Abstract: A CMP slurry composition which provides for a high Ge- or SiGe-to-dielectric material selectivity a low rate of Ge or SiGe recess formation includes an oxidant and a germanium removal rate enhancer including at least one of a methylpyridine compound and a methylpyridine derivative compound. In some examples, the slurry composition also includes an etching inhibitor. In some cases, the slurry composition may include an abrasive, a surfactant, an organic complexant, a chelating agent, an organic or inorganic acid, an organic or inorganic base, a corrosion inhibitor, or a buffer. The slurry composition may be distributed onto a surface of a polishing pad disposed on a platen that is configured to rotate. Additionally, a workpiece carrier configured to house a substrate may bring the substrate into contact with the rotating polishing pad and thereby polish the substrate utilizing the slurry composition.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a background blurring system (1) for provision of a video compression stream from a video camera (2) adapted for capturing a scene. The background blurring system identifies (1001) in a first image of the scene, at a first point in time, at least a first pixel comprised in a background of the first image. The background blurring system further determines (1002) a blurred pixel value for the at least first pixel. Moreover, the background blurring system provides (1003), subsequent the first point in time, the blurred pixel value in the video compression stream. The background blurring system furthermore identifies (1004) in a second image of the scene, at a subsequent second point in time, that the at least first pixel has altered to be comprised in a foreground of the second image.

Abstract: A video processing comprises a video image processing pipeline and an encoder. The video image processing pipeline is processes images of captured video data and comprises: an image stream forming function which generates a first and second image streams each comprising a plurality of image frames, and an image stabilization function for image stabilizing the first image stream, thereby forming a stabilized image stream. The image stream forming function bypasses the second image stream from the image stabilization function, thereby forming an original image stream. The encoder encodes the stabilized image stream and the original image stream as a joint encoded image stream comprising encoded frames based on images frames from both the stabilized \the original image streams, wherein the joint encoded image stream comprises intra and inter frames, and wherein the intra frames are exclusively encoded based on image frames of the original image stream.

Abstract: A system and method for electronic image stabilization for a high dynamic range image captured by a rolling shutter image sensor and more specifically to an algorithm configured to perform electronic image stabilization on the high dynamic range image, by, for each specific block of pixels among the blocks of pixels in the high dynamic range image, the specific block of pixels spatially corresponding to a pixel region of the rolling shutter image sensor, determining whether the specific block of pixels is copied from pixel data of the first image or the second image, or is a blend of pixel data from both the first image and the second image, and use motion data measured when capturing the first and second images for performing electronic image stabilization based on the origin of the specific block of pixels.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for controlling a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera. A video stream is provided by the PTZ camera. The video stream includes a main image and a smaller picture-in-picture overlay. The main image and the overlay show the same view. The overlay has both a higher frame rate and a lower resolution compared to the main image. A movement control instruction is received, by the PTZ camera, in response to an evaluation of at least one of the main image and the overlay.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for selecting a cropping area in a sequence of images captured by a camera. First external motion data including data of external factors affecting movement of the camera is correlated with internal motion data describing a movement of the camera. The first external motion data and the internal motion data are obtained during a first time interval. Second external motion data is obtained during a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval. A sequence of images being captured during a third time interval is stabilized by selecting a cropping area based on the correlation and the second external motion data. The cropping area remains constant and maximized in size with respect to the field of view of the images during the third time interval. The third time interval is subsequent to, or partly overlapping with, the second time interval.

Abstract: A method for encoding, using a block-based video encoding algorithm, a distorted image frame produced via at least one image sensor, comprising: determining a map of maximum pixel block sizes corresponding to the distorted image frame, wherein the map of maximum pixel block sizes is determined based on a spatial resolution distribution corresponding to a distribution of extents of the corresponding FOV, such that for a first portion of the distorted image frame having a first spatial resolution, the maximum pixel block size corresponding to the first portion is set to a first value, and for a second portion of the distorted image frame having a second spatial resolution being lower than the first spatial resolution, the maximum pixel block size corresponding to the second portion is set to a second value being lower than the first value; and encoding, using the block-based video encoding algorithm, the distorted image frame.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cameras and in particular methods for noise reduction in images captured by a camera, wherein a same perspective transform may be reused for performing temporal noise filtering on a plurality of images.

Abstract: A method for power consumption optimization in a wearable camera comprises: monitoring a bitrate of a video stream captured by the wearable camera. Upon the bitrate being above a first bitrate threshold, activating a movement sensor of the wearable camera. Upon activation of the movement sensor, analyzing whether activation of the movement sensor is beneficial for reducing the bitrate. In case activation of the movement sensor is beneficial for reducing the bitrate, keeping the movement sensor active and performing image stabilization based on movement data from the movement sensor, otherwise, deactivating the movement sensor. Also, a wearable camera is presented.

Abstract: An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The present disclosure relates to power semiconductor devices. In order to relieve the problem of wafer warping caused by trench stress in an IGBT manufacturing process without affecting other performance parameters of the IGBT, it provides the following technical solution: optimizing the design of arrangement densities and arrangement regions of device trenches. The present disclosure can alleviate the problem of wafer warping caused by trench stress in the IGBT manufacturing process, improve the product yield of IGBT chips, and enhance the latch-up immunity of the IGBT, so that the IGBT is more robust and durable.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques providing privacy masks on a video stream. In a video received from a monitoring camera, at least one image region is selected, to which region a privacy mask should be applied. For any image frame in the video that contains the at least one image region, a flag is set to indicate a non-displayed image frame. A forward-predicted image frame referencing the non-displayed image frame is inserted, wherein coding units representing the at least one image region in the forward-predicted image frame collectively provide the privacy mask by obfuscating the at least one image region.

Abstract: A method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for encoding a privacy masked image into an encoded image frame of a video stream is disclosed. The encoding comprises receiving pixel divided image data of an image; receiving data defining an area and graphical characteristic of a privacy mask that masks part of the image; extending the privacy mask to be aligned with one or more encoding units having one or more pixels located within the privacy mask to form a redefined privacy mask; generating a privacy masked image by applying the redefined privacy mask and the graphical characteristic of the privacy mask to the image; and encoding the privacy masked image into the encoded image frame of the video stream, wherein the encoding comprises preventing spatial prediction encoding and/or temporal prediction encoding of pixels within the redefined privacy mask of the image in response to certain conditions.

Abstract: High dynamic range imaging includes first image data captured using a first image sensor and a first exposure time, using a rolling shutter such that different lines within the first image data are captured at different times. Two or more instances of second image data are captured using second image sensors and second exposure times that are shorter than the first exposure time. The second image data are captured using a rolling shutter, and overlap at least in part with the first image data. A line of the first image data has a corresponding line in each instance of second image data, and the corresponding instances of second image data are captured at different second capture times. For a line in the first image data, the corresponding line from the instance of second image data is selected to be merged with the line in the first image data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for adding a graphical object to image data of one or more image frames comprising a first image frame, the graphical object being added during encoding of the one or more image frames using an encoder, wherein the image data generator is converting the graphical object into a first set of discrete frequency transform, DFT, blocks each DFT block being associated with a position in the one or more image frames to which the DFT block corresponds. The encoder is performing DFT on a plurality of block of pixels of the first image frame, to output a second set of DFT blocks and then replacing a subset of DFT blocks of the second set of DFT blocks with the first set of DFT blocks according to the positions associated with the first set of DFT blocks.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for routing a multitude of conductors through a first routing area on a planar surface is presented. The method includes receiving data representing the first routing area bounded by two opposite longitudinal sides each having a different number of a multitude of first vertices. The first routing area includes one or more blockages. The method further includes determining one or more locations on at least one of the two opposite longitudinal sides for adding one or more second vertices, and decomposing the first routing area into a multitude of second routing areas each not including any of the one or more blockages. The method further includes performing a gateway model routing (GMR) of the multitude of conductors in each of the multitude of second routing areas using the multitude of first vertices and the added one or more second vertices.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and a system for encoding a sequence of video frames captured by a camera mounted to a moving object. The method comprises receiving input indicating an amount of movement of the camera, receiving input regarding a predetermined distance, and selecting between intra-coding and inter-coding of the video frames of the sequence based on the amount of movement of the camera and the predetermined distance, such that the camera moves at most the predetermined distance between capturing video frames which are intra-coded.

Abstract: A method includes defining a background model of the video sequence by applying a first algorithm, the background model defining whether that spatial area belongs to a background or a foreground in the video sequence, wherein a detected significant change in image data in a spatial area in an image frame relative image data in said spatial area in a preceding image frame is indicative of said spatial area belonging to the foreground; indicating that an idle area of the defined foreground areas is to be transitioned from foreground to background; and determining whether the idle area is to be transitioned by applying a second algorithm to image data of an image frame of the video sequence, the image data at least partly corresponding to the idle area; wherein if the idle area is not to be transitioned, maintaining the idle area as a foreground area in the background model.

Abstract: A method encodes a sequence of image frames depicting an object whose privacy is to be protected. A first and a second version of the sequence of image frames is generated. Image frames of the first version, but not the second version, of the sequence are provided with a privacy mask to protect the privacy of the object depicted therein. The first version of the sequence is encoded as a first encoded sequence of intra-coded image frames and inter-coded image frames. A second version of the sequence is encoded as a second encoded sequence of inter-coded image frames. The inter-coded image frames of the second encoded sequence are encoded by using the intra-coded image frames of the first encoded sequence. The inter-coded image frames of the second encoded sequence are encrypted, and thereafter the first and the second encoded sequence are merged into a single output sequence.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for encoding a video sequence comprising a plurality of image frames, by an encoder are described. An image frame is received from a video stream. An input is received, which indicates one or more regions in the received image frame for which a privacy mask should be applied. The one or more regions are represented by one or more coding units. The image frame is encoded into an output frame, wherein image data in the one or more regions is replaced by intra-predicted coding units with transformed coefficients set to zero, the intra-predicted coding units are obtained from a prediction stage in the encoder.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques providing privacy masks on a video stream. In a video received from a monitoring camera, at least one image region is selected, to which region a privacy mask should be applied. For any image frame in the video that contains the at least one image region, a flag is set to indicate a non-displayed image frame. A forward-predicted image frame referencing the non-displayed image frame is inserted, wherein coding units representing the at least one image region in the forward-predicted image frame collectively provide the privacy mask by obfuscating the at least one image region.