Method of identifying image frames suitable for printing

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 , wherein the gradient value peaks identified in step (d) are in the vicinity of each local maximum.

Claim 4

A method according claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes the sub-steps of: f) defining a gradient value threshold; and g) for each set of peaks with a least one peak exceeding the threshold value, selecting a maximum peak.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes the sub-steps of: h) where said maxima are positioned remote from each other in the series, selecting points in the smoothed data series between adjacent local maxima; and i) identifying one or more peaks in the raw data series in a vicinity of each selected point.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 4 , wherein step (i) includes the sub-steps of: j) defining a gradient value threshold; and k) for each set of peaks with at least one peak exceeding the threshold value, selecting a maximum peak.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5 , wherein the method further includes the steps of: l) printing, displaying or storing the selected image frames; and/or m) printing, displaying or storing a frame list associated with the selected image frames.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 4 , whereby the selected points are selected on the basis of predetermined time intervals.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 4 , whereby the selected points are selected on the basis of a rate of change of the smoothed data series between the adjacent maxima.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 1 , whereby the gradient value is calculated over a region in the image.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 9 , whereby the gradient value calculated is dependent upon weights which are assigned to pixels in the region.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the gradient peak selection means are arranged to identify gradient value peaks in the vicinity of each local maximum.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the gradient peak selection means are arranged to define a gradient value threshold, and for each set of peaks with a least one peak exceeding the threshold value, to select a maximum peak.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein where said maxima are positioned remote from each other in the series, the gradient peak selection means are arranged to select points in the smoothed data series between adjacent local maxima, and to identify one or more peaks in the raw data series in a vicinity of each selected point.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the means to identify one or more peaks in the raw data series in a vicinity of each selected point are further arranged to define a gradient value threshold, and for each set of peaks with at least one peak exceeding the threshold value, to select a maximum peak.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the gradient peak selection means are further arranged to select the selected points on the basis of predetermined time intervals.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the gradient peak selection means are further arranged to select the selected points on the basis of a rate of change of the smoothed data series between the adjacent maxima.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 12 , the apparatus further including means for printing, displaying or storing the selected image frames.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 12 , the apparatus further including means for printing, displaying or storing a frame list associated with the selected image frames.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the gradient calculation means are further arranged to calculate the gradient value over a region in the image.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the gradient calculation means are further arranged to calculate the gradient value dependent upon weights which are assigned to pixels in the region.

Claim 30

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for identifying one or more image frames from a series of video image frames for printing, storing or flagging, the computer program comprising: gradient calculation process steps arranged to receive a series of image frames and to calculate, for each image frame in the series, a single scalar gradient value, and output a raw data series of scalar gradient values, one gradient value characterizing said each frame; data smoothing process steps responsive to the raw data series and arranged to generate and output a smoothed data series; identification process steps responsive to the smoothed data series and arranged to identify and output one or more local maxima in the smoothed data series; gradient peak selection process steps responsive to the one or more local maxima and to the raw data series and arranged to identify one or more gradient value peaks in a corresponding range of the raw data series based upon positions of respective local maxima; and image frame selection process steps responsive to the series of image frames and to the identified gradient value peaks, and arranged to select image frames corresponding to each of the identified gradient value peaks.

Claim 31

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for identifying one or more image frames from a series of video image frames for printing, storing or flagging, the computer program comprising: gradient calculation process steps arranged to receive a series of image frames and to calculate, for each image frame in the series, a single scalar gradient value, and output a raw data series of scalar gradient values, one gradient value characterizing said each frame; data smoothing process steps responsive to the raw data series and arranged to generate and output a smoothed data series; identification process steps responsive to the smoothed data series and arranged to identify and output one or more local maxima in the smoothed data series; gradient peak selection process steps responsive to the one or more local maxima and to the raw data series and arranged to identify one or more gradient value peaks in a corresponding range of the raw data series based upon positions of respective local maxima; and image frame selection process steps responsive to the series of image frames and to the identified gradient value peaks, and arranged to select image frames corresponding to each of the identified gradient value peaks.

Claim 32

A computer program product according to claim 25 , wherein the gradient peak selection process steps identify the one or more gradient value peaks based upon positions of respective local maxima.

Claim 33

A computer program product according to claim 25 , wherein the gradient peak selection process steps define a gradient value threshold, and for each set of peaks with a least one peak exceeding the threshold value, select a maximum peak.

Claim 34

A computer program product according to claim 25 , wherein the gradient peak selection process steps include the sub-steps of: where said maxima are positioned remote from each other in the series, selecting points in the smoothed data series between adjacent local maxima; and identifying one or more peaks in the raw data series in a vicinity of each selected point.

Claim 35

A computer program product according to claim 28 , wherein the point selection process steps include the sub-steps of: defining a gradient value threshold; and for each set of peaks with at least one peak exceeding the threshold value, selecting a maximum peak.

Claim 36

A computer program product according to claim 28 , wherein the point selection process steps select the selected points on the basis of predetermined time intervals.

Claim 37

A computer program product according to claim 28 , wherein the point selection process steps select the selected points on the basis of a rate of change of the smoothed data series between the adjacent maxima.

Claim 38

An computer program product according to claim 25 , wherein the computer program further includes the steps of: printing, displaying or storing the selected image frames.

Claim 39

A computer program product according to claim 25 , wherein the computer program further includes the steps of: printing, displaying or storing a frame list associated with the selected image frames.

Claim 40

A computer program product according to claim 25 , whereby the gradient value calculation steps are performed over a region in the image.

Claim 41

A computer program product according to claim 34 , whereby the gradient value calculation steps are dependent upon weights which are assigned to pixels in the region.

Claim 42

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for identifying one or more image frames from a series of video image frames for printing, storing or flagging, the computer program comprising: process steps for calculating, for each image frame in the series, a single scalar gradient value characterizing said each image frame, thereby to generate a raw data series; process steps for defining a gradient value threshold; process steps for identifying sets of adjacent gradient values in the raw data series which exceed the gradient value threshold and are of similar value; and process steps for selecting a representative image frame from each set of adjacent gradient values.

Claim 43

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for identifying one or more image frames from a series of video image frames for printing, storing or flagging, the computer program comprising: process steps for calculating, for each image frame in the series, a single scalar gradient value characterizing said each image frame, thereby to generate a raw data series; process steps for defining a gradient value threshold; process steps for identifying sets of adjacent gradient values in the raw data series which exceed the gradient value threshold and are of similar value; and process steps for selecting a representative image frame from each set of adjacent gradient values.