a multivalued image to perform image processing. The luminance frequency of the multivalued image is calculated, a quantization threshold for quantization is specified on the basis of the calculated luminance frequency, a representative value used for quantization of the multivalued image is calculated on the basis of the specified quantization threshold and the luminance frequency, and the multivalued image is quantized using the calculated representative value. The quantization threshold is an average luminance value obtained when the histogram distribution converges to make the skew of the histogram distribution of the luminance frequency fall within a predetermined range. The representative value is an average luminance value in each distribution region of the histogram distribution of the luminance frequency that is divided by the quantization threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Makita
  • Publication number: 20010008565
    Abstract: When an optical disc is set to the motor, the slice level is set to a slice level Sk as a reference slice level and a measured jitter value A (S0, S1) is produced. The slice level is incremented in steps of a fixed quantity Si (S2). Then, a measured jitter value B obtained at the incremented slice level is compared with the previous measured jitter value A (S3, S4). This sequence of process is repeated, and when the measured jitter value A is smaller than the counter value, it is judged that the jitter changes its quantity varying direction to a decreasing direction. Then, the incrementing operation of the slice level is immediately stopped, and the slice level is decremented in steps of another fixed quantity Sd (<Si). The previous measured jitter value C is compared with a measured jitter value D after the slice level is decremented (S5 to S8). When the measured jitter value C is smaller than the counter jitter value, it is judged that the slice level detected at that time is an optimum slice level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2001
    Publication date: July 19, 2001
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Kuwayama, Tadashi Tachibana
  • Patent number: 6262811
    Abstract: This is a halftone circuit which, in addition to the usual counting and addressing mechanisms, has control over the phase, angle and direction of the addressing circuitry of the array in memory so that regular dots, mirror images of dots and out-of-phase dots can be created from a single array, thus saving memory hardware. The mirror images can be made by counting rows in either direction, the angle can be varied by varying the number of pixels shifted between scans, and the phase can be varied by setting the starting point to any row and column. In this way, a single array can be used to create a number of dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Charles M. Hains, Gwendolyn L. Hembrock, Chan Chang
  • Patent number: 6249608
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus obtains a sum A of image data values of pixels in a template image, a sum B of squares of image data values of pixels in a template image, a sum C of image data values of pixels in a sub-image to be processed, of a search image, a sum D of squares of image data values of pixels in the sub-image of the template image, further obtains a threshold value F in advance by using the obtained values A, B, C and D, the number P of pixels in the template image, and the preset value E. Moreover, the apparatus obtains a square of each difference between an image data value of each pixel in the sub-image and that of a corresponding pixel in the template image, and performs cumulative addition for each obtained squares. If the result of cumulative addition exceeds the above-mentioned threshold value, the apparatus closes processing evaluation of a similarity between the sub-image and the template image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuji Ikeda, Syoji Yoshida, Keisuke Nakashima, Koyo Katsura, Shigeru Shibukawa, Haruo Yoda, Takashi Hotta
  • Patent number: 6229908
    Abstract: A method and an ignition interlock for preventing operation of equipment when an operator's blood-alcohol content is above a threshold value. The interlock has a blood-alcohol detector that measures intensities of wavelengths of light emerging from a finger. A microprocessor correlates these intensities with the finger's blood-alcohol content, determines whether this content is above a threshold level, and prevents the equipment from operating unless the blood-alcohol content is below the threshold. The interlock also has a fingerprint image generator which reflects light of the finger and scans the fingerprint to form a scanned image. The microprocessor compares this scanned image to a prestored image of a principal operator and compares the two images to determine whether the images match. The fingerprint and blood-alcohol analyses occur substantially simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Inventors: Dean Stockett Edmonds, III, Jon William Hopta
  • Patent number: 6219460
    Abstract: A binarizing section generates binarized data from an image signal of a dot code on an information recording medium read by a code reading section. The binarizing section has a reference dot detection section, a dot area measuring section, a threshold value modifying section and a threshold value determining section. The reference dot detection section binarizes the image signal with a predetermined threshold value prior to generating binarized data to detect a reference dot from a binarized code image. The dot area measuring section measures the area of the reference dot detected by the reference dot detection section. The threshold value modifying section modifies the threshold value for binarization in such a manner that the area measured by the dot area measuring section approaches a predetermined target value. The threshold value determining section binarizes the image signal with the threshold value modified by the threshold value modifying section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Tatsuta
  • Patent number: 6212304
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing an image is described. A first area having a first value is selected. A second value for a second area surrounding the first area is determined. The first and second values are compared with a predetermined threshold. The first value is transformed according to the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Intel Corp.
    Inventors: Ajaya V. Durg, Oleg Rashkovskiy
  • Patent number: 6208766
    Abstract: The process according to the invention is used for influencing the quality of images furnished by an electronic imaging system. For this purpose, image segments are defined which surround individual image points; from the image point signals of the image points situated therein, characteristic brightness and contrast values are calculated and are assigned to the individual image points. Finally, these characteristic values are used to modify the background brightness and the contrast fraction of the image point signals. According to the invention, a subset of image points are selected as supporting points and the pertaining image segments are defined in such a manner that at least areas of the image which are of interest are completely covered. By means of a two-dimensional interpolation, corresponding characteristic values each assigned to the remaining image points can be obtained from the characteristic values determined for the supporting points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Deutsche Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Nikolaus Schweyer, Karl Dzida
  • Patent number: 6208431
    Abstract: A method of generating artifact-free threshold matrices for digital printing devices is provided. The method includes, for example, the steps of establishing a threshold matrix by examining at least one color level for artifacts and removing the color level from the threshold matrix if it has artifacts. The method further includes the steps of examining a range of color levels for artifacts and removing the color levels from the threshold matrix which have artifacts and evenly distributing the remaining color levels over a range of color levels from a first color level to a last color. The examination of color levels for artifacts may be implemented manually or through an automated computer controlled process. The automated process includes digitally acquiring the color level and performing a Fourier transform on the color level to determine its spectral components. The spectral components are analyzed to determine the presence or absence of artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ho Chong Lee, Mikel J. Stanich, Gerhard R. Thompson, Jack L. Zable
  • Patent number: 6201614
    Abstract: A dithered image compression system that converts a source image into an image that is efficiently compressed and yet preserves the visual image information of the original source image in a computer environment. A preferred embodiment of the invention removes the image data from the source image that are lost during the normal storage and halftoning stages in one step. Each pixel in the source image is compared to the threshold array values. If the value of the source image pixel is less than the corresponding threshold array pixel, then a zero is placed in that position in the dithered image array, otherwise a one is placed in the dithered image array. The dithered image array is then compared with the threshold array, thereby creating a range array where the range of each pixel is determined using the dithered image array values combined with the threshold array values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick Lin
  • Patent number: 6195468
    Abstract: If the subject pixel density I is the minimum density (0), the input conversion portion H1 controls the output conversion portion H4 to output a level of OFF. If the subject pixel density I is the maximum density (255), the input conversion portion H1 controls the output conversion portion H4 to output the other level of ON. The input conversion portion H1 outputs the imaginary density A of one (1) to the input modification portion H2 if the subject pixel density I is the minimum density of zero (0). The input conversion portion H1 outputs the other imaginary density B of 254 to the input modification portion H2 if the subject pixel density I is the maximum density of 255. The conversion portion H3 compares, with the threshold value, a modified value I′ supplied from the input modification portion H2. Even in the uniform density region having the density of zero (0) or 255, the comparison judgment attained by the conversion portion H3 will frequently change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6181827
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises an error diffusion processing section 10 for performing error diffusion processing with quantization levels of three or above on image data x(i, j) for producing an output; and a second error diffusion processing section 20 for performing error diffusion processing with quantization levels of three or above on the data outputted from the first error diffusion section 10 for outputting image data y(i, j). Quantization levels of three or above of the quantizer 22 in the error diffusion processing section 20 are determined to be desired value. Quantization levels of three or above of the quantizer 12 in the error diffusion processing section 10 are determined to be levels each between each neighboring two of the quantization levels of the quantizer 22, the minimum level of the image input data x(i, j) and the maximum level of the image input data x(i, j).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Kishimoto
  • Patent number: RE37755
    Abstract: An interpolation method in which a threshold value used for determining a pixel value of a pixel generated by interpolation according to a context (state value of adjacent pixels). In the interpolation method, the ambiguity between the interpolation value and the threshold value is removed by using the context (state value of the reference pixels around the interpolated pixel), thereby reducing the blocking and smoothing phenomena in the restored binary image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-sung Cho, Jae-seob Shin
  • Patent number: RE37792
    Abstract: An improved interpolation method in which a threshold value used for determining a pixel value of a pixel generated by interpolation according to a context (state value of adjacent pixels). In the interpolation method, the ambiguity between the interpolation value and the threshold value is removed by using the context (state value of the reference pixels around the interpolated pixel), thereby reducing the blocking and smoothing phenomena in the restored binary image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-sung Cho, Jae-seob Shin