Abstract: The present invention comprises using error propagation for building feature spaces with variable uncertainty and using variable-bandwidth mean shift for the analysis of such spaces, to provide peak detection and space partitioning. The invention applies these techniques to construct and analyze Hough spaces for line and geometrical shape detection, as well as to detect objects that are represented by peaks in the Hough space. This invention can be further used for background modeling by taking into account the uncertainty of the transformed image color and uncertainty of the motion flow. Furthermore, the invention can be used to segment video data in invariant spaces, by propagating the uncertainty from the original space and using the variable-bandwidth mean shift to detect peaks. The invention can be used in a variety of applications such as medical, surveillance, monitoring, automotive, augmented reality, and inspection.

Abstract: A method of displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes steps of obtaining map data for rendering the map to be displayed on the wireless communications device, generating corrected map data by applying a spherical correction factor to the obtained map data, and rendering the corrected map data to display the map on a display of the wireless communications device. The spherical correction factor corrects for map distortions that occur at northerly (or southerly) latitudes. Since the spherical correction factor is a simple correction to a 3×3 transformation matrix, this spherical correction can be easily applied without taxing the CPU limitations of small handheld devices.

Abstract: A method for taking a panorama mosaic photograph includes displaying a partial image of a previously taken image as a guide image on a viewer of an image to be currently taken and taking a number of images constituting the panorama mosaic photograph according to a photography operation; projecting the taken images onto a common cylindrically curved surface; and joining the projected images into a single image.

Abstract: A system renders a primitive of an image to be displayed, for instance in a mobile 3D graphic pipeline, the primitive including a set of pixels. The system locates the pixels in the area of the primitive, generates, for each pixel located in the area, a set of associated sub-pixels, borrows a set of sub-pixels from neighboring pixels, subjects the set of associated sub-pixels and the borrowed set of pixels to adaptive filtering to create an adaptively filtered set of sub-pixels, and further filters the adaptively filtered set of sub-pixels to compute a final pixel for display. Preferably, the set of associated sub-pixels fulfils at least one of the following: the set includes two associated sub-pixels and the set includes associated sub-pixels placed on pixel edges.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method. In one embodiment, the method provides discontinuity-preserving image smoothing and segmentation, noise reduction, reduction of image variations particularly those variations caused by illumination conditions, exposure compensation, and dynamic range compression. The present invention also provides an electronic image sensor that is able to detect high dynamic range optical images and produce electronic images with reduced dynamic range.

Abstract: An imaging processing system adapted for use with a vehicle is provided in one aspect of the present invention. The system generally includes an image capturing device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is operable to capture an original image of a scene exterior to the vehicle. The captured original image is generally defined by a group of pixels. The image processing device is operable to receive the captured original image and morphologically process the captured original image to remove distortion from the captured original image to produce a final filtered image.

Abstract: A method for superimposing optical information in a scanning microscope includes determining a transformation matrix, and superimposing first optical information of a CCD image and second optical information of at least one piece of second image information using the transformation matrix.

Abstract: A statistical image processing system and method for detecting an original image feature and/or a noise feature in an input image using a statistical hypothesis test, thereby estimating the image or noise when an original image is contaminated with the noise, and a recording medium for recording the method, are provided. The method enables existence/non-existence of an image/noise feature in an input image to be accurately detected without information on the magnitude of a sample variance of noise in the input image. In addition, according to the method, the relative amount of noise and/or image feature can be numerically expressed and can be used in the various fields of image processing application.

Abstract: A medical image handling system includes a monitor for displaying a medical image, an input device for inputting an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and a processor. The processor judges the presence or absence of an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and restricts a change of the medical image in a case where the image reading report is judged as being absent.

Abstract: An image qualification method. A movements-determining method utilizes the image qualification, the image qualification method of which requires only an image frame to determine if the image frame is qualified. Thus, the image qualification proceeds in real time. The image qualification counts peaks of images of the frame to determine if a number of the peaks exceed a certain number, depending on application.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for processing digital image data (ID), wherein the process of multi rate, multi resolution and/or multi scale signal processing is involved in order to realize a respective multi rate, multi resolution and/or multi scale sharpness enhancement with respect to said image data (ID).

Abstract: A pixel-value detecting circuit (1) detects RGB values of each pixel of an input image and outputs the detected RGB values to a connection weight determining circuit (2). When both of two adjacent pixels have achromatic color, the connection weight determining circuit (2) determines a first connection weight, which is a connection weight between the two pixels, by using only the RGB values. When one of the two pixels has achromatic color, the connection weight determining circuit (2) determines, as a connection weight, a second connection weight that is smaller than the first connection weight, by using the RGB values and saturations. When both of the two pixels have chromatic color, the connection weight determining circuit (2) determines, as a connection weight, a third connection weight that is greater than or equal to the first connection weight, by using the RGB values and hues.

Abstract: Image processing methods, image management systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one embodiment, an image processing method includes accessing image data of a plurality of images, defining a plurality of regions in individual ones of the images, wherein the regions individually comprise a plurality of image forming elements having a common characteristic, comparing a region of one of the images with respect to regions of a plurality of others of the images, and providing information indicative of similarities of the one image relative to the others of the images using results of the comparing.

Abstract: A reading machine has processing for detecting common text between a pair of individual images. The reading machine combines the text from the pair of images into a file or data structure if common text is detected, and determines if incomplete text phrases are present in the common text. If incomplete text phrases are present, the machine signals a user to move an image input device in a direction to capture more of the text.

Abstract: In a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising a function for determining the state of a paper sheet, an optical sensor generates template data by optically reading the state of an input paper sheet. A template data unit stores template data of a paper sheet. An image processing unit corrects gradation data of the whole paper sheet based on the gradation data of a predetermined area of the paper sheet obtained by the optical sensor. Based on comparison of the corrected gradation data with the template data, the state of the paper sheet is determined.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for deriving histograms for neighborhoods of pixels in an image that uses subtractive image regions to increase the size of overlapping regions of regions of series of adjacent image pixels to a size equal to the size of a full neighborhood. Each neighborhood (except for a central neighborhood) is viewed as a combination of the central overlapping neighborhood and one or more additional regions, at least one of which comprises a “subtractive” region, and which vary in size depending on the distance of a pixel from the pixel that is the basis for the central neighborhood. The histogram for each neighborhood is derived by adding the histograms of the central neighborhood and the histograms for the relevant additional region or regions, which may have one or more negative element values.

Abstract: A system for compensating image misregistration between at least two image sensors includes a first image sensor and a second image sensor which are disposed on a platform and are configured to provide first and second output images, respectively. The system also includes a motion sensor and a processor. The motion sensor senses movement of the platform. The processor calculates a lag time between the first and second image sensors based on first and second processing delay times of the first and second image sensors, respectively. The processor also calculates an image offset based on the lag time and the movement of the platform sensed by the motion sensor and offsets one of the first or second output image with respect to the other one of the first or second output image based on the image offset. A fuser combines the offset image with the non-offset image.

Abstract: A method for processing an image using a bilateral filter. The bilateral filter is reformulated at each pixel location in the image into a sum of the original signal value of a central pixel at said pixel location and a bilateral correction term which is a function of local signal differences between the central pixel and its neighbors. The bilateral correction term is calculated using a computationally efficient approximation.

Abstract: A method includes identifying a pair of image data blocks separated by a boundary. The image data blocks include image information defining multiple pixels in at least one image. The method also includes identifying at least one filter length based on edge contents of at least some of the pixels in the at least one image. In addition, the method includes filtering at least some of the pixels in the pair of image data blocks along the boundary using the at least one identified filter length.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for automatically improving the contrast of an input image that is obtained from a digital camera or the like, and obtaining a sharper and clearing image. A contrast improvement unit (11) performs a contrast improvement process on the input image by comparing an object pixel in the input image with pixels in the surrounding area. An image combination unit (12) combines the enhanced image obtained by the contrast improvement process with the input image. The combined image is then output to a desired device such as a printer by an image output unit (13).