Multilayered Image Transformations Patents (Class 382/302)
  • Publication number: 20040264799
    Abstract: A method of processing an image to form an image pyramid having multiple image levels includes receiving a base level image comprising pixel values at pixel locations arranged in rows and columns; determining sample locations for a next level image in the pyramid such that the sample locations are arranged in a regular pattern and the sample locations exceed the range of the pixel locations of the base level image; determining the pixel values of the next level image by interpolating the pixel values of the base level image using an interpolation filter at the sample locations; and treating the next level image as the base level image and repeating steps of determining sample locations and pixel values until a predetermined number of pyramid image levels are generated, or until a predetermined condition is met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew C. Gallagher, Jeffrey C. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20040252907
    Abstract: An image processing method, having the steps of: transforming color image signals representing an original image into a luminance signal and color difference signals; transforming the luminance signal and the color difference signals separately into multi-resolution signals of the level 1 to the level N; applying an inverse multi-resolution transform to the color difference multi-resolution signals, after suppressing the high-frequency components of the level 1 of the color difference multi-resolution signals; applying an inverse multi-resolution transform processing to the luminance multi-resolution signals, after applying a coring processing using a condition for each level different from other levels to the high-frequency signals of each level of the luminance multi-resolution signals; transforming the processed luminance signal and the processed color difference signals into a set of processed color image signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventor: Tsukasa Ito
  • Publication number: 20040234166
    Abstract: There are described image-processing method and apparatus, which make it possible to reduce the processing load even in the image-processing environment employing the Dyadic Wavelet transform. The apparatus includes a reading section to read an image recorded on a recording medium so as to generate image signals representing the image; a first converting section to apply a multi-resolution conversion processing of at least level 1, which is capable of reducing an image size of the image signals, to the image signals, so as to generate first-converted image signals from the image signals; and a second converting section to apply a Dyadic Wavelet transform of at least level 1 to low frequency band component signals included in the first-converted image signals, so as to generate second-converted image signals from the first-converted image signals. An image size of the first-converted image signals is smaller than that of the image signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakajima, Tsukasa Ito, Tsuyoshi Hattori, Shoichi Nomura, Chizuko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6819952
    Abstract: A non-invasive longitudinal method that is sensitive and objective for quantifying progressive loss of neurons in normal aging brains and brains that suffer from a neurodegenerative disease is provided. The method also provides clinicians, patients and drug companies with a method for evaluating the efficacy of various treatments and interventions by assessing a change in brain integrity. The method determines and localizes a change in brain integrity in a compartment of a brain from at least structural images and metabolite brain images, which are acquired for at least two time instances. The time period between two time instances is dependent on the disease pathology and disease progression and could, for instance, be at least 3 months between time instances as well as at least 6 or 12 months between time instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Adolf Pfefferbaum, Elfar Adalsteinsson, Daniel Mark Spielman, Edith V. Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20040218818
    Abstract: This method of displaying a digital image for creating a multimedia content, the image being coded in multiple resolutions, comprises steps consisting of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Maryline Clare, Jeanne Guillou
  • Publication number: 20040218826
    Abstract: A subband processing apparatus useful for wavelet conversion and compression-decompression operations includes a plurality of memories and a plurality of analytic filter banks. The plurality of memories store an input signal in a way such that the input signal is divided into a plurality of regional signals to correspond to the plurality of memories. The plurality of analytic filter banks analyzes in parallel the regional signals. Each analytic filter bank is configured to be in a one-to-one relationship with one of the plurality of memories. In this apparatus, each of the plurality of memories stores a corresponding regional signal and at least one other signal copied from the leading and trailing portions of other stored regional signals. Reverse processing is provided to synthesize a signal from a plurality of analyzed subband signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventor: Noriyuki Terao
  • Patent number: 6810157
    Abstract: To enable a user to rapidly identify one or more sets of values for parameters of an operation, templates are generated dynamically from sets of values already used for these parameters in content available to the system. Each unique set of values may be extracted from the currently available content. Each of these sets of values may be sorted, for example, by recent modification date, for presentation to a user. The user may then select a set of values from among those displayed for use in the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Avid Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian C. Cooper
  • Publication number: 20040202370
    Abstract: Under the present invention, an image is progressively blurred to yield a set of (progressive) scaling levels. Once blurred, the edges of the image are detected so that each image segment can be identified on each scaling level. Once the segments are identified, like segments (i.e., segments having a like edge/Gaussian operator) on successive scaling levels are linked to yield a lattice structure that represents the perceptual organization of the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Danyel A. Fisher, Martin M. Wattenberg
  • Publication number: 20040179751
    Abstract: Halftone color image down-sampling, performed on a color-channel-by-color-channel basis, with respect to which the selected, overall down-sampling ratio determines whether one or plural down-sampling stage(s) is(are) implemented. If B<(A−1), where A is the original pixel resolution, and B is the intended final resolution, then plural down-sampling steps are conducted. Otherwise, only a single down-sampling stage is involved. Each down-sampling stage involves looking at successive adjacent clusters containing four pixels arranged in row-and-column paired manners, and calculating new down-sampled pixel values based upon a special averaging strategy. In this strategy, if the population of white pixels in each group of four examined pixels is no more than 50-percent, the white pixel values are not included in the calculated average. If white pixels dominate the group, the non-white pixel values are not included in the calculated average.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Wei Chang, Jiaping Song
  • Publication number: 20040151376
    Abstract: There is described an image-processing method for extracting a main photographed subject from an image, which might be set in various ways in the image corresponding to various kinds of photographic conditions, and further, for making it possible to provide advanced image processing services in a simple manner by employing the results of the extracting operations. The image-processing method includes the steps of: acquiring input image information from an image by means of one of various kinds of image inputting devices; setting a subject pattern including one or more constituent elements from the input image information; applying a multi-resolution conversion processing to the input image information; detecting the constituent elements by employing a decomposed image of a suitable resolution level determined with respect to each of the constituent elements; and extracting the subject pattern from the input image information, based on the constituent elements detected in the detecting step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Shoichi Nomura, Tsukasa Ito, Tsuyoshi Hattori, Takeshi Nakajima, Chizuko Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20040131281
    Abstract: A computer controlled system, method, and corresponding computer data product for determining a range of image decimation values for use in processing of images within a machine vision system. The system and method generates a high resolution reference image, generates a set of decimated reference images from the high resolution reference image, generates a set of interpolated reference images having a spatial image resolution identical to the high resolution reference image from the set of decimated images, cross-correlates the set of interpolated reference images with the high resolution reference image to generate a set of cross-correlation values, and selects a subset of the set of decimated reference images corresponding to interpolated references images that generated a cross correlation value greater than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: Banner Engineering Corp.
    Inventor: Lawrence Lee Reiners
  • Publication number: 20040131274
    Abstract: Certain disclosed implementations use digital image processing to reduce the differential resolution among separations or images in film frames, such as, for example, red flare. A location in the red image may be selected using information from another image. The selected location may be modified using information from that other image. The selection may include comparing features of an edge in the first image with features of a corresponding edge in the other image. The modification may include performing wavelet transformations of the two images and copying certain coefficients (or a function of these coefficients) produced by the application of the transformation to the second image to the coefficients produced by the application of the transformation to the first image. The copied coefficients may be correlated with the selected location. Other disclosed techniques vary from the above and may be applied to other fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Keren O. Perlmutter, Sharon M. Perlmutter, Eric Wang, Paul R. Klamer
  • Publication number: 20040114832
    Abstract: A method and a system for separating an image signal into a set of image planes are disclosed. The system comprises a way to perform resolution conversion from low resolution to high resolution binary images either for synthetic or scanned imagery by using template matching with pattern replacement. More specifically, the invention applies resolution conversion to the selector plane of mixed raster content images. For selector planes in which edges are encoded (vs. region classification), template matching/pattern replacement works well, and does not affect halftoned regions, as they are not encoded in this image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Fritz F. Ebner, Donald J. Curry
  • Publication number: 20040101207
    Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium for implementing and performing a multi-resolution contrast-based dynamic range management algorithm and allowing for the efficient compression of an intensity dynamic range of an input image to a reduced intensity dynamic range of an image display signal. Specifically, the method, system and computer readable medium of the invention comprise decomposing the input image into a plurality of image components, modifying the intensity characteristics of the plurality of image components and reconstructing the plurality of image components into an output image for display on an image display device. In another aspect of the method, system and computer readable medium of the invention, the decomposition of the input image and reconstruction into an output image are performed using a Laplacian pyramid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: David A. Langan
  • Patent number: 6741255
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed that optimize the application of deferred image operations on a tiled source image. The invention dynamically creates a data structure (such as a directed acyclic graph (DAG)) representing the operations performed on various instances of one or more images to create a final image. The invention analyzes the data structure to determine which source image tiles are needed when the actual image data comprising the final image is required. Each of these tiles are then separately processed by all of the deferred operations to create the final image data. This approach reduces the number of times a tile is read into memory for processing and improves the performance of deferred image operations on a tiled source image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Furlani, Alexandra R. Ohlson, Richard T. Inman
  • Publication number: 20040096122
    Abstract: A method and a system for separating an image signal into a set of image planes. The system comprises a min-max module, a dynamic threshold module and a separation module. The min-max module receives the image signal, searches for a minimum and maximum within at least one window centered on a current pixel in the image signal. The dynamic threshold module computes, for the window, based on the respective minimum and maximum received from the min-max module and the current pixel, a respective indicator representing the distance and direction of the current pixel relative to a respective threshold plane, and outputs a control signal based on the indicator. The separation module separates the image signal into the set of image planes in accordance with the control signal by including a representation of the current pixel in at least one of the image planes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Curry, Doron Kletter, Asghar Nafarieh
  • Publication number: 20040091166
    Abstract: In an image processing method for obtaining a processed image signal from an original image signal representing an original image having a certain picture element density, a plurality of intermediate image signals which are different in frequency band are made on the basis of the original image signal. A plurality of transformed image signals are obtained by carrying out a transformation processing on the respective intermediate image signals on the basis of respective transformation functions, and a processed image signal is obtained from the transformed image signals. The transformation functions are defined by determining transformation function defining parameters for the transformation functions on the basis of the picture element density of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko Yamada
  • Publication number: 20040076339
    Abstract: A quantization error compensation includes a dividing unit to divide an input current image signal into a first high-frequency signal and a low-frequency signal; a changing unit to replace bits of the first high-frequency signal with a predetermined signal to output a second high-frequency signal; an adding unit to add the low-frequency signal and the second high-frequency signal to create a composite signal; a quantization unit to cut n number of bits of the composite signal and to output the cut composite signal and the n number of bit signal; an equalizing unit to output a brightness equalizing value of the cut composite signal; a calculating unit to calculate a compensation value using the n number of the bit signal and a difference between brightness equalizing values with respect to a current and next brightness levels; and a compensation unit to add the compensation and the current brightness equalizing values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yung-jun Park, Jae-hwan Oh
  • Publication number: 20040066981
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for detecting blur within digital images using wavelet transform and/or Cepstrum analysis blur detection techniques that are able to detect motion blur and/or out-of-focus blur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Mingjing Li, Hao Wu, Hong-Jiang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20040062447
    Abstract: An encoder (300) selects (702, 1302, 1304,1306,1308) one or more subsets of spatially or temporally correlated transformed data coefficients, on the basis of the significance of each subset in representing the data. The encoder (300) and a complementary decoder (400) may be applied to wavelet transform encoded images (500). The encoder (300) may be implemented on a wireless to Internet gateway server (108), in order to reduce byte size of encoded images (500) sent through a wireless network (112), and reduce the amount of processing that must be performed by a wireless device (118) to decode an image or other data. The decoder (400) and/or encoder (300) may be implemented on the wireless device (118).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: Jose I. Suarez, Yolanda Prieto, Yolanda M. Pirez
  • Publication number: 20040062420
    Abstract: A method of multi-resolution adaptive correlation processing of images, such as seeded fluid flow images, to efficiently increase the spatial resolution and dynamic range of detecting particle image displacements in the images. The technique takes full advantage of the multi-resolution characteristic of the discrete correlation function by starting the processing at the smallest scale and if necessary gradually building correlation planes into larger interrogation areas based on the result of inter-level correlation correction and validation. It is shown that the method can be implemented in both direct and FFT based correlation algorithms with greatly reduced computational complexity. Processing the images at the lowest scale (e.g. pixel or particle image size) allows the combination of correlation planes of various shapes both in space and in time for maximizing the correlation plane signal-to-noise ratio or for estimating statistical flow parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventor: Janos Rohaly
  • Publication number: 20040057608
    Abstract: The present invention provides color images of tissue characteristics for determining the existence can location of tissue anomalies. An image of tissue is received, divided into pre-determined portions and accompanied by X and Y coordinates describeing the tissue relative to a subject. Characteristic data of the tissue is received for each portion of the image and is displayed by color according to characteristic data value. Characteristic data can also be determined and displayed for each portion of the image over multiple levels. Multiple images, one for each level, can be scrolled through for a common set of X and Y coordinates of tissue. Or, a three dimensional image is created, having respective levels displayed simultaneously, with color representative of the tissue characteristics for the entire depth of the tissue investigated. Additionally, color images are developed that compare and display differences in characteristic data of tissue over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: Farid Souluer
  • Publication number: 20040052421
    Abstract: A method of generating a binary Sel plane for image compression is disclosed. The method first generates a 2 bit gray selector (GraySel). This 2 bit selector is then processed in a second stage to produce a binary Sel decision which minimizes the compression noise evident in the reconstructed image. The method used here to generate the 2 bit GraySel applies a set of prioritized rules over a small 3×3 window that is well suited for segmenting synthetic, PDL generated images that are typically free of scanner noise. The method not only marks the proper sense of the selector when it is known, but also include a 3rd state that indicates that the selector decision is weak or unknown. This weak decision can then be optimized in the second stage process based on strong edges information in the neighborhood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Curry, Fritz F. Ebner, Doron Kletter, Asghar Nafarieh
  • Publication number: 20040047489
    Abstract: In an apparatus for embedding digital watermarks into an image, a watermark embedding region extraction unit extracts an image region to contain watermarks from a wavelet transformed entire image. A watermark generation unit generates a watermark data row to be embedded according to a user's private key. A normalization operation unit normalizes the quantized data value by using a quantization unit into a normalized data value. An inverse quantization inversely quantizes and outputs the normalized data value. A watermark embedment unit embeds a watermark-embedded data value as a corresponding pixel data value into the watermark embedding region, wherein the watermark-embedded data value is obtained by subtracting, from the inversely quantized data value, the watermark data value added prior to the quantization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Yong-Seok Seo, Sanghyun Joo, Weon Geun Oh
  • Publication number: 20040042687
    Abstract: A method and a system for separating an image signal into a set of image planes in accordance with a control signal. The system comprises a selector module, an edge processing module and a foreground/background separation module. The selector module receives the control signal and produces a selector signal. The edge processing module receives the selector signal and produces a decision signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Curry, Doron Kletter, Asghar Nafarieh
  • Patent number: 6694048
    Abstract: An method for generating intra-particle morphological concentration/density maps and histograms of a chemically pure particulate substance. Spectral imaging, in general, and focus-fusion multi-layer spectral imaging, in particular, combined with pattern recognition classification analysis are performed on individual particles for forming sets of single-particle spectral fingerprint data, characterized by single-particle spectral fingerprint spectra. Spectral shifts are identified in the single-particle spectral fingerprint data, for forming intra-particle region groups featuring sub-sets of intra-particle spectral fingerprint pattern data, each characterized by an intra-particle spectral fingerprint pattern spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Green Vision Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Danny S. Moshe
  • Publication number: 20040028288
    Abstract: A method, system, and software are disclosed for improving the quality of a signal. A base signal is recursively decomposed for a desired number of pyramid levels. The decomposed signal from the lowest level is modified to generate a preprocessed signal. The preprocessed signal from the lowest level is used to improve signal components or characteristics of the decomposed signal of the next higher level of the pyramidal decomposition, resulting in a modified signal at the next higher level. In one embodiment, the preprocessed signal includes filter mask that is used to guide a filtering process on the decomposed signal of the next higher level. In another embodiment, the preprocessed signal includes a up-predicted signal that is combined with the decomposed signal of the next higher level. The preprocessed signal from a lower level is used to generate a modified signal at a higher level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventor: Albert D. Edgar
  • Publication number: 20040022453
    Abstract: To generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images, an original image is divided into tiles and a material image having a characteristic similar to that of an image in each tile is applied to the tile. If more than one version of image data having different resolutions is provided as the image data for the material image, a low-resolution version of the image data is used to calculate a characteristic quantity of the image. Thus, the amount of time required to generate the mosaic image can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabukshiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kentaro Matsumoto, Miyuki Enokida, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Yasuo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6687415
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, which can transform one multidimensional information pattern into another multidimensional information pattern and inversely transform the multidimensional information pattern having been transformed. Forward transform and inverse transform of a multidimensional information pattern are made by inputting information carriers expressed by n-dimensional vectors (n is a natural number) to a number n of information carrier storing elements which are distributed over an m-dimensional space (m is a natural number) and have the function of holding information carriers in a real number value; repeating processing to apply a predetermined amount of information carriers to the information carrier storing elements and outputting information carriers expressed by n-dimensional vectors from the number n of information carrier storing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shoji Kanamaru
  • Patent number: 6681057
    Abstract: A system and method for improving the accuracy and convergence rate in determining the affine transformation of one image or array of values with respect to another image or array of values. A particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a reference and an input image. A gradient matrix, &lgr;, may be constructed to contain gradient information of the position values of the reference image. Also, an estimate matrix, &rgr;, may be constructed to contain initial estimates of at least one of position, angle and scale of the input image. The input image is then subtracted from the reference image pixel by pixel producing an error matrix, e. The error matrix, e, is then multiplied with the matrices, &lgr; and &rgr;. The result is the new change in the position, angle and scale of the input image. New values for the position, angle and scale are calculated from the changes in the position, angle and scale values of the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Dinesh Nair, Lothar Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20040008904
    Abstract: An improved noise reduction process by wavelet thresholding utilizes a discrete wavelet transform to decompose the image into different resolution levels. A thresholding function is then applied in different resolution levels with different threshold values to eliminate insignificant wavelet coefficients which mainly correspond to the noise in the original image. Finally, an inverse discrete wavelet transform is applied to generate the noise-reduced video image. The threshold values are based on the relationships between the noise standard deviations of different decomposition levels in the wavelet domain and the noise standard deviation of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Lin, Yeong-Taeg Kim
  • Publication number: 20040001648
    Abstract: A method and a system for dynamically thresholding an image signal. The system comprises a computing block. The computing block receives the image signal and a minimum and a maximum within each of a set of windows centered on the current pixel in the image signal, and computes, for each of the windows, based on the current pixel and the respective minimum and maximum, a respective indicator representing the distance and direction of the current pixel relative to a respective threshold plane, and outputs a control signal based on the indicators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Curry, Doron Kletter, Asghar Nafarieh
  • Patent number: 6668090
    Abstract: A method for producing a compressed digital image from an input digital image is disclosed, wherein the compressed digital image is organized into layers corresponding to increasing visual quality levels. The input digital image is decomposed to produce a plurality of subbands, each subband having a plurality of subband coefficients. The plurality of subband coefficients of each subband of the decomposed input digital image are quantized to produce a quantized output value for each subband coefficient of each subband. At least one bit-plane is formed from the quantized output values of the subband coefficients of each subband. Each bit-plane of each subband in at least one pass is entropy encoded to produce a compressed bit-stream corresponding to each pass, wherein each subband is entropy encoded independently of the other subbands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Rajan L. Joshi, Paul W. Jones
  • Patent number: 6665435
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image data processing method receiving an input image data split in elementary units of information and providing an output image data with a particular image format depending on the requirements of a final device that receives such output image data by means of the following steps: identification of the final device that receives the output data; getting an input image data; from a repository of basic imaging operation, selecting a plurality of operations to be performed on the input image data; creating a sequence of operations that links and ordinate the plurality of operations; applying the sequence to the input image data to create a plurality of layers of organized data of said input image data; assembling said plurality of layers into at least an output layer which best fit the requirements of the identified final device; and sending the assembled output layer to the identified final device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Claudio Caldato, Andrea Monaci, Douglas Heins
  • Publication number: 20030223650
    Abstract: A method for providing real time service of huge and high quality digital image on internet is disclosed, wherein data relevant to a general life such as a general photo, an advertising leaflet, and a pamphlet and professional image data exhibited in an art gallery, exhibition grounds, a pavilion are made into huge and high quality digital image or scanned and photographed to be digital, thereby processing real time service as an interactive browsing form. In the present invention, data are directly made, edited, constructed, and uploaded on internet, thereby providing various additional information with image through hyperlink and processing high quality digital image service on network without speed delay for huge image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: Innotive Corporation
    Inventor: Sung-Min Kim
  • Patent number: 6650771
    Abstract: A system that stores a color management transform, typically using a grid table, where one or more of the input channels represents parameters used to control the reproduction of the conventional color image channels. The invention augments the existing grid-table based transform structure with additional channels to control the operation of the color models involved. These additional channels are not the conventional calorimetric or colorant image channels such as red, green, and blue, but are to control other aspects of the color transformation, such as exposure level or saturation. The augmentation also includes identification information that identifies the type of control (exposure, grey component replacement, etc.) the extra channels provide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Douglas G. Walker
  • Publication number: 20030210835
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for processing a radiation image sequence composed of a number of successively acquired radiation images acquired with a dynamic image converter, particularly a solid-state image detector, the images having been acquired with a radiation examination device in a fluoroscopic mode or in a digital cinematographic mode, the spatial frequency spectra of the individual images or frames are subjected to a signal-dependent, temporal filtering with separate filter functions and are merged for forming a filtered overall image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventor: Heinz Horbaschek
  • Publication number: 20030194150
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enlargement and resolution enhancement of images in the wavelet domain is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a wavelet representation of an image, where the wavelet representation comprises wavelet coefficients, and performing localized adaptive interpolation on the wavelet coefficients in the wavelet domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20030190082
    Abstract: A multi-stage wavelet transform of an image signal is implementing using a first processing element to perform computations for a first stage of the transform, and a second processing element operating in a time-multiplexed manner to perform computations for subsequent stages of the transform. The first processing element includes first and second adder trees for implementing horizontal and vertical filtering operations, respectively, and a set of row buffers configured such that the total number of row buffers is only one more than the number of pixels required to generate a given vertically-filtered output. In a four-stage illustrative embodiment in which the first processing element processes image pixel data at a sample rate of fs, the multi-stage processing element receives inputs from the first stage processing element at a sample rate of fs/4, and generates coefficients for the second, third and fourth stages using sample rates of fs/16, fs/64 and fs/256, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: EGBERT AMMICHT, PAUL DAVID DAVIS, RICHARD ROBERT SHIVELY
  • Publication number: 20030179952
    Abstract: An &agr; value in a desired shape in a desired position can be rewritten to a desired value in a desired range. &agr; value rewriting units for rewriting an &agr; value showing an opaqueness degree of an image are provided. When the desired position comes, an area setting signal is outputted in a desired shape from an area setting signal generating unit. While the area setting signal is being outputted, in the &agr; value rewriting unit, an &agr; value of inputted image data is rewritten to a desired value. The rewriting of the &agr; value can be dynamically realized independent of software. By preparing a quadrangular area calculating unit and a circular area calculating unit as an area setting signal generating unit, a quadrangular area and a circular area can be set by hardware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hayashi, Satoshi Yamada, Ken Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20030179942
    Abstract: An original image shot by a shooting unit is read in a frame buffer and transformed by a wavelet transformer. An evaluating unit monitors the coefficients of the HL, LH, HH sub-bands generated by the wavelet transformer and checks the number of the high frequency components in the original image. If there are sufficient high frequency components, the quality of the original image is judged to be good, and if not, the image quality is judged not to be good because of camera shake or the like. The evaluating unit sends a coding indication signal to a quantizer if the image quality is good. Thereby the wavelet transformed image is coded. If the image quality is not good, the evaluating unit sends a re-shooting indication signal to the shooting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Okada, Hideki Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20030169937
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent an image distortion from occurring by using a line memory of small memory capacity. For example, an image is decomposed into strip regions 12, and each strip region 12 is filtered together with certain excess data 14 from a neighboring strip region 12 to prevent an image distortion from occurring at the boundary between the strip regions 12 while executing band decomposition on the strip region 12 which is smaller in size than the entire image with a smaller line memory. In the band decomposition, a line memory which supports band decomposition of, for example, 3 decomposition levels is repeatedly and recursively used, whereby band decomposition of deeper decomposition levels is executed without any problems. In this manner, line-based wavelet transform for deeper decomposition levels is executed with a small line memory. Also reverse wavelet transform is executed in the similar manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: MEGA CHIPS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Mizuno, Gen Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20030165273
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for segmenting an image, for adaptively scaling an image, and for automatically scaling and cropping an image based on codestream headers data. In one embodiment, a file that can provide a header that contains multi-scale entropy distribution information on blocks of an image is received. For each block, the block is assigned to a scale from a set of scales that maximizes a cost function. The cost function is a product of a total likelihood and a prior. The total likelihood is a product of likelihoods of the blocks. The image is segmented by grouping together blocks that have been assigned equivalent scales. In one embodiment, the file represents an image in JPEG 2000 format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Ramesh Neelamani, Edward L. Schwartz, Martin Boliek
  • Publication number: 20030152292
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for remote sensing is disclosed. The system method, and apparatus can capture raw image data from outer space at a first resolution and provide multiple resolution images from this raw image data without requiring multiple-resolution image data to be captured. The raw image data is utilized to provide both a high resolution image directly from the data and also aggregates the raw image data to provide a lower resolution image. The system, method, and apparatus can further utilize a red edge band of the near infrared band for remote sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Walter S. Scott , Gregory E. Knoblauch , Gerald M. Chicoine , James G. McClelland , Paul W. Scott , Jack F. Paris
  • Publication number: 20030152280
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing device, an image processing method, and an image reading method, by which encoded data can be easily generated from sub-sampled image data, without a complicated circuit or an increase in the data amount. A one-dimensional wavelet transform in a predetermined direction is omitted in stage 1, where components 1 and 2 of input image data have been sub-sampled. When coefficient data generated through such a two-dimensional wavelet transform are to be encoded, sub-bands that are not contained in the coefficient data in comparison with the coefficient data of a component 0 should be considered to have been truncated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Yukio Kadowaki, Mitsutaka Iwasaki, Yutaka Sato, Kazuhiro Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 6600840
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for transforming image data from a present format to a requested format. A request for the image data is received wherein the request includes a requested format, the requested format includes a first plurality of parameters. A present format for the image data is determined in response to receiving a request for the image data, wherein the present format includes a second plurality of parameters describing the image data. The first plurality of parameters within the requested format is compared to the second plurality of parameters within the present format describing the image data, wherein each parameter within the first plurality of parameters corresponds to a parameter within the second plurality of parameters. Parameters from the first and second plurality of parameters are identified, wherein a match between a parameter within the first plurality of parameters and a corresponding parameter within the second plurality of parameters is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James M. McCrossin, Charles Vincent Rossi, Carol H. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20030138161
    Abstract: Image data identifying multiple pixels in an image is received, and a multi-resolution hierarchical structure is created from the image data. Further, output values are calculated for the pixels in the image using a wavelet-based retinex algorithm by propagating pixel values computed at lower resolution levels of the multi-resolution hierarchy to higher levels of the multi-resolution hierarchy and refining the propagated pixel values at the higher resolution levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventor: Hawley K. Rising
  • Patent number: 6594405
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that provides for the straightforward completion of preprinted forms with a word processor, or with another computer program suitable for generating text, is disclosed. The method and apparatus provide for the display of a scaled image of the form so that a user can accurately position text or other data for printing in the fields of the form. An image of the preprinted form is provided to a document having a background and a foreground. The image is displayed in the background Data is entered into the foreground. The data in the foreground is printed onto the preprinted form. The form can be scanned to create the image. The form is then provided to a printer. The image is provided to a word processing document as the background. The data is entered into the foreground with the word processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Gateway, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael R. Flannery
  • Patent number: 6591017
    Abstract: An image signal encoded for compression using a wavelet transform as a transform system is to be decoded at a resolution corresponding to an optional rational number. To this end, the wavelet decoding device includes an entropy decoding unit 1 for entropy decoding an encoded bitstream 100, a dequantizing unit for dequantizing the quantized coefficients 101 to transmit transform coefficients 102, a transform coefficient back-scanning unit 3 for scanning the transform coefficients 102 in a pre-set fashion to re-array the transform coefficients, and an inverse wavelet transform unit 4 for inverse transforming the re-arrayed transformation coefficients 103 to furnish a decoded image 104. The inverse wavelet transform unit 4 adaptively constitutes an upsampler, a downsampler and a synthesis filter in dependence upon a pre-set resolution conversion factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignees: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Fukuhara, Seiji Kimura, Hitoshi Kiya
  • Publication number: 20030123744
    Abstract: An image process system tiles an image data array, processing the tiles in a predefined order. Each tile of image data is processed by applying a predefined family of transform layers to the tile of image data so as to generate successive sets of transform coefficients. Each set of transform coefficients include edge coefficients positioned at outside boundaries of the set of transform coefficients and non-edge coefficients positioned at interior locations of the set of transform coefficients. The sets of transform coefficients include a last set of transform coefficients, produced by the last transform layer, and one or more earlier sets of transform coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Picsurf, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles K. Chui, Hong-Ye Gao, Lefan Zhong