Digital scaling

• US 8,374,234 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francis S.J. Munoz, Stephen R. Campbell, Vadym P. Babich
• Original Assignee: Francis S.J. Munoz, Stephen R. Campbell, Vadym P. Babich
• Inventors: Munoz, Francis S. J., Babich, Vadym P., Campbell, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zia, Syed A.
• Application Number:
  US11/775,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/012 Conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal for graphics images G09G2310/0229

Abstract

Computer program products and arrangements to process digital data are contemplated. The digital data may contain values, representing quantities of a wave form over regions. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to process digital data by dividing one of the regions, where one of the values represents a quantity of a wave form over the region. The embodiments may include assigning a value to each of the subregions. The average of the values of the subregions, weighted by the measures of the subregions, may approximately equal the value of the region. The regions may comprise pixels and the values of the pixels may represent the intensity of light waves over the pixels. The embodiments may include the processing of digital data in cameras, televisions, audio players, seismic devices, and medical imaging devices. The subdivision of regions and the assignment of value to the subregions may utilize derivative migration.

Claims

1. A method to process digital data, the method comprising:

receiving digital data comprising values, the values assigned to regions and representing quantities of a wave form over the regions;

selecting a region of the regions, wherein the region is assigned a value of the digital data;

dividing the region into a plurality of subregions; and

assigning a value to each of the plurality of subregions, wherein the average of the values of the subregions, weighted by measures of the subregions, is approximately equal to the value of the region, thereby increasing the number of data points of the digital data, wherein assigning a value to a subregion comprises assigning a value based upon the value of the region and the value of neighboring regions, wherein;

the region comprises an interval;

the plurality of subregions comprise a first and a second subinterval of the interval;

the neighboring regions comprise a first and a second neighboring region, wherein the first neighboring region neighbors the first subinterval and the second neighboring region neighbors the second subinterval; and

assigning a value to each subregion comprises assigning a value to each subregion based upon the value of the region and values of the neighboring regions, and

wherein assigning a value to each subregion based upon the value of the region and values of the neighboring regions comprises;

selecting a function f piecewise linear over the subregions; and

assigning to each subregion an integral of f over the subregion divided by a measure of the subregion, wherein a value of an integral of f over the region divided by a measure of the region is approximately equal to the value of the region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dividing a subregion of the plurality of subregions into sub subregions; and

assigning a value to each sub subregion, wherein the average of the values of the sub subregions, weighted by measures of the sub subregions, is approximately equal to the value of the subregion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the region comprises a portion of a plane;

dividing the region into the plurality of subregions comprises dividing the portion of the plane along a first line through the plane;

dividing the subregion into sub subregions comprises dividing the subregion along a second line through the plane, the second line not parallel to the first line; and

assigning a value to each subregion and sub subregion comprises weighting the subregions and sub subregions by the areas of the subregions and sub subregions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein dividing the region into subregions and dividing the subregion into sub subregions comprise dividing the regions and subregions along perpendicular lines.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining all or a portion of the plurality of the subregions into a single region; and

assigning a value to the single region based on the values of the all or a portion of the plurality of the subregions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the regions comprise intervals;

the dividing the region into the plurality of subregions comprises dividing an interval into subintervals, wherein no value of the digital data was assigned to a subinterval of the subintervals;

the assigning a value to each subregion of the plurality of subregions comprises assigning a value to each subinterval of the subintervals; and

the weighting the subintervals comprises weighting the subintervals by lengths of the subintervals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the region comprises a rectangle;

dividing a region into subregions comprises dividing the rectangle into sub rectangles along one or more lines parallel to one of the sides of the rectangle; and

assigning a value to each subregion comprises weighting the sub rectangles by areas of the sub rectangles.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the region comprises dividing the region into equal halves.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the region comprises an interval of time;

the value of the digital data represents the value of the wave form over the interval of time; and

dividing the region into subregions comprises dividing the interval of time into subintervals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the region comprises a frame;

the value of the digital data represents quantities of the wave form over an interval of time and a physical region; and

dividing the region into subregions comprises dividing the frame along the dimension of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises:

selecting a function f integrable over the subregions and the region, wherein a value of an integral of f over the region divided by a measure of the region is approximately equal to the value of the region; and

assigning to each subregion a value of an integral of f over the subregion divided by a measure of the subregion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

selecting a function f comprises selecting a function f defined along one dimension of the region; and

the value of the integral of f over a subregion is the value of the integral of f over the subregion along the dimension.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assigning a value to each subregion based upon the value of the region and values of the neighboring regions comprises assigning the value

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting a piecewise linear function comprises selecting a function f dependent upon a ratio, the denominator of the ratio dependent upon max(|A−

B|,|C−

B|) and the numerator of the ratio dependent upon min(|A−

B|,|C−

B|), wherein B is the value of the interval;

A is a value of the first neighboring region;

C is a value of the second neighboring region;

not all of A, B, and C are equal;

the function “

max”

returns the greater of its arguments and the function “

min”

returns the least of its arguments.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting comprises:

determining values of f at the endpoints of the interval, the values a linear combination of A, B, and C;

determining an inflection point of the interval, the inflection point dependent upon the ratio; and

determining a value of f at the inflection point, based upon the constraint that the integral of f over the interval is approximately equal to B.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value of the region comprises channels; and

assigning a value to each subregion comprises assigning a value comprising channels to each subregion.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the

function f, wherein f is a continuous-valued function integrable over the plurality of subregions and the region.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the region comprises an interval; and

the selecting comprises selecting the function f integrable over the interval.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the region comprises an interval; and

the selecting comprises selecting the function f integrable over the interval.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the

region, wherein no subregion of the region is assigned a value of the digital data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the regions comprise areas;

the values comprise pixels, wherein each pixel represents quantities of the wave form over an area;

the selecting the region comprises selecting an area of the areas, wherein no pixel of the digital data was assigned to a portion of the area;

the dividing the region comprises dividing the area into portions of the area; and

the assigning comprises assigning a pixel to each portion of the portions of the area.

27. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the values comprise pixels, wherein each pixel represents quantities of the wave form over an area during an interval of time;

the selecting the region comprises selecting a physical region during an interval of time,

wherein no pixel of the digital data was assigned to the physical region during a subinterval of the interval of time;

the dividing the region comprises dividing the physical region during the interval of time into the physical region during subintervals of the interval of time; and

the assigning comprises assigning a pixel to the physical region during each subinterval of the subintervals.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the regions comprise areas with a single channel;

the values comprise pixels, wherein each pixel represents a single color of an area;

the selecting the region comprises selecting an area of the areas, wherein no pixel of the digital data was assigned to a portion of the area;

the dividing the region comprises dividing an area with a single channel into the area with multiple channels; and

the assigning comprises assigning a pixel to the area for each channel of the multiple channels.

30. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the region comprises an interval;

the value of the region is B;

the subregions comprise subintervals of the interval;

the method further comprises applying a coordinate system wherein the interval ranges from −

1.0 to +1.0;

a first subinterval ranges from −

1.0 to 0.0;

a second subinterval ranges from 0.0 to +1.0;

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing the value of the

region with the values of the subregions.

17. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium does not comprise a transitory signal, the storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive digital data comprising values, the values assigned to regions and representing quantities of a wave form over the regions;

select a region of the regions, wherein the region is assigned a value of the digital data;

divide the region into a plurality of subregions; and

assign a value to each of the plurality of subregions, wherein the average of the values of the subregions, weighted by measures of the subregions, is approximately equal to the value of the region, thereby increasing the number of data points of the digital data, wherein assigning a value to a subregion comprises assigning a value based upon the value of the region and the value of neighboring regions, wherein;

the region comprises an interval;

the plurality of subregions comprise a first and a second subinterval of the interval;

the neighboring regions comprise a first and a second neighboring region, wherein the first neighboring region neighbors the first subinterval and the second neighboring region neighbors the second subinterval; and

assign a value to each subregion comprises assigning a value to each subregion based upon the value of the region and values of the neighboring regions, and

wherein assigning a value to each subregion based upon the value of the region and values of the neighboring regions comprises;

selecting a function f piecewise linear over the subregions; and

assigning to each subregion an integral of f over the subregion divided by a measure of the subregion, wherein a value of an integral of f over the region divided by a measure of the region is approximately equal to the value of the region.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to:

divide a subregion of the plurality of subregions into sub subregions; and

assign a value to each sub subregion, wherein the average of the values of the sub subregions, weighted by measures of the sub subregions, is approximately equal to the value of the subregion.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

the region comprises a frame;

the value of the digital data represents quantities of the wave form over an interval of time and a physical region; and

dividing the region into subregions comprises dividing the frame along the dimension of time.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the

assigning comprises:

selecting a function f integrable over the subregions and the region, wherein a value of an integral of f over the region divided by a measure of the region is approximately equal to the value of the region; and

assigning to each subregion a value of an integral of f over the subregion divided by a measure of the subregion.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein selecting a function f comprises selecting a function f piecewise linear over the plurality of subregions, wherein the value of f depends upon the value of the region and the value of neighboring regions.

29. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the region, wherein no subregion of the region is assigned a value of the digital data.

32. A method to process digital data, the method comprising:

receiving digital data comprising values, the values assigned to regions and representing quantities of a wave form over the regions;

selecting a region of the regions, wherein the region is assigned a value of the digital data;

dividing the region into a plurality of subregions; and

assigning a value to each of the plurality of subregions, the assigning comprising;

selecting a function f integrable over the subregions and the region, wherein a value of an integral of f over the region divided by a measure of the region is approximately equal to the value of the region ; and

assigning to each subregion a value of an integral of f over the subregion divided by a measure of the subregion, wherein the average of the values of the subregions, weighted by measures of the subregions, is approximately equal to the value of the region, thereby increasing the number of data points of the digital data, wherein;

the region comprises an interval;

the plurality of subregions comprise a first and a second subinterval of the interval;

the neighboring regions comprise a first and a second neighboring region, wherein the first neighboring region neighbors the first subinterval and the second neighboring region neighbors the second subinterval;

assigning a value to a subregion comprises assigning a value based upon the value of the region and the value of neighboring regions; and

the selecting comprises selecting the function f, wherein f is piecewise linear over the interval.