Abstract: A digital image processing system takes color plus Z channel data as input, preprocesses, decimates, and codes the Z channel in-band as digital watermark data embedded within the color data prior to encoding and transmission. A second digital image processing system receives, decodes, and extracts the decimated Z channel data before applying statistical regularization to restore a full-resolution Z channel prior to depth-image-based rendering.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for automatically identifying shot changes in a video sequence in real-time or near-real-time is disclosed. Optical flow energy change differences between frames, sum-of-square differences between optical-flow-compensated frames, and hue histogram changes within frames are analyzed and stored in frame buffers. A feature vector formed from a combination of these measurements is compared to a feature vector formed from thresholds based on tunable recall and precision to declare the presence or absence of a shot change.

Abstract: A method and system for determining an optical flow field between a pair of images is disclosed. Each of the pair of images is decomposed into image pyramids using a non-octave pyramid factor. The pair of decomposed images is transformed at a first pyramid scale to second derivative representations under an assumption that a brightness gradient of pixels in the pair of decomposed images is constant. Discrete-time derivatives of the second derivative image representations are estimated. An optical flow estimation process is applied to the discrete-time derivatives to produce a raw optical flow field. The raw optical flow field is scaled by the non-octave pyramid factor. The above-cited steps are repeated for the pair of images at another pyramid scale until all pyramid scales have been visited to produce a final optical flow field, wherein spatiotemporal gradient estimations are warped by a previous raw optical flow estimation.

Abstract: This invention provides a process to renovate the bottoms of bakery pans, and to improve the expected useful life of such renovated pans. The process consists of using a bottom receiving die (female die), and a forming top (male) die, and a high pressure press capable of exerting enough force to stretch the bottom of the bakery pan and causing a rigid indented seam to be formed along the bottom edges of such bakery pans. Due to the extreme environmental conditions bakery pans are exposed to, the bottom portions and bottom edges of the pans become dented and deformed. Such deformity causes higher scrap rates for bread that is manufactured in the baking process. By using the Gaddy Off-Set Bottom process, life expectancy of baking pans are extended considerably, and scrap rates for deformed bread is significantly reduced. Such process also allows many pans to be straightened that otherwise would have to be scrapped and replaced by new, non-deformed pans.