Patrick J Devaney

US Patent:

6357045, Mar 12, 2002

Filed:

Mar 31, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/829108

Inventors:

Patrick W. Devaney - Freehold NJ

Assignee:

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

International Classification:

H04N 716

US Classification:

725138, 725 38, 348385, 348564

Abstract:

A method and apparatus that generates a time-multiplexed channel surfing signal at television head-end sites. The system includes circuitry that receives channel feeds which are analog signals or digitally encoded signals. The channel feeds are segmented and segments from each feed are combined to produce a combined channel feed which is transmitted with the channel feeds.

US Patent:

55862004, Dec 17, 1996

Filed:

Jan 7, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/178948

Inventors:

Patrick Devaney - Freehold NJ
Daniel Gnanaprakasam - Secane PA
Peter Westerink - Mount Laurel NJ
Robert Topper - Hatboro PA

Assignee:

Panasonic Technologies, Inc. - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

G06K 936

US Classification:

382232

Abstract:

An image processing system encodes a natural image into a segmented or mosaic image having well-defined edges and a residual image. The segmented image is encoded using a lossless encoding technique while the residual image is encoded using a lossy technique. This encoded image may be recorded on a video tape such that the segmented image may be recovered in picture-in-shuttle modes such as fast forward and fast rewind. In addition, the recorded image may be decoded and reencoded through several generational levels without experiencing significant degradation in perceived image quality. The segmented image is produced by an encoder which employs a multi-scale edge finder that is able to resolve transitions occurring over two, four and eight pixels into an edge located between two pixels. In addition, the lossless encoder includes circuitry which chain-encodes the segmented image into a low-resolution image and multiple complementary images such that the low-resolution image may be stored as a single data packet and, thus, recovered as a unit from the tape in picture-in-shuttle mode.

US Patent:

54209714, May 30, 1995

Filed:

Mar 15, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/213127

Inventors:

Peter Westerink - Mount Laurel NJ
Daniel Gnanaprakasam - Secane PA
Patrick Devaney - Freehold NJ
Robert Topper - Hatboro PA

Assignee:

Panasonic Technologies, Inc. - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

G06T 920

US Classification:

395133

Abstract:

An edge finder for an image processing system locates edges in a digitized image over several different ranges of pixel values and assigns, to each pixel value an edge characteristic value which represents a minimum edge value for the pixel in the image. The exemplary edge finder that is able to resolve transitions occurring between two pixels or over groups of four or eight pixels to determine whether an edge should be defined between the original two pixels. The edge finder simultaneously examines four edges in two dimensions to determine the edgeness value for each pixel in the digitized image.

US Patent:

58190350, Oct 6, 1998

Filed:

Oct 20, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/546049

Inventors:

Patrick William Devaney - Freehold NJ
Daniel Chandran Gnanaprakasam - North Wales PA
Thomas James Leacock - Mount Laurel NJ

Assignee:

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

International Classification:

H04N 1413

US Classification:

39520032

Abstract:

A video signal encoding/decoding system reduces ringing noise by using a post-filter which performs anisotropic diffusion on decoded data. The exemplary system uses an encoding/decoding technique such as that developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). The post-filter processes individual blocks of pixels, assigning an individual edge significance threshold to each block. Noise removal occurs if the edge strength is below the threshold and is inhibited if the edge strength is above the threshold.