l||||l||||||||||||||l|||||||l|||IllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIII||||||l|||||||||||
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`.
`USOOS428456A
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`5,428,456
`[11] Patent Number:
`[19]
`United States Patent
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`
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`
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`
`
`Parulski et al.
`[45] Date of Patent:
`Jun. 27, 1995
`
`[75]
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`[56]
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`5,121,271
`6/1992 Scheal' ................................. 358/332
`[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
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`5,132,795 7/1992 Campbell
`ADAPTIVELY REDUCING INTERLINE
`358/167
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`5,136,385 8/ 1992 Campbell
`FLICKER 0F TV-DISPLAYED mAGE
`358/ 167
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`8/1992 Nishida ...........
`360/35.1
`5,138,503
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`5,270,831 12/1993 Parulski et a1.
`..................... 358/403
`Inventors: Kenneth A. Parulski, Rochester;
`
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`Primary Examiner—Tommy P. Chin
`Michael S. Axman, West Hennetta, g
`both of NY.
`.
`.
`
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`Asszstant Examzner—Huy Nguyen
`
`
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`Attorney, Agent, or Finn—David M. Woods
`[73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company,
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`
`
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`Rochester, NY.
`
`
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`An image analysis and flicker filter control mechanism
`[21] App]. No.: “9332
`
`
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`
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`is incorporated into the image processing software of a
`[22] Filed:
`Mar. 15, 1991
`
`
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`
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`photofinishing workstation for the purpose of analyzing
`
`the high frequency content Of the image. AS a result of
`[51]
`Int. Cl.6 ............................................... HMN 5/93
`
`
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`this analysis, there is stored on a write once optical
`[52] US. Cl. .................................... 358/340; 3558;333:156;
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`[58] Field of
`358/335 214 340/ 36
`compact disc, in the header field associated with each
`ch
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`image, an interlace “flicker code” representative of the
`358/167, 244, 345, 346, 342; 360/331, 35.1;
`extent, if any, to which the vertical dimension of the
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`348/447; H04N 5/93
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`image is to be subjected to a low pass filtering operation
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`References Cited
`in the course of reading out the image from the disc for
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`
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`
`
`application to a playback device, such as a raster scan
`
`
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`U'S' PATENT DOCUMENTS
`TV display. The flicker code may be 1a binary value
`
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`....................... 348/447
`4,272,787 6/1981 Michel at al.
`code or a multiple bit value controls the degree of verti-
`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 .......
`360/11-1
`interlace flicker, and only during playback onto inter-
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`4,635,112
`1/1987 Tomloka et al. .
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`360/311
`laced IV displays, thereby reducing the flicker of an
`.
`358/36
`.
`4,825,289 4/1989 Ohta .............
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`4,914,523 4/1990 Manum
`"""358/310
`image reproduced by an interlaced TV display w1thout
`
`
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`
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`4,985,784
`1/1991 Tsuboietal.
`358/335
`reaming Print Sharpness-
`
`5,019,904 5/1991 Campbell .....
`348/447
`
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`5,053,879 10/1991 Kubota ................................ 358/244
`31 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
`
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`VERTICAL
`50/
`
`
`”+/, -/ "
`
`FILTER
`
`
`
`
`IMAGE
`INPUT
`
`
`
`
`
`502
`
`
`
`HORIZONTAL
`
`LOW PASS
`FILTER
`
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`503
`
`505
`
`
`ACCWLATOR
`
`
`
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`
`
`: THRESHOLD
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`
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`
`
`COMPARE T0
`
`THR$HOL0
`
`
`VALUE
`
`
`
`47HRESH0LD FUCKER
`
`
`B/T = /
`
`
`FUCKER BIT
`
`=0
`
`Page 1 of 14
`
`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1014
`
`Page 1 of 14
`
`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1014
`
`

`

`
`US. Patent
`
`
`
`
`
`June 27, 1995
`
`
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`
`Sheet 1 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`
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`/6
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` CD
`
`
`
`RECORDER
`
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`
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`
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`
`
`WORKSTATION
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`20
`
`r l I
`
`
`
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`
`
`CD
`PLAYER
`
`.
`
`
`
`I0- FILM STRIP
`
`
`
`_
`
`...........
`
`
`
`SCANNER
`
`l2
`
`22
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` THERMAL
`
`
`N756‘
`
`TV DISPLAY
`
`
`
`
`
`PR/N TEI‘?
`
`
`FIG. /
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`Page 2 of 14
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`Page 2 of 14
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`

`

`
`US. Patent
`
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`
`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 2 of 7
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`5,428,456
`
`
`
`’N/
`
`
`
`INA GE
`DA TA
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`\
`
`
`
`2/0
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`'9
`'9
`‘t
`E
`£
`§
`g
`g
`2
`35
`IMAGE E IMAGE E IMAGE
`5 IMAGE E IMAGE
`
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`0 No.5
`S Na! g ~02 6 No.3
`6 No.4
`‘u
`'41
`E
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`» q
`t
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`I
`
`
`
`250
`24H
`22”
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`
`
`
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`
`2/ H
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`
`
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`
`
`0/
`
`
`
`
`
`
`OOO= 3-2 I NORMAL)
`00 = NORMAL HORIZONTAL
`
`
`
`
`= FLIPPED HORIZONTAL OOI= 33/ (PANORAMICI
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IO = NORMAL VERTICAL
`0/0 = I:/ ( SQUAREI
`
`
`
`
`= FLIPPEO VERTICAL
`ETC.
`I/
`
`
`
`
`F/ G. 2
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`Page 3 of 14
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`IMAGE
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`HEADER
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`33
`3/
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`2 BIT
`N 3/7
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`"ORIENTATION"
`"ASPECT RAT/0"
`
`
`
`
`
`0005
`c005
`
`
` 22H
`
`Page 3 of 14
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`

`

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`US. 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 2],
`
`FIELD I
`
`
`LINE 32,
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`LINE 23,
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`FIELD I
`
`
`LINE 263,
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`FIELD I
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`SECOND LINE 283
`2:35:3225235
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`'
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`LINE 525, FIELD 2
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`VERTICAL RETRACE
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`FIELD I TO FIELD 2
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`20 LINES
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`INTERLACED-SCANN/NG PATTERN {RASTERI
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`FIG. 3
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`3/
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`33
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`2 BIT
`"ORIENTATION"
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`CODE
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`N BIT
`"ASPECT RAT/0 "
`
`com:
`
`
`
`..
`.
`
`FUCK“
`
`0005
`
`
`IMAGE
`
`HEADER
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`
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`22H
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`
`
`
`00 = NORMAL HORIZONTAL
`
`
`
`OI
`’ FLIPPEO HORIZONTAL
`
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`IO = NORMAL VERIICAL
`
`
`
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`= FL/PPEO VERTICAL
`
`II
`
`
`
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`OOO= 3:2 (NORMAL)
`
`00/ = 3:/ (PANORAM/CI
`
`
`0/0 = H ISQUAREI
`
`E7?.
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`
`
`
`
`
`FIG. 4
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`Page 4 of 14
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`Page 4 of 14
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`

`

`US. Patent
`
`June 27, 1995
`
`Sheet 4 of 7
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`5,428,456
`
`IMAGE
`WP”
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`
`
`€7,575
`FILTER
`
`50/
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`
`
`HORIZONTAL
`LOW PASS
`FILTER
`
`504
`
`OUTPUT
`
`INPUT
`
`LOOK-UP
`TABLE
`
`502
`
`503
`
`505
`
`F/G. 5
`
`ACCUMULATOR
`
`30/14
`
`506
`
`
`
`
`COMPARE 70
`THRESHOLD
`VALUE
`
`
`47HRESHOLD FL/CKER
`8/7 = /
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`5.; THRESHOLD
`
`FUCKER 8/7'
`
`=0
`
`Page 5 of 14
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`Page 5 of 14
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`

`

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`US. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 5 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`52
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`46
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`
`r/CLOCK
` MEMORY
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`CONTROLL ER
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`COLUMN
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`COUNTER
`
` 56
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`50
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`TV
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`,
`
`47 IMAGE
`DA TA
`
`OEFORMATTER
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`42
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`ROW
`COUNTER
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`45
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`44
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`FUCKER
`
`VALUE
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`CONTROL DATA
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`RAM MEMORY
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`5/2 ROWS
`
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`X 768 COLUMNS
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`49 F/LTERED
`IMAGE DAM
`70
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`VERTICAL
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`Low PASS
`
`FILTER
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`DISPLAY
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`40
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`4/
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`FIG. 6
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`Page 6 of 14
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`Page 6 of 14
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`

`

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`US. Patent
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`June 27, 1995
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`Sheet 5 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`IMAGE DA TA
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`
`8/
`
`
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`
`l LINE DELAY
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`82
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`l LINE DELAY
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`FLICKE
`R
`
`VAL
`
`
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`UE SELECT
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`
`FILTERED
`
`IMAGE
`DAM
`
`
`FIG. 7
`
`Page 7 of 14
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`Page 7 of 14
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`

`

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`US. Patent
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`June 27,1995
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`V
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`Sheet 7 of 7
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`5,428,456
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`506A
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`SUM '
`
`
`TRUNCATE
`
`LSBs
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`SUM M38
`
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`FUCKER VALUE
`
`
`SUM
`
`
`FIG. 8
`
`506AA
`
`50688
`
`
`
`
`
`
`aTREASHOLD N0./
`'
`
`
`4TREA5‘H0LD
`
`NO.
`I
`
`
`
`
`
`FUCKER VALUE
`
`= 1/
`
`
`>
`
`
`
`— TREASHOLD NO. 2
`
`
`' COMPARE
`
`
`T0 ,5,
`TREASHOLD
`
`
`
`
`
`COMPARE
`
`
`T0 2nd
`TREASHOLD
`
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`4 TREASHOLD N0. 2
`'FLICKER Vii/CSUE
`
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`
` COMHGRE
`
`
`T0 3 rd
`
`TREASHOLD
`
`
`
`5066C
`
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`E TREASHOLD N0. 3
`
`
`
`\{érREASRoLD N0. 3
`
`
`FLICKER_V%17UE
`
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`
`FUCKER VALUE
`
`=0
`
`
`FIG. 9
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`Page 8 of 14
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`Page 8 of 14
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`

`

`1
`
`
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVELY
`
`
`
`
`REDUCING INTERLINE FLICKER 0F
`
`
`
`TV-DISPLAYED IMAGE
`
`
`
`
`
`5,428,456
`
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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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`image file data with the base resolution bit map image,
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`successively increased resolution images may be recov-
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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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`As an example, spatial data values representative of a
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`high resolution 2048x3072 (2KX3K) 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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`
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`and 768 columns of pixels and an associated set of resid-
`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 lower resolution
`
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`sub-array of image values (e.g. on the order of 128 X 192
`
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`
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`pixels) for display on a segment of the system operator’s
`
`
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`
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`workstation for the purpose of identifying image orien-
`
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`tation and specifying aspect ratio.
`In accordance with an invention described in co-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`pending patent application Ser. No. 583,265, filed Sep.
`14, 1990 by K. Parulski et al, entitled “Mechanism for
`
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Controlling Presentation of Displayed Image,” assigned
`
`
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`
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`to the assignee of the present application and the disclo-
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`
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`sure of which is incorporated herein, advantage is 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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`control files 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 image is digitized as though it were horizontally
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`oriented. The digitized image is stored ‘as is’ in the
`workstation’s frame store, and a lower resolution ver-
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`sion of the digitized image is 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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`
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`is digitized and stored, the system operator, using a
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`
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`workstation input device (e.g. a keyboard or mouse)
`enters a set of ‘presentation’ control codes that are in-
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`corporated within a presentation control file associated
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`
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`with each respective image file, which define how the
`
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`
`
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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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`
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`- into which normal vertical image frame 22 on film strip
`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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`image for 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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`20
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`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`The present invention relates to digitized image pro-
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`cessing systems and to a vertical low pass filter mecha-
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`nism which controllably reduces “interlace flicker” in
`10
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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 require filtering, 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 image in an associated
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`database as a respective image file. When it is desired to
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`display a particular stored image, the contents of the
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`respective addresses of the database in which the digi-
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`tized image has been stored 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-
`35
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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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`which is incorporated herein. As detailed in that appli-
`40
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`cation, photographic images, such as a set of twenty-
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`four or thirty-six 24 mmx 36 mm image frames 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 2048x3072 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’
`50
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`image, is coupled in the form of an imaging pixel 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
`55
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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 image file has been prepared, it is
`stored on a transportable medium, such as a write-once
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`optical compact disc, using an optical compact disc
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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-
`ple, on a relatively moderate resolution consumer tele-
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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 per line), or printed
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`as a finished color print, 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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`Page 9 of 14
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`30
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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
`NTSC or PAL format video cameras. Indeed, the 35
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`mm color film images processed in accordance with the
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`Kristy and Parulski et a1 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
`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
`15
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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 other line of the image during the first 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
`20
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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 the lines of the second field, 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 of interlace 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 lowpass filtering
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`the image in the vertical direction, namely in a direction
`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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`image is 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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`compact disc. 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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`4O
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`flicker if applied to a TV display, will be reduced with-
`out any attendant benefit.
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`SUMMARY OF 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 and flicker
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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
`50
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`reproduced by an interlaced TV display without reduc-
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`ing print sharpness.
`For this 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. As a result of this analysis, there is stored on the
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`- disc, in the header field 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 image is 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 the disc for appli-
`cation to a playback device, such as a raster scan TV
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`display. The header field may also include orientation
`and aspect ratio information as described in the above
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`65
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`referenced Parulski et a1 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 significant inter-
`lace flicker and the flicker filter 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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`10
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`4
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`this image, and “1” indicates that the image will exhibit
`significant interlace flicker and the flicker filter should
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`be enabled for this image. Altemately, 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,
`
`
`
`
`
`entitled “Multiresolution Digital Imagery Photofinish-
`
`
`ing System;”
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`
`FIG. 2 shows the format of a presentation control
`file;
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`FIG. 3 shows the interlace scanning used in a conven-
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`tional display;
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`FIG. 4 shows a presentation field in which a supple-
`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-
`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 shows a 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 the interline 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
`resides primarily in a novel structural combination of
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`conventional signal processing circuits and components
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`and not in the particular detailed configurations thereof.
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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
`obscure the 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.
`As pointed out above with reference to FIG. 2, the
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`format of a presentation control file employed in the
`image presentation control mechanism described in the
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`co-pending Parulski et a1 application contains a header
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`file associated with the image data file. The header file
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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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`Page 10 of 14
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`

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`5
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`tains what will hereinafter be referred to as a “flicker”
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`code, as shown in FIG. 4. In a first embodiment of the
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`invention, the flicker code may be a binary code, where
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`a “0” for example indicates that the stored image will
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`not cause significant interlace flicker when played back 5
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`on a raster scan display device, so that vertical filtering
`of the image should not be carried out, while a “1”
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`indicates that the image will exhibit significant interlace
`flicker and the flicker filter should be enabled for this
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`image. In a second embodiment, the flicker code is a 10
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`multiple bit value which is used to select from among a
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`multiplicity of different flicker filter characteristics.
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`FIG. 5 shows a mechanism for determining the bi-
`nary value (0 or 1) of the flicker code of the first em-
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`bodiment of the invention using the workstation 14 of 15
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`the photofinishing system shown in FIG. 1. While the
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`input image is preferably a video resolution (512 line)
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`image, the application of the invention is not limited to
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`this or any other resolution image, and the invention
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`may be applied, for example, to the full resolution (2048 20
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`line) digitized image obtained by high resolution film
`scanner 12.
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`As shown in FIG. 5, a digitized image accessed from
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`the digital storage medium, such as a write once optical
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`compact disc, is high pass filtered in the vertical direc- 25
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`tion using a “-—- 1, +1” filter (STEP 501), through
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`which the digital image value of the pixel immediately
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`above a respective pixel of interest is subtracted from
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`the digital image value of the respective pixel. In STEP
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`502, this vertically high pass filtered digitized image is 30
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`next low pass filtered in the horizontal direction (paral-
`lel to the horizontal line direction of a normal TV raster
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`scan), in order to ensure that the horizontal dimension
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`of an area of the image containing vertical detail is not
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`insubstantial, since only such an area will cause signifi- 35
`cant flicker.
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`In STEP 503, 'the resulting horizontally low pass
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`filtered image is then applied to a low level clipping
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`lookup table, having a transfer function diagrammati-
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`cally illustrated at 504. This function clips low level 40
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`vertical details to zero, since such low level signals do
`not cause significant flicker, and takes the absolute
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`value of larger signals. Next, in an Accumulator STEP
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`505, a running total of the result of the clip and absolute
`value operation derived in STEP 503 is maintained for 45
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`the pixels of every second line in the image.
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`After the entitle image has been processed through
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`STEP 505,
`the accumulator sum is compared to a
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`threshold value, in query STEP 506. If the sum is equal
`to or greater than the threshold, the flicker bit value is 50
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`set equal to “1,” indicating that the interlace flicker
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`filter should be used in the playback device. If the sum
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`is less than the threshold, the flicker bit value is set equal
`to “0,” indicating that the interlace flicker filter is to be
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`bypassed.
`55
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`FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a modification of
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`the signal processing architecture of the image retrieval
`mechanism described in the above referenced Parulski
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`et a1 application in which a selectively enabled vertical
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`low pass filter is incorporated upstream of the storage of 60
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`incoming digitized image data in the playback device’s
`image memory. As shown in FIG. 6, data read from an
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`optical disc 40 is coupled over input bus 41 to a defor—
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`matter 42, which separates the control data (the header
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`field) from the (512x768) pixel representative image 65
`data. The header data is coupled over link 44 to a mem-
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`ory controller 46 and over a link 45 to a controllable
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`vertical low pass filter 48. The deformatted image data
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`Page 11 of 14
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`5,428,456
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`6
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`is coupled over link 47 to filter 48. The output of filter
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`48 is coupled over link 49 to a random access memory
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`50. The storage capacity of memory 50 corresponds to
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`the size of the base resolution image (512x768 pixels)
`stored on the disc.
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`As described in the Parulski et al application, mem-
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`ory read out controller 46 may be incorporated as part
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`of the CD player’s microcontroller or may be a separate
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`dedicated combinational logic circuit driven by the
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`microcontroller for controlling the generation of read
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`out address/clock signals which are supplied over re-
`spective address bus links 52 and 54 to a set of associated
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`column and address counters 56 and 58, respectively,
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`for controlling the rate and order in which contents of
`memory 50 are accessed.
`'
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`Each field of image data for a respective digitized
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`image is formatted as though the image is a normal
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`horizontal image and, when downloaded from the disc
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`into memory 50, the image data is simply written di-
`rectly into memory 50 in this format. The manner in
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`which the image is read out from memory 50 in accor-
`dance with the contents of its associated header field
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`determines the orientation and display of the image on
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`an associated display device (TV monitor). When image
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`data is read out from memory 50, it is coupled over link
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`60 to a digital-toeanalog converter 70 for application to
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`a display device, such as a color TV monitor, so that a
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`reproduction of the original 35 mm film image will be
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`presented to the viewer.
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`In accordance with the operation of the architecture
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`of FIG. 6, a low resolution version of the image, typi-
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`cally having about 512x768 luminance pixels, is read
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`from compact disc 40 at a relatively slow speed and
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`stored in a RAM framestore 50. The stored image is
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`then clocked from memory at a much higher speed,
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`converted from digital to analog form, and fed to TV
`display 72. To eliminate the interlace flicker, a vertical
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`low pass filter 48 processes the image data 47 before it
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`is stored in memory 50. For this purpose, the vertical
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`low pass filter may be