Patent · US Expired

Image processing system

US5309526A · kind A · utility

73Cited by
4References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 31, 1991
Grant dateMay 3, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N19/50
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image-processing system for perceptual coding of images by analyzing one or more images to determine levels of imperceptible noise and encoding a first image to produce encoded values without introducing noise exceeding a determined level of imperceptible noise is disclosed. Analyzing of images is carried out under a set of user determined conditions comprising viewing distance and lighting. The encoded image is communicated and decoded to produce representation of the first image for display. As part of displaying the representation of the first image, a halftoning process is carried out. The halftoning process may comprise the interpolation of data values of the representation of the first image as well as the addition of micro-dither to the representation. Illustrative halftoning techniques include classical halftoning, least-squares halftoning, and error diffusion halftoning. Printer model-based halftoning techniques for both least-squares halftoning and error diffusion halftoning are presented. Applications of the model-based halftoning techniques for systems employing conventional coding of images are also discussed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.