Stephen V Kowalski

US Patent:

6529146, Mar 4, 2003

Filed:

Jun 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/590469

Inventors:

Stephen Francis Kowalski - Hacienda Heights CA
Richard Prentiss Jensen - Los Angeles CA
Damon Andrew Darling - Oceanside CA
Joshua Dov Joseph Sharfman - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

Interactive Video Technologies, Inc. - New York NY

International Classification:

H03M 700

US Classification:

341 50, 725132

Abstract:

A system and method for simultaneously and synchronously encoding a data signal in multiple formats and at multiple bit rates. According to one aspect of the invention, plural encoding stations are controlled by one central controller, which controls the encoding format carried out by each encoding station, and also controls the commencement of the encoding process to ensure that each encoding station simultaneously commences the encoding process, thereby synchronizing the encoded streams.

US Patent:

57781044, Jul 7, 1998

Filed:

Jun 19, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/670248

Inventors:

Stephen Vincent Kowalski - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G06T 500

US Classification:

382261

Abstract:

The present invention is an adaptive luminance filter for filtering digital images. The present invention preserves annotation that is overlaid on a natural image background. Non-color specific filtering is used to preserve the clarity of the annotation. Images processed with the filter of the present invention are smoothed to varying degrees at each point in the image, depending on the luminance of the picture elements in the surrounding area. As a result, non-annotation areas are smoothed and annotation areas are left unfiltered. This allows higher than normal image quality to be produced and also allows the images to be compressed with greater efficiency.

US Patent:

59779900, Nov 2, 1999

Filed:

Jun 30, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/885209

Inventors:

Stephen V. Kowalski - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G06T 120

US Classification:

345506

Abstract:

A parallel computer synthesizes a digital map. The computer includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage includes a background processor for generating a map background image and N overlay processors for generating first through Nth map overlay images of non-relocatable map features. First and second sets of interim buffers are alternately connected to the background processor and to the N overlay processors. The second stage includes a second stage processor connected to the output of the first and second sets of interim buffers for combining, according to a predetermined priority, the overlay images generated by the processors of the first stage to generate a composite map image. The second stage processor also generates a final map overlay image of relocatable features, and combines the composite map image with the overlay image of relocatable features to generate a display map image. A pair of output buffers is connected to the output of the second stage processor so that each buffer of the pair is alternately connected to the processor.

US Patent:

58964681, Apr 20, 1999

Filed:

Nov 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/562657

Inventors:

Stephen V. Kowalski - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

Assignee:

Nortrhop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G06K 920
G06K 936
G06K 934

US Classification:

382264

Abstract:

Digital maps digitized by scanning paper maps are smoothed by identifying regions which should be of a uniform color, empirically selecting sets of colors which the pixels of a given region might have in the raw map, empirically determining the statistical probability of occurrence of pixels of each color of the selected set in the region, defining groups of connected pixels having colors within the selected set, and resetting the color of all the pixels in a group to a predetermined region color if, and only if, the pixels of the group satisfy the determined statistical probability of occurrence. The inventive method provides uniform coloring of the map where desired, without affecting the sharpness of small-print map annotations.