Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving generalized image data

An arrangement for generating images comprising:

• a processor that receives digital information representing an image or scene, wherein the digital information includes at least two different image units of the image or scene, each image unit containing different information regarding the image or scene, and links the different image units of the image or scene for storage in a database such that the different image units of the image or scene are automatically accessed when the image or scene is accessed;
• a storage device that stores the different image units of the image in a database;
• and
• an output device for producing an output image from the different image units of the image or scene stored in the database, further comprising:
• a color scanner coupled to the processor, the color scanner providing luminance and chrominance information as a portion of the digital information;
• and a range scanner coupled to the processor, the range scanner providing range data information as another portion of the digital information.

A method generating a digital image of an object, said digital image being comprised of a matrix of image pixels, each pixel being represented by an associated digital code, and wherein said digital image contains attributes obtained from a plurality of respectively different information sources, comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing in a digital data storage medium a first digital image respective pixels of which have associated digital codes representative of a first aspect of said object obtained from a first information source;
• (b) storing in said digital data storage medium a second digital image respective pixels of which have associated digital codes representative of a second aspect of said object obtained from a second information source, different from said first information source;
• and
• (c) accessing each of said first and second digital images from said digital data storage medium and controlling the activation of a matrix of pixels of an output display device in dependence upon pixel-associated digital codes of the respective first and second digital images stored in steps (a) and (b), respectively.

For use with a digital image processing system, in which multiple digital images of an object are stored on and accessed from a portable digital image recording medium and coupled to an image display device to produce a composite digital image containing attributes of each of said multiple digital images, said composite digital image being comprised of a matrix of image pixels, each pixel being represented by an associated digital code, and wherein said multiple digital images of said object contain information obtained from respectively different information sources, a storage arrangement of said multiple digital images on said portable digital image recording medium comprising:

• a first digital image data file, stored in a first portion of said portable digital image recording medium and containing a plurality of digital codes associated with respective pixels of a first digital image, representative of a first aspect of said object obtained from a first of said respectively different information sources;
• and
• a second digital image data file, stored in a second portion of said portable digital image recording medium, separate from said first portion thereof and containing a plurality of digital codes associated with respective pixels of a second digital image representative of a second aspect of said object obtained from a second of said respectively different information sources.