US3604838A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Color encoder for compacting and recording color information obtained by scanning a document
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1969-04-11
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Granted: 1971-09-14
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Expires: 1989-04-11
Abstract
Abstract A color encoder compacts the data obtained from scanning a multicolored document by eliminating redundant information. The data is generated by scanning small contiguous regions of the document with a color-detecting system. The small regions scanned are preferably square and have sides equal in length to half the width of the narrowest line which appears on the document. The data compaction is performed in two steps. First, the data from the scan of a line is compacted by combining the data from pairs of adjacent regions to form one piece of data for each pair of regions. Second, the compacted data from successive scan lines is compacted in the same way, yielding one line of data for each pair of lines. This compaction reduces the data from four regions of one piece of data. The scanned document is specially prepared and has a background color with predetermined characteristics suitable for use with the color detector which determines the color of each region. The color encoder determines and records which is the first region in a group of regions to have a nonbackground color, the color of that region and whether any subsequent region in the group of regions has a different nonbackground color.
Inventors
- 👤 John V Sharp
- 👤 Donald R Thompson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 02:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/64; G; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/20; H04N11/00; H04N11/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
281 words
A device for encoding with minimum data color patterns of a multicolor document consisting of colors and background including: scanning means for scanning contiguous regions of the document; first comparing means receiving outputs of said scanning means for a region group of three contiguous regions lying in a first direction, said first comparing means producing a first-type output only when the first two regions are other than background or one of the first two regions is other than background and the third region is background and producing a second-type output otherwise; second comparing means receiving the outputs of said first comparing means for three successive region groups that are contiguous in a direction perpendicular to said first direction, said second comparing means producing a first-type output only when the first two outputs from the first comparing means are first-type outputs or one of the first two outputs is a first-type output and the third output is a second-type output and producing second type outputs otherwise; color-determining means receiving the output of said scanning means and producing an output representative of the color value in each of said regions; first detection means indicating the first region containing a color; first storage means receiving the outputs of said colordetermining means, said first detection means, and said second comparing means; said first storage means recording both the output of said color-determining means for the region indicated by said first detection means and the output of said second comparing means, thereby indicating for a four regions area composed of the first two regions in each of the two perpendicular directions whether a color is present, and if a color is present, what the color is.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
281 words
A device for encoding with minimum data color patterns of a multicolor document consisting of colors and background including: scanning means for scanning contiguous regions of the document; first comparing means receiving outputs of said scanning means for a region group of three contiguous regions lying in a first direction, said first comparing means producing a first-type output only when the first two regions are other than background or one of the first two regions is other than background and the third region is background and producing a second-type output otherwise; second comparing means receiving the outputs of said first comparing means for three successive region groups that are contiguous in a direction perpendicular to said first direction, said second comparing means producing a first-type output only when the first two outputs from the first comparing means are first-type outputs or one of the first two outputs is a first-type output and the third output is a second-type output and producing second type outputs otherwise; color-determining means receiving the output of said scanning means and producing an output representative of the color value in each of said regions; first detection means indicating the first region containing a color; first storage means receiving the outputs of said colordetermining means, said first detection means, and said second comparing means; said first storage means recording both the output of said color-determining means for the region indicated by said first detection means and the output of said second comparing means, thereby indicating for a four regions area composed of the first two regions in each of the two perpendicular directions whether a color is present, and if a color is present, what the color is.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said scanning means scan a group of contiguous regions of equal area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
144 words
A device as in claim 2 including: a second detection means producing an output when any other region contains a color other than the color contained in the region indicated by said first detection means; and second storage means recording the output of said second detection means. 4. A device as in claim 3 wherein said first detection means includes: a plurality of color-indicating means, one associated with each of said regions, producing an output when the region with which it is associated contains a color; a plurality of gate means, one associated with each of said color-indicating means except for the color-indicating means associated with the first region, and constructed to each of the color-indicating means associated with preceding regions, passing the output of the color-indicating means with which it is associated when none of the previous color-indicating means has produced an output.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as in claim 1 where said first detection means indicates a color for every other region group produced by said first comparing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as in claim 1 where said first comparing means produces another output for a region group where the first region of this group is the last region of the previous region group.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3247816A
Cited
US3366735A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-13 | 1975-03-15 | 1975-09-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-13 | 1979-03-15 | 1979-09-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-13 | 1983-03-15 | 1983-09-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |