"Consensus sync" data-sampling systems and methods
First Claim
1. Apparatus for retrieving data from a data storage medium having a plurality of data cells in which discrete values are stored said apparatus comprising:
- sample means for sampling said data at a plurality of sampling points in each of said data cells and for generating a stream of data samples;
transition-detector means for detecting transistions in said stream of data samples;
data-pitch means for estimating a current pitch of said data cells based on the distance between two of said transitions;
transition-phase means responsive to said current pitch for determining a transition phases of said transitions;
sampling-phase means, responsive to said transition-phase means, for finding a preferred sampling phase; and
output means for constructing a data output signal from said data samples occurring at said preferred sampling phase.
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Abstract
Image processing systems and methods for retrieving digital data stored in a plurality of contiguous data cells on photographic film. An image sensor samples the image data at a plurality of pixel positions in each of the data cells and generates grayscale image data that is processed into a one-dimensional stream of binary pixels. A data sampling system processes the binary pixels by first selecting those binary pixels that correspond to the data cell centers. Then, a digital output signal is constructed from the selected pixels to represent the original data stored on the film. The stream of binary pixels are read in series. In particular, transitions, detected in the stream of binary pixels, are used to periodically estimate the data cell pitch and the transition phase. A plurality of, e.g. N, suggested distances from the current pixel to the next sampling point are located using the transition phases of the most recent N transitions. A preferred sampling phase is determined through a histogram to find a consensus among the N suggested distances. The digital output signal is constructed from those pixels that occur at the preferred sampling phase.
57 Citations
36 Claims
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1. Apparatus for retrieving data from a data storage medium having a plurality of data cells in which discrete values are stored said apparatus comprising:
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sample means for sampling said data at a plurality of sampling points in each of said data cells and for generating a stream of data samples; transition-detector means for detecting transistions in said stream of data samples; data-pitch means for estimating a current pitch of said data cells based on the distance between two of said transitions; transition-phase means responsive to said current pitch for determining a transition phases of said transitions; sampling-phase means, responsive to said transition-phase means, for finding a preferred sampling phase; and output means for constructing a data output signal from said data samples occurring at said preferred sampling phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of retrieving data from a data storage medium having a plurality of data cells in which discrete values are stored, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a stream of data samples by sampling said data at a plurality of sampling points in each of said data cells; detecting transitions in said stream of data samples; estimating a current pitch of said data cells based on two of said transitions; determining the transition phases of said transitions based on said current pitch; determining a preferred sampling phases from said transition phases; and constructing a data output signal from said data samples occurring at said preferred sampling phase. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification