Data processing: structural design – modeling – simulation – and em – Simulating nonelectrical device or system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-20
2001-03-13
Teska, Kevin J. (Department: 2123)
Data processing: structural design, modeling, simulation, and em
Simulating nonelectrical device or system
C703S002000, C396S311000, C396S316000, C396S322000, C382S299000, C382S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202040
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for modifying photographic images and drawings and more particularly to a system for distorting photographic images and drawings to simulate a painting effect.
2. Discussion of the Background
Today, more and more households have personal computers equipped with scanners. Scanners provide a mechanism for obtaining digital representations of pictures, photographs and documents. Presently, the typical computer user utilizes scanners to “scan in” documents in order to save time from manually typing in the content of the scanned document or for digitally storing the contents of the scanned document. It is also common for computer users to “scan in” photographs or pictures to be integrated into computer presentations or to be used as screensavers and the like.
Creating special effects of input drawings and photographs using a computer equipped with a scanner is a growing trend. Many, if not all, of the special effects are created by software driven processing after a picture or photograph has been scanned. Thus, the effects are not a function of the content scanned by the scanner. The conventional technique for modifying processed images using a personal computer includes scanning a processed image and subsequently modifying the scanned data using “painting” software to create a painting like representation of the processed image on the computer's graphics system. This type of system generally does not give a satisfactory effect to users and its expense is a function of the required software.
Another method for creating special effects related to photographs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,259 to Hylen. The Hylen patent discloses an attachment for a camera for altering the light of an image prior to the image being recorded on film by a camera in order to create a painting-like photograph. A transparent plate is mounted at the film plane within the camera to create the effect. The transparent plate includes a translucent diffusion pattern which diffuses incoming light rays reflected from the subject and repositions them in a manner prior to the light exposing the film.
Notwithstanding the attachment disclosed in the Hylen patent for creating a photograph with the painting-like effect. There exists a need to create this type of effect for preexisting pictures and photographs using a computer and a scanner wherein the input picture or photograph is in its normal non-effected state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel technique for creating special effects for existing drawings and photographs.
Another object of this invention is to provide a novel scanning system which distorts an input image in order to generate output data representative of the scanned input image with a simulated painting effect with or without utilizing “painting” software.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for obtaining a painting-like effect of a preexisting photograph in contrast to the known method of configuring a camera to obtain the painting-like effect while the photograph is being taken.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible scanning system using scanners configured to scan pictures and photographs (i.e., flatbed scanners), scanners configured to scan slides and films, and photocopiers.
These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by providing a novel system for modifying photographic images and drawings using a scanner wherein an irregularly translucent diffusion element is configured to be overlayed with an original image such as a photograph or picture and the scanner is configured to scan an imaging area adjacent the original image overlayed with the diffusion element and produce image data representative of the original image modified by the diffusion element. The diffusion element has a base portion with a base thickness T, an irregular portion extending from the base portion and having a maximum thickness &Dgr;Z, and is made of a material having an index of refraction N. The irregular portion of the diffusion element includes sectors having corner points separated in a two dimensional X, Y grid by distances &Dgr;X and &Dgr;Y which define peaks and troughs of the respective sectors.
Furthermore, the objects stated above and others are achieved according to the present invention by providing a novel method for modifying photographic images and drawings using a scanner including the steps: overlaying an irregular translucent diffusion element over an original image bearing element including the original image; placing the original image bearing element with the diffusion element overlayed with the original image onto an imaging area; scanning the original image bearing element overlayed with the diffusion element with scanning light so as to produce light representative of a distorted image of the original image; and, processing the light representative of the distorted image to produce the image data.
In addition, the objects stated above and others are achieved according to the present invention by providing a novel computer implemented method and computer program product for simulating the effects of a diffusion element having an index of refraction, N, on a two dimensional image stored in the computer's memory, comprising the steps of: defining a grid of grid pixels having uniform spacing, S, and dimensioned in correspondence with the two dimensional image such that each grid pixel corresponds to an image pixel of the stored two dimensional image; defining sectors having dimensions (&Dgr;X, &Dgr;Y) within the grid, where &Dgr;X and &Dgr;Y are multiples of S; assigning height values, Z, at the grid pixel location of each corner of each sector, wherein the height values, Z, are determined relative to a base thickness, T, of the diffusion element being represented; interpolating Z values for each grid pixel not having an assigned Z value; simulating distortion of the stored two dimensional image by the represented diffusion element by shifting for each image pixel corresponding to the respective grid pixels an amount in the X direction, DX, and an amount in the Y direction, DY, as a function of T, Z, and N; and, displaying a simulated distorted image.
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T.L. Kunii et al., A Diffusion Model for Computer Animation of Diffuse Ink Painting, Computer Animation '95, Proceedings, 1995, pp. 98-102, Feb. 1995.
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Coyer William F.
Schwiegerling James T.
Frejd Russell W.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Teska Kevin J.
The University of Arizona
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