US4368462A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Line follower
Assignee: TDY Industries LLC
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Filing: 1981-06-29
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Granted: 1983-01-11
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Expires: 2001-06-29
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for providing a digital representation of graphic information on a document wherein the document has been scanned and a signal representative of the graphic information at progressive pixel points on the document has been generated, including storing the signal representative of the graphic information in a memory device through an input path, retrieving the signal representative of the graphic information and feeding the signal through the input path and back to the memory device, providing serial processing and data analysis to the signal representative of the graphic information on a reiterative basis as the signal is repeatedly stored and retrieved and with the serial processing and data analysis including providing pixel arrays from pluralities of adjacent pixels and providing data reduction to center elements when the pixel arrays have desired characteristics and with all of the graphic information in the signal reduced to center elements in accordance with the pixel arrays and with surviving pixels which are not part of an array stored and an attribute representative of the level of survival also stored with the surviving pixels, repeating the above on a reiterative basis using the surviving center elements from the previous step to form the pixel arrays until there are no more surviving pixel arrays so that the stored surviving pixels and their attributes represent the centroids of the lines of the graphic document and the attributes represent the thickness of the lines, and providing pixel arrays from the stored surviving pixels and comparing the pixel arrays with fixed criteria for providing gap filling and elimination of undesired pixels.
Inventors
- 👤 Barry J. Crawley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T9/00; G06T9/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
277 words
A method of providing a digital representation of graphic information on a document wherein the document has been scanned and a signal representative of the graphic information at progressive pixel points on the document has been generated, including the following steps storing the signal representative of the graphic information in a memory device through an input path, retrieving the signal representative of the graphic information and feeding the signal through the input path and back to the memory device, providing serial processing and data analysis to the signal representative of the graphic information on a reiterative basis as the signal is repeatably stored and retrieved and with the serial processing and data analysis including the following steps, providing pixel arrays from pluralities of adjacent pixels and providing data reduction to center elements, during the serial processing and data analysis, when the pixel arrays have desired characteristics and with all of the graphic information in the signal concentrated to center elements in accordance with the pixel arrays and with surviving pixels which are not part of an array stored and an attribute representative of the level of survival also stored with the surviving pixels, repeating the above step on a reiterative basis using the surviving center elements from the previous step to form the pixel arrays until there are no more surviving pixel arrays so that the stored surviving pixels and their attributes represent the centroids of the lines of the graphic document and the attributes represent the thickness of the lines, and providing pixel arrays from the stored surviving pixels and comparing the pixel arrays with fixed criteria for providing gap filling and elimination of undesired pixels.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
277 words
A method of providing a digital representation of graphic information on a document wherein the document has been scanned and a signal representative of the graphic information at progressive pixel points on the document has been generated, including the following steps storing the signal representative of the graphic information in a memory device through an input path, retrieving the signal representative of the graphic information and feeding the signal through the input path and back to the memory device, providing serial processing and data analysis to the signal representative of the graphic information on a reiterative basis as the signal is repeatably stored and retrieved and with the serial processing and data analysis including the following steps, providing pixel arrays from pluralities of adjacent pixels and providing data reduction to center elements, during the serial processing and data analysis, when the pixel arrays have desired characteristics and with all of the graphic information in the signal concentrated to center elements in accordance with the pixel arrays and with surviving pixels which are not part of an array stored and an attribute representative of the level of survival also stored with the surviving pixels, repeating the above step on a reiterative basis using the surviving center elements from the previous step to form the pixel arrays until there are no more surviving pixel arrays so that the stored surviving pixels and their attributes represent the centroids of the lines of the graphic document and the attributes represent the thickness of the lines, and providing pixel arrays from the stored surviving pixels and comparing the pixel arrays with fixed criteria for providing gap filling and elimination of undesired pixels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of data reduction are provided by 2×2 pixel arrays and the center elements are produced at the center of the 2×2 pixel arrays.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the stored surviving pixel with fixed criteria is provided by 3×3 pixel arrays.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 including the following additional step of initially subdividing each progressive pixel point into a plurality of smaller areas and basing an assignment of a one or a zero state to the pixel in accordance with a predetermined threshold number of the areas with the one or zero state.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 including the following additional step of subdividing the graphic document into overlapping patches and processing the complete patch including the overlapping portions of adjacent patches but storing only the center non-overlapping patch portions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 1 including the following additional steps for line following retrieving the stored surviving pixels after gap filling and elimination of undesired pixels and providing pixel arrays, identifying the end points and branch points in the arrays and storing the end points in a stack, retrieving individual end points and following each line until an end point or a branch point is met until all the lines between an end point and a branch point or between two end or branch points are followed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the step of providing pixel arrays for line following is provided by 3×3 pixel arrays.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the memory device is shared between two operations' repetitive cycles so that in one cycle the memory device provides serial processing and data analysis and in the other cycle the memory device provides line following.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the memory device is a random access memory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 additionally including the step of visually monitoring the signal in the output path from the memory device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 additionally including the steps of analyzing the stored surviving pixels for end points and branch points and storing the end points and branch points.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 additionally including the step of erasing surviving pixels having a survival level equal to predetermined levels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 additionally including the step of providing a digitizing of the signal representing the graphic information when the signal has varying levels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for providing a digital representation of graphic information on a document and wherein the document is scanned and a signal representative of the graphic information at progressive pixel points on the document is generated, including means for storing through an input path the signal representative of the graphic information in a memory device, means for retrieving through an output path the signal representative of the graphic information and for feeding the signal through the input path and back to the memory device, means for providing serial processing and data analysis to the signal representative of the graphic information on a reiterative basis as the signal is repeatedly stored and retrieved and with the serial processing and data analysis including means for providing pixel arrays from pluralities of adjacent pixels and for providing data reduction to elements when the pixel arrays have desired characteristics and with all of the graphic information in the signal reduced to center elements in accordance with the pixel arrays and with surviving pixels which are not part of an array stored and an attribute representative of the level of survival also stored with the surviving pixels, and means for repeating the above on a reiterative basis using the surviving center elements from the previous process to form the pixel arrays until there are no more surviving pixel arrays so that the stored surviving pixels and their attributes represent the centroids of the lines of the graphic document and the attributes represent the thickness of the lines.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for providing a digital representation of graphic information on a document and wherein the document is scanned and a signal representative of the graphic information at progressive pixel points on the document is generated, including means for storing through an input path the signal representative of the graphic information in a memory device, means for retrieving through an output path the signal representative of the graphic information and for feeding the signal through the input path and back to the memory device, means for providing serial processing and data analysis to the signal representative of the graphic information on a reiterative basis as the signal is repeatedly stored and retrieved and with the serial processing and data analysis including means for providing pixel arrays from pluralities of adjacent pixels and for providing data reduction to elements when the pixel arrays have desired characteristics and with all of the graphic information in the signal reduced to center elements in accordance with the pixel arrays and with surviving pixels which are not part of an array stored and an attribute representative of the level of survival also stored with the surviving pixels, and means for repeating the above on a reiterative basis using the surviving center elements from the previous process to form the pixel arrays until there are no more surviving pixel arrays so that the stored surviving pixels and their attributes represent the centroids of the lines of the graphic document and the attributes represent the thickness of the lines.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 14 additionally including means for providing pixel arrays from the stored surviving pixels and comparing the pixel arrays with fixed criteria for providing gap filling and elimination of undesired pixels.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for comparing the stored surviving pixel with fixed criteria include 3×3 pixel arrays.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for providing data reduction include 2×2 pixel arrays and the center elements are produced at the center of the 2×2 pixel arrays.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further including means for initially subdividing each progressive pixel point into a plurality of smaller areas and for basing an assignment of a one or a zero state to the pixel in accordance with a predetermined threshold number of the areas with the one or zero state.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further including means for subdividing the graphic document into overlapping patches and processing the complete patch including the overlapping portions of adjacent patches and for storing only the center non-overlapping patch portions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further including means for line following including means for retrieving the stored surviving pixels and for providing pixel arrays, means for identifying the end points and branch points in the arrays and storing the end points in a stack, and means for retrieving individual end points and following each line until an end point or a branch point is met until all the lines between an end point and a branch point or between two end or branch points are followed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the means for providing pixel arrays for line following includes 3×3 pixel arrays.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the memory device is shared between two operational repetitive cycles so that in one cycle the memory device provides serial processing and data analysis and in the other cycle the memory device provides line following.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the memory device is a random access memory.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 14 additionally including means for visually monitoring the signal in the output path from the memory device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 14 additionally including means for analyzing the stored surviving pixels for end points and branch points and storing the end points and branch points.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 14 additionally including means for erasing surviving pixels having a survival level equal to predetermined levels.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 14 additionally including means for providing a digitizing of the signal representing the graphic information when the signal has varying levels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-01-10 | 1986-07-12 | 1987-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-01-10 | 1990-07-12 | 1991-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-01-10 | 1994-07-12 | 1995-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |