Abstract: The image signature extraction device includes an extraction unit and a generation unit. The extraction unit extracts region features from respective sub-regions in an image in accordance with a plurality of pairs of sub-regions in the image, the pairs of sub-regions including at least one pair of sub-regions in which both a combination of shapes of two sub-regions of the pair and a relative position between the two sub-regions of the pair differ from those of at least one of other pairs of sub-regions. The generation unit generates, based on the extracted region features of the respective sub-regions, an image signature to be used for identifying the image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information.

Abstract: A coding and decoding method for images or videos is provided by embodiments of the present invention to improve coding and decoding efficiency. The method includes: establishing a visual dictionary, wherein, the visual dictionary includes one or more visual words; extracting features from a specific object in an image; determining whether there is a visual word in the visual dictionary matching the specific object by using a feature matching method; obtaining the index of the visual word matched and a geometric relationship between the specific object and the visual word matched, wherein, the geometric relationship is represented by a project parameter; entropy coding the index of the visual word matched and the project parameter instead of entropy coding the specific object.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system and method for symbol compression using conditional entropy estimation. One method for symbol compression using conditional entropy estimation includes approximating a quantity of symbol encoding bits for a number of symbols using a conditional entropy estimation. Dictionary entries are generated from the number of symbols so as to minimize a total bit-stream quantity. The total bit-stream quantity includes at least the approximated quantity of symbol encoding bits and a quantity of dictionary entries encoding bits. The symbols are encoded using the dictionary entries as a reference.

Abstract: A tile of pixels is encoded by variable length encoding at least a first block of pixels into a first sequence of symbols and a second block of pixels into a second sequence of symbols. The symbols of the first and second sequences are co-organized into a combined sequence of symbols in which the symbols of the first sequence are readable in a first reading direction and at least a portion of the symbols in the second sequence are readable in a second, opposite reading direction. The encoding of the tile to form one or more combined sequences significantly reduces the bandwidth requirements when writing the tile to a pixel value buffer. The co-organization of the first and second sequences enables parallel reading and decoding of the first and second sequences from the pixel value buffer, thereby reducing any decoding latency.

Abstract: A method for creating a binary mask image from an inputted digital image of a scanned document, including the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, including the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique can receive, at a computing device including one or more processors, a plurality of photos. The technique can extract quality features and similarity features for each of the plurality of photos and can obtain weights for the various quality features and similarity features based on an analysis of a reference photo collection. The technique can generate a quality metric for each of the plurality of photos and can generate a similarity matrix for the plurality of photos by analyzing the various quality features and similarity features and using the obtained weights. The technique can perform joint global maximization of photo quality and photo diversity using the quality metrics and the similarity matrix in order to select a subset of the plurality of photos having a high degree of representativeness. The technique can then store the subset of the plurality of photos in a memory.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for picture-in-picture (PIP) processing for video telephony (VT). According to the disclosed techniques, a local video communication device transmits PIP information to a remote video communication device. Using the PIP information, the remote video communication device applies preferential encoding to non-PIP regions of video transmitted to the local video communication device.

Abstract: An image coding method performs intra prediction with a higher coding efficiency by coding image data on a block-by-block basis. The method generates a predicted block by predicting a current block; computes a difference between the current block and the predicted block; codes the difference computed in the computing; decodes the difference coded in the coding; and adds the difference decoded in the decoding to the predicted block to generate a decoded block. The generating of the predicted block includes detecting an edge in a previously decoded block corresponding to a block adjacent to the current block; and extrapolating or interpolating previously decoded image data corresponding to a pixel included in the block adjacent to the current block, along a direction of the edge detected in the detecting to generate the predicted block.

Abstract: ANS method for transmitting data, in which basic data is transmitted while one or several packets are transmitted with data that complements the basic data and increases the quality of the basic data when being decoded by a receiver. The packets contain at least one field with information about how the complementing data of the respective packet increases the quality of the basic data. The field can be read independently of the complementing data of the respective packet. Based on the information, a decision can be made as to whether the packets are to be forwarded or decoded.

Abstract: A processor is described that includes an instruction execution pipeline having an instruction fetch unit to fetch and decode an instruction. The processor also has an execution unit to execute the instruction. The execution unit has a state machine and content addressable memory (CAM) circuitry. The state machine is to receive a pointer to a stream of DEFLATE encoded information, fetch a section of the DEFLATE encoded information and apply the section of the DEFLATE encoded information to the CAM to obtain decoded DEFLATE information.

Abstract: With respect to an object that strokes a path existing in page description data, the position of a start point of a line element formed along the path is estimated based on a path construction operator and a dotted line pattern determining operator. If the distance between the start point and an end point of the path is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value, the position of the end point of the path is changed to another position along the path in order to increase the distance.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may divide data into a first of set of blocks and a second set of blocks, and data may be stored from non-overlapping frames surrounding the first set of blocks in memory. The data may be grouped from the non-overlapping frames surrounding the second set of blocks, and the data may be absorbed from the non-overlapping frames surrounding the first set of blocks into the second set of blocks. The data may be processed the first set of blocks and the second set of blocks in parallel.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for object tracking are described herein. One or more method embodiments include receiving an initial set of track points associated with a trajectory of an object, compressing the initial set of track points into a plurality of track segments, each track segment having a start track point and an end track point, and storing the plurality of track segments to represent the trajectory of the object.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an encoding device includes an area setting unit, a parameter controller, and an encoder. The area setting unit is configured to, in an image captured by an imager mounted on a vehicle while the vehicle is moving along a predetermined route, set a boundary in the image at a predetermined distance from the imager, a first area being an area inside of the boundary, and a second area being an area outside of the boundary. The parameter controller is configured to control an encoding parameter to assign a larger code amount to the first area than to the second area. The encoder is configured to encode the image in accordance with the encoding parameter.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit and a combining unit. The obtaining unit obtains, from attribute information, data format information indicating data formats of first image data representing a first image and second image data representing a second image. The attribute information is included in the first image data and the second image data. The first image is printed at predetermined positions in all units of printing. The second image is changed in accordance with the individual units of printing and is printed at predetermined positions in the individual units of printing. The combining unit divides the first image data and the second image data in accordance with the data formats, and combines compressed data generated by compressing raster data of the first image data with compressed data generated by compressing raster data of the second image data, depending on amounts of image represented by divided portions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically recognizing a QR code without a need to control the distance for recognition in relation to one QR code or two or more QR codes. The apparatus includes a photographing unit obtaining a surrounding image the QR code including recognition points and surroundings, a QR code recognition unit converting the surrounding image into a grayscale image of a pixel unit, converting the grayscale image into a histogram indicative of a distribution map according to the luminosity of each pixel, extracting only pixels having a luminosity value concentration level corresponding to a threshold or higher based on the histogram, setting the extracted pixels as a candidate pixel group, searching the set candidate pixel group for recognition points through a recognition marker, when the recognition points are conceived, recognizing a region in which the conceived recognition points are placed as a QR code.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating combining media fingerprinters are provided. In one implementation, a system can include a memory and a microprocessor. The system can also include: a communication component that receives media; a wavelet-based hash generation component that generates a plurality of hashes based on wavelet descriptors associated with the media; a local features information generation component that generates local descriptors associated with the media; a grouping component that groups the plurality of hashes into two or more subgroups, and generates a combined group of descriptors. The combined group of descriptors can include quantized local descriptors and groups of hashes. The system can also include a hash generation component that hashes the combined group of descriptors.

Abstract: Some aspects of the disclosure relate to a compression technique that can permit determining dynamically a satisfactory quantization matrix based at least on properties intrinsic to a digital object being compressed and a predetermined compression quality criterion, wherein the quantization matrix is associated with a specific space-domain-to-frequency-domain transforms. In one aspect, the compression technique can permit creation of a compressed digital object that can satisfy a predetermined a compression quality criterion.

Abstract: 3D mesh models are widely used in various applications for representing 3D objects. These models are made of vertices and corresponding triangles, which can be compressed based on prediction and residuals. The present invention improves the accuracy of parallelogram prediction, particularly near sharp features. The proposed 3D mesh model encoding comprises analyzing the spatial or dihedral angles between triangles, clustering triangles with similar or equal dihedral angles, and defining a representative dihedral angle for each cluster. Triangles of each cluster are then encoded relative to individual prediction triangles having the representative dihedral angle according to the cluster. Additionally, the prediction triangle may be mirrored. An indication of the encoding mode is inserted into each vertex of the encoded bitstream.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for converting a color portion of an image to monochrome, and/or for converting a monochrome portion of an image to color.

Abstract: A system and method for compressing digital image data. An image may be divided into sub-regions. A maximum number of template codes may be determined for representing each sub-region, each template code uniquely identifying a template pattern in a dictionary. Each of a plurality of the sub-regions may be associated with a plurality of template patterns, each of which individually does not match the sub-region, but which when combined together more closely match the sub-region. A compressed data set may be generated for the image, in which each sub-region is represented by up to the maximum number of template codes uniquely identifying the associated plurality of template patterns. The up to the maximum number of template codes may be transmitted for each sub-region from the compressed data set, wherein the maximum number of template codes is a dynamic parameter adjustable based on the bandwidth available for transmitting.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the size of encoded feature descriptors.

Abstract: The present disclosures relates generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: memory for storing data representing video; one or more electronic processors programmed for: embedding a first watermark signal in a first portion of the data, the first watermark signal comprising a first signal polarity and corresponding to first detection preconditioning; embedding a second watermark signal in a second portion of the data, the second watermark signal comprising a second signal polarity that is inversely related to the first signal polarity and corresponding to seconding detection preconditioning; controlling provision of the watermarked video for display in real time, in which temporal averaging of the first watermark signal and second watermark signal over time conceals the first watermark signal and the second watermark signal from a human observer of the video. Of course, other claims are provided too.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for patch-based image synthesis. A patch matching technique provides an extended patch search space that encompasses geometric and photometric transformations, as well as gradient domain features. The geometric transformations may include translation, rotation, reflection, scale, and non-uniform scale. The photometric transformations may include gain and bias. Patch-based image synthesis techniques may leverage the extended patch search space in various image synthesis applications. The patch-based image synthesis techniques may also integrate image gradients into the patch representation and replace conventional color averaging with a technique that performs voting for colors and gradients and then solves a screened Poisson equation based on values for colors and gradients when blending patch(es) with a target image.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support block-based compression of a compound image by skipping “don't care” blocks in the layers of the image while neither introducing significant overhead nor requiring changes to the compression method used. The block-based compression approach first segments a compound image into multiple layers and then recomposes a new set of image layers, possibly with new dimensions, from only the non-“don't care” blocks in the layers of the original image. The approach may later decompress the compressed image layers and restore the image by copying the decompressed blocks to their respective positions in the original image.

Abstract: A method of, and system for, selective video frame compression and decompression is presented. The disclosed technique is particularly suited for efficient event-driven searching in large databases. The technique involves designating certain frames in a video sequence as reference frames, to be compressed using a first compression technique, where the remaining frames are compressed using a second compression technique. The first compression technique may be implemented without requiring data from any neighboring frames.

Abstract: A method embodiment herein begins by capturing a source image. The source image is segmented into first planes. The first planes can each comprise a mask plane and foreground plane combination. The binary images in the first planes are structurally analyzed to identify different regions of text, tables, handwriting, line art, equations, etc., using a document model that has information of size, shape, and spatial arrangement of possible regions. Then, the method extracts (crops out) these regions from the foreground plane to create second mask/foreground plane pairs. Thus, the method creates “second” planes from the first planes, so that a separate second plane is created for each of the regions. Next, tags are associated with each of the second planes (to create tagged mask/foreground plane pairs) and the second planes and associated tags are combined into a mixed raster content (MRC) document.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to table compression in a database. The database is organized in tables including rows and columns An aspect includes defining a range partition of a table of the database according to a first attribute of the table. Internal ranges of the table of the database are defined according to a second attribute of the table. A target internal range of the internal ranges is determined to insert a row as a new entry into the table. A determination is made as to whether an internal range compression directory exists for the target internal range. Based on determining that no internal range compression directory exists for the target internal range and a predefined threshold value of a number of rows is exceeded in the target internal range, the internal range compression directory for the target internal range is created.

Abstract: A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a 3D or stereoscopic image can be generated to considerably relive an observer from visual fatigue. The present invention includes a first camera and a second camera configured to take a 3D image, a display unit displaying an image taken by at least one of the first and second cameras, and a controller controlling the first camera, the second camera and the display unit, wherein the controller sets a plurality of divisional sections on a left eye image taken by the first camera and a right eye image taken by the second camera and then generates the 3D image based on a depth value of each of a plurality of the divisional sections.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a video processing apparatus and method based on multiple texture images, which can process videos with optimal video quality at a low transfer rate. For this, an input video is divided into shot segments, and one is selected from a plurality of frames of each shot segment as a seed image. A plurality of texture points are detected from the seed image. The plurality of texture points are tracked from the plurality of frames of the shot segment and then spatio-temporal location transform variables for the respective texture points are calculated. A plurality of texture images are defined using texture points at which the spatio-temporal location transform variables correspond to one another.

Abstract: To reduce a display time of an image for which an observation is less required, and to effectively perform an observation of a series of images, the image display apparatus (1) includes an image processing controller (2a) that acquires an image from a storage unit (5), controls various image processes for the acquired image, and stores an image of a processing result in the storage unit (5), an image classification unit (2b) that calculates a correlation value between temporally continuous images and classifies each of the images into an image group based on the calculated correlation value, an image-of-interest detecting unit (2c) that detects a feature-image area including a predetermined feature from each of the images, and detects the feature image including the detected feature-image area as an image-of-interest, a representative-image extracting unit (2d) that extracts the image-of-interest and a first image in each of the image groups as a representative image and sets a display rate for each of the ex

Abstract: A video coding system that codes video objects as scalable video object layers. Data of each video object may be segregated in to one or more layers. A base layer contains sufficient information to decode a basic representation of the video object. Enhancement layers contain supplementary data regarding the video object that, if decoded, enhance the basic representation obtained from the base layer. The present invention thus provides a coding scheme suitable for use with decoders of varying processing power. A simple decoder may decode only the base layer of the video objects to obtain the basic representation. However, more powerful decoders may decode the base layer data of video objects and additional enhancement layer data to obtain improved decoded output. The coding scheme supports enhancement of both the spatial resolution and the temporal resolution of video object.

Abstract: A method for compressing a cloud of points with imposed error constraints at each point is disclosed. Surfaces are constructed that approach each point to within the constraint specified at that point, and from the plurality of surfaces that satisfy the constraints at all points, a surface is chosen which minimizes the amount of memory required to store the surface on a digital computer.

Abstract: To reduce artifacts caused by quantization errors in image compression systems, an offset is added to quantized samples at low frequency sections of a macroblock. A decoder uses the offset after decoding to bring the decoded sample closer to the original pre-encoded and pre-quantized sample, thereby compensating for quantization errors.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for encoding an image is provided. The image that needs to be represented is represented in the form of a Gaussian pyramid which is a scale-space representation of the image and includes several pyramid images. The feature points in the pyramid images are identified and a specified number of feature points are selected. The orientations of the selected feature points are obtained by using a set of orientation calculating algorithms. A patch is extracted around the feature point in the pyramid images based on the orientations of the feature point and the sampling factor of the pyramid image. The boundary patches in the pyramid images are extracted by padding the pyramid images with extra pixels. The feature vectors of the extracted patches are defined. These feature vectors are normalized so that the components in the feature vectors are less than a threshold.

Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, generating an intrinsic image corresponding to the image, and compressing the intrinsic image to provide a compressed intrinsic image.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a processor configured to determine at least one quality parameter for a media, assign a value to each quality parameter of the media, calculate a quality score for the media based at least in part on the value for each quality parameter, receive a search request, and transmit search results based at least in part on the quality score of the media.

Abstract: A dynamic data compression system for forming and transmitting data from a downhole location within a borehole penetrating the earth to a surface location includes a data source that forms raw data sets of a formation contacting the borehole, the raw data sets being formed at a fixed rate and a data rate sampler that determines a transmission rate of a transmission channel. The system also includes a compression engine configured to compress the raw data sets according to compression parameters to form compressed data sets. The compression parameters are dynamically changed based on the transmission rate.

Abstract: A forensic mark insertion apparatus includes: an original content segment storage unit for storing multiple original contents; and a service control unit for, in response to a request for a content from a user, retrieving an original content corresponding to the request for the content from the original content segment storage unit, separating the retrieved original content into plurality of content segments, selectively inserting a forensic mark into some of the content segments, and assembling the content segments to produce an forensic-mark inserted content to be provided to the user.

Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods that process images. The invention processes a received signal representing information of texture and information of an image, which has the texture removed from at least one region. The image information is encoded to obtain encoded information of the image. An output signal is generated representing the texture information and the encoded image information. In another embodiment, the invention synthesizes texture based on the received texture information, decodes received image information, which is encoded, to obtain a decoded image, and then maps the synthesized texture onto the decoded image.

Abstract: A method and device for encoding, decoding, storage and transmission of a scalable data stream to include layers having different coding properties including: producing one or more layers of the scalable data stream, wherein the coding properties include at least one of the following: Fine granularity scalability information; Region-of-interest scalability information; Sub-sample scalable layer information; Decoding dependency information; and Initial parameter sets, and signaling the layers with the characterized coding property such that they are readable by a decoder without the need to decode the entire layers. A corresponding method of encoding, decoding, storage, and transmission of a scalable bit stream is also disclosed, wherein at least two scalability layers are present and each layer has a set of at least one property, such as those above identified.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image enhancement apparatus for enhancing an input image of a sequence of input images. To provide the ability to increase the resolution of an input image and/or to temporally reduce artifacts and/or noise in an input image, the apparatus comprises a motion compensation unit, a weighted selection unit, a feature analysis unit, an image model unit configured to generate a modelled image by applying an image model on said input image and/or said weighted selection image, a spatio-temporal detail signal generation unit configured to generate a detail signal from said input image and said weighted selection image, and a combination unit configured to generate said enhanced output image from said input image, said detail signal and said modelled image.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for accelerating bitmap remoting by extracting patterns from source bitmaps. A server takes a source image, and performs an edge-detection operation on it. From this edge-detected image, connected segments of the image are determined by executing multiple iterations of a small operation upon the image in parallel—for instance, by assigning each non-white pixel a unique value, then assigning each pixel the minimum value among itself and its neighbors until no pixel is assigned a new value in an iteration. Executing these operations in parallel greatly reduces the time required to identify the connected segments. When the segments are identified, they may be cached by the client so that they do not need to be re-sent to the client when re-encountered by the server.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for region-of-interest (ROI) coding for video telephony (VT). The disclosed techniques also include techniques for allocation of bits to ROI and non-ROI areas using weighted bit allocation models at the macroblock (MB) level within the ? domain.

Abstract: A method for creating a binary mask image from an inputted digital image of a scanned document, including the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, including the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating combining media fingerprinters are provided. In one implementation, a system can include a memory and a microprocessor. The system can also include: a communication component that receives media; a wavelet-based hash generation component that generates a plurality of hashes based on wavelet descriptors associated with the media; a local features information generation component that generates local descriptors associated with the media; a grouping component that groups the plurality of hashes into two or more subgroups, and generates a combined group of descriptors. The combined group of descriptors can include quantized local descriptors and groups of hashes. The system can also include a hash generation component that hashes the combined group of descriptors.

Abstract: A model-based method is described which defines a rigid transformation between two co-ordinate systems that reduces the accuracy requirements on the quality of the data-set (including, but not restricted to, the error in the acquisition process, and the number and spread of the points) measured in one of the two co-ordinate systems by identifying a set of remote correspondences that are used to bind the convergence process. The method can be used in minimal-access orthopaedic surgery to improve the accuracy of limb registration. Specific instances include femoral registration, by estimating the functional center of the hip joint in both co-ordinate systems to be co-registered, and tibial registration, using the ankle center as a distant set of paired correspondences. Accuracy can be measured in a variety of ways, including, but not restricted to, evaluating the mis-alignment between the two co-registered objects.

Abstract: A method of displaying a high dynamic range image, comprising receiving the high dynamic range image, calculating a first set of tone mapping parameters as a function of the high dynamic range image, sub-sampling the first set of tone mapping parameters at a first resolution to create a first sub-sampled parameter set, creating a first tone-mapped image by processing the high dynamic range image as a function of the first sub-sampled parameter set, and displaying the first tone-mapped image. A method of composting a plurality of versions of an image to create the high dynamic range image is also disclosed such that the compositing may be modified as a function of received user input.

Abstract: A method for transcoding that includes (A) generating a decoded frame by decoding an MPEG-2 input video stream, the decoded frame including decoded macroblocks; (B) determining a search center for encoding a current macroblock corresponding to a pair of the decoded macroblocks on consecutive macroblock rows, when (i) the encoding uses a predictive field mode and (ii) a current field being encoded is a second field of a current frame that has a first field as a reference field, the search center is a temporally scaled version of a decoded motion vector from an upper or a lower macroblock in the pair; (C) generating a refined motion vector by searching in a temporal search direction about the search center; and (D) generating an H.264 output video stream by encoding the current macroblock based on the refined motion vector.