Invalidity dossier
US 5475507
Color image processing method and apparatus for same, which automatically detects a contour of an object in an image
Current assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
Added 9/17/2026, 1:36:41 PM
Active provider: DeepSeek · deepseek-flash
Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
Patent Overview: US5475507
Title: Color image processing method and apparatus for same, which automatically detects a contour of an object in an image
Patent number: US5475507A
Application number: US08/134,826
Inventors: Shoji Suzuki; Masanaga Tokuyo
Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd (original assignee; assignment recorded 1993-10-12)
Priority date: 1992-10-14
Filing date: 1993-10-12
Publication/grant date: 1995-12-12
Status as listed: Expired – Lifetime (anticipated expiration 2013-10-12)
Purpose: The invention addresses object-contour detection and object extraction in color images. The patent states that these operations are essential to subsequent image processing and should be easy and precise, since they affect work efficiency and final image quality (e.g., natural color-changing or composition).
Plain-language scope (per the supplied text): A method detects the contour of a desired object in a color image through steps: designating a position near the contour; detecting a boundary point on the contour based on that designation; tracking the contour by subsequently detecting other points from that boundary point; and terminating detection when a prescribed condition is satisfied. A desired object may be extracted by detecting its contour, uniformly filling the image portion inside or outside the contour with prescribed image data, and outputting the extracted image data. The contour may be detected as a contour area having a certain width. Extraction may provide mask data indicating the ratio of color mixing in a boundary portion between object and background, usable in color adjustment or image composition to calculate mixed colors in a new boundary portion. Classifications listed include G06T7/00, G06T7/10, G06T7/12, G06T7/194, and G06T2207/10024.
What the excerpt does not establish: Because the supplied text is an excerpt with omitted portions (including the claims as written), it does not provide the full claim language, the complete detailed description, drawing content, or the specific examples/embodiments. It also does not establish the final legal status, the accuracy of listed assignees, or any litigation, ownership-transfer, validity, or prior-art conclusions.
Generated 10/1/2026, 10:03:11 PM
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Litigation summary
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Proceedings on file (0)
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
Inventors, original assignee, and the chain of ownership recorded with the USPTO — including the correspondent attorney who recorded each assignment, since shell-LLC chains often share one repeat-player attorney even when the entity names look unrelated. Surfaces NPE / patent-troll patterns: shell-entity transfers, known asserters in the chain, repeat correspondent fingerprints, pre-litigation assignments, and bankruptcy fire-sales.
Prior art
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Obviousness
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Extensions
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Derivative works
Defensive disclosure: derivative variations of each claim designed to render future incremental improvements obvious or non-novel.