Abstract: Software of a simple configuration checks whether an original image to be corrected is an image picture, and an image correction process based upon a formed histogram of the original image is not performed for an image different from the image picture. An image processing condition is set in accordance with the formed histogram to perform the image correction process for the original image. An image processing method judges from a shape of the formed histogram whether the original image is an image picture, and does not perform not perform the image correction process for the original image if it is judged that the original image is not an image picture.

Abstract: A system that captures both whiteboard content and audio signals of a meeting using a video camera and records or transmits them in real-time. The Real-Time Whiteboard Capture captures pen strokes on whiteboards in real time using an off-the-shelf video camera. Unlike many existing tools, the RTWCS does not instrument the pens or the whiteboard. It analyzes the sequence of captured video images in real time, classifies the pixels into whiteboard background, pen strokes and foreground objects (e.g., people in front of the whiteboard), and extracts newly written pen strokes. This allows the RTWCS to transmit whiteboard contents using very low bandwidth to remote meeting participants. Combined with other teleconferencing tools such as voice conference and application sharing, the RTWCS becomes a powerful tool to share ideas during online meetings.

Abstract: Provided is a coordinate conversion apparatus and method capable of removing an accumulation position error when output pixel coordinates are obtained from input image coordinates by using an inverse-mapping technique. In the coordinate conversion apparatus, an output-size register for storing a size of an outputted image, and an input-size register stores a size of an image inputted from an outside. An adder adds, among a quotient and a remainder from dividing the size of the image stored in the input-size register by the size of the image stored in the output-size register, the remainder to the size of the image stored in the input-size register. An accumulation register stores the added value calculated by the adder. A decode logic unit obtains a position between input samples from which an output pixel is re-sampled, by comparing an output value of the accumulation register with an output value of the output-size register.

Abstract: When carrying out further color balance adjustment processing on color-balance adjusted image data having been through color balance adjustment processing, processing performance of the further color balance adjustment processing is sufficiently used. In a digital camera, by carrying out processing such as first AWB processing and chroma enhancement processing on original image data obtained by photographing, output image data are obtained. The output image data are then input to a printer. In the printer, processing which is the inverse of processing carried out in processing means of the digital camera and inverse AWB processing which is the inverse of the first AWB processing is carried out on the output image data, and inverse AWB image data which can be regarded as the original image data are obtained.

Abstract: An image processing method for facilitating data transmission is provided. An image compression method is performed to convert X-bits binary digital signals to a binary compressed data in the form of n*2m, in which n is represented by the former Y bits of the X-bits binary digital signals, m is set to the value of (X-Y), and represented by binary numbers with [log2 (X-Y+1)] bits. The binary compressed data is transmitted with a sequence of [log2 (X-Y+1)]+Y bits, representing (m, n), wherein m is the former [log2 (X-Y+1)] bits and n is the latter Y bits. Therefore, by the present image compression method, the transmission amount of image data is reduced. The transmission time of image data and the volume of a memory for storing the image data are also reduced.

Abstract: A block decomposition based method is provided for compressing textures based on sharing color information between texture blocks. The texture map is divided into a plurality of texture blocks containing texels. During compression a first color value is stored for a first block and a second color value is stored for a second block. A palette is created for each texture block using the color values stored for several neighboring texture blocks. Each texel in each of the texture blocks is indexed to one of the colors in the palette. Accordingly the method compresses the information in the texture map by storing for each texture block bits representing a color value and bits to index each of the texels to a color in the palette, which allows sharing of color information between blocks. During decompression the palettes are regenerated and colors from the palette are assigned to the texels according to the stored index values.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes an image capture unit, a mode setting unit, a control unit, a wireless transmitting unit and a display unit. The image capture unit captures images. The mode setting unit is adapted to set one of a plurality of image capture modes in accordance with a selection by a user before the image capture unit captures the images. The control unit determines, according to the image capture mode set by the mode setting unit, three parameters to be applied to the captured images, the three parameters including a frame rate, the number of pixels, and a compression ratio. The wireless transmitting unit transmits the captured images by wireless after the three parameters determined by the control unit are applied to the captured images. The display unit displays the three parameters determined by the control unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for color calibrating an imager device is disclosed. The imager device is subjected to a plurality of light sources. Color channel responses are obtained from the imager device and the color calibrating coefficients are determined.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus according to the present invention has: a primary CCD section that receives a predetermined first part of object light focused by an image-taking optical system to produce a primary image signal; a secondary CCD section that has a dynamic range wider than that of the primary CCD section and receives a second part of the object light excluding the first part to produce a secondary image signal; an image signal processing circuit that produces image data based on a synthetic signal produced by synthesizing the primary image signal and the secondary image signal if the synthetic signal, rather than the primary image signal, is selected; and an information adding section that adds predetermined additional information to the image data if the image signal processing circuit produces the image data based on the synthetic signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multimedia retrieval system and a method thereof which is capable of performing a multimedia data retrieval among different systems using color histograms constructed with different color spaces and color quantization methods, in particular to a content-based multimedia retrieval system and a method thereof which is capable of retrieving multimedia data among different systems, by extracting or converting a color histogram of a query image or a color histogram of an image to be retrieved into a color histogram of the same color space and color quantization method each other, and using the extracted or converted color histogram.

Abstract: Processing time is reduced and detection is expedited in a face detecting process that detects faces of various sizes included in an image, by detecting faces within images while varying the size of faces to be detected. Faces are detected in order from larger faces to smaller faces. If a face is detected during the process, detection is continued, excluding the region in which the detected face was included.

Abstract: When performing predetermined color correction/modification processing on RGB image data including red, green and blue color components so as to perform hue correction thereon, a frequency distribution of respective tone values is obtained for at least one of these red, green and blue color components of the RGB image data; it is determined from the frequency distribution whether or not the RGB image data has already undergone tone transformation; and the predetermined color correction/modification processing is performed on the RGB image data so as to perform the hue correction thereon only when it is determined that the RGB image data has not undergone tone transformation yet.

Abstract: A method is provided for recovering an image defined as a function of image coordinates of an image space from compressed data that is a function of transform coordinates in a transform space comprising: a) transforming the compressed data using at least one partial transform to generate a set of intermediate coefficients in a space intermediate between the transform space and said image space; b) adjusting the value of at least one intermediate coefficient and using said adjusted value to generate a set of adjusted intermediate coefficients; and c) recovering the image by transforming the set of adjusted intermediate coefficients to the image space with at least one additional partial transform.

Abstract: A color management module which accepts input color image data and transforms the input color image data into output color image data based on information contained in at least one color profile, wherein the color management module includes an interface to an externally provided, pluggable gamut mapping module which is accessed by the color management module to map the input color image data from an input color gamut into an output color gamut.

Abstract: A method for correcting distortions in multi-focus image stacks comprising the steps: acquiring a plurality of N colour images with an optical system; wherein each color image encompasses a plurality of pixels; converting each of two successive colour images of the N images into monochrome images; scaling each of the monochrome images to a conveniently M by M image; calculating a geometric transformation and a radiometric transformation of the two successive images, wherein the geometric transformation and the radiometric transformation is determined by a set of coefficients, which are determined by least square matching, and using the determined set of coefficients from each of two successive images, to correct each image sequentially and thereby constructing the multi-focus image by applying the determined parameter set to each of the successive images.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus automatically detect vessels in a diagnostic image. The method according to one embodiment accesses digital image data representing a diagnostic image; detects vessel candidates in the diagnostic image by processing the diagnostic image data, the step of detecting vessel candidates including identifying edge pixel pairs of vessels in a diagnostic image by iteratively adjusting a plurality of constraints relating to a general direction and shape of a vessel for a next iteration of edge pixel pair identification in a diagnostic image; and determines whether the plurality of edge pixel pairs form a vessel using learned features.

Abstract: Image representation is performed by dividing a source image into foreground, background and selector planes. The foreground plane is selected to contain mainly line type art or textual type information, the background plane mainly contains image data, and the selector plane identifies whether the image data is maintained in either a specific plane or a combination of planes. A color is selected, by averaging or selecting an appropriate value based on overflow or other criteria, to replace each color in the foreground plane. Error in portions of the foreground plane resulting from replacing foreground colors is fed into corresponding portions of the background plane. Each plane is then compressed using compression schemes appropriate for the type of data maintained in each plane (LZW for the foreground, and JPEG for the background and lossless fax LLITT, for example).

Abstract: An image compositing and compression method based on the creation and processing of parallax differences in motion photography. A parallax scanning MOE lens creates discrete parallax differences in the objects in the recorded scene that are perceived by the viewer as enhanced texture and depth when displayed. Using parallax differences in a captured scene, a computer can detect objects for the purpose of creating image compositing mattes. This method allows matte passes to be filmed on location at the time of principal photography, thereby saving costly additional blue/green stage production shoot days associated with traveling matte techniques. In addition, because the mattes are based on parallax scan differences in the recorded scene and not on a uniform color and luminance process, certain conflicting scene subject colors will not have to be avoided. Also, because the matte scenes are recorded on location, the lighting in each of the various elements matches in the final composited image.

Abstract: A coding and decoding apparatus is constructed so that the coding side transmits coded data together with identifying information for identifying the device of decoding the coded data, and the decoding side is capable of storing a number of decoding schemes so as to perform decoding based on one of the previously stored schemes. The apparatus further has devices for storing the received tools and tool-correspondent information which numerically represents the capacities of the tools so that it can make a comparison between the decoding capacity and the processing capacities of the tools to determine the possibility of the operations of the received tools. Further, a set of the tools are hierarchized so that the coded data produced by the n-ranked tool can be decoded by the (n+1)-ranked tool.

Abstract: A context probable table of context template is employed in order to interpolate binary picture information. The context template for respective pixels making up the binary picture information is made, and probabilities for the interior of an object and the exterior of the object on its context indexes are obtained from the context probable table arranged previously. The probabilities for the interior and exterior of the object are compared with each other and the binary picture information is interpolated with a value having more probability.