Patent ID: 6226400
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
An apparatus for breaking contrast ties in a raster image comprising a plurality of pixels, the apparatus comprising:a system memory for storing the steps of a computer program; anda computer processor connected to the system memory for executing the steps of the computer program,wherein the computer program comprises:(a) a contrast tie detector (CTD) for detecting the occurrence of a contrast tie in the raster image by evaluating a color value of individual pixels in an array of pixels; and(b) a contrast tie breaker (Cfor breaking a contrast tie detected by the CTD, wherein:(i) the array of pixels comprises ##STR2##(ii) the CTD detects the occurrence of a contrast tie by performing a plurality of comparisons on the color values of the array of pixels; and(iii) the CTD detects the occurrence of a contrast tie when the color value of the A pixel equals the color value of the D pixel, the color value of the B pixel equals the color value of the C pixel, and the color value of the A pixel does not equal the color value of the B pixel.