'unilrsb'srAree'oEfiaarMEm "or committee
`V Patent: and Trademark Gflice
`.
`.
`Address: COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
`
`eraser-n
`BE
`:
`HENLETT re...
`: CiiiaFéN'f
`53
`F“
`
`339%
`
`This is a communication from the examiner In charge of your application.
`COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
`
`1. IE/ otice of References Cited by Examiner. PTO-892.
`3.
`Notice of Art Cited by Applicant, PTO-1449.
`5.
`information on How to Effect Drawing Changes. PTO-1474..
`Perl ll
`SUMMARY OF ACTION
`
`2. Q’Notlce of Draftsman's Patent Drawing Review, PTO-948.
`4. D Notice of Informal Patent Application. PTO-152.
`6. D
`
`D This action is made final.
`v
`I:I Responsive to communication filed on
`Kl/This application has been examined
`days from the date of this letter.
`A shortened statutory period for response to this action Is set to expire 3 month(s). Q
`Failure to respond within the period for response will cause the application to become abandoned. 35 U.S.Ct 138
`Part I THE FOLLOWING ATTACHMENT(5) AHE PART OF THIS ACTION:
`
`EXAMINER'S ACTION
`
`I 5 3 a
`1. gCIalms
`Of the above, claims
`
`2. D Claims
`
`3. El Claims
`
`4. E’Cialms
`
`I ’3 Q
`
`5. I: Claims
`
`6. I: Claims
`
`\
`
`are pending in the application.
`are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`have been cancelled.
`
`are allowed.
`
`are rejected.
`
`are obleoted to.
`
`are subject to restriction or election requirement.
`
`7. D This application has been filed with informal drawings under 37 C.F.Fi. 1.85 which are acceptable for examination purposes.
`i
`/
`
`8. D Formal drawings are required In response to this Office action.
`
`7: Under 37 C.F.F1. 1.84 these drawings
`9. D The corrected or substitute drawings have been received on
`are D acceptable; El not acceptable (see explanation or Notice of Draitsrnan's Patent Drawing Review. PTO-948).
`
`to. I: The proposed additional or substitute sheet(s) of drawings, filed on
`examiner; U disapproved by the examiner (see explanation).
`
`. has (have) been Dapproved by the
`
`11. I:I The proposed drawing correction. tiled
`
`, has been
`
`El approved; El disapproved (see explanation).
`
`12. El Acknowledgement is made of the claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. 119. The codified copy has III been received El not been received
`El been filed in parent application. serial no.
`:fiied on
`
`13. I:I Since this application apppears to be in condition for allowance except for formal matters. prosecution as to the merits is closed in
`accordance with the practice 'under Ex pa'r'te Quayle, 1935 CD. 11:453 0;G. 213.
`
`14. D Other
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 457/714
`
`

`

`Serial Number: 08/411,369
`
`ArtUnit: 2616
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`1.
`
`Claims 25-36 are rejected under 35 USC. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for
`
`failing to particularly. point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as
`
`the invention. The claims refer to the JPEG compression standard. However, the specification
`
`does not indicate which JPEG compression standard is being referenced. Unless the date and
`
`citation number of the standard are provided the claims will remain indefinite due to the indefinite
`
`reference.
`
`improved text and image quality, the method comprising:
`
`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in
`section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are
`such that the subject matter as a whole would haVe been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person
`having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatiVed by the
`manner in which the invention was made,
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`2.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 USC. 103 (a) which forms the basis for all obviousness
`
`rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`Claims 1—3, 5—9, 14—17, 20-24, 29, and 34-36 are rejected under 35 USC. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Sugiura (5,465,164) in view of Agarwal (5,488,570).
`
`As to representative claims 14 and 15, and claims 1-3, 5-9, 29 and 34—3 6, Sugiura teaches
`
`a method of compressing and transmitting images which produces decompressed images having
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 458/714
`
`

`

`Serial Number: 08/411,369
`
`Art Unit: 2616
`
`compressing a source image into compressed image data using a first quantization table
`
`(Qe) (Quantization Table 105 of fig. 1);
`
`forming a second quantization table (Qd), wherein the second quantization table is related
`
`to the first quantization table (Inverse Quantization Table 115 of fig. 1);
`
`transmitting the compressed image data (Interfaces 109 and 111, Communications
`
`Circuit 110 offig. 1);
`
`Quantization Table) is determined independent of the order of transmission (fig. 1). It would
`
`skill in the art at the time ofthe invention for Sugiura to decompress using a quantization table
`
`decompressing the compressed image data using the second quantization table Qd
`
`(Inverse Quantization 114 and Inverse Quantization Table 115 of fig. 1).
`
`Sugiura does not explicitly teach that the second quantization table is related to the first
`
`quantization table scaled in accordance with a predetermined fimction of the energy in a reference
`
`image and the energy in a scanned image. Agarwal teaches decompressing (decoding) a second
`
`video frame by relating (comparing) the energy of the scanned image (block of the encoded
`
`second video frame) to the energy of a reference image (corresponding to the scaled quantization
`
`level for the block where the energy for the quantization level is selected in accordance with
`
`training video frames) (col. 1, lines 35-60). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary
`
`scaled in accordance with a predetermined fiinction of the energy in a reference image and the
`
`energy in a scanned image as taught by Agarwal in order to decrease quantization errors.
`
`As to claims 16 and 17, Sugiura teaches that the second quantization table (Inverse
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 459/714
`
`

`

`Serial Number: 08/411,3 69
`
`ArtUnit12616
`
`have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to scale prior
`
`or subsequent to the transmission step since the second quantization table is determined
`
`independent ofthe, order of transmission.
`As to claims 20-23, selecting a target image; rendering the target image into an image file;
`
`been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to use the image
`
`the target image having elements critical to the quality of the image are inherent in using a
`
`reference to control the quality of the compression process. Images which have text including
`
`text with a serif font are well known in the art (official notice).
`
`As to claim 24, in using a reference image to control the quality of the compression
`
`process of a scanned image it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at
`
`the time of the invention that scanned image could be the reference image since the reference
`
`image is readily available to be a scanned image and would serve as a check ofthe quality
`
`assurance steps.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 4, 10—13, 18, 25-28, and 30-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Sugiura (5,465,164) and Agarwal (5,488,570) as applied above, further in view
`
`of Tzou (4,776,030).
`
`As to representative claim 18, and claims 4, 10-13, 25-28, and 30-33, Sugiura does not
`
`explicitly teach use of the variance in the scaling factor to reduce the quantization error. Tzou
`
`teaches that in an adaptive system the quantization of an image is ordered according to the
`
`variance of the image coefficients to reduce quantization error (col. 2, lines 21—42). It would have
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 460/714
`
`

`

`Serial Number:_ 08/41 1,3 69
`
`Art Unit: 2616
`
`variances as taught by Tzou with the reference and scanned image to arrive at the scaling factor of
`
`Sugiura and Agarwal in order to reduce quantization error.
`
`May 12, 1997
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`6.
`examiner should be directed to Brian Johnson whose telephone number is (703) 305—3865.
`The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The
`examiner can also be reached on alternate Fridays.
`
`5.
`
`Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Sugiura
`
`(5,465,164) and Agarwal (5,488,570), fiirther in view of Applicant’s admissions of the prior art.
`
`As to claim 19, Sugiura and Agarwal do not explicitly teach encapsulating the second
`
`quantization table Qd with the compressed image data to form an encapsulated data file; and
`
`transmitting the data file. Applicant admits that the prior art teaches that the data includes the
`
`quantization tables for use in the decompression process (p. 5, lines 1-6). It would have been
`
`obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to include the quantization table which will be used
`
`in the decompression process in the transmitted data file as taught by the prior art for the data file
`
`of Sugiura and Agarwal where the second quantization table would be used to decompress.
`
`Conclusion
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`supervisor, Leo H. Boudreau, can be reached on (703) 305—4706.
`
`Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be
`directed to the Group receptionist whose telephone number is (703) 305—4700.
`
`Brian L. Johnson
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 461/714
`
`

`

`FF.mM PTO-892
`»
`(REV. 2-92)
`I
`
`v.
`
`u.sc DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`NOTICE OF REFERENCES CITED
`
`"’“CANT‘S’
`
`ATTACHMENT
`TO
`PAPER
`NUMBER
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`pERTINENT
`SHTS.
`DP.
`DWG SPEC.—
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTSl-“
`l
`'
`Sui'mroc
`35?
`31- ”!‘1 ’31
`
`IE 7
`‘(po '
`.
`‘
`"
`IE7
`
`Ifll
`:I
`
`(See Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, section 707.05 (a).)
`
`
`
`* A copy of this re erence is not being furnished with this office action.
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 462/714
`
`

`

`7"»“11/4'3/7;
`'\
`
`Ki,
`
`erf.‘:/13-
`
`United States; Patent
`
`119]
`
`Sugiura et al.
`
`! lllll llllllll HI Illlllllll l|||| Illll lllll lllll Illll lllll llllll III III" llll
`USOOS465164A
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`5,465,164
`[45] Date (if Patent:
`Nov. 7, 1995
`
`.................................... 358/458
`2/1993 Fujii
`5,189,530
`.6/1993 Tanaka et al.
`358/426
`5,216,516
`6/1993 Shimada et al.
`358l133 X
`5,216,712
`6/1993 Stone et alt
`..
`358/133
`5,223,926
`5,251,020 10/1993 Sugiyama
`358/500
`5,253,055
`10/1993 Civanlar etal. .
`.. 358/133
`5.260.808
`11/1993 Fujii ................................ 358/458
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`.
`
`‘416918
`
`European Pat, Off.
`3/1991
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`......... H04N 7/13
`
`[54]
`
`,IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND
`DEVICE FOR THE SAME
`'
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors: Susumu Sugiura, Atsugi; Yoshinobu
`Mita, Kawasaki, both of Japan
`
`[73] Assignee: Canon Kabiishiki Kaisha, Tokyo,
`Japan
`'
`
`[21] App]. No.1, 868,103
`[22] Filed:
`Apr. 14, 1992
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`[30]
`Japan ..................
`Apr. 15, 1991
`DP]
`9
`......_3-0824OSV
`Apr. 8. 1992
`[IF]
`4-087114
`Japan ...........
`
`HMN 1/41
`......
`......-...............
`Int. Cl." .............
`[51]
`[52] us. Cl. .............. 358/448; 358/432; 358/458;
`348/384
`
`358/448, 458,
`.........................
`[58] Field of Search
`-
`358/433, 56, 80, 133, 135, 136, 500, 528,
`434, 527, 138, 56, 426,.261.3, 261.4, 432;
`,479, 909, ‘13, 85; 209
`References Cited
`
`[56]
`
`[18. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`10/1988"
`4,780,761
`11/1988
`4,782,398
`2/1990-
`4,905,294
`4,974,078 ‘ 11/1990
`4,984,076
`1/1991
`5,060,280 10/1991
`5,073,820 12/1991
`5,079,621
`1/1992
`5,142,380
`8/1992
`
`'
`
`I DCT
`
`Leger et al., ‘.‘Sti11 Picture Compression Algodthms Evalu—
`ated for International Standardisation”, IEEE Global Tele—
`communications Conference vol. 2, pp. 1028—1032 (Nov.
`1988.): .
`>
`.
`Groll et 31., “Using the 8 bit CCIR Recommendation 601
`Digital Interface”, IBC Int’l, Broad Jayant et al., Digital
`Coding of Waveforms, Prentice Hall, pp. 351—371 (1984).
`Primary Examiner—Paul Ip
`,
`Attorney, Agent, or Finn—Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper &
`Scinto
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`Disclosed is an image processing device which comprises a
`conversion means for converting an image data to a space
`frequency component, a quantization means for quantizing
`the space frequency component converted by the conversion
`means, and a control means for controlling the quantization
`means so that a quantization error produced when the
`. convened space frequency component is quantized by the
`' quantization means is diffused to nearby space frequency
`components.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`"
`
`..
`.. 358/133
`382/33
`.. 358/133
`3511/13
`358/432
`
`9 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
`
`AOOT UNIT
`
`, QUANTIZATION
`
`HUFFMAN
`CODING
`
`.
`
`QUANTIZATION
`, TABLE
`
`HUFFMAN
`CODING
`'TABLE
`
`_
`INVERSE
`QUANTIZATION
`
`TABLE
`
`INVERSE
`QUANTIZATION
`
`HUFFMAN
`DECODING
`
`TABLE
`
`HUFFMAN
`DECODING
`
`OUTPUT - WI" I INVERSE
`UNIT I
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 463/714
`
`

`

`'1 K
`
`5,4311 .34-
`
`1; mu- - .». MW - . --_- {T AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
`
`PATENTNO.:
`
`5,465,164
`
`Page l of g
`
`;
`DATED
`INVBNOR§)I
`
`NoVember 7, 1995
`susumu SUGIURA, et al.
`
`It is certified that error appears in the above-indentified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby
`corrected'as shown below:
`-
`
`-—denominator——.
`
`8, "reminder" should read ——remainder-—.
`40, "reminder" should read
`-—remainder~~.
`49, "reminder" should read
`-—remainder-—.
`
`IN THE DRAWINGS
`
`Sheet 7
`
`fiERRER“ should read —-ERROR-—
`Figure 8A,
`(both occurrences).
`
`43; "an" should be deleted.
`
`67,
`
`"main" should read -—the main—-.
`
`13, “dominator” should read
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 464/714
`
`

`

`PATENTNO.
`
`':
`
`5,465,164
`
`DATED
`
`1 November 7, 1995
`
`'NVENTOWS):
`
`Susumu SUGIURA, et al.
`
`It is certified that error appears in the above-indentified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby
`corrected as shown below:
`
`Column 5
`
`, Column 7
`
`Line 7, "values" should read ——value—-.
`
`Column 8
`
`Line 54, "step"; should read —-Steps——.
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
`
`Commissiuner 0f Parent: and Trademark:
`
`Signed and Sealed this
`
`Fourteenth Day of May, 1996
`
`QMW
`
`BRUCE LEI-[MAN
`
`Attesting Ofiicer
`
`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 465/714
`
`

`

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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 466/714
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 467/714
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`US. Patent
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`Nov. 7, 1995
`
`51‘1th 3 of 10
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`5,465,164
`
`‘F/G.’ 4A
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 468/714
`
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 469/714
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`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 5 of 10
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 470/714
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 471/714
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`‘ Ndv.7,1995
`
`Sheet 7 of 10
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`5,465,164
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`DIMINUTION
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 472/714
`
`

`

`U.S. Patént
`
`Nov. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 8 of 10
`
`5,465,164
`
`POSITION
`
`VOF
`SUBJECT
`PIXEL
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 473/714
`
`

`

`Nov. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 9 of 10 '
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`OLYMPUS EX. 1016 - 475/714
`
`

`

`1
`IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND
`DEVICE FOR THE SAME
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the invention
`The present
`invention relates to an image processing
`method and device for the same by which image data is
`quantized.
`2. Related Background Art
`At present. an Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transform
`ADCT (Adaptivraphic Expert Group) system is intended to
`be standardized as a compression system of a muiti-value
`image data by iPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group).
`Also, it is contemplated to use the ADCT system in the
`field of a color image communication. in particular. in the
`field of a color facsimile.
`Nevertheless. the above ADCI‘ system has been studied to
`be applied to an image having the relatively small number of
`pixels such as an image on a CRT.
`Therefore. the application of the ADC? system, as it is. to
`a fieid such as the color facsimile requiring a high resolution
`gives rise to a new problem. More specificaliy, when the
`ADCT system is employed for the color facsimile. as it is,
`a deterioration of image quality such as shade off. disloca-
`tion and spread of color is caused in the field of fine lines of
`characters. graphics and the like.
`Further. when data compressed by the ADCT system is
`compared with data prior to compression. density is not
`preserved and thus image quality is deteriorated.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`Taking the above problems into consideration, a first
`object of the present
`invention is to provide an image
`processing method and a device for the same by which
`image quality can be improved.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide an
`image processing method and a device for the same by
`which a quantized error produced in quantization is reduced.
`To achieve the above objects, according to a preferred
`embodiment of the present invention. there is disclosed an
`image processing device which comprises a conversion
`means for convening an image data to a space frequency
`component. a quantization means for quantizing the space
`frequency component convened by the conversion means.
`and a control means for controlling the quantization means
`so that a quantization error produced when the converted
`space frequency component is quantized by the quantization
`means is diffused to nearby space frequency components.
`Further,
`the present
`invention has another object for
`further improving an image compression method referred to
`as ADCT.
`Furthermore, the present invention has a further object for
`providing an image processing method and device for the
`same by which a compression ratio as wcli as image quality
`are improved.
`Other objects and advantages of the present invention wili
`become apparent from the following embodiments when
`taken in conjunction with the description of the accompa—
`nying drawings.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`HO. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of an
`embodiment according to the present invention;
`FIGS. 2A and 23 are diagrams showing a zigzag scam
`ning:
`
`Although the above deterioration of image quality is
`
`5,465,164
`
`2
`FIGS. SAMSC are diagrams showing a conventional quan—
`tization method;
`showing a quantization
`FIGS. 4A~4E are diagrams
`method according to the present invention;
`FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a characteristic portion
`of the present invention;
`FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the
`present invention;
`FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an embodiment
`embodying an error diffusion unit 601;
`FIGS. Sit-43E are diagrams showing another embodiment
`embodying the error diffusion unit 601;
`FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams explaining the content of
`a bit diminution unit; and
`FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a third
`embodiment according to the present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`caused by various factors. one of main factors is contem—
`
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an
`image processing device according to the present invention.
`wherein 101 designates an image input unit composed. for
`example, of a color scanner arranged as CCD line sensors
`for R, G, B; 102 designates a coior component conversion
`unit for convening R. G. B signais of each pixel produced
`in the image input unit 101 to YUV (lightness. chromatic-
`ness and hue) component signals; and 103 designates a DCT
`circuit for causing each component signai of YUV to be
`subjected to a discrete cosine conversion to thereby perform
`an orthogonal conversion from a true space component to a
`frequency space component; 104 designates a quantization
`unit for quantizing the orthogonally convened space fre-
`quency component by a quantization coefficient stored in a
`quantization table 105; 107 designates a line through which
`two»dimensional block data, which is quantized and made to
`iinear data by zig-zag scanning, is transmitted; 108 desig-
`natcs a Huiiman coding circuit having a DC component
`composed of category information and a data value obtained
`from a difi‘crcnce signal and an AC component classified to
`categories based on the continuity of zero and thereafter
`provided with a data value; 106 designates a Huffman
`coding table wherein a document appearing more frequently
`is set
`to a shorter code length; and 109 designates an
`interface with a communication line through which a com
`pressed image data is transmitted to a circuit 110.
`On the other hand. data is received by an [IF 111 on a
`receiving side through a process completely opposite to that
`when the compressed data is transmitted. More specificaliy,
`the data is Huffman decoded by a Huffman decoding unit
`112 in accordance with a coefficient set from a Huffman
`decoding table 113 arranged in the same way as that of the
`Huffman coding table 106 and then inverse quantized by an
`inverse quantizing unit 114 in accordance with a coefiicient
`set from an inverse quantizing table 115. Next.
`the thus
`obtained data is inverse DCT convened by an inverse DCT
`conversion unit 116 and convened from the YUV color
`components to the RGB color components by a color
`component conversion unit 117 so that a color image is
`formed by an image output unit 118. The image output unit
`118 can provide a soft copy such as a dispiuy and the like and
`a hard copy printed by a laser beam printer, ink jet printer
`and the like.
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`3
`plated to be that an error (remainder) produced in quanti-
`zation performed by a quantization table following to a
`processing performed by DC’l‘ is cut off.
`The present invention is devised to preserve the error
`amount as effectively as possible to thereby prevent the
`deterioration of image quality as much as possible.
`Thus. according to embodiments ofthe present invention,
`a reminder or error produced when quantization is per-
`formed by a quantization table is multi-dimensionaliy difn
`fused to nearby frequency components to keep the frequency
`components ofan original image as much as possible so that
`an image with less deteriorated quality can be reproduced.
`A DC'I‘ portion as a main portion of the present invention
`will be further described here prior to the description of the
`characteristic portion of the embodiments of the present
`invention.
`
`5
`
`nated at 109 is an interface with a communication line
`
`by a clock and supplied from a register 508 and outputting
`resultant data. This addition operation of the adder 505
`corresponds to an addition operation of the remainder value
`and next data in FIG. 4. The data from the adder 505 is
`divided by a divider 506 and only the integer portion of
`resultant data is output as 513. Designated at 507 is a
`subtractcr for subtracting a value obtained by multipiying
`data of 513 made to integer by a quantization coefficient (an
`output from a multiplier 514) from data supplied from the
`adder 505 to thereby create remainder data. The remainder
`data calculated by the subtractcr 507 is stored in the register
`508 after delayed by a clock. On the other hand. a value of
`the dominator in the divider 506 is a memory portion in
`which quantization data stored in 509 is stored. Designated
`at 510 and 511 are address counters for extracting data from
`509. These address counters 510 and 511 are operated in
`synchronisrn with a clock from a clock generator 512
`together with the buffer memory 502, DCT conversion
`circuit 503. memory 504. and register 508.
`Note. although a system based on a linear error diffusion
`is described in the above example. it is apparent that the
`same effect can be obtained in such a manner that errors are
`two-dimensionally diffused about the line connecting the
`point 00, 00 to the point 70. 07 in FIG. 2A. and this is also
`included in the present invention.
`According to this embodiment. since a frequency com-
`ponent conventionally cut off by the DCT quantization
`portion is accumulated to a nearby frequency component
`and corrected. a reproduced image is less deteriorated and
`thus a reproduced image of good quality can be obtained.
`Moreover, since the basic requirements of the ADCT are
`observed. a special extension circuit is not required on a
`receiving side and thus this invention is expected to greatly
`contribute to a communication of a color image hereinafter.
`Next. Fit]. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodi-
`ment according to the present invention. wherein 101 des-
`ignates an image input unit composed. for example. of a
`color scanner arranged as CCD line sensors for R. G. B.
`An output from the image input unit 101 is processed in
`an error diffusion unit 601 such that the bit number of the
`image data in the input unit 101 is diminished and an error
`produced in the process of diminishing the bit number is
`diffused to some nearby pixels of a subject pixel. Therefore.
`an output from the error diffusion unit 601 is obtained in
`such a manner that a result obtained by diffusing the errors
`of the nearby pixels is added to the value of the subject pixel
`and the number of bits of the subject pixel is diminished.
`This output is processed such that the RGB signals thereof
`are converted to YUV (lightness, chromaticness. hue) com—
`ponent signals by a color component conversion unit 102.
`next each component signal of the YUV is subjected to a
`discrete cosine conversion by a DC’T circuit 103 and thus a
`true space component is orthogonally converted to a fre-
`quency space component. Designated at 104 is a quantiza—
`tion unit for quantizing the orthogonally converted space
`frequency component by a quantization eoellieient stored in
`a quantization table 105; 107 designates a line through
`which two-dimensional block data. which is quantized and
`made to linear data by zig-zag scanning.
`is transmitted;
`designated at 108 is a Huffman coding circuit having a DC
`component composed of category information and a data
`value obtained from a difference signal and an AC compo
`nent classified to categories based on the continuity of zero
`and thereafter provided with a data value designated at 106
`is a Huffman coding table wherein a document appearing
`more frequendy is set to a shorter code length; and desig-
`
`4
`
`FIG. 2A shows an arrangement of frequency component
`values subjected to a discrete cosine conversion of 8x8
`which is a base of the DCT portion. Although this arrange-
`ment is basically a two-dimensional frequency structure. it
`can he made to a linear frequency arrangement by a rig—zag
`scanning, as shown in FIG. 2B. In FIG. ZB. a DC compo-
`nent, and linear frequency component up to ndimcnsional
`frequency component are arranged from the left side thereof.
`Each numeral in FIG. 2B is obtained by adding an address
`in a vertical direction and an address in a horizontal direction
`in FIG. 2A. and thus these numerals in FIG. 28 show an
`address and do not show a value of a frequency component.
`FIGS. 3Am3C show a conventional quantization system.
`and FIG. 3A shows a value of a frequency component just
`after DC'I‘ and F1033 shows a quantization table. FiG. 3C
`shows a result of quantization performed by using FIGS. 3A
`and 38. wherein the values shown in H6. 3A are simply
`divided by the values shown FIG. BB and portions other than
`an integer portion are cut elf. from which it is assumed that
`a considerable error is caused by the cutting elf.
`FIG. 4A4E show a portion of an embodiment of the
`present invention.
`FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C correspond to FiGS. 3A.3B and 3C.
`respectively. and FIG. 4D shows a reminder value after
`quantization has been performed. For example. since the
`data value of a first frequency component is 35 and a
`corresponding table value is 10. a value 3 is obtained after
`quantization and thus a remainder is 5. This remainder 5 is
`shown in the second box in EEG. 4D. Therefore, a second
`frequency component 45 is made to 50 by being added with
`the remainder 5 in the previous frequency. Since this value
`50 is divided by a table value 10. a quantized value of 5 is
`obtained with a reminder of 0. An image of good quality can
`be reproduced on a receiving side in such a manner that a
`frequency component loss caused by cutting off is reduced
`by diffusing a remaining error component
`to a nearby
`frequency component. as described above.
`FIG. 5 shows a specific arrangement for performing the
`processing shown in FIG. 4. wherein 5i)! designates color
`decomposition data of three colors YUV input from the
`color component conversion unit 102; 502 designates a
`buffer memory composed. for example, of an FIFO for a
`plurality of lines for extracting data for each block of 8x8
`pixel from the color decomposition data of the three colors;
`503 designates a DCf conversion circuit. 504 designates a
`zig—zag memory for storing a space frequency component
`produced by being subjected to the discrete cosine conver-
`sion and further subjected to the zigzag scanning conver-
`sion as described above: and 505 designates an adder for
`adding data from the zigzag memory 504 with data delayed
`
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`
`5
`through which a compressed image data is transmitted to a
`circuit 110.
`On the other hand, data is received by an l/F 111 on a
`receiving side through a process completely opposite to that
`when the compressed data is transmitted. More specifically,
`the data is Huffman decoded by a Huffman decoding unit
`112 in accordance with a coefficient set from a Huffman
`decoding table 113 arranged in the same way as that of the
`Huffman coding table 106 and then inverse quantized by an
`inverse quantizing unit 114 in accordance with a coefficient
`set from an inverse quantizing table 115. Next, the thus
`obtained data is inverse DCT converted by an inverse DCT
`conversion unit 116 and converted from the YUV color
`components to the RGB color components by a color
`component conversion unit I17 so that a color image is
`formed by an image output unit 118. The image output unit
`118 can provide a soft copy such as a display and the like and
`a hard copy printed by a laser beam printer, ink jet printer
`and the like.
`Therefore, in this embodiment, an input image of high
`quality can be compressed by an ADCI‘ conversion circuit
`without being affected by the number of bits of the input
`image in such a manner that the input image is read by the
`input unit 101. the number of bits thereof is diminished
`without deteriorating the quality of the image by using an
`error diffusion method even if the number of quantized bits
`per pixel is increased and further the input image is sub-
`jected to an ADCT conversion. in addition, it is possible that
`the number of bits processed by the ADCT conversion
`circuit is made smaller than a usual number by diminishing
`the number of bits of an image data at the input unit to
`thereby make the scale of the ADCT conversion circuit
`smaller.
`Further. the deterioration of image quality may be further
`restricted by using an improved ADCT shown in FIG. 5 in
`place of the ADCI‘ unit shown in FIG. 6 and a quantization
`error produced after a DC'I‘ conversion is not cut off but
`effectively preserved by an error diffusion.
`FIG, 7A shows a first embodiment of the error ditfusion
`unit 601. Image data of 10 bits input to the error diffusion
`unit 601 are first input to adders 701. 702 and 703 and added
`with difi‘usion errors of three color components output from
`a D-fiipflop 706. Therefore, the data outputs from the addch
`701, 702 and 703 have the number of bits up to ll bits. The
`lower 3 bits of each of the outputs are cut oil" by alower bit
`diminution unit 704 for cutting off bits and thus the output
`