ACTIVITY DETECTOR

• US 20070292028A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simard, Patrice
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/180
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables

Abstract

A system and method facilitating activity (e.g., dithering/half toning and/or noise) detection is provided. The invention includes an activity detection system having a connected component analyzer and an activity detector. The invention provides for the quantity of connected component(s) in and/or intersecting a region surrounding a pixel to be determined. The activity detector provides an activity map output based, at least in part, upon the quantity of connected component(s) in and/or intersecting the region. The invention further provides for an optional image processor. In one example, if the quantity exceeds a first threshold, dithering/half toning is detected and appropriate action can be taken. Additionally, if the quantity is less than a second threshold, noise is detected and appropriate action can be taken.

Claims

1. A segmented layered image system, comprising:

a mask separator adapted to assign pixels of a document image into at least one of a foreground and a background, the assignment information stored in a binary mask;

a connected component identifier adapted to identify connected components in or intersecting a region surrounding a pixel;

a connected component analyzer adapted to determine a quantity of connected components in or intersecting the region surrounding the pixel;

an activity detector that provides an activity map output based, at least in part, upon the quantity of connected components in or intersecting the region; and

,

an image processor adapted to assign the pixel to one of the background or the foreground based at least in part upon activity map output.

2. A data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or more computer components that facilitates activity detection, the data packet comprising:

information associated with an activity output, the activity output based, at least in part, upon with a quantity of connected components in a region.

3. A data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or more computer components that facilitates activity detection, the data packet comprising:

information associated with a bi-level image output, the bi-level image output being based at least in part upon a bi-level image input comprising a plurality of pixels, at least one of the pixels assigned to one of a background or a foreground based at least in part upon the quantity of connected components in or intersecting a region.