Patent ID: 6052493
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image data compression/expansion system comprising:means for receiving pixel information of an image constituted by a predetermined number of pixels;an image data compression device having extraction means for extracting, from the pixel information, characteristic data representing characteristic values of those pixels whose number is substantially less than the predetermined number and each of which is significant as compared to its surrounding pixels and position data of these significant pixels; andan image data expansion device for interpolatingly forming characteristic data of all the pixels of the image from the characteristic and position data of the significant pixels;wherein said extraction means further extract characteristic data representing characteristic values of those pixels of the image, which are two-dimensionally distributed over the image at predetermined constant intervals from one another and whose number is substantially greater than 4 but less than the predetermined number, and position data of these two-dimensionally distributed pixels; andwherein said image data expansion device comprises an interpolation matrix having signal points corresponding to respective ones of the predetermined number of pixels of the image and interconnected through impedance elements, and characteristic data supplying means responsive to the characteristic and position data fed from the image compression device for supplying the characteristic data to those of the signal points of said interpolating matrix which are indicated by the position data, so that characteristic data of all the pixels of the image are interpolatingly formed at the respective signal points of said interpolation matrix.