Parallel image processing system

• US 4,985,618 A
• Filed: 06/13/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nicoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ueda, Aki, Mifune, Hironobu, Ogura, Yukio, Inada, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Que Tan
• Application Number:
  US07/367,756
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 250/561, 250/208.1, 901/47, 358/105, 382/54, 382/22
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/0675 using electro-optical, acousto-optical or opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/443 by matching or filtering

Abstract

A parallel image processing system comprises an image detection array of photodector elements, edge detection circuit including a number of edge detection elements for producing an output signal indicating detection of edge of the input image, and movement detection circuit including a number of movement detection elements each being supplied with output signals from a first group of the edge detection elements along a first signal path as an excitement signal and further from a second group of the edge detection elements along a second signal path as an inhibitory signal, for producing a movement detection signal indicating movement of the input image on the basis of comparison of the excitement signal and the inhibitory signal.

Claims

1. A parallel image processing system comprising:

an image detection array comprising a two-dimensional array of a number of photodetector elements for detecting an input image;

edge detection means comprising a number of edge detection elements each being supplied with output signals from a plurality of photodetector elements with respective weights for producing an output signal indicating detection of edge of the input image as a function of a sum of said plurality of output signals applied with said weights; and

movement detection means comprising a number of movement detection elements each being supplied with output signals from a first group of the edge detection elements each in turn corresponding to said plurality of photodetector elements forming a first photodetector group, along a first signal path as an excitement signal, and further from a second group of the edge detection elements each in turn corresponding to said plurality of photodetector elements forming a second photodetector group aligned in row with said first photodetector group in the image detection array, along a second signal path as an inhibitory signal, for producing a movement detection signal indicating movement of the input image on the basis of comparison of the excitement signal and the inhibitory signal.

2. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 1 in which said function is chosen such that the edge detection elements produces the edge detection signal when the plurality of photodetector elements supplying the output signals to the edge detection element has failed to detect a uniform input image.

3. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 1 in which said movement detection elements is supplied with the output signals from two edge detection elements, one corresponding to the first group of the edge detection elements and the other corresponding to the second group of the edge detection elements.

4. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 1 in which said movement detection element produces the movement detection signal when it is supplied with only one of the excitement signal and the inhibitory signal.

5. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 4 in which said movement detection element produces the movement detection signal only when there is the excitement signal in the first signal path.

6. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 5 in which said movement detection comprises a comparator for producing an output signal only when the excitement signal in the first signal path has a level exceeding that of the inhibitory signal in the second signal path.

7. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 1 in which said movement detection means comprises delay means in either one of said first and second signal paths.

8. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 7 in which said delay means is provided in the second signal path.

9. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 7 in which said delay means comprises an integral circuit.

10. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 1 in which said movement detection means comprises a differential means in either one of the first and second signal paths.

11. A parallel image processing system as claimed in claim 10 in which said differential means is provided in the first signal path for differentiating the excitement signal.

12. A parallel image processing system comprising:

a lens for focusing a light beam carrying a two-dimensional input image, said input image being defined with respect to a first coordinate defining a first direction and with respect to a second coordinate defining a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction;

an image detection array comprising a two-dimensional array of a number of photodetector elements to be irradiated by the light beam, for detecting the input image responsive to the irradiation by the light beam, the photodetector elements being arranged in the first direction and in the second direction to form the two-dimensional array;

weighting means for receiving signals from a plurality of photodetector elements forming a subarray in the image detection array, for applying a predetermined weight to each of the signals supplied thereto from the photodetector elements so as to form weighted signals, and further for obtaining a sum of the weighted signals thus formed as a sum signal, said weighting means being divided into a plurality of channels, each channel applying the weights pertinent to the channel and producing the sum signal pertinent to the channel, said weighting means applying, in each of the channels, the predetermined weight such that the signals from a group of photodetector elements of the subarray arranged in correspondence to a predetermined slope of the two dimensional image are given a greater weight than signals from other photodetector elements of the subarray, said predetermined slopes corresponding to respective channels, said predetermined weights pertinent to the channels being changed depending on the channels; and

slope detecting means, receiving the sum signals from each of the channels of the weighting means, for producing a slope detection signal indicating the slope of the input image with respect to the first and second directions on the basis of comparison of the sum signals.