EP0113471A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for locating individual images in a field containing multiple images
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1983-12-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-12-21
Abstract
Abstract A method of locating a single image in a field of images by scanning the field in a stream of video elements, interrogating said elements with a logic to produce a set of cells each representing a relatively small portion of a single image, and recombining said cells with another logic to produce a block representing an area containing said single image separated from its neighbours. An apparatus for locating a single image in a field of images, comprising a scanner (110) to produce a stream of video elements representing said field, an image memory (130) to store said video elements, a logic (151, 160) responsive to said elements to produce a set of cells each representing a relatively small portion of a single image, and another logic (153) responsive to said set of cells to produce a block representing an area containing said single image separated from its neighbours.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Alfred Godlsbey
- 👤 Eugene Reese Jones
- 👤 William Frank Micka
- 👤 Thomas Scott Robinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 18:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/14; G06V30/148; G06V30/15
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
Method for locating an individual image in a field containing multiple images, comprising scanning said field to produce a stream of video elements representing said image field, interrogating said elements with a first set of logics to produce a set of cells each representing only a portion of said individual image, combining said cells with a second set of logics to produce a block representing an area containing all of said individual image, and outputting a representation of said area so as to select certain of said video elements as belonging to said individual image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
Method for locating an individual image in a field containing multiple images, comprising scanning said field to produce a stream of video elements representing said image field, interrogating said elements with a first set of logics to produce a set of cells each representing only a portion of said individual image, combining said cells with a second set of logics to produce a block representing an area containing all of said individual image, and outputting a representation of said area so as to select certain of said video elements as belonging to said individual image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
Method according to claim 1, further comprising recognizing said selected video elements as a particular character from among a predetermined set of characters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
Method according to claims 1 and 2, wherein each of said cells includes coordinates bounding said cell.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Method according to claims 1 to 3, wherein said first set of logics includes logics for determining horizontal starting and ending coordinates for each of said cells based upon predetermined combinations of said video elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
Method according to claims 1 to 4, wherein said first set of logics includes logics for determining vertical starting and ending coordinates for each of said cells based-upon a profile of said video elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
Method according to claim 5, wherein said first set of logics includes logics for determining multiple starting and ending coordinates for a single cell based upon a split profile in said video elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method according to claims 5 and 6, wherein said logics operate upon multiple vertically aligned ones of said video elements in parallel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
Method according to claims 1 to 7, wherein each of said cells includes flags denoting predetermined combinations of said video elements within that cell.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method according to claim 8, wherein said flags denote predetermined combinations of video elements near a plurality of corners of said cell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
Method according to claims 1 to 9, wherein said block is produced by expanding a set of coordinates defining boundaries of said block whenever said second set of logics combines said cells.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
Method according to claims 1 to 10, wherein said second set of logics is responsive to a new cell and to an old cell previously combined with said one block to determine whether said new cell should be combined with said one block.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Method according to claims 1 to 11, wherein said second set of logics completes said block whenever no further cells combine into said one block.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
Method according to claims 1 to 12, further comprising repeating the method of claim 1 so as to locate a plurality of said individual images.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
Method according to claim 13, further comprising determining a position parameter of said individual images, calculating a position value of said coordinate parameter, collecting all said individual images intersecting said parameter value into a line of said images.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
106 words
Apparatus for locating an individual image in a field containing multiple images, comprising a scanner (110) for producing a stream of video elements representing said field, an image memory (130) coupled to said scanner (110) for storing and outputting said video elements in said field, a first logic (151, 160) responsive to said elements for producing representations of cells each occupying only a portion of said individual image, a blocking logic (153) responsive to said cell representations for combining said cells so as to produce representations of a block occupying all of said individual image, and for transmitting said block representations to said image memory (130).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
106 words
Apparatus for locating an individual image in a field containing multiple images, comprising a scanner (110) for producing a stream of video elements representing said field, an image memory (130) coupled to said scanner (110) for storing and outputting said video elements in said field, a first logic (151, 160) responsive to said elements for producing representations of cells each occupying only a portion of said individual image, a blocking logic (153) responsive to said cell representations for combining said cells so as to produce representations of a block occupying all of said individual image, and for transmitting said block representations to said image memory (130).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a character-recognition unit (140) coupled to said image memory (130) so as to receive said individual image separated from the remainder of said image field.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claims 15 and 16, wherein said first logic (151-160) comprises a plurality of random logics (41) operating in parallel to produce various ones of said cell representations.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claims 15 to 17, wherein said first logic (151-160) includes a pair of counters (35, 38) responsive to said scanner (110) for outputting a set of current coordinates as members of said cell representations.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claims 17 and 18, wherein said random logics (41) include logics for producing a plurality of flags specifying predetermined combinations of video elements within said cells as members of said cell representations.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claims 16 to 19, wherein said blocking logic (153) includes a microprocessor (42) coupled both to said input logic (151) and to said image memory (130).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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