Digital image processor
First Claim
1. Image processing apparatus comprising, in combination:
- (a) electro-optic linear scanning means for simultaneously scanning an object along multiple lines comprising a field-of-view and simultaneously producing a plurality of analog electrical output signals characteristic of said object as observed along said multiple lines, each one of said output signals corresponding to a respective line;
(b) signal conditioning means coupled to said linear scanning means for simultaneously converting said plurality of analog electrical output signals to a corresponding plurality of digital signal trains;
(c) template matching processor means including image memory means having parallel data input means, parallel data output means, said image memory means being paritioned into a plurality of N-bit registers each coupled to a respective one of said digital signal trains, and template storage means for storing a plurality of digital signal patterns together defining the ideal two-dimensional shape characteristics of said object, said template storage means including parallel data output means;
(d) controller means coupled to said linear scanning means and said signal conditioning means for selectively establishing the amplitude threshold and sampling frequency for said analog output signals in forming said digital signal trains, said controller means controlling the entry of each said plurality of digital signal trains into said respective plurality of N-bit registers of said image memory means in said template matching processor means for an instantaneous field-of-view;
(e) said template matching processor means further including control means coupled to receive sample clock signals from said signal conditioning means for producing timing signals for said image memory means and said template storage means;
(f) comparator means coupled to said parallel data output means of said image memory means and said template storage means for performing a bit-by-bit logical AND comparison of each of said digital signal trains with a respective one of said digital signal patterns stepped out of the respective N-bit registers of said image memory means and template storage means by said timing signals; and
(g) means for summing the result of said logical AND comparison to generate a degree of correlation signal.
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Abstract
A digital image processor is described in which the output from a linear array of electro-optic sensors, first having been signal conditioned and digitized, is then loaded into a RAM image memory forming a part of the microprocessor-based template matching processor. The image memory functions like a shift device and as the sensor image signals are shifted therethrough, they are compared on a bit-by-bit basis with digital signals stored in a PROM which comprise a plurality of templates with which the scanned image is to be compared. The extent of correspondence between the image being sensed and the templates is then accumulated and if the sum exceeds a predetermined threshold, a match between the image being sensed and the template is established. The system is implemented using gate array technology such that the common template concept is feasible in those applications requiring very small size and low power dissipation.
25 Citations
8 Claims
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1. Image processing apparatus comprising, in combination:
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(a) electro-optic linear scanning means for simultaneously scanning an object along multiple lines comprising a field-of-view and simultaneously producing a plurality of analog electrical output signals characteristic of said object as observed along said multiple lines, each one of said output signals corresponding to a respective line; (b) signal conditioning means coupled to said linear scanning means for simultaneously converting said plurality of analog electrical output signals to a corresponding plurality of digital signal trains; (c) template matching processor means including image memory means having parallel data input means, parallel data output means, said image memory means being paritioned into a plurality of N-bit registers each coupled to a respective one of said digital signal trains, and template storage means for storing a plurality of digital signal patterns together defining the ideal two-dimensional shape characteristics of said object, said template storage means including parallel data output means; (d) controller means coupled to said linear scanning means and said signal conditioning means for selectively establishing the amplitude threshold and sampling frequency for said analog output signals in forming said digital signal trains, said controller means controlling the entry of each said plurality of digital signal trains into said respective plurality of N-bit registers of said image memory means in said template matching processor means for an instantaneous field-of-view; (e) said template matching processor means further including control means coupled to receive sample clock signals from said signal conditioning means for producing timing signals for said image memory means and said template storage means; (f) comparator means coupled to said parallel data output means of said image memory means and said template storage means for performing a bit-by-bit logical AND comparison of each of said digital signal trains with a respective one of said digital signal patterns stepped out of the respective N-bit registers of said image memory means and template storage means by said timing signals; and (g) means for summing the result of said logical AND comparison to generate a degree of correlation signal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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2. Image processing apparatus comprising:
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(a) a plurality of electro-optical sensing elements arranged in a linear array; (b) scanning means for focusing electro-magnetic radiation from an object to be identified onto said linear array for simultaneously producing a plurality of analog signals arranged in n-row by m-columns as said scanning means effectively sweeps said object at selectable intervals; (c) signal conditioning means connected to said sensing elements for simultaneously converting each one of said analog signals into a corresponding M-digital word of N-bits, the number of said M-digital words corresponding to said m-columns being sequentially generated; (d) controller means operatively coupled to said scanning means and said signal conditioning means for sequencing the formation of said plurality of groups of M-digital words of N-bits each and producing sample clock signals for said image memory means; (e) template matching processor means including image memory means having a plurality of N-bit shift registers each coupled to said signal conditioning means for sequentially receiving respective N-bit words in parallel format, said template matching processor means further including a ROM memory means storing a plurality of N-bit words characterizing a plurality of templates of M-columns each and control means receiving sample clock signals from said signal conditioning means for producing timing signals for said image memory means and said ROM memory means whereby sais M-digital workds of N-bits each are simultaneously stepped out in parallel from said image memory means and said ROM memory means; and (f) means for accumulating a tally of the number of matches between the binary signaificance of bits comprising the N-bit words being simultaneously stepped from said image memory means and said ROM memory means. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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Specification