An image processor having an image algorithm processor (66) operating under control of a writable control store (94), and a number of parallel image processors (72) operating under control of instruction words from a writable control store (100). An image memory controller (68) receives memory addresses from the image algorithm processor (66) for coordinating the reading and writing of an image memory (82) using pixel data processed by the parallel image processor set (72). The image memory controller (68) arbitrates memory address request cycles, memory refresh cycles and screen refresh cycles. The image memory (82) includes different planes (84, 86 and 88) associated with red, green and blue pixel data. Associated with each image memory plane is a video processor (106) for converting parallel image data to high speed serial image data. The pixel data output by the video processor (106) is further processed through look-up tables (108) to provide red, green and blue color signals for output to a video monitor (28). Overlay data is stored in an overlay memory plane (90), and is processed by an associated overlay data processor (80) and a video output overlay processor (116). A window clipping circuitry monitors the memory addresses from the image algorithm processor (66) to determined whether one or more pixels of a multi-pixel word are located outside of a window.

High speed image processing computer with overlapping windows-div

An image processor having an image algorithm processor (66) operating under control of a writable control store (94), and a number of parallel image processors (72) operating under control of instruction words from a writable control store (100). An image memory controller (68) receives memory addresses from the image algorithm processor (66) for coordinating the reading and writing of an image memory (82) using pixel data processed by the parallel image processor set (72). The image memory controller (68) arbitrates memory address request cycles, memory refresh cycles and screen refresh cycles. The image memory (82) includes different planes (84, 86 and 88) associated with red, green and blue pixel data. Associated with each image memory plane is a video processor (106) for converting parallel image data to high speed serial image data. The pixel data output by the video processor (106) is further processed through look-up tables (108) to provide red, green and blue color signals for output to a video monitor (28). Overlay data is stored in an overlay memory plane (90), and is processed by an associated overlay data processor (80) and a video output overlay processor (116).

High speed image processing system using separate data processor and address generator

An automated image detail localization system for digital image systems, such as CT, MRI, digital radiograph, includes a calibration phantom having plural reference samples of materials having known, fixed imaging properties. The phantom is positioned with respect to a patient and scanned simultaneously to produce an image that includes a cross-section of the patient and a cross-section of the phantom. The cross-sectional image of the phantom includes cross-sectional images of the reference samples. The system automatically finds the phantom and the centers of the reference sample images and then positions regions of interest (ROIs) within the reference sample images to define the portions of the images that are included in a step of averaging the intensities of the reference sample images. The system further automatically places an ROI of regular (e.g., elliptical) or irregular shape in a specific region of the image of the patient's anatomy, such as the trabecular bone region of the patient's spine. The system automatically performs a histogram analysis of the tissue within an ROI to exclude tissue components that are undesirable in the calculation of tissue density. By using the phantom in combination with the histogram analysis, component tissues that cannot be readily separated spatially can be isolated by density or signal intensity and thus quantified in an automated manner. Small or irregularly-shaped tissues, such as lung nodules, can be accurately quantified without requiring precise placement of an ROI in the tissue image.

Automated image detail localization method

A video contrast enhancer enhances luminance contrast by dividing each video frame or field into blocks, calculating a mean luminance level for each block, selecting mapping functions on the basis of these mean luminance levels over a series of frames or fields, and mapping the video luminance levels according to the selected mapping functions. Color-saturation contrast is enhanced by modifying the amplitude of the modulated chrominance signal by the histogram equalization method, preferably by making a single linear modification in each period of the chrominance signal, so that color phase is not affected. For video signals with non-picture bands, these enhancements are preferably restricted to the picture area. If a black offset is present, it is preferably removed.

Video contrast enhancer

A method and apparatus for sending information to a data processing apparatus for identifying a document to share with a recipient. A handheld device is capable of communicating with the data processing apparatus. Information is captured from the document and stored in the handheld device as document data. A communications path is established between the handheld device and the data processing apparatus. The document data is sent to the data processing apparatus through the communications path. Reference documents are provided. Each reference document has reference data stored in a memory. At least a portion of the received document data is extracted as scanning data. The reference data is retrieved from the memory. The scanning data is compared with the reference data. When the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data of one of the reference documents, the one reference document is selected as the identified document for forwarding to the recipient.

Method and apparatus for sharing information using a handheld device

Level data on an output line (24) carrying the digitized output of a video camera and analog-to-digital converter (12) is processed by a combination circuit (10) to store in an acquisition memory (16) the results of a feature-identification or histogram operation. In a histogram operation, the memory locations of the acquistion memory (16) represent the bins into which the levels represented by the level data are sorted, and the contents of those locations indicate the number of picture elements whose levels fall in those bins. In feature identification, the contents of successive memory locations in the acquistion memory (16) contain the positions of those picture elements whose levels have a selected feature. Common circuitry performs both the histogram and feature-identification functions. To perform the histogram function, a counter (39), whose output provides the address for the acquisition memory (16), is operated to load the output of a look-up-table memory (22), which acts as an encoder to indicate the bin into which the level represented by the level signal belongs. An increment circuit (52) is then operated to read the contents of that location in the acquisition memory (16), increment it, and return the incremented value to the specified memory location. For feature identification, the contents of the look-up table (22) indicate whether the levels represented by the level signals have the selected features. A control circuit (30) monitors the output of the look-up-table memory and clocks the counter (39) whenever the selected feature is encountered. This changes the address for the random-access memory (16) to that of the next location in memory, and the increment circuit (52), which is incremented on the occurrence of every picture element to keep track of picture-element location, writes the position of the picture element having the selected feature into the next location in the random-access memory (16).

Image processing-system

Data to be stored in a frame buffer (12) that stores data representing an image are drawn from a look-up table (34). The look-up table (34) contains conversion data and is addressed by the output of a multiplexer circuit (24). The multiplexer circuit (24) receives its inputs from the data output port of the frame buffer (12), from a register (42), and from an analog-to-digital converter (22) that converts the output of a video camera (20) to digital signals. In response to different values on selection-signal lines (36), the multiplexer circuit (24) assembles the address that it applies to the look-up table (34) from different combinations of the outputs of the frame buffer (12), the register (42), and the analog-to-digital-converter (22). By changing the selection signals applied to the multiplexer circuit (24), it is possible to employ the same image-processing system (10) to perform different functions, such as gamma correction, contrast variation, iamge-from-image subtraction, and multiple-image averaging.

Mirza R. Beg

Papers

Image processing-system

Programmable image-transformation system