Eastman-kodak Company

Lifeprint LLC

Steven J Sasson

Robert G Hills

Patrick A Cosgrove

Timothy S Martin

Eric D Wilson

Robert M Macauley

Guy C Vachon

Gareth A Lloyd

A system for distributing data that represents and can be converted into a physical object such as a printed photograph or three-dimensional '3D printed' object provides a variety of user controls to direct the flow of data and restrict the use of consumable supplies.

Distributed printing social network

A digital frame buffer architecture is disclosed including a least two data banks, each data bank having at least a number of DRAMs equal to the number of bits in the data word to be stored. The DRAMs have a write cycle time greater than the input pixel data rate, but less than the input pixel data rate multiplied by the number of data banks provided. Succeeding input data words are alternately stored in the data banks. Sufficient time is provided to complete a write cycle as each data bank only stores every other data word.

Frame buffer architecture for storing sequential data in alternating

A method and apparatus for performing data compression is disclosed that does not require interpolation of pixel data in order to define image blocks. More specifically, the present invention provides spatially interleaved image blocks composed of high frequency image components by sampling the high frequency image components at a pitch or spatial sample frequency equal to that of the low frequency image components. The present invention provides the added advantage of reducing the number of image blocks that must be defined in order to perform data compression.

Method and apparatus for performing image compression using discrete

The invention provides a framestore architecture that permits direct addressing of digital image data in order to generate rotated image. The framestore architecture permits direct addressing at standard video sampling rates in order to generate rotated image data in real time. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an input unit for latching input pixel data in a predetermined sequence; a storage unit, including a plurality of storage devices, coupled to the input unit for storing the input pixel data latched by the input unit; an output unit coupled to the storage unit for retrieving the pixel data stored in the storage unit and generating an output pixel data stream in accordance with a predetermined sequence; an addressing unit coupled to the storage unit for addressing the storage devices included therein; and a control unit for controlling the overall operation of the input unit, the storage unit, the output unit and the addressing unit in a write operation mode and a read operation mode, wherein the input pixel data is stored in the storage devices in the write operation mode such that consecutive pixel data retrieved during the read operation mode is not stored in the same storage device.

Method and apparatus for providing rotation of digital image data

An electronic still camera employs digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a removable static random access memory card. An image sensor is exposed to image light and the resultant analog image information is converted to digital image signals. A control processor controls the exposure section and the A/D converter, delivering digital signals to a multi-image buffer at a rate commensurate with normal operation of the camera. A digital processor operates on the stored digital signals, transforming blocks of the digital signals and encoding the signals into a compressed stream of processed image signals, which are downloaded to the memory card. The digital processor operates at a throughput rate different than the input rate for better image capture and optimum utilization of the camera.

Electronic still camera utilizing image compression and digital storage

A video signal is time division multiplexed prior to recording using a time base compression device including a random access memory, instead of serial shift registers or the like. Large time base errors in the incoming video signal are accommodated without creating conflicts between memory read and write operations of successive video lines and without requiring a spare memory. Instead, the time compression random access memory has dual data ports, and successive video lines are loaded into and unloaded out of different locations in the random access memory simultaneously through different ports at different data rates to achieve the requisite time compression. As a result, the usual requirement to route incoming video signals to a spare memory in case of a time base error, for avoiding memory read and write conflicts, is eliminated by the invention.

Video time division multiplexer with plural dual port memories

Color video signal apparatus includes a digital memory for storing a frame of color video signal in a fast and efficient manner. A composite color video signal is separated into a luminance and two chrominance signals. A luminance analog to digital converter (ADC) converts the luminance signal into an N bit digital signal at a sampling frequency F. A chrominance ADC converts each of the two chrominance signals into an M bit digital signal having a sampling frequency 1/4 F, where M is an even integer. N bits of a sample of the digital luminance signal and 1/2 M bits of a sample of one of the two digital chrominance signals are simultaneously written into the memory. For each set of four successive N bit samples of digital luminance signal written into memory, an M bit sample of each of the two digital chrominance signals is also written into the memory. The invention is useful in video cassette recorders.

Color video signal frame store

A video signal apparatus processes a time-division-multiplex (TDM) video signal. The TDM signal includes a compressed sync, a compressed chrominance component constituting a series of time compressed samples of a chrominance component of a color video signal, a compressed luminance component constituting a series of time compressed samples of a luminance component of the color video signal and a buffer between the compressed chrominance component and compressed luminance component. The durations of each of the compressed sync, the compressed chrominance component, the compressed luminance component and the buffer are divisible by the same number (preferably an integral number) greater than one in order to reduce the speed, cost and complexity of timing and control circuitry.

Apparatus for processing a time-division multiplex video signal having

Video signal apparatus processes a time-division-multiplex (TDM) video signal which has a buffer segment between luminance and chrominance component segments. The apparatus includes a circuit which provides to an output transmission path, a TDM video signal having a compressed luminance segment including a series of time-compressed samples of varying signal value representing the luminance component of a color video signal and a compressed chrominance segment including a series of time-compressed samples of varying signal value representing the chrominance component of the color video signal. A control controls the circuit to form a buffer segment between the luminance and chrominance segments. During the buffer segment, the signal value of the TDM signal is caused to change from the value of the last sample of one segment to the value of the first sample of the next segment by applying to the output transmission path the signal value of the first sample of the next segment.

Video signal apparatus for processing a time-division-multiplex video

Electronic imaging apparatus, preferably an electronic still camera, employs an inexpensive information-recording medium such as audio-grade magnetic tape for 'capturing' scene images. The camera includes a charge coupled device comprised of an array of photosensitive elements which form a charge pattern corresponding to an optical image projected onto the elements during an exposure interval. A charge transfer circuit converts the charge pattern into a high frequency pulsed electrical signal immediately following the exposure interval to remove the charge from the device in a short period of time to maintain unwanted 'dark current' at a low level. Each pulse represents the image-forming light projected onto a particular photosensitive element. A high speed analog-to-digital converter converts these pulses to multi-bit digital words in real time. A digital buffer memory temporarily stores these words, then retransmits them at a rate that is compatible for recording on the audio-grade tape. The image can be displayed on a conventional television receiver by reading the recorded words from the tape and converting them to a format compatible with the signal-receiving circuitry of the television.

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Hilton, NY, United States of America

Steven J Sasson