Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of processing a stream of image pixels to determine the presence of half-tone images at predetermined half-tone image frequencies, the steps which comprise: applying to a stream of image pixels the function ##EQU5## where f(l) represents a pixel intensity function, at any selected pixel position in the stream of image pixels, l is a selected pixel position in the stream of image pixels, L is the last pixel over which the function φ(k) is evaluated, and k is a selected shift in pixel position applied to the pixel intensity function; detecting the presence of minimums of φ(k) at pixel positions indicative of predetermined half-tone image frequencies; and providing an output signal indicative of the presence or absence of minimums of φ(k) at the predetermined half-tone image frequencies.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of processing a stream of image pixels to determine the presence of half-tone images at predetermined half-tone image frequencies, the steps which comprise: applying to a stream of image pixels the function ##EQU5## where f(l) represents a pixel intensity function, at any selected pixel position in the stream of image pixels, l is a selected pixel position in the stream of image pixels, L is the last pixel over which the function φ(k) is evaluated, and k is a selected shift in pixel position applied to the pixel intensity function; detecting the presence of minimums of φ(k) at pixel positions indicative of predetermined half-tone image frequencies; and providing an output signal indicative of the presence or absence of minimums of φ(k) at the predetermined half-tone image frequencies.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of processing a stream of image pixels as defined in claim 1 and further including: determining from minimums of φ(k) detected at a plurality of pixel positions whether half-tone images in the stream of image pixels fall within a predetermined range of half-tone image frequencies.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of processing image data to determine the presence of high frequency half-tone image data in a stream of image data f(l), said image data being made up of image pixels, the ordered steps comprising: producing n parallel signals from said stream of image data, each signal produced from said stream of image data being selectively shifted in position by a selected shift value k n to produce a plurality of parallel signals f(l+k n ); taking the two's complement of the stream of image data f(l) to derive a signal -f(l); in parallel, adding the signal -f(l) to each signal f(l+k n ) to derive signals f(l+k n )-f(l); in parallel, taking the absolute value of each signal f(l+k n )-f(l) to derive signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)|; in parallel, summing the signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)| over a selected number of pixels in the stream of image data to form a function φ(k n ); evaluating the value of φ(k n ) for each k n to determine the existence of minimums of φ(k) at selected pixel positions in the stream of image data, whereby the existence of high frequency half-tone image data is detected; and producing a signal responsive to the existence of high frequency half-tone image data.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of processing image data to determine the presence of high frequency half-tone image data in a stream of image data f(l), said image data being made up of image pixels, the ordered steps comprising: producing n parallel signals from said stream of image data, each signal produced from said stream of image data being selectively shifted in position by a selected shift value k n to produce a plurality of parallel signals f(l+k n ); taking the two's complement of the stream of image data f(l) to derive a signal -f(l); in parallel, adding the signal -f(l) to each signal f(l+k n ) to derive signals f(l+k n )-f(l); in parallel, taking the absolute value of each signal f(l+k n )-f(l) to derive signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)|; in parallel, summing the signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)| over a selected number of pixels in the stream of image data to form a function φ(k n ); evaluating the value of φ(k n ) for each k n to determine the existence of minimums of φ(k) at selected pixel positions in the stream of image data, whereby the existence of high frequency half-tone image data is detected; and producing a signal responsive to the existence of high frequency half-tone image data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
266 words
In an image processing device for processing a stream of image data f(l), said image data being made up of image pixels, in a plurality of modes, said modes including combinations of high frequency half-tone image data, low frequency half-tone image data, line image data or continuous tone image data, an improved arrangement for the detection of high frequency half-tone image data comprising: parallel signal delay means for producing a plurality of parallel position-shifted signals f(l+k n ) from said stream of image data f(l), each parallel signal produced from said stream of image data being position shifted in position by a selected shift value k n ; means for producing a two's complement of the stream of image data f(l) to derive a signal -f(l); parallel means for adding the signal -f(l) to each position-shifted signal f(l+k n ) to derive signals f(l+k n )-f(l); parallel means for taking the absolute value of each signal f(l+k n )-f(l) to derive signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)|; parallel accumulating means for summing the signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)| over a selected number of pixels in the stream of image data to form a function φ(k n ); comparator means for evaluating the value of φ(k n ) for each position shift k n to determine the existence of minimums of φ(k) at selected pixel positions in the data stream, corresponding to selected half-tone image frequencies of interest, whereby the existence of high frequency half-tone image data is detected; and means for producing a control signal responsive to the existence of high frequency half-tone image data to control processing thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
266 words
In an image processing device for processing a stream of image data f(l), said image data being made up of image pixels, in a plurality of modes, said modes including combinations of high frequency half-tone image data, low frequency half-tone image data, line image data or continuous tone image data, an improved arrangement for the detection of high frequency half-tone image data comprising: parallel signal delay means for producing a plurality of parallel position-shifted signals f(l+k n ) from said stream of image data f(l), each parallel signal produced from said stream of image data being position shifted in position by a selected shift value k n ; means for producing a two's complement of the stream of image data f(l) to derive a signal -f(l); parallel means for adding the signal -f(l) to each position-shifted signal f(l+k n ) to derive signals f(l+k n )-f(l); parallel means for taking the absolute value of each signal f(l+k n )-f(l) to derive signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)|; parallel accumulating means for summing the signals |f(l+k n )-f(l)| over a selected number of pixels in the stream of image data to form a function φ(k n ); comparator means for evaluating the value of φ(k n ) for each position shift k n to determine the existence of minimums of φ(k) at selected pixel positions in the data stream, corresponding to selected half-tone image frequencies of interest, whereby the existence of high frequency half-tone image data is detected; and means for producing a control signal responsive to the existence of high frequency half-tone image data to control processing thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The image processing device as defined in claim 4, and further including a most significant bit approximator for reducing a number of bits forming each pixel of the image data by a selected number of bits prior to the detection of high frequency half-tone image data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The image processing device as defined in claim 4 wherein said parallel delay means includes n shift registers connected for successive storage of the stream of image data f(l) to produce a position-shifted signal f(l+k n ) for each of said n registers.