1. A removable vacuum cleaner filter assembly, comprising:
a flange portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a flange aperture therethrough;
a porous filter element portion attached to the lower surface of the flange portion and extending along a filter axis, the filter element portion having an opening generally aligned with the flange aperture, and the filter element portion having a generally constant cross-sectional area when intersected by a plane generally perpendicular to the filter axis; and
a manifold comprising a lower surface, first and second inlet ports through said lower surface, a common outlet port through said lower surface and generally aligned with the flange aperture, a first flow passage extending from said first inlet port to said common outlet port while turning through an angle of approximately 180, and a second flow passage extending from said second inlet port to said common outlet port while turning through an angle of approximately 180, wherein at least a portion of said lower surface of said manifold rests against at least a portion of said upper surface of said flange portion.
2. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter element portion has an upper section and a lower section below the upper section, further wherein the opening of the filter element portion is in the upper section for directing a flow of air and particulates into the filter element portion from above.
3. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the flange aperture has a generally elliptical shape.
4. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter element portion includes at least one of a paper material and a fabric material.
5. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein a material forming the flange includes at least one of a cardboard material and an elastomeric material.
6. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the flange includes first and second layers of a cardboard material and a layer of elastomeric material between the first and second layers of cardboard material.
7. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter element portion has a generally rectangular shape with two pairs of opposing walls, and further wherein walls of one of the pairs of walls curve outwardly away from each other.
8. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter element portion is elongated along an axis generally perpendicular to the flow area.
9. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the flange has a partially elliptical shape and is elongated along a major axis, and further wherein opposite ends of the flange have generally straight edges aligned generally perpendicular to the major axis.
10. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter element includes a base and at least one wall portion extending upwardly from the base to the flange.
11. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 10 wherein the base is approximately flat and oriented generally perpendicular to the filter axis.
12. A removable vacuum cleaner filter assembly for use with a vacuum cleaner having a filter supporting surface with an aperture extending therethrough, the filter assembly comprising:
a manifold comprising a first inlet port, a second inlet port, a common outlet port generally aligned with the aperture of the filter supporting surface, a first flow passage, and a second flow passage, wherein said first flow passage turns through an angle of approximately 180 from said first inlet port to said common outlet port, and wherein said second flow passage turns through an angle of approximately 180 from said second inlet port to said common outlet port;
a porous filter element portion extending along a filter axis and having a top, a bottom, and an opening generally aligned with the aperture of the filter supporting surface, the filter element portion having a generally constant cross-sectional area from the top to the bottom when intersected by a plane generally perpendicular to the filter axis; and
a flange attached to the filter element portion and extending outwardly away from, and in a plane parallel to a plane of, the opening of the filter element portion to engage the filter supporting surface of the vacuum cleaner, the filter element portion extending through the aperture of the filter supporting surface when the flange engages the filter supporting surface, said manifold being removably attached to the filter supporting surface to selectably clamp a portion of said flange between a lower surface of said manifold and the filter supporting surface.
13. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the filter supporting surface faces upwardly and the filter element portion has an upper section and a lower section below the upper section, and further wherein the opening of the filter element portion is in the upper section for directing a flow of air and particulates into the filter element portion from above.
14. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the flange has a generally elliptically shaped flange aperture aligned with the opening of the filter element portion.
15. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the filter element portion includes at least one of a paper material and a fabric material.
16. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein a material forming the flange includes at least one of a cardboard material and an elastomeric material.
17. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the flange includes first and second layers of a cardboard material and a layer of elastomeric material between the first and second layers of cardboard material.
18. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the filter element portion has a generally rectangular shape with two pairs of opposing walls, and further wherein walls of one of the pairs of walls curve outwardly away from each other.
19. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the filter element portion is elongated along an axis generally perpendicular to the flow area.
20. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the flange has a partially elliptical shape and is elongated along a major axis, and further wherein opposite ends of the flange have generally straight edges aligned generally perpendicular to the major axis.
21. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 12 wherein the filter element includes a base and at least one wall portion extending upwardly from the base to the flange.
22. The vacuum cleaner filter assembly of claim 21 wherein the base is approximately flat and oriented generally perpendicular to the filter axis.
23. A method for separating particulates from a flow of air and particulates in a vacuum cleaner, the method comprising:
receiving the flow of air and particulates into the vacuum cleaner from an intake opening;
splitting the flow of air and particulates from said intake opening into at least a first air stream and a second air stream, wherein said first air stream flows through a first conduit, and wherein said second air stream flows through a second conduit;
directing the flow of air and particulates comprising said first and second air streams into a filter element having a top and a bottom, the flow of air and particulates being directed along a filter element axis while maintaining a flow area along the filter element axis from the top to the bottom at a generally constant value;
passing at least a portion of the flow of air through the filter element; and
engaging at least a portion of the particulates with an inner wall of the filter element to prevent the portion of particulates from passing through the filter element.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein directing the flow of air and particulates includes passing the flow through a generally elliptical opening of the filter element.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the particulates include first particulates having a first weight and second particulates having a second weight greater than the first weight, and further wherein engaging at least a portion of the particulates includes engaging the particulates having the first weight with an inner wall of the filter element, said method further comprising dropping the second particulates toward a bottom surface of the filter element under the force of gravity.
26. The method of claim 23 wherein directing the flow into the filter element includes directing the flow downwardly into the filter element.
27. A method for removably positioning a vacuum cleaner filter in a vacuum cleaner having a filter supporting surface with an aperture extending therethrough, the method comprising:
detaching a manifold from the filter supporting surface, said manifold comprising a first flow passage and a second flow passage, said first flow passage turning through an angle of approximately 180 from a first inlet port to a common outlet port, and said second flow passage turning through an angle of approximately 180 from a second inlet port to said common outlet port;
inserting a porous filter element portion of the filter through the aperture of the filter supporting surface;
engaging a flange extending outwardly from the porous filter element portion with the filter supporting surface to support the porous filter element portion relative to the filter supporting surface; and
reattaching said manifold to the filter supporting surface, while ensuring that said first inlet port is aligned with a first inlet flow conduit and that said second inlet port is aligned with a second inlet flow conduit, thereby clamping a portion of said flange between the filter supporting surface and a lower surface of said manifold.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the filter supporting surface faces upwardly and inserting the porous filter element portion includes moving the porous filter element portion downwardly through the aperture of the filter supporting surface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Apparatus for processing an image, the apparatus comprising a machine for accessing a plurality of color caches corresponding to different chromatic contexts, selecting a color cache for a pixel value being processed, and using information in the selected color cache to predict a value for the pixel being processed.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all color components of the pixel being processed are coded simultaneously.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a color cache is selected according to chromatic context from chromatic values of a causal neighborhood of pixels.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein information in a selected cache is indexed by using a predicted luminance value for the pixel being processed, the predicted luminance value being computed from a causal neighborhood of pixels.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a color cache is selected by dividing the UV plane into n disjoint regions; wherein an x-dimensional vector is generated, where x is the number of pixels in the causal neighborhood and whereby nx candidate chromatic contexts are available for selection; and wherein the vector is mapped on a one-to-one basis into an index in the range 0, nx1, the index identifying the selected color cache.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the number and the shape of the regions into which the UV-plane is divided is different for each of the x pixels in the causal neighborhood.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a color cache is selected by dividing the UV plane into n disjoint regions; wherein an x-dimensional vector is generated, where x is the number of pixels in the causal neighborhood and whereby nx candidate chromatic contexts are available for selection; and wherein the candidate cache with the largest estimated likelihood is selected.
8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a color cache is selected by dividing the UV plane into as many regions as color caches; assigning one color cache per region; identifying a color cache for each pixel in the causal neighborhood; and selecting the identified color cache that occurs most often.
9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a color cache is selected by dividing the UV plane into as many regions as color caches; assigning one color cache per region; determining whether adjacent pixels have the same regions, whereby an edge is assumed; and selecting the color cache corresponding to the region of a pixel along the edge.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine adds the actual pixel value of the pixel being processed to the selected color cache if the actual pixel value is not already contained within the color cache.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine removes unlikely pixel values from the color caches.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine performs image compression.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the machine uses a code word to describe an error vector between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed; and wherein the machine uses a backup coder if the error vector cannot be described by the code word.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the machine predicts an index to the selected color cache for the pixel being processed, determines an actual index in the selected color cache, and uses a code word to describe the error between the predicted and actual indices; and wherein the machine uses a backup coder if the error cannot be computed or described by the code word.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine performs image reconstruction.
16. Apparatus comprising:
means for accessing a plurality of color caches corresponding to different chromatic contexts;
means for selecting a color cache for a pixel being processed; and
means for using information in the selected color cache to predict a value for the pixel being processed.
17. A digital image encoder comprising a processor for accessing a plurality of color caches corresponding to different chromatic contexts, selecting a color cache for a pixel value being processed, and using information in the selected color cache to predict a value for the pixel being processed.
18. The encoder of claim 17, wherein a color cache is selected according to chromatic context from chromatic values of a causal neighborhood of pixels.
19. The encoder of claim 17, wherein information in the selected cache is indexed by using a predicted luminance value for the pixel being processed, the predicted luminance value being computed from a causal neighborhood of pixels.
20. The encoder of claim 17, wherein the processor adds the actual pixel value of the pixel being processed to the selected color cache if the actual pixel value is not already contained within the color cache.
21. The encoder of claim 17, wherein the processor removes unlikely pixel values from the color caches.
22. The encoder of claim 17, wherein the processor uses a code word to describe an error vector between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed; and wherein the processor uses a backup coder if the error vector cannot be described by the code word.
23. The encoder of claim 17, wherein the processor predicts an index to the selected color cache for the pixel being processed, determines an actual index in the selected color cache, and uses a code word to describe the error between the predicted and actual indices; and wherein the processor uses a backup coder if the error cannot be computed or described by the code word.
24. A method of processing an image, the method comprising:
accessing a plurality of color caches corresponding to different chromatic contexts;
selecting a color cache for a pixel value being processed; and
using information in the selected color cache to predict a value for the pixel being processed.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein all color components of the pixel being processed are coded simultaneously.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein a color cache is selected according to chromatic context from chromatic values of a causal neighborhood of pixels.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein information in the selected cache is indexed by using a predicted luminance value for the pixel being processed, the predicted luminance value being computed from the causal neighborhood of pixels.
28. The method of claim 24, further comprising adding the actual pixel value of the pixel being processed to the selected color cache if the actual pixel value is not already contained within the color cache.
29. The method of claim 24, further comprising removing unlikely pixel values from the color caches.
30. The method of claim 24, wherein the image is compressed.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising using a code word to describe an error vector between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed; and using a backup coder if the error vector cannot be described by the code word.
32. The method of claim 30, further comprising predicting an index to the selected color cache for the pixel being processed; determining an actual index in the selected color cache; and using a code word to describe the error between the predicted and actual indices or using a backup coder if the error cannot be computed or described by the code word.
33. The method of claim 24, wherein image is reconstructed from the predicted pixel values.
34. An article for causing a processor to process a digital image, the article comprising computer memory encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate a plurality of color caches corresponding to different chromatic contexts, select a color cache for each pixel value being processed, and use information in the selected color cache to predict a value for the pixel being processed.
35. Apparatus for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising a machine for determining an error between a predicted value and an actual value of a pixel being processed, encoding the error if the error satisfies a constraint, and defaulting to a backup technique to code the pixel being processed if the error does not satisfy the constraint.
36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the error is a vector indicating the difference between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the error is a difference between indices of the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
38. Apparatus for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising:
means for determining an error between a predicted value and an actual value of a pixel being processed;
encoding the error if the error is within acceptable bounds; and
defaulting to a backup technique to code the pixel being processed if the error is not within acceptable bounds.
39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the error is a vector indicating a difference between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the error is a difference between indices of the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
41. A method for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising:
determining an error between a predicted value and an actual value of a pixel being processed;
encoding the error if the error is within acceptable bounds; and
defaulting to a backup technique to code the pixel being processed if the error is not within acceptable bounds.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the error is a vector indicating a difference between the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
43. The method of claim 41, wherein the error is a difference between indices of the predicted value and the actual value of the pixel being processed.
44. Apparatus for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising a processor for generating a cache of pixel values already processed, using the cache to predict a value of a pixel being processed, and adding a pixel value to the cache if the actual value of the pixel being processed is not found in the cache.
45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor removes a pixel value from the cache if that pixel value is not likely to occur again.
46. Apparatus for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising:
means for generating a cache of pixel values already processed;
means for using the cache to predict a value of a pixel being processed; and
means for adding a pixel value to the cache if the actual value of the pixel being processed is not found in the cache.
47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for adding the pixel value also removes the pixel value from the cache if that pixel value is not likely to occur again.
48. A method of processing a digital image, the method comprising:
generating a cache of pixel values already processed;
using the cache to predict a value of a pixel being processed; and
adding a pixel value to the cache if the actual value of the pixel being processed is not found in the cache.
49. The method of claim 48, further comprising removing a pixel value from the cache if that pixel value is not likely to occur again.