Progressive image transmission
First Claim
1. An image transmission system (FIG. 1) including a scanning device (10), an addressable memory (11) for gray-scale light-intensity values corresponding to each picture element of an image to be transmitted, a transmission channel (15) for such image and an image display device (20) at the opposite terminal of such channel CHARACTERIZED IN THATnumerical gray-scale values of discrete picture elements obtained in such scanning device (10) are taken from said addressable memory (11) in successive pairs and transformed by interaction with the contents of said addressable memory in a processor (13) into a hierarchical array of integral values according to their approximate averages from individual-element pairs to the entire image,integral values are transmitted from said addressable memory (11) in words of uniform length level-by-level of the hierarchical array from the topmost level downward to elemental level over said channel, (15) andthe transmitted image is progressively reconstructed (16, 17, 18 and 19) in successively finer detail in said image display device (20) at the opposite terminal of said channel adaptably to having transmission stopped at any hierarchical level up to the transmission of final detail.
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Abstract
A gray-scale image is progressively transmitted over a narrow-band channel after the gray-scale values of all picture elements (pixels) have been formatted into a hierarchical structure of picture subdivisions of successive sizes from entire image down to basic element values. Each formatted value is encoded as an approximate average of paired values. Transmission involves sending the primary value, representing the overall gray-scale magnitude, and following with successively split image values so that the entire image can be reconstructed at a receiver in progressively finer detail until the ultimate image results. The coding is nonredundant and full reconstruction is accomplished by transmitting the same number of bits that are required to send the image pixel-by-pixel and line-by-line with the difference that an intermediate version can supply enough image detail for recognition. Unwanted images can be aborted at any intermediate stage, thus saving overall transmission time and effecting an equivalent picture compression when many images need to be examined in rapid succession.
98 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An image transmission system (FIG. 1) including a scanning device (10), an addressable memory (11) for gray-scale light-intensity values corresponding to each picture element of an image to be transmitted, a transmission channel (15) for such image and an image display device (20) at the opposite terminal of such channel CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
numerical gray-scale values of discrete picture elements obtained in such scanning device (10) are taken from said addressable memory (11) in successive pairs and transformed by interaction with the contents of said addressable memory in a processor (13) into a hierarchical array of integral values according to their approximate averages from individual-element pairs to the entire image, integral values are transmitted from said addressable memory (11) in words of uniform length level-by-level of the hierarchical array from the topmost level downward to elemental level over said channel, (15) and the transmitted image is progressively reconstructed (16, 17, 18 and 19) in successively finer detail in said image display device (20) at the opposite terminal of said channel adaptably to having transmission stopped at any hierarchical level up to the transmission of final detail.
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8. In an image transmission system including a scanning device, an addressable memory for gray-scale light-intensity values corresponding to each picture element of an image to be transmitted, a transmission channel for such image and an image display device at the opposite terminal of such channel, the method of progressively transmitting an image over such system comprising the steps of:
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generating numerical gray-scale values of discrete picture elements in such scanning device for storage in said addressable memory, processing said stored gray-scale values in successive pairs interactively with the contents of said storage memory to form a hierarchical array of integral values according to their approximate averages from individual-element pairs to the entire image, transmitting the integral values from said addressable memory in words of uniform length level-by-level of the hierarchical array from the topmost level downward to elemental level over said channel, and reconstructing the transmitted image progressively in successively finer detail in said image display device at the opposite terminal of said channel adaptably to having transmission stopped at any hierarchical level up to the transmission of final detail. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification