Abstract: A method for enhancing an ultrasound image is provided, wherein the ultrasound image is segmented into a feature region and a non-feature region, while sufficiently utilizing features contained in the ultrasound image, in particular including some inconspicuous features. The enhanced image according to present invention is not susceptive of the image segmentation and avoid dependence of the enhancement effect on the segmentation template, so as not to produce an evident artificial boundary between the feature region and the non-feature region but to highlight some special information in the image and to remove or mitigate invalid information. Thus the enhanced ultrasound image is particularly suitable for the visual system of the human beings.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking, steganographic data hiding, and data compression. One claim recites a method including: obtaining media comprising imagery or audio; obtaining plural-bit data; embedding the plural-bit data in the media with digital watermarking, the digital watermarking altering data representing the media; and adjusting compression of the media in accordance with at least one characteristic associated with the digital watermarking. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Abstract: A pointing position detection device is provided which, along with enabling a human being to perform pointing operation in a natural manner, can perform detection at high accuracy. The device detects the presence of a human being from an image photographed by cameras and a position at which the human being is pointing, and which includes: a section which, based upon the image, detects a head position of the human being, including at least distance information; a section which, based upon tile image, detects a hand position of the human being, including at least distance information; a section which, based upon the hand position, calculates a hand tip position and a main axis of the hand; and a section which detects a pointing direction, based upon the head position, the hand tip position, and the main axis, wherein the pointing position is detected based upon the pointing direction.

Abstract: A system and method for removing optical iridescent artifacts in an image includes scanning an article having a transparent and reflective surface to create the image, identifying potential optical iridescent artifacts in the image resulting from the scan using a search pattern on the image of the article, confirming through a color analysis operation that the potential optical iridescent artifacts discovered along the search pattern are optical iridescent artifacts and not printed on the article and removing the confirmed iridescent artifacts from the image.

Abstract: A surveillance camera apparatus which has an image signal transmission apparatus transmitting an image signal and an image signal reception apparatus receiving an image signal from the image signal transmission apparatus. The image signal transmission apparatus has an image pick-up unit for picking-up an object, a position input unit for specifying a predetermined range, and an image signal output unit for outputting position information obtained from the position input unit superimposed on an image signal obtained from the image pick-up unit. The image signal reception apparatus has a detector for detecting position information from an image signal to which the position information is added, a recorder for recording the image signal, and a controller for selecting any one of the image signal and a signal masking a predetermined range of the image signal based on the position information from the detector for position information and for recording it into the recorder.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a limit check procedure compares a capacity necessary for storing designated image files to be transferred and the residual memory capacity of a destination to which the image files should be transferred. The procedure determines whether or not the transfer of the image files is allowable on the basis of the result of comparison. This procedure is executed before and during the transfer of image files. The procedure executed before transfer obviates transfer failure when the image files are transferred to an external storage implemented by a CD-R or similar write limiting type of storing medium; in this case, the procedure is not necessary during transfer. In the event of transfer to a work memory built in the apparatus, even if transfer is allowed before transfer, the procedure is executed during transfer in order to produce an alarm when transfer becomes unallowable.

Abstract: An imaging system incorporating adaptive compression which includes determining linear predictive differential residuals from an imager array pixel row. The differential residuals are classified into categories, each category having a range of differential residuals associated with it. The categories are analyzed to produce an ordered list having categories with most to least frequent residuals falling within a respective residual range associated with a respective category. The ordered list is then used to select a variable length encoding table with a matching ordered list. Variable length encoded category and range position offset data is output to a serializer unit, where the range position offset refers to a position in a range associated with a particular category.

Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus according to the present invention comprises coefficient setting means for setting a blending coefficient ?(0???1) at a specified value when a value of a specific picture element component included in picture element components A of a first image is a predetermined value; and arithmetic means for performing an operation on the picture element components A, picture element components B of a second image, and the blending coefficient ? as follows: A*?+B*(1??), and performing the operation on all the picture element components A and the picture element components B of a picture element that has the specific picture element component representing the predetermined value by using the blending coefficient ? set by the coefficient setting means.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus to filter two-dimensional (2-D) data. A first filter processes two-dimensional (2-D) data in a block of pixels in a first dimension for a plurality of filter sizes. The block has a swath. A register file stores the 2-D data based on programmable information. A second filter filters the stored 2-D data in a second dimension to generate filter outputs in one of static and dynamic modes based on the programmable information. The static mode leaves the filter outputs fixed for the swath and the dynamic mode selects the filter outputs on a pixel basis. The filter outputs include first and second filter outputs.

Abstract: In order to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method whereby a high quality output image can be consistently obtained, regardless of the order in which an operator sets the parameters for the performance of filtering, (I) a GUI module (9a) stores, in an input value storage area (9p) of a RAM, reference signs that are employed for first to fourth processes for the filtering of reduced image data, and (II) a filtering module (9f) refers to the reference signs in the input value storage area (9p) when performing the first to the fourth processes for the filtering of input image data, and obtains output image data.

Abstract: A method for improving the sharpness of pictures contained in a video signal comprises the steps of: a) processing said pictures on the basis of a step/edge enhancement algorithm to obtain step/edge enhanced pictures, b) processing said pictures on the basis of a texture enhancement algorithm to obtain texture enhanced pictures, and mixing said step/edge enhanced pictures with said texture enhanced pictures to obtain a video signal containing sharpness-improved pictures, wherein steps a) and b) are performed in dependence of motion information being related to said pictures.

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: A method is disclosed which reduces the boundary effects on an image based on maintaining local gray. The image is first halftoned and an adjustment is then made at the boundary region to minimize the brightness deviation of the halftone from the original contone. The adjustment is composed of three steps. First, a low-pass filtering is performed in halftones in the boundary regions, which are typically a few pixels wide along the boundary. The filtering result is then compared to the original contone image and an error map is generated. Finally, the pixels in the boundary regions are adjusted to reduce the magnitudes of the errors.

Abstract: A method determines a direction of a principal light source in an image. An input image I is acquired of an object illuminated by a principal light source from an unknown direction. The input image includes an array of pixels, and each pixel has an intensity I(x, y). An intensity vector {right arrow over (I)} is constructed from the intensities of the input image. An albedo map ? is defined for the object. An albedo vector {right arrow over (?)} is constructed from the albedo map. A shape matrix N is generated for the object. The albedo vector {right arrow over (?)} is multiplied by the shape matrix N to obtain a shape-albedo matrix A. Then, a direction s* to the principal light source is estimated from the intensity vector {right arrow over (I)}, the albedo vector {right arrow over (?)} and the shape-albedo matrix A according to an optimization s * = arg ? ? min s ? ? I ? - ? ? - As ? .

Abstract: The present invention is directed to solving the problems associated with the detection of surface defects on metal bars as well as the problems associated with applying metal flat inspection systems to metal bars for non-destructive surface defects detection. A specially designed imaging system, which is comprised of a computing unit, line lights and high data rate line scan cameras, is developed for the aforementioned purpose. The target application is the metal bars (1) that have a circumference/cross-section-area ratio equal to or smaller than 4.25 when the cross section area is unity for the given shape, (2) whose cross-sections are round, oval, or in the shape of a polygon, and (3) are manufactured by mechanically cross-section reduction processes. The said metal can be steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, titanium, nickel, and so forth, and/or their alloys. The said metal bars can be at the temperature when they are being manufactured.

Abstract: When run on high pixel density monitors, software applications, which are written to be legible at all resolutions benefit greatly from the high pixel density. Other applications, especially those containing resources whose dimensions and placement are described in terms of numbers of pixels (e.g., a bitmap, text), may have reduced legibility. A method is described which facilitates legibility of both classes of software applications when run on high pixel density monitors.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to obtain an image photographed with an image-sensing device using a flash, in which the brightness of the image of the subject of the photograph is proper. An integrated value of brightness of a photographed image is obtained; a weighted evaluation value is calculated; contrast of the photographed image is obtained; a gain of an image signal is obtained by using the evaluation value after which, a suppression gain, by which a value of suppressing the gain fluctuates according to the contrast, is obtained in order to correct the brightness of a photographed subject to the proper brightness; a correction gain for making final corrections to an image by using the gain and the suppression gain is calculated; and the image signal is amplified by a gain adjustment circuit, thereby correcting the photographed image.

Abstract: A system for processing digital images. The system may included a controller that includes a processor and a memory. The system may also include a plurality of image processing blocks operatively coupled with the controller. Each image processing block can be configured to perform a different image processing operation. The image processing blocks and controller can be interconnected and configured to provide sequential pixel processing, in which each image processing block processes input pixels so as to produce output pixels, with the output pixels of an upstream one of the image processing blocks can be fed forward as the input pixels to a downstream one of the image processing blocks. The system may also include a classification block configured to obtain, for each of the image processing blocks, updated classification data for the input pixels to be applied to the image processing block.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system that applies the latest technology related to compression, rendering, and geographical data processing to present an interactive interface to users, which enables them to efficiently manipulate maps and queries for information over the World Wide Web. The method includes a World Wide Web application to display GIS information and obtains user input, and a server application to process user input and to communicate with the database to retrieve or store data.

Abstract: An incremental motion estimation system and process for estimating the camera pose parameters associated with each image of a long image sequence. Unlike previous approaches, which rely on point matches across three or more views, the present system and process also includes those points shared only by two views. The problem is formulated as a series of localized bundle adjustments in such a way that the estimated camera motions in the whole sequence are consistent with each other. The result of the inclusion of two-view matching points and the localized bundle adjustment approach is more accurate estimates of the camera pose parameters for each image in the sequence than previous incremental techniques, and providing an accuracy approaching that of global bundle adjustment techniques except with processing times about 100 to 700 times faster than the global approaches.