US 6,310,987 B1 · Image processor

Abstract

An artificial retina chip in a camera unit of an image processor according to the present invention converts an input image taken by the camera unit to analog signals, and outputs an image signal differential between each dot in a sensor-cell array in the artificial retina chip and a specific standard dot, as an analog signal. A signal converter converts the analog signal to binary digit, and stores the converted signals. When converted signals for one input image are stored, the signal converter outputs the converted signal to an identification unit as a digital signal. Namely, the data output from the camera unit is represented by the analog signal indicating the image signal differential between the dots, and the data output from the signal converter is represented by binary digit which is converted from the analog signal. Accordingly, the amount of the transmitted data is decreased.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An image processor comprising:

(a) an image-signal-differential outputting unit which includes a group of receiving optics,
for inputting an input image composed of an identifying-object image, which is made by taking an image of an identifying-object, and a background image, in which no identifying-object image is shown, by using the group of receiving optics, and
for outputting an image-signal-differential between a standard receiving optic which is specifically defined and a receiving optic designated one after another in the group of receiving optics, with respect to each of the receiving optic designated one after another;
(b) a binary digit unit for inputting the image-signal-differential from the image-signal-differential outputting unit, converting the image-signal-differential to a value out of two values in binary digit indicating the identifying-object image and the background image, and outputting the value in the binary digit;
and
(c) an identification unit for recognizing the identifying-object taken as the identifying-object image in the input image, based on the value in the binary digit from the binary digit unit.

3 more elements

An image processor comprising:

(a) an image-signal-differential outputting unit which includes a group of receiving optics,
for inputting a comparison image composed of an identifying-object image, which is made by taking an image of an identifying-object, and a background image, in which no identifying-object image is shown, by using partial receiving optics out of the group of receiving optics,
for inputting a master image composed of a standard identifying-object image, which is made by taking an image of a standard identifying-object, and a background image, in which no standard identifying-object image is shown, by using a rest of receiving optics, which have not been used for inputting the comparison image, out of the group of receiving optics,
for designating a receiving optic one after another in the partial receiving optics used for inputting the comparison image, and a receiving optic, corresponding to the receiving optic used for the comparison image, in the rest of receiving optics used for inputting the master image, and
for outputting an image-signal-differential between the receiving optic used for inputting the comparison image and the receiving optic, corresponding to the receiving optic used for the comparison image, used for inputting the master image;
(b) a ternary digit unit for inputting the image-signal-differential from the image-signal-differential outputting unit,
for converting the image-signal-differential to a value out of three values in ternary digit indicating a case that the identifying-object image in the comparison image corresponds to the standard identifying-object image in the master image, a case that the master image has the standard identifying-object image and the comparison image has the background image, and a case that the master image has the background image and the comparison image has the identifying-object image, and
for outputting the value in the ternary digit;
and
(c) an identification unit for calculating an area differential between the standard identifying-object image in the master image and the identifying-object image in the comparison image based on the value in the ternary digit output from the ternary digit unit, and identifying the identifying-object taken as the identifying-object image in the comparison image, based on the area differential.

7 more elements

A method for image processing, comprising steps of:

taking an input image composed of an identifying-object image, which is made by taking an image of an identifying-object, and a background image, in which no identifying-object image is shown, by using a group of receiving optics;
calculating an image-signal-differential between a standard receiving optic which is specifically defined and a receiving optic designated one after another in the group of receiving optics, with respect to each of the receiving optic designated one after another;
converting the image-signal-differential to a value out of two values in binary digit indicating the identifying-object image and the background image;
and
recognizing the identifying-object taken as the identifying-object image in the input image, based on the value in the binary digit.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image processor

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Image processor

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Abstract

Claims12