All The Claims

1. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image comprising:
processing said image to identify edge pixels associated with significant intensity changes;
processing said image to identify an intensity gradient direction for each of said edge pixels;
processing said image to identify one of a ridge or a valley pixel having coincident curvature wherein a maximum curvature of an intensity map, centered on a subject pixel occurs at the same location as a minimum curvature of said intensity map;
when said coincident curvature position exists, identifying said subject pixel as one of a ridge or a valley pixel;
measuring the proximity of said one of a ridge or a valley pixel to said edge pixel; and
identifying said edge pixel as a text edge pixel when said proximity conforms to specified proximity criteria.
2. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image, said method comprising:
identifying an edge associated with a high-contrast intensity change;
identifying an intensity gradient direction for said edge;
identifying a character stroke axis, wherein said axis is an element in the group consisting of a stroke valley or a stroke ridge;
wherein said identifying comprises an analysis of image components until the change in curvature of the intensify curve between two successive image components in a direction substantially parallel to the intensity gradient direction reaches a maximum absolute value at the same position that the change in curvature of the intensity curve in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intensity gradient direction is near zero;
wherein said curvature of the intensity curve is calculated by solving for the eigenvalues of a Hessian matrix;
measuring a distance, in the intensity gradient direction, between said axis and said edge; and
identifying said edge as a text edge when said distance is less than a threshold value.
3. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image, said method comprising:
identifying an edge associated with a high-contrast intensity change;
identifying an intensity gradient direction for said change;
identifying a character stroke axis, wherein said axis is selected from the group consisting of a stroke valley and a stroke ridge, comprising the acts of: (1) analyzing successive pixels to identify a coincident curvature position wherein a substantial curvature of an intensity map occurs at the same location as a minimal curvature of said intensity map; and (2) measuring a substantially transverse distance between said axis and said edge; and
identifying said edge as a text edge when said substantially transverse distance is less than a threshold value.
4. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image comprising:
processing said image to identify edge components associated with significant intensity changes;
processing said image to identify an intensity gradient direction for each of said edge components;
processing said image to identify character stroke axes, wherein said stroke axes are one of a stroke valley or a stroke ridge, comprising the step of analyzing successive pixels to identify a coincident curvature position wherein a maximum curvature of an intensity map, said maximum curvature being greater than a threshold value, occurs at the same location as a minimal curvature of said intensity map, said minimal curves being lower than a specified value;
measuring the proximity of said axes to said edge component; and
identifying said edge component as a text edge component when said proximity conforms to specified proximity criteria.
5. A computer readable medium for detecting text in a mixed-content image, said method comprising the acts of:
identifying an image edge component of an edge associated with a high-contrast intensity change in an image;
identifying an intensity gradient direction for said edge component;
identifying a geometric intensity curvature feature consisting of a ridge or a valley, where said identifying a geometric intensity curvature comprises an analysis of image components until the change in curvature of the intensity curve between two successive image components in a direction substantially parallel to the intensity gradient direction reaches a maximum absolute value at the same position that the change in curvature of the intensity curve in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intensity gradient direction is near zero;
measuring the proximity of said feature to said edge; and
identifying said edge component as a text edge component when said proximity conforms to specific proximity criteria.
6. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image, said method comprising:
identifying an edge associated with a high-contrast intensity change;
identifying an intensity gradient direction for said edge;
identifying a character stroke axis, wherein said axis is selected from the group consisting of a stroke valley or a stroke ridge;
measuring a substantially transverse distance between said axis and said edge;
identifying said edge as a text edge when said substantially transverse distance is less than a threshold value; and
analyzing successive pixels to identify a coincident curvature position wherein a substantial curvature of an intensity map occurs at the same location as a minimal curvature of said intensity map in another direction.
7. A method for detecting text in a mixed-content image comprising:
processing said image to identify edge components associated with significant intensity changes;
processing said image to identify an intensity gradient direction for each of said edge components;
processing said image to identify character stroke axes, wherein said axes are one of a stroke valley or a stroke ridge;
measuring the proximity of said axes to said edge component;
identifying said edge component as a text edge component when said proximity conforms to specified proximity criteria; and
analyzing successive pixels to identify a coincident curvature position wherein a maximum curvature of an intensity map, said maximum curvature being greater than a threshold value, occurs at the same location as a minimal curvature of said intensity map, said minimal curvature being lower than a specified value and being in a direction approximately perpendicular to said maximum curvature.

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. A system, comprising:
a computing device that includes one or more components each configured to perform a function in response to an input from an associated external device; and
an inputoutput module configured for installation within a housing of the computing device, the inputoutput module including one or more inputoutput connectors configured to interface one or more associated external devices with the one or more components in the computing device, the inputoutput module further configured to pass one or more unmodified signals between the one or more components and the one or more associated external devices.
2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a second component configured to perform a second function in response to an input from a second external device, the system further comprising:
a second inputoutput module configured to be interchangeable with the inputoutput module and including at least one inputoutput connector configured to interface the second external device with the second component, the inputoutput modules having at least one different connector; and
wherein the second inputoutput module is configured to pass one or more unmodified signals between the second external device and the second component.
3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a second component configured to perform a second function in response to an input from a second external device, the system further comprising:
a second inputoutput module configured to be interchangeable with the inputoutput module and including at least first and second inputoutput connectors to interface both external devices with the computing device; and
wherein the second inputoutput module is configured to pass one or more unmodified signals between the one or more components and the one or more associated external devices.
4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:
the inputoutput module includes multiple inputoutput connectors each configured to interface an external device with the computing device, the inputoutput module further configured to pass at least one input from an external device unmodified to a component in the computing device; and
the inputoutput module includes a signal processing component to process an input from an external device, the inputoutput module further configured to pass at least one processed input from the inputoutput module to the computing device.
5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the inputoutput module comprises one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
a parallel inputoutput connector;
a serial inputoutput connector;
a USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector; and
a PS2 (personal system) inputoutput connector.
6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the inputoutput module comprises one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
an IEEE 1394 inputoutput connector;
a TV-out connector;
an S-Video out connector; and
at least one USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector.
7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:
the inputoutput module comprises one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
a parallel inputoutput connector;
a serial inputoutput connector;
a USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector;
a PS2 (personal system) inputoutput connector;

the system further comprises a second inputoutput module configured to be interchangeable with the inputoutput module, the second inputoutput module comprising one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
an IEEE 1394 inputoutput connector;
a TV-out connector;
an S-Video out connector; and
at least one USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector.
8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device does not allocate system resources for the one or more components that can not be interfaced with an external device via the inputoutput module.
9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to reserve system resources that would otherwise be allocated to interface the one or more components with an associated external device via the inputoutput module if the inputoutput module does not have an inputoutput connector for the external device.
10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the inputoutput module includes an inputoutput connector configuration that the computing device can obtain from the inputoutput module.
11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the inputoutput module includes a memory device to store an inputoutput connector configuration, and wherein the computing device can obtain the inputoutput connector configuration stored in the memory device.
12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the inputoutput module includes a module connector having a pin configuration that can be decoded by the computing device to determine an inputoutput connector configuration on the inputoutput module.
13. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device de-allocates system resources from the one or more components that can not be interfaced with an external device via the inputoutput module.
14. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module configured for installation within a computer, the interchangeable inputoutput module comprising one or more inputoutput connectors supported by a module housing, each of which are configured to interface an external device with a component in the computer, at least one of the inputoutput connectors being configured to pass unmodified signals between its associated external device and its associated component.
15. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 14, wherein the module housing is configured to be removably attached to the computer.
16. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 14, further comprising:
multiple inputoutput connectors each configured to interface an external device with a component in the computer; and
a signal processing component to process an input from an external device, the interchangeable inputoutput module further configured to pass at least one unmodified input from an external device to an associated component in the computer, and further configured to pass at least one processed input from an external device to an associated component in the computer.
17. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more inputoutput connectors comprise one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
a parallel inputoutput connector;
a serial inputoutput connector;
a USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector; and
a PS2 (personal system) inputoutput connector.
18. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more inputoutput connectors comprise one or more of:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
an IEEE 1394 inputoutput connector;
a TV-out connector;
an S-Video out connector; and
at least one USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector.
19. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 14, further comprising an inputoutput connector configuration identifier from which the computer can obtain an inputoutput connector configuration of the inputoutput module.
20. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 19, wherein the inputoutput connector configuration identifier comprises a memory storage device configured to store the inputoutput connector configuration and communicate the inputoutput connector configuration to the computer.
21. At least one interchangeable inputoutput module as recited in claim 19, wherein the inputoutput connector configuration identifier is decoded from a pin configuration in the inputoutput module.
22. A method, comprising:
providing an inputoutput module configured for installation within a housing of a computer that contains multiple components each of which interface with different external devices; and
providing multiple different inputoutput connectors supported by the inputoutput module, at least some of the inputoutput connectors being configured to couple an external device and an associated component in the computer and pass signals in an unmodified form between the external device and its associated component.
23. A method as recited in claim 22, further comprising establishing a connection between the inputoutput module and the computer that contains at least one component that can be interfaced through the inputoutput module to an associated external device.
24. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the inputoutput connectors comprise one or more of the following:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
a parallel inputoutput connector;
a serial inputoutput connector;
a USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector; and
a PS2 (personal system) inputoutput connector.
25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the inputoutput connectors comprise one or more of the following:
a CRTDVI (digital video input) inputoutput connector;
an IEEE 1394 inputoutput connector;
a TV-out connector;
an S-Video out connector; and
at least one USB (universal serial bus) inputoutput connector.
26. A method, comprising:
receiving an input from an external device via an inputoutput connector on an interchangeable inputoutput module that is installed within a housing of a computing device; and
passing the input in an unmodified form through the inputoutput module to a component in the computing device.
27. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising:
receiving a second input from a second external device with a second inputoutput connector on the interchangeable inputoutput module;
processing the second input with a signal processing component in the interchangeable inputoutput module to generate a processed input;
passing the processed input from the signal processing component in the inputoutput module to a component in the computing device.
28. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising communicating an inputoutput connector configuration on the interchangeable inputoutput module to the computing device.
29. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising reserving system resources that would otherwise be allocated to interface a computing device component with an external device via the interchangeable inputoutput module if the interchangeable inputoutput module does not have an inputoutput connector for the external device.

1. A method for maintaining a change log when creating iterations of a binary image for use in a mobile device, the method comprising:
creating a first intermediate binary file containing header information and image information for a first binary image;
creating a second intermediate binary file containing header information and image information for a second binary image;
inserting a first change log into the second intermediate binary file, wherein the first change log contains differences between the first and second intermediate binary files;
creating a third intermediate binary file containing header information and image information for a third binary image;
inserting the first change log and a second change log into the third intermediate binary file, wherein the second change log contains differences between the second and third intermediate binary files;
reviewing the first and second change logs to identify statistics based on the differences between the first, second, and third intermediate binary files;
partitioning the third binary image to decrease memory loss, the partitioning based on the identified statistics; and
determining software code for use in a dynamic link library (DLL) based on the identified statistics.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining the first and second change logs in the third intermediate binary file.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second change logs are maintained separately within the third intermediate binary file.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the third intermediate binary file based in part on information from the first change log.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing the statistics to identify a portion of the first, second, and third intermediate binary files in which a number of changes that occur between the first and second intermediate binary files and between the second and third intermediate binary files are below a threshold value.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing the statistics to identify a portion of the first, second, and third intermediate binary files that has changed less between the first and second intermediate binary files and between the second and third intermediate binary files than other portions of the first, second, and third intermediate binary files.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
creating a fourth intermediate binary file containing header information and image information for a fourth binary image; and
inserting the first change log, the second change log, and a third change log into the fourth intermediate binary file, wherein the third change log contains differences between the third and fourth intermediate binary files.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second change logs are automatically created.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second change logs are maintained separately within the third intermediate binary file.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising creating the third intermediate binary file based in part on information from the first change log.
11. A method for use in a firmware over the air development environment comprising:
creating a cumulative change log for an intermediate binary file that contains an extractable binary image, wherein the cumulative change log records changes between the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file;
storing the cumulative change log in the intermediate binary file;
retrieving the cumulative change log from the intermediate binary file;
analyzing the cumulative change log to identify statistics about changes that occurred between the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file;
partitioning the extractable binary image to decrease memory loss, the partitioning based on the identified statistics; and
determining software code for use in a dynamic link library (DLL) based at least in part on the identified statistics.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising analyzing the statistics to identify a portion of the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file in which a number of changes that occurred between the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file are below a threshold value.
13. The method of claim 11 further comprising analyzing the statistics to identify a portion of the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file that has changed less than other portions of the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising identifying a location and a size of the identified portion within the intermediate binary file.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising moving the identified portion to another location within the intermediate binary file.
16. A system for change logging in a firmware over the air environment comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor; and
a plurality of computer executable instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor including instructions for:
creating a base intermediate binary file containing header information and image information for a binary image;
creating at least first and second iterations of the intermediate binary file;
creating a first change log representing differences between the base intermediate binary file and the first iteration of the intermediate binary file and a second change log representing differences between the first and second iterations of the intermediate binary file;
inserting the first change log into the first iteration of the intermediate binary file and the first and second change logs into the second iteration of the intermediate binary file;
extracting an executable binary image from the second iteration of the intermediate binary file;
reviewing the first and second change logs to identify statistics based on the differences between the intermediate binary files;
partitioning the executable binary image to decrease memory loss, the partitioning based on the identified statistics; and
determining software code for use in a dynamic link library (DLL) based at least in part on the identified statistics.
17. The system of claim 16 further comprising instructions for inserting the first change log into the second iteration of the intermediate binary file separately from the second change log.
18. The system of claim 17 further comprising instructions for combining the first and second change logs into a single cumulative change log in the second iteration of the intermediate binary file.
19. The system of claim 16 further comprising analyzing the first change log prior to creation of the second iteration of the intermediate binary image, wherein the analyzing is used to modify a placement of information within the second iteration of the intermediate binary file.
20. The system of claim 16 wherein the first and second change logs are automatically created with the first and second iterations of the intermediate binary file.

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. An optical assembly having:
a light source, which provides two optically different light components with essentially planar wavefronts on an optical axis, wherein the light components differ at least in their wavelength;
an objective lens, which projects the two optically different light components into a projection space; and
an optical component, which is arranged on the optical axis and has an aperture, through which the wavefronts of the two light components pass and, in mutually adjacent areas of the aperture, has a different structure along the optical axis with a different dispersion behavior n(\u03bb),
wherein both of the light components enter the optical component with essentially planar wavefronts,
wherein the optical component causes phase shifts of the wavefronts of both of the light components,
wherein the phase shift of the wavefronts of one light component has at least one step of at least one quarter of the wavelength of the one light component between the mutually adjacent areas of the aperture of different structure, and
wherein the phase shift of the wavefronts of the other light component is constant as it passes through the optical component over the aperture,
such that an intensity distribution of the one light component in the projection space by mutual interference differs from an intensity distribution of the other light component in the projection space.
2. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase shift of the wavefronts of the one light component has at least one step of at least 50% of the wavelength of the one light component between the mutually adjacent areas of the aperture of different structure.
3. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase shift of the wavefronts of the one light component has the at least one step in at least one direction which runs transversely with respect to the optical axis.
4. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component is phase-corrected for the wavelength of the other light component over the aperture.
5. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component is phase-correctable for the different wavelengths over the aperture.
6. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the objective lens focuses the two light components into a focus area, wherein the optical component causes different phase shifts of the wavefronts of the one light component such that the intensity distribution of that said one light component has a null at the center of the focus area at which the intensity distribution of the other light component is concentrated.
7. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light which the objective lens collects from its focus area also passes through the optical component.
8. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one light component and the other light component pass through a common light-forming component before the optical component, which said light-forming component is selected from the group comprising optical waveguides and pinholes, and wherein the light which is collected by the objective lens from its focus area likewise passes through the common light-forming component.
9. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the phase shift of the wavefronts of the one light component has the at least one step in all directions which run at right angles to the optical axis.
10. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the aperture of the optical component has a circular central area and a periphery which extends around it in an annular shape, between which the step in the phase shift of the one light component is 50% of its wavelength.
11. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the optical component causes a change in the phase shift of the one light component, which change increases in a circumferential direction around the optical axis, up to the wavelength of that said one light component.
12. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one light component and the other light component pass through a common light-forming component before the optical component, which said light-forming component is selected from the group comprising optical waveguides and pinholes.
13. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the optical waveguide is a single-mode fiber.
14. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component applies two linear phase ramps to the wavefronts of the one light component, said phase ramps are arranged parallel to one another in the aperture and have mutually opposite gradients of to 50%, and 50% to 100%, respectively, of the wavelength of that said one light component.
15. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mutually adjacent areas with a different structure are each bounded in a direction of the optical axis by plane-parallel surfaces of the optical component.
16. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the entire optical component is bounded in a direction of the optical axis by two plane-parallel surfaces.
17. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component has different materials in its mutually adjacent areas of different structure.
18. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one of the materials has a temperature-dependent dispersion behavior n(\u03bb, T), wherein a temperature control apparatus is associated with said at least one of the material.
19. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one of the materials has an electrically variable dispersion behavior n(\u03bb, U), wherein an electrode to which a voltage U can be applied is associated with said at least one of the material.
20. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one of the materials is selected from the group which comprises polymers, gels, immersion oils, dye solutions and liquid crystals.
21. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component has the same materials of different thicknesses in its mutually adjacent areas of different structure.
22. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the materials has a temperature-dependent dispersion behavior n(\u03bb, T), wherein a temperature-control apparatus is associated with said at least one of the material.
23. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the materials has an electrically variable dispersion behavior n(\u03bb, U), wherein at least one electrode to which a voltage U can be applied is associated with said at least one of the material.
24. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the materials is selected from the group which comprises polymers, gels, immersion oils, dye solutions and liquid crystals.
25. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the optical component has a cuvette with an interior which holds one of the materials, wherein a length of the interior in the direction of the optical axis varies over the aperture of the optical component.
26. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical component is formed from plane-parallel optical wedges, both composed of at least two different optical materials, in two areas which are adjacent to one another transversely with respect to the optical axis.
27. The optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source provides the two optically different light components with essentially planar wavefronts on an optical axis, wherein the light components differ not only in their wavelength but also in their polarization, and wherein the optical component has at least one birefringent material.