Abstract: A control apparatus for a ventilator that ventilates a tunnel in response to visibility of the inside of the tunnel, including at least one picture image input device configured to take a picture of the inside of the tunnel, a visibility index determination device configured to determine a visibility index value on the basis of a picture image data of the picture taken by the picture image input device in light of a table representing a relationship between the picture image data and the visibility index value, a feedback controller configured to calculate an operation command for operating the ventilator on the basis of a feedback control value calculated by comparing the visibility index value with a target value of the visibility index value.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting pedicle positions in an image, in accordance with the present invention, includes providing a set of feature prototypes for a plurality of pedicle positions and orientations, providing an input image to be analyzed for pedicle positions and orientations, and determining intensity curvatures for a pedicle in the input image. The intensity curvatures are transformed to determine a feature vector for the pedicle in the input image. The feature vector is correlated to the feature prototypes to determine most likely positions and orientations of the pedicle.

Abstract: An image processor that calculates values that are related to distortion between two image parts. The values are detected in a previous calculation. Those values are then used in the next calculation cycle to detect an early exit. That value, called least, divided by the number of accumulators, and its negative is loaded into the accumulators. When the accumulators reach zero, an early exit is established.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting an object in the image pickup field by template matching and tracking the detected object. An intruding object is detected from an image acquired by an image pickup device which takes the image of an image pickup field. A template image is formed from the detected object and is stored in a storing unit. A template matching is performed between a present input image of the image pickup field and the template image stored in the storing unit to detect the location of that part of the object which has a maximum degree of coincidence with the template image. An edge detection of the object is performed over a predetermined search area in the present input image which area includes the detected part of the object having a maximum degree of coincidence. Based on results of the edge detection, the detected part of the object is corrected and is determined as the present location of the object.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved integrated system for biological marker identification. The system uses Microvolume Laser Scanning Microscopy (MLSC) in order to measure patterns of expression of biological markers in biological fluids. The system includes improved instrumentation for performing MLSC, and also includes improved particle detection and analysis methods. The system further comprises an informatics architecture for the analysis of data obtained from the MLSC in tandem with other medical information.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a binarization unit 12 for obtaining a binary image for the image entered by an image input unit 10; a connected component detector 14 for detecting the obtained connected components; a comparator 16 for comparing the size of the detected connected components with a predetermined threshold size; a mesh image forming unit 18 for dividing the image entered by the image input unit 10 into mesh images having a predetermined size; a corresponding mesh image detector 19 for detecting, from the mesh images, a mesh image that corresponds to a connected component that is determined by the comparator 16 to occupy a range within the threshold size; a specific area extraction unit 22 for extracting a specific area in accordance with the connection state of the corresponding mesh image that is detected; and an image recognition unit 23 for recognizing an image that is located in the extracted specific area.

Abstract: When a current charge method is used as a method of detecting capacitance, there poses a problem in which S/N is deteriorated by a dispersion in element characteristics of a cell to be detected and when a voltage charge method is used, since parasitic capacitances of column sense lines are very large and accordingly, there is needed some devise for sampling electric charge charged to the capacitance. There are arranged unit cells having detection electrodes and cell selecting switches connected between the detection electrodes and column sense lines in an array shape, electric charge is charged from detecting circuits to the detection electrodes under constant charge voltage, and thereafter, the column sense lines are imaginarily grounded to thereby detect the capacitances formed between the detection electrodes and the surface of the finger in accordance with recesses and projections of a fingerprint via the column sense lines.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically detecting anatomical landmarks in a radiographic image, preferably for total hip replacement applications, in accordance with the present invention, provides a region of interest of the image, and determines a first landmark in the region of interest by computing an intensity ridge map. A second landmark is determined in the region of interest based on a position and orientation of the first landmark, and measurements are performed on the image based on positions of the first and second landmarks.

Abstract: A system for detecting a digital camera failure captures an image with the digital camera. The system compresses the image into a compressed image file and compares the size of the compressed image file with a predetermined file size. A digital camera failure is indicated if the size of the compressed image file is greater than a predetermined upper limit file size or less than a predetermined lower file size limit. The system may also compare the number of pixels of a predetermined color with the total number of pixels of the captured image. A digital camera failure is indicated if the number of pixels of the predetermined color is greater than a predetermined percentage of the total number of pixels of the captured image.

Abstract: A filtering method and apparatus improve resolution of an ultrasound image in an ultrasound imaging system. The filtering method includes the steps of obtaining magnitude of at least one lateral direction signal component among ultrasound filed characteristics which lowers resolution of an image, using Fourier transform, and scaling a signal focused in a mainlobe direction according to a ratio between the magnitude of the obtained lateral direction signal component and that of the signal focused in the mainlobe direction. The filtering apparatus includes a lateral direction signal calculator and a filtering unit.

Abstract: A system and method for locating and tracking people and non-stationary objects of interest in a scene using a series of range images of the scene taken over time. The system and process generally entails first generating the series of range images which are preferably a continuous temporal sequence of depth maps of the scene. A background model is computed from a block of the range images. Once the background model has been computed, a range image generated subsequent to the block of range images is selected for processing. The background is then subtracted from this currently selected range image based on the background model to produce a foreground image. The foreground image is next segmented into regions, each of which represents a different person or object of interest in the scene captured by the currently selected range image. The locating process continues by projecting the segmented regions of the foreground image onto a ground plane of the scene.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for identifying regions of similar texture in an image. The areas of similar texture include areas conventionally thought of as similar texture regions as well as areas of more varied texture that are treated as regions of similar texture in order to identify them within an image. The method associates frequency characteristics of an image with a spatial position within the image by: applying a frequency analysis on sub-regions of the image, thereby, generating frequency characteristics representative of the sub-regions: and associating the frequency characteristics with the origin of the sub-regions. An embodiment disclosed applies a fast Fourier transform on sub-regions in a given direction to determine a dominant frequency of the sub-region and the power of the dominant frequency, both of which are associated with the respective sub-region by storing the dominant frequency and power in a frequency image and power image, respectively, at the position of the origin.

Abstract: A watermark can be permanently and simultaneously added to image data, such as to a video data stream, produced by an image sensor. To produce the watermark in the image data, color filters of a filter array overlying pixels of a sensor array can be arranged in a watermark pattern different from the normal pattern of other color filters of the filter array. The color filters in the watermark pattern can have different colors than other color filters of the filter array. Alternatively or in addition to the watermark pattern of the color filters, a pattern can be formed in a microlens array overlying the filter array. The pattern in the microlens array can have regions devoid of microlenses, microlenses having different shapes, or microlenses having different colors.

Abstract: A method for measuring the speed of a vehicle which enables measurement of the speed of a vehicle with a high accuracy by an image pickup camera mounted to a single simple supporting pole installed at the side of a field, including capturing a vehicle in motion by an image pickup unit mounted on a support provided at the side of a field, calculating an amount of movement in the vertical direction by an image of the vehicle captured by the image pickup unit on a display screen displaying the image, calculating an amount of movement in the horizontal direction by the image of the vehicle captured by the image pickup unit on the display screen displaying the image, converting the calculated amount of vertical movement and amount of horizontal movement based on information of the capture location of the image pickup unit in the real space of the vehicle and information of the attitude of the image pickup camera to an amount of vertical movement and amount of horizontal movement in that real space, and computing t

Abstract: A fully automatic system and method for detecting endplates of vertebra in radiographic images, in accordance with the present invention, provides an intensity curvature map of an image of a spine and filters the intensity curvature map in a direction relative to a spine axis. At a plurality of points of the spine axis, maximum and minimum scores are computed by summing curvatures of the intensity curvature map and by summing directional intensity gradients along line segments to determine if an endplate passes through the points. Endplate positions are found by comparing relative positions of plotted values corresponding to the maximum and minimum scores.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically detecting a spinal axis and spinal boundaries from an image, in accordance with the present invention, includes scanning an input image in at least two scan directions to generate a ridge map associated with each scan direction. The ridge maps are fused to enhance a projected spinal axis. A piece-wise linear approximation of the projected spine axis is provided, and a gradient map of the input image is enhanced project spine boundaries. Spine boundaries are determined by constraining the projected spine boundaries relative to each other and the spine axis.

Abstract: A two-dimensional code and a predetermined figure pattern are printed on a medium. An error in the two-dimensional code is correctable during decoding of the two-dimensional code. A cell position corresponding to a position of the error is detectable. The predetermined figure pattern is made of special ink. The two-dimensional code and the predetermined figure pattern overlap each other at a specified place in the medium. The two-dimensional code is optically read from the medium. The two-dimensional code which has been optically read is decoded. In cases where error correction is executed during the decoding of the two-dimensional code, detection is given of an error correction position corresponding to a cell position having a related error. A determination is made as to whether or not the detected error correction position is in the specified place. Judging whether or not the medium is counterfeit is executed in response to a result of the determination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting isolated features on a reticle is provided wherein the isolated features are analyzed for defects globally as individual, whole features, rather than locally, pixel-by-pixel. In one embodiment, the reticle is imaged to produce pixels having a gray level, and an isolated feature is identified. An energy value for the isolated feature to be inspected is calculated by summing the gray levels of its pixels. A plurality of scatter values for the feature in different directions in the feature is calculated based on the equilibrium center of the feature to produce a unique “signature” for the inspected feature. The energy and scatter values of the inspected feature's signature are then compared with energy and scatter values associated with a corresponding reference feature to determine whether a defect exists in the inspected feature.

Abstract: An automatic feature extraction system for analyzing a face image and finding the facial features of the face. In the pre-processing stage, a second-chance region growing method is applied to determine a face region on the face image. In the feature extraction stage, three primary facial features, including both eyes and the mouth, are extracted first. Then other facial features can be extracted according to these extracted primary facial features. Searching feature points can be achieved by calculating the cost function of each point using a simple feature template. In addition, a genetic algorithm can be used to accelerate the process of searching feature points.

Abstract: A method for registration of magnetic resonance (MR) and computed topography (CT) images, in accordance with the present invention includes providing MR images having a region of interest delineated by first contours and providing CT images having the region of interest delineated by second contours. A pre-existing model of the region of interest is also provided. The pre-existing model is fit to the first contours or the second contours to provide a first resultant model. The first resultant model is then copied to provide a copied model. The copied model is fit to the other of the first contours and the second contours to provide a second resultant model. By rotating and translating the first resultant model and the second resultant model, the first resultant model and the second resultant model are registered.