Abstract: A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image includes (a) denoising a short-exposure-time image, wherein the denoising comprises applying a first guided filter to the short-exposure-time image, the guided filter utilizing a long exposure-time-image as its guide, (b) after the step of denoising, scaling at least one of the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image to place the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image on a common radiance scale, and (c) after the step of scaling, merging the short-exposure-time image with the long-exposure-time image to generate the HDR image.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel belonging to one of N subframes each characterized by (a) a same exposure-time sequence that includes a short exposure-time alternating with a long exposure-time, and (b) a respective temporal offset equal to a multiple of the short exposure-time. A method for encoding a video stream captured by the image sensor includes (i) for each subframe, linearly combining a long-exposure image, captured at the long exposure-time, and a short-exposure image, captured at the short exposure-time, to yield a residual image, (ii) combining at least some of the long-exposure images from the N subframes to yield a full-frame image having a higher resolution than any long-exposure image, (iii) encoding the full-frame image into a base layer of the video stream, and (iv) encoding at least some of the residual images from the N subframes into an enhancement layer of the video stream.

Abstract: A process for producing alpha-olefins comprising contacting an ethylene feed with an oligomerization catalyst system in an oligomerization reaction zone under oligomerization reaction conditions to produce a product stream comprising alpha-olefins wherein the catalyst system comprises an iron-ligand complex and a co-catalyst and the molar ratio of oxygen to iron being fed to the oligomerization reaction zone is of from 1:1 to 200:1. Alternatively, the molar ratio of oxygen to aluminum in MMAO being fed to the oligomerization reaction zone is less than 1:5.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and an apparatus for quantitatively analyzing a gaseous process stream, in particular a stream from a process for producing ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, in particular where such stream comprises gaseous organic iodides.

Abstract: Occluded image fragments are sorted in size. The largest image fragment is used to size a quadtree node in a layout mask for a disocclusion atlas used to store the image fragments. The sorted image fragments are stored into the disocclusion atlas using the layout mask such as each image fragment is hosted with a best fit quadtree node in the disocclusion atlas. A video signal may be generated by encoding one or more reference images and the disocclusion atlas storing the image fragments. The image fragments can be used by a recipient device to fill disoccluded image data in disoccluded spatial regions in a display image synthesized from the reference images.

Abstract: Saliency regions are identified in a global scene depicted by volumetric video. Saliency video streams that track the saliency regions are generated. Each saliency video stream tracks a respective saliency region. A saliency stream based representation of the volumetric video is generated to include the saliency video streams. The saliency stream based representation of the volumetric video is transmitted to a video streaming client.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol comprising the steps of: a) supplying a first gas composition comprising ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an ethylene oxide absorber and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through an absorption section; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards through the absorption section; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts to produce a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate; d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber; and e) withdrawing a second gas composition from the top of the absorber.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided that employ one or more of a variety of techniques for reducing the time required to display high resolution images on a high dynamic range display having a light source layer and a display layer. In one technique, the image resolution is reduced, an effective luminance pattern is determined for the reduced resolution image, and the resolution of the effective luminance pattern is then increased to the resolution of the display layer. In another technique, the light source layer's point spread function is decomposed into a plurality of components, and an effective luminance pattern is determined for each component. The effective luminance patterns are then combined to produce a total effective luminance pattern. Additional image display time reduction techniques are provided.

Abstract: A process for producing ethylene glycol and/or ethylene carbonate, said process comprising contacting at least a portion of a recycle gas stream comprising an alkyl iodide impurity with a guard bed system positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to produce a treated recycle gas stream, wherein the guard bed system comprises silver on alumina; contacting an epoxidation feed stream comprising an ethylene feed stream, oxygen, chloride moderator, and at least a portion of the treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in the ethylene oxide reactor to produce an epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide; and contacting at least a portion of the epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide with a liquid absorbent in the presence of an iodide-containing catalyst in an absorber to produce a product stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and the recycle gas stream comprising the alkyl iodide impurity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and an apparatus for quantitatively analyzing a gaseous process stream, in particular a stream from a process for producing ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, in particular where such stream comprises gaseous organic iodides.

Abstract: A data structure defining a high dynamic range image comprises a tone map having a reduced dynamic range and HDR information. The high dynamic range image can be reconstructed from the tone map and the HDR information. The data structure can be backwards compatible with legacy hardware or software viewers. The data structure may comprise a JFIF file having the tone map encoded as a JPEG image with the HDR information in an application extension or comment field of the JFIF file, or a MPEG file having the tone map encoded as a MPEG image with the HDR information in a video or audio channel of the MPEG file. Apparatus and methods for encoding or decoding the data structure may apply pre- or post correction to compensate for lossy encoding of the high dynamic range information.

Abstract: An auto exposure method for a spatially-multiplexed-exposure (SME) high-dynamic-range (HDR) image sensor includes (a) retrieving raw image data from an exposure of the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-range image sensor, (b) preprocessing long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values of the raw image data to remove therefrom long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values failing to meet one or more quality requirements, (c) synthesizing, into an high-dynamic-range histogram, the long-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing and the short-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing, (d) deriving a goodness metric from the high-dynamic-range histogram, (e) adjusting at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, based at least in part upon the goodness metric, and (f) outputting the at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, as adjusted, to the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and an apparatus for quantitatively analyzing a gaseous process stream, in particular a stream from a process for producing ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, in particular where such stream comprises gaseous organic iodides.

Abstract: The invention provides a reaction system for the production of ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol. The system having a guard bed system upstream of a catalytic EO reactor. The guard bed system having a feed line supplying a gaseous feed to be treated and an effluent line configured to remove the treated gaseous feed. The guard bed system has two or more guard bed vessels arranged in series in sequential order, each having an inlet, a bed of guard bed material and an outlet. The inlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the feed line and the outlet of the guard bed vessel preceding it in sequential order. The outlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the effluent line and to the inlet of the guard bed vessel following it in sequential order.

Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. The screen is illuminated with light from a light source comprising an array of controllable light-emitters. The controllable-emitters and elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.

Abstract: A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image includes (a) denoising a short-exposure-time image, wherein the denoising comprises applying a first guided filter to the short-exposure-time image, the guided filter utilizing a long exposure-time-image as its guide, (b) after the step of denoising, scaling at least one of the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image to place the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image on a common radiance scale, and (c) after the step of scaling, merging the short-exposure-time image with the long-exposure-time image to generate the HDR image.

Abstract: Imaging methods and devices with pixels divided into pixel groups are disclosed. A pixel group-based global shutter and pixel group-wise staggered long and short exposure followed by readout of two samples per pixel are presented. Example methods and devices for a Bayer color filter array divided into groups of n×n pixels are provided.

Abstract: An auto exposure method for an image sensor includes (a) evaluating variance, for each of a plurality of histograms of the pixel values from a respective plurality of individual exposures of the image sensor at respective exposure 5 time settings, of contribution from individual bins of the histogram to total entropy of the histogram, to determine an optimal exposure time for the image sensor corresponding to a minimum value of the variance, and (b) outputting the optimal exposure time to the image sensor.

Abstract: Imaging methods and devices with pixels divided into pixel groups are disclosed. A pixel group-based global shutter and pixel group-wise staggered long and short exposure followed by readout of two samples per pixel are presented. Example methods and devices for a Bayer color filter array divided into groups of n×n pixels are provided.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel belonging to one of N subframes each characterized by (a) a same exposure-time sequence that includes a short exposure-time alternating with a long exposure-time, and (b) a respective temporal offset equal to a multiple of the short exposure-time. A method for encoding a video stream captured by the image sensor includes (i) for each subframe, linearly combining a long-exposure image, captured at the long exposure-time, and a short-exposure image, captured at the short exposure-time, to yield a residual image, (ii) combining at least some of the long-exposure images from the N subframes to yield a full-frame image having a higher resolution than any long-exposure image, (iii) encoding the full-frame image into a base layer of the video stream, and (iv) encoding at least some of the residual images from the N subframes into an enhancement layer of the video stream.