ACCA
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`US005428456A
`5,428,456
`[11] Patent Number:
`1:5
`United States Patent
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`Parulski et al.
`[45] Date of Patent:
`Jun. 27, 1995
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`[75]
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`[56]
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`[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`5,121,271
`6/1992 Shear .......sscscsscsescscsesnenceee 358/332
`ADAPTIVELY REDUCING INTERLINE
`5,132,795 7/1992 Campbell ....
`wwe 358/167
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`FLICKER OF TV-DISPLAYED IMAGE
`8/1992 Campbell ....
`vee 358/167
`5,136,385
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`8/1992 Nishida...........
`+ 360/35.1
`5,138,503
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`Inventors: Kenneth A. Parulski, Rochester;
`5,270,831 12/1993 Parulski et al.
`......csssesceee 358/403
`Michael S. Axman, West Henrietta, —
`Primary Examiner—Tommy P. Chin
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`both of N-Y.
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`Assistant Examiner—Huy Nguyen
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`[73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company,
`Aitorney, Agent, or Firm—David M. Woods
`Rochester, N.Y.
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
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`[21] Appl. No.: 669,832
`An imageanalysis and flicker filter control mechanism
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`[22] Filed:
`Mar, 15, 1991
`is incorporated into the image processing software of a
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`photofinishing workstation for the purpose of analyzing
`the high frequency content ofthe image. Asa result of
` B Int. C16 aneeenecesevecenonsensvesnescesescesesecceseona H04N 5/93
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`this analysis, there is stored on a write once optical
`358/346
`[52]
`[58] Field of
`358/335, 214, 3/ 36
`compactdisc, in the headerfield associated with each
`ch
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`image, an interlace ‘‘flicker code” representative of the
`358/167, 244, 345, 346, 342; 360/33.1, 35.1;
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`extent, if any, to which the vertical dimension of the
`348/447; HO4N 5/93
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`image is to be subjected to a low pass filtering operation
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`in the course of reading out the image from the disc for
`References Cited
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`application to a playback device, such as a raster scan
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`TV display. The flicker code may bea binary value
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`4,272,787 6/1981 Michel etal. qu... 348/447
`codeor a multiple bit value controls the degree ofverti-
`4,573,035 2/1986 Dolazza ......
`-. 358/167
`cal lowpass filtering of only those images which exhibit
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`4,626,910 12/1986 Kawamura.......
`-- 360/111
`interlace flicker, and only during playback ontointer-
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`4,635,112
`1/1987 Tomioka etal. .
`-- 360/331
`Jaced TV displays, thereby reducing the flicker of an
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`pe 41990 Reseeseen
`image reproduced by an interlaced TV display without
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`4,985,784 358/335|reducing print sharpness.1/1991 Tsuboiet al.
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`3,019,904 5/1991 Campbell.....
`a 348/447
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`3,053,879 10/1991 Kubota .......esseseeseensssensees 358/244
`31 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
`
`«
`VERTICAL
`Sor
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`IMAGE.
`
`INPUT
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`HORIZONTAL
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`LOW PASS
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`FILTER
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`ACCUMULATOR
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`502
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`503
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`505
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`= THRESHOLD
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`<THRESHOLD FLICKER
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`iT =t
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`FLICKER 8IT
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`=0
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`Page 1 of 14
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`GOOGLEEXHIBIT 1014
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`Page 1 of 14
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1014
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 1 of 7
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`Lod
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`WORKSTATION
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`COD
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`10-FILM STRIP
`|
`--— 16
`{
`RECORDER
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`22
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`NTSC
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`TV DISPLAY
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`THERMAL
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`PRINTER
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`FIG. |
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`Page 2 of 14
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`Page 2 of 14
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`U.S. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 2 of 7
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`5,428,456
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` 210 aIMAGE DATA
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`HEADERNo.2
`HEADERNo.|
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`2/H
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`22H
`24H
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`Sih,
`33
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`2 BIT
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`CODE IMAGE
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`“ORIENTATION ™
`“ASPECT RATIO”
`HEADER
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`CODE
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`25H
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`22H
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`OO = NORMAL HORIZONTAL O00= 3:2 (NORMAL )
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`= FLIPPED HORIZONTAL OO/= 3:1 (PANORAMIC)
`Of
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`10 = NORMAL VERTICAL
`O10 = I:1 (SQUARE)
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`= FLIPPED VERTICAL
`ETC.
`{1
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`FIG. 2
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`Page 3 of 14
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`Page 3 of 14
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`U.S. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 3 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`LINE 21,
`FIELD |
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`rib
`LINE 22,
`LINE 23,
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`FIELD |
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`VERTICAL RETRACE
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`FIELD | TO FIELD 2
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`20 LINES
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`LINE 263,
`FIELD | enn|LINE 525, FIELD 2
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`SECOND LINE 283
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`LUNE 288,FELD2
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`INTERLACED-SCANNING PATTERN (RASTER)
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`FIG. 3
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`3!
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`33
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`2 aT |
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`ORIENTATION’
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`CODE
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`rT
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`"ASPECT RATIO”
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`CODE
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`IMAGE
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`HEADER
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`22H
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`n
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`00
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`Ol
`yeou
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`10
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`i
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`000= 3:2 (NORMAL)
`NORMAL HORIZONTAL
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`FLIPPED HORIZONTAL OO/ = 3:1 [PANORAMIC)
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`NORMAL VERTICAL
`O10 = I:1 (SQUARE)
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`FLIPPED VERTICAL
`ETC.
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`FIG. 4
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`Page 4 of 14
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`U.S. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 4 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`IMAGE
`INPUT
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`504
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`OUTPUT
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`INPUT
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`FIG. 5
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`50!
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`502
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`503
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`505
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`VERTICAL
`u“+/, _/ u
`FILTER
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`HORIZONTAL
`LOW PASS
`FILTER
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`LOOK-UP
`TABLE
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`ACCUMULATOR
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`SUM
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`506
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`COMPARE TO
`THRESHOLD
`VALUE
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`<THRESHOLD FLICKER
`BIT =/
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`=> THRESHOLD
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`FLICKER BIT
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`Page 5 of 14
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`46
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`52
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`LCLOCK
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`MEMORY
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`CONTROLLER
`0COUNTER
`COLUMN
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`50
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` RAM MEMORY
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`512 ROWS
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`X 768 COLUMNS
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`ROW
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`COUNTER
` 49 FILTERED
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`IMAGE DATA
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`VERTICAL
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`LOW_PASS
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`FILTER
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`VALUE
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`CONTROL DATA TV
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`Sheet 6 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`IMAGE DATA
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`/ LINE DELAY
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`/ LINE DELAY
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`82
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`FILTERED
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`IMAGE
`DATA
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`FIG. 7
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`LSBs
`SUM 506AA
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`> TREASHOLD NO. |
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`:
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`U.S. Patent
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`June 27,1995
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`Sheet 7 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`SUM——506A
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`TRUNCATE
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`FLICKER VALUE
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`COMPARE
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`TREASHOLD
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`Z TREASHOLD
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`NO.
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`=> TREASHOLD NO. 3
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`< TREASHOLD NO. 3=FLICKER VUE
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`FLICKER VALUE
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`=//
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`50688
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`=>
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`= TREASHOLD NO. 2
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`COMPARE
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`70 2nd
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`TREASHOLD
`< TREASHOLD NO. 2
`~— FLICKER Virtue
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`TO 3
`TREASHOLD
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`FLICKER VALUE
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`FIG. 9
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`1
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`5,428,456
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`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVELY
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`REDUCING INTERLINE FLICKER OF
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`TV-DISPLAYED IMAGE
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`2
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`stored as a respective image data file containing a low,
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`or base, resolution image bit map file and a plurality of
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`higher resolution residual image files associated with
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`respectively increasing degrees of image resolution. By
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`iteratively combining the higher resolution residual
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`imagefile data with the base resolution bit map image,
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`ered from the base resolution image for application to a
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`reproduction device, such as a color monitor (raster
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`type television display) or hard copy printer.
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`Asan example,spatial data values representative of a
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`high resolution 2048 x 3072 (2K X3K) image scan of a
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`24 mm-by-36 mm image frame of a 35 mm film strip 10
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`may be stored as a respective image data file including
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`a base resolution image bit map file containing data
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`values associated with a spatial image array of 512 rows
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`and 768 columnsofpixels and an associatedset ofresid-
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`ual image files to be stored on the disc. Within the
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`workstation itself,
`the base resolution image may be
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`further subsampled to derive an even lowerresolution
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`sub-array of image values (e.g. on the order of 128 x 192
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`pixels) for display on a segmentof the system operator’s
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`workstation for the purpose of identifying image orien-
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`tation and specifying aspectratio.
`In accordance with an invention described in co-
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`pending patent application Ser. No. 583,265, filed Sep.
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`14, 1990 by K. Parulski et al, entitled “Mechanism for
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`Controlling Presentation ofDisplayed Image,”assigned
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`to the assignee of the present application and the disclo-
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`sure of which is incorporated herein, advantageis taken
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`of the information storage capability of an optical com-
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`pact disc to include on the disc additional presentation
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`controlfiles for each stored image which specifies how
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`the image was captured on film and has been corre-
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`spondingly digitized and stored on the disc. As a result,
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`when eventually played back, as by way of a high reso-
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`lution printer or TV display, the image will have an
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`upright orientation and the correct aspect ratio for the
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`display device.
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`Each imageis digitized as though it were horizontally
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`oriented. The digitized image is stored ‘as is’ in the
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`workstation’s frame store, and a lower resolution ver-
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`sion of the digitized imageis displayed on the display
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`monitor of workstation 14, so that the image may be
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`viewed by the operator (photofinisher). As each image
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`is digitized and stored, the system operator, using a
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`workstation input device (e.g. a keyboard or mouse)
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`enters a set of ‘presentation’ control codes that are in-
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`corporated within a presentation controlfile associated
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`with each respective image file, which define how the
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`image was captured on film and has been correspond-
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`ingly digitized and stored on the disc.
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`The format of a presentation control file, such as
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`header file 22H associated with image data file 22D,
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`‘ into which normal vertical image frame 22 onfilm strip
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`10 has been digitized by scanner 12, is shown in FIG. 2
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`as comprising an orientation filed 31, an aspect ratio
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`field 33 and a supplemental field 35, in which additional
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`information, such as title, date, etc. may be inserted by
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`‘the operator in the course of formatting a digitized
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`imagefor storage on the disc. When the stored image is
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`read from the disc by a playback device, such as an
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`optical compact disc player coupled with a color TV
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`monitor, it reads the presentation control file and causes
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`the played back image to have an upright orientation
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`and the correct aspect ratio for the display device.
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`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`The present inventionrelates to digitized image pro-
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`cessing systems and to a vertical low passfilter mecha-
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`nism which controllably reduces “interlaceflicker” in
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`the video display of an image accessed from a digital
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`database. In particular, the present invention is directed
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`to a technique for determining whether or not an image
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`contains significant vertical detail of the type that
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`would cause interlace flicker, and then controllably
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`filtering only those images which requirefiltering, with-
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`out reducing the sharpness of the images which do not
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`exhibit interlace flicker during TV display, and without
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`reducing the sharpness of any printed image.
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`Digital imaging systems, such as those employed for
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`converting still color photographic film (e.g. 35 mm)
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`images into digital format for storage in a digital data-
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`base and subsequent playback, as by way of a color
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`television monitor, customarily encode the output of an
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`opto-electronic film scanning device to some prescribed
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`resolution and store the encoded imagein an associated
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`database as a respective imagefile. Whenit is desired to
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`display a particular stored image, the contents of the
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`tized image has beenstored are read out and coupled to
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`display driver circuitry for energizing corresponding
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`pixels on the TV monitor. One such system, diagram-
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`matically illustrated in FIG.1, is described in co-pend-
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`ing patent application Ser. No. 582,305, filed Sep. 14,
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`1990, by S. Kristy, entitled “Multiresolution Digital
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`Imagery Photofinishing System,” assigned to the as-
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`signee of the present application and the disclosure of
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`whichis incorporated herein. As detailed in that appli-
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`cation, photographic images, such as a set of twenty-
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`four or thirty-six 24 mm x36 mm imageframes of a 35
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`mm film strip 10, are scanned by a high resolution opto-
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`electronic film scanner 12, such as a commercially avail-
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`able Eikonix Model 1435 scanner. Scanner 12 outputs
`45
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`digitally encoded data (e.g. a 2048 x 3072 pixel matrix)
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`representative of the internal electronic scanning of a
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`high resolution image sensing array onto which a re-
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`spective photographic image frame of film strip 10 is
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`projected. This digitally encoded data, or ‘digitized’
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`image, is coupled in the form of an imagingpixel array-
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`representative bit map to an attendant image processing
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`(photofinishing) workstation 14, which contains a frame
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`store and image processing application software
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`through which the digitized image may be processed
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`(e.g. enlarged, rotated, cropped, subjected to scene
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`balance correction, etc.) to achieve a desired image
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`appearance. Once an imagefile has been prepared,it is
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`stored on a transportable medium, such as a write-once
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`optical compact disc, using an optical compact disc
`60
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`recorder 16, for subsequent playback by a disc player
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`20, which allows the image to be displayed, for exam-
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`ple, on a relatively moderate resolution consumertele-
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`vision set 22 (e.g. having an NTSC display containing
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`and array of 485 lines by 640 pixels perline), or printed
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`as a finished colorprint, using a high resolution thermal
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`color printer 24,
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`In the system described in the Kristy application,
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`each high resolution captured image is preferably .
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`65
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`Page 9 of 14
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`3
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`Because the video resolution images are decimated
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`versions of high resolution image records from the 35
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`mm film, the video images can contain more detail than
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`can be displayed using a conventional TV display, re-
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`production signals for which typically originate with
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`NTSC or PAL format video cameras. Indeed, the 35
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`mm colorfilm images processed in accordance with the
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`Kristy and Parulski et al systems can be expected to
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`contain a much greater amount of vertical high spatial
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`frequencies than conventional TV images. This addi-
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`tional vertical high spatial frequency content can cause
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`a raster scan display artifact known as “interlace
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`flicker”, where the vertical edge details (from sharp
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`horizontal lines, for example) will flicker visibly at a 30
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`Hz rate on normal interlaced NTSC displays. This in-
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`terlace flicker occurs because the TV monitor displays
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`every otherline of the image during thefirst 1/60 sec-
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`ond field time, and then displays the lines in between
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`during the next 1/60 second field time, as shown in
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`FIG.3. In regions of an image having significant verti-
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`cal detail, the lines of the first field will be quite differ-
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`ent from thelines of the secondfield, so these regions of
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`the image will appear to flicker at a 30 Hz rate. The
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`amount ofinterlace flicker in an image depends on the
`25
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`image content and the way in which the image was
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`photographed.
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`Interlace flicker can be reduced by lowpassfiltering
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`the imagein thevertical direction, namelyin a direction
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`effectively transverse to the raster scan direction, thus
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`reducing the vertical sharpness of the image. If the
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`imageis filtered in this way before it is written to the
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`compact optical disc, the interlace flicker of the TV
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`display can be reduced. Unfortunately, the filter will
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`also reduce the sharpness of color prints made from the
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`digitized images that have been stored on the optical
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`compactdisc. Additionally, the quality of the displayed
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`TV images of pictures which were not sharply focused,
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`or those of subjects which do not include significant
`vertical detail, and therefore will not cause interlace
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`40
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`flickerif applied to a TV display, will be reduced with-
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`out any attendant benefit.
`SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
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`In accordance with the present invention, this prob-
`45
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`lem is solved by means of an image analysis andflicker
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`filter control mechanism. which provides vertical low-
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`pass filtering of only those images which exhibit inter-
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`lace flicker, and only during playback onto interlaced
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`TV displays, thereby reducing the flicker of an image
`350
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`reproducedby an interlaced TV display without reduc-
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`ing print sharpness.
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`Forthis purpose, the mechanism in accordance with
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`the invention is incorporated into the image processing
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`software of a photofinishing workstation for the pur-
`55
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`pose of analyzing the high frequency content of the
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`image. Asa result ofthis analysis, there is stored on the
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`- disc, in the headerfield associated with each image, an
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`interlace “flicker code” representative of the extent,if
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`any, to which the vertical dimension of the imageis to
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`be subjected to a low pass filtering operation in the
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`course of reading out the image from thedisc for appli-
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`cation to a playback device, such as a raster scan TV
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`display. The header field may also include orientation
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`and aspect ratio information as described in the above
`65
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`referenced Parulski et al application. The flicker code
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`may be a binary value code, where, for example “0”
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`indicates that the image will not exhibit significantinter-
`lace flicker and theflickerfilter should not be used for
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`35
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`60
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`Page 10 of 14
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`5,428,456
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`5
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`4
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`this image, and “1”indicates that the image will exhibit
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`significant interlace flicker and the flicker filter should
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`be enabled for this image. Alternately, the flicker code
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`may be a multiple bit value which is used to select be-
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`tween a multiplicity of different flicker filter character-
`istics.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a digital image
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`processing system described in co-pending patent appli-
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`cation Ser. No. 582,305, filed Sep. 14, 1990, by S. Kristy,
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`entitled “Multiresolution Digital Imagery Photofinish-
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`ing System;”
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`FIG. 2 shows the format of a presentation control
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`file;
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`FIG.3 showsthe interlace scanning used in a conven-
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`tional display;
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`FIG. 4 showsa presentation field in which a supplie-
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`mental field 35 contains a “flicker” code;
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`FIG. 5 shows a mechanism for determining the bi-
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`nary value (0 or 1) of the flicker code of the first em-
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`bodiment of the invention;
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`FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a modification of
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`the signal processing architecture of an image retrieval
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`mechanism in which a selectively enabled vertical low
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`pass filter is incorporated upstream of the storage of
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`incoming digitized image data in the playback device’s
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`image memory;
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`FIG. 7 shows an implementation of a vertical low
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`pass filter using a cascaded line delay configuration;
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`- FIG. 8 showsa first alternative replacement step for
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`the comparison operation of FIG. 5; and
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`FIG. 9 shows a second alternative replacement step
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`for the comparison operation of FIG. 5.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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`Before describing in detail the particular improved
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`mechanism for adaptively reducing theinterline flicker
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`of a TV-displayed in accordance with the present in-
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`vention, it should be observed that the present invention
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`resides primarily in a novel structural combination of
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`conventional signal processing circuits and components
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`and notin the particular detailed configurationsthereof.
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`Accordingly, the structure, control and arrangement of
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`these conventional circuits and components have been
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`illustrated in the drawings by readily understandable
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`block diagrams which show only those specific details
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`that are pertinent to the present invention, so as not to
`obscurethe disclosure with structural details which will
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`be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the
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`benefit of the description herein. Thus, the block dia-
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`gram illustrations of the Figures do not necessarily
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`represent the mechanical structural arrangement of the
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`exemplary system, but are primarily intended to illus-
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`trate the major structural components of the system in a
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`convenient functional grouping, whereby the present
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`invention may be more readily understood.
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`As pointed out above with reference to FIG. 2, the
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`format of a presentation control file employed in the
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`image presentation contro] mechanism described in the
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`co-pending Parulski et al application contains a header
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`file associated with the image data file. The headerfile
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`typically comprises an orientation filed 31, an aspect
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`ratio field 33 and a supplemental field 35, in which
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`additional information, such as title, date, etc. may be
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`inserted by the operator in the course of formatting a
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`digitized image for storage on the disc. In accordance
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`with the present invention, supplemental field 35 con-
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`35
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`5
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`6
`tains what will hereinafter be referred to as a “flicker”
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`is coupled over link 47 to filter 48. The outputoffilter
`code, as shownin FIG.4. In a first embodiment of the
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`48 is coupled over link 49 to a random access memory
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`invention,the flicker code may be a binary code, where
`50. The storage capacity of memory 50 corresponds to
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`a “0” for example indicates that the stored image will
`the size of the base resolution image (512768 pixels)
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`stored on the disc.
`not cause significantinterlace flicker when played back
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`ona raster scan display device,so that vertical filtering
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`Asdescribed in the Paruiski et al application, mem-
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`of the image should not be carried out, while a “1”
`ory read out controller 46 may be incorporated as part
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`indicates that the imagewill exhibit significant interlace
`of the CD player’s microcontroller or may be a separate
`flicker and the flicker filter should be enabled for this
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`dedicated combinational logic circuit driven by the
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`image. In a second embodiment, the flicker code is a
`microcontroller for controlling the generation of read
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`multiple bit value which is used to select from among a
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`out address/clock signals which are supplied over re-
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`multiplicity of different flicker filter characteristics.
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`spective address buslinks 52 and 54 toaset of associated
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`FIG. 5 shows a mechanism for determining the bi-
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`column and address counters 56 and 58, respectively,
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`nary value (0 or 1) of the flicker code ofthe first em-
`for controlling the rate and order in which contents of
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`bodiment of the invention using the workstation 14 of
`memory 50 are accessed.
`~
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`the photofinishing system shown in FIG. 1. While the
`Bach field of image data for a respective digitized
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`input image is preferably a video resolution (512 line)
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`image is formatted as though the image is a normal
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`image, the application of the inventionis not limited to
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`horizontal image and, when downloaded from the disc
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`this or any other resolution image, and the invention
`into memory 50, the image data is simply written di-
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`maybe applied, for example, to the full resolution (2048
`tectly into memory 50 in this format. The manner in
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`line) digitized image obtained by high resolution film
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`which the image is read out from memory 50 in accor-
`scanner 12.
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`dance with the contents of its associated header field
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`Asshownin FIG.5, a digitized image accessed from
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`determines the orientation and display of the image on
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`the digital storage medium, suchas a write onceoptical
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`an associated display device (TV monitor). When image
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`compactdisc, is high pass filtered in the vertical direc-
`data is read out from memory58,it is coupled over link
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`tion using a “—1, +1” filter (STEP 501), through
`60 to a digital-to-analog converter 70 for application to
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`which the digital image value of the pixel immediately
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`a display device, such as a color TV monitor, so that a
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`above a respective pixel of interest is subtracted from
`reproduction of the original 35 mm film image will be
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`the digital image value ofthe respective pixel. In STEP
`presented to the viewer.
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`502, this vertically high pass filtered digitized imageis
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`In accordance with the operation of the architecture
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`next low pass filtered in the horizontal direction (paral-
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`of FIG. 6, a low resolution version of the image, typi-
`lel to the horizontal line direction of a normal TV raster
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`cally having about 512768 luminance pixels, is read
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`scan), in order to ensure that the horizontal dimension
`from compact disc 40 at a relatively slow speed and
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`of an area of the image containing vertical detail is not
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`stored in a RAM framestore 50. The stored imageis
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`insubstantial, since only such an area will cause signifi-
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`then clocked from memory at a much higher speed,
`cant flicker.
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`converted from digital to analog form, and fed to TV
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`In STEP 503, the resulting horizontally low pass
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`display 72. To eliminate the interlace flicker, a vertical
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`filtered image is then applied to a low level clipping
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`low pass filter 48 processes the image data 47 before it
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`lookup table, having a transfer function diagrammati-
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`is stored in memory 50. For this purpose, the vertical
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`cally illustrated at 504. This function clips low level
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`low pass filter may be implemented using cascadedline
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`vertical details to zero, since such low level signals do
`delays configuration shown in FIG. 7. Specifically,
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`not cause significant flicker, and takes the absolute
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`image data read from disc 40 is delayed in two cascaded
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`value of larger signals. Next, in an Accumulator STEP
`line delays 81 and 82, thereby producing three verti-
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`505, a runningtotal of the result of the clip and absolute
`cally adjacent pixel values on lines 47, 91 and 93. The
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`value operation derived in STEP 503 is maintained for
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`data values onthese lines are respectively multiplied by
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`the pixels of every second line in the image.
`three filter coefficients a_j, a9 and a+; in multipliers
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`After the entitle image has been processed through
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`101, 103 and 105. Typical values for the filter coeffici-
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`STEP 505,
`the accumulator sum is compared to a
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`ents are a_1=0.25, ag==0.5, and a._;=0.25. The multi-
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`threshold value, in query STEP 506. If the sum is equal
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`plier outputs are then summed in adder 107, to provide
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`to or greater than the threshold, the flicker bit valueis
`a vertically lowpass filtered value of the image data
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`set equal to “1,” indicating that the interlace flicker
`signal 48. Output multiplexer 111 has data inputs cou-
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`filter should be used in the playback device. If the sum
`pled to the output of line delay 81 and the output of
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`is less than the threshold,theflicker bit value is set equal
`adder 107. Output multiplexer 111 has a select input
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`to “0,” indicating that the interlaceflickerfilter is to be
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`coupled to control link 45. As noted above, when the °
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`bypassed.
`(binary) flicker value equals “1”, multiplexer 111 cou-
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`FIG.6 diagrammatically illustrates a modification of
`ples the sum output from adder 107 as the filtered image
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`the signal processing architecture of the imageretrieval
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`data to memory 50. Whenthe flicker value equals “0”,
`mechanism described in the above referenced Parulski
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`multiplexer 111 couples the unfiltered but delayed value
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`et al application in which a selectively enabled vertical
`from line delay 81.
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`lowpass filter is incorporated ups