System for selectively extracting pixels from an image and for forming an abstract image by displaying the extracted pixels

An apparatus for displaying an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, said apparatus comprising:

• designating means for designating one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• an undersampling generator for generating identifiers for pixels to be extracted from the digital image, the undersampling generator generating the identifiers in accordance with the type of undersampling designated by the designating means;
• extracting means for extracting pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals based on the pixel identifiers generated by said undersampling generator;
• and
• an image reconstructor for positioning the pixel data for the pixels extracted by said extracting means against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being positioned in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image and such that the predetermined background pixels are positioned in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

A method for displaying an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, said method comprising the steps of:

• designating one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• selectively extracting, at substantially regular intervals, less than all pixels from the digital image based on the designated type of undersampling for the abstract image;
• and
• displaying the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

A method for displaying an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, said method comprising the steps of:

• designating one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• generating identifiers for pixels in the digital image that are to be extracted, the pixel identifiers being generated in accordance with the type of undersampling designated in the designating step;
• extracting pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals in accordance with the pixel identifiers generated in said step of generating;
• and
• displaying the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

An apparatus for displaying an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, said apparatus comprising:

• an image memory for storing the digital image;
• a program memory for storing program instruction sequences;
• and
• a processor for executing the program instruction sequences stored in said program memory;
• wherein the program instruction sequences stored in said program memory include steps for (a) designating one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image based on an external input, (b) generating identifiers for pixels in the digital image that are to be extracted, the pixel identifiers being generated in accordance with the designated type of undersampling, (c) extracting pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals in accordance with the pixel identifiers generated in the step of generating, and (d) displaying the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

An apparatus which displays an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, and which increases a resolution of the abstract image in response to a predetermined condition, said apparatus comprising:

• a designating means for designating one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• an extracting means for extracting pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals based on the designated type of undersampling, and for subsequently extracting pixels from the digital image in response to a predetermined condition;
• an image reconstructor, located remotely from said extracting means, for constructing an abstract image from pixel data for the extracted pixels and from predetermined background pixels, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed against the predetermined background pixels in the abstract image, the extracted pixels being located in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being located in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image;
• and
• a transmission medium for transmitting extracted pixels from said extracting means to said image reconstructor;
• wherein, in response to the predetermined condition, subsequently-extracted pixels are transmitted from said extracting means to said image reconstructor;
• and
• wherein, when said image reconstructor receives the subsequently-extracted pixels transmitted in response to the predetermined condition, said image reconstructor replaces predetermined background pixels in the abstract image with pixel data for the subsequently-extracted pixels, the pixel data for the subsequently-extracted pixels being placed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image so as to increase a resolution of the abstract image.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer executable process steps to display an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to designate one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• code to selectively extract, at substantially regular intervals, less than all pixels from the digital image based on the designated type of undersampling for the abstract image;
• and
• code to display the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer executable process steps to display an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to designate one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• code to generate identifiers for pixels in the digital image that are to be extracted, the pixel identifiers being generated in accordance with the type of undersampling designated by the code to designate;
• code to extract pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals in accordance with the pixel identifiers generated by the code to generate;
• and
• code to display the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to display an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• a designating step to designate one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• an extracting step to selectively extract, at substantially regular intervals, less than all pixels from the digital image based on the designated type of undersampling for the abstract image;
• and
• a displaying step to display the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.

A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to display an abstract image of a digital image comprised of pixel data for each of a plurality of pixels, the abstract image and the digital image having substantially same sizes and orientations and using substantially the same pixel data for non-background pixels, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• a designating step to designate one of a plurality of types of undersampling for the abstract image;
• a generating step to generate identifiers for pixels in the digital image that are to be extracted, the pixel identifiers being generated in accordance with the type of undersampling designated in the designating step;
• an extracting step to extract pixels from the digital image at substantially regular intervals in accordance with the pixel identifiers generated in the generating step;
• and
• a displaying step to display the pixel data for the extracted pixels, the pixel data being displayed against predetermined background pixels so as to form the abstract image of the digital image, the pixel data for the extracted pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as in the digital image, and the predetermined background pixels being displayed in substantially same positions in the abstract image as unextracted pixels in the digital image, the abstract image having a size and an orientation substantially the same as the size and the orientation of the digital image.