Abstract: A system comprising a storage including an image file associated with a plurality of pixels and processing logic coupled to the storage. The processing logic is adapted to determine an average of least significant bits associated with a maximum of two of the plurality of pixels, add the average to bits associated with a target pixel, and disassociate from the target pixel least significant bits of the target pixel. No pixels are disposed between the target pixel and each of the two of the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A method and system determines a pose of an object by comparing an input range image acquired of a scene including the input object to each of a set of reference range image of a reference object, such that each reference range images has an associated different pose, and the reference object is similar to the input object. Then, the pose associated with the reference range image which best matches the input range image is selected as the pose of the input object.

Abstract: Noise reduction is performed on the basis of characteristics of an image in a detection range. A noise reduction block 4? performs a second-order differentiation process and a symmetry process to decide adjacent pixels with which noise reduction is preformed for an attention pixel. With the pixel level of the attention pixel in the detection range and the pixel levels of adjacent pixels used for noise reduction, an arithmetic mean processing section 16 calculates a mean value. A median filter 17 selects a median value. With the number of pixels used for noise reduction, it is determined whether the image in the detection range contains a flat portion, a ramp portion, or an edge. The mean value and the median value are weight-added with a weighted coefficient that are changed on the basis of characteristics of the image. The result is substituted for the level of the attention pixel.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging section; a moving-object detection processing section for detecting a moving object in a plurality of frame images captured by the imaging section; and a fluctuation-elimination processing section for masking a portion detected including the moving object by the moving-object detection processing section, and performing fluctuation elimination processing on an image of an area excluding the masked portion.

Abstract: A short-time Goertzel transform is applied to the image signal to transform it into a representation of the spatial frequency component corresponding to the periodic pattern. This representation is processed. Next the inverse of the transformation is computed and the result of the inverse transformation is removed from the image signal.

Abstract: A method of reducing noise in an image, comprising: a) for each pixel being examined in the image, selecting a set of search pixels; b) calculating a value of one or more features of a neighborhood of each search pixel, and a value of corresponding features of a neighborhood of the pixel being examined; and c) calculating a reduced noise grey value for each pixel being examined, based on raw or transformed grey values of its search pixels, with greater sensitivity to those with one or more feature values similar to those of the pixel being examined; wherein calculating the value of at least one feature comprises calculating a characteristic of a distribution of raw or transformed grey values of pixels in the neighborhood, other than a mean grey value of all pixels in the neighborhood.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for image processing by locally adaptive filters that preserve the edges while smoothing the image. In the exemplary method, a filter adjusts image pixel values utilizing a locally adaptive weighted average method. To adjust the value of a target pixel, the filter uses the data corresponding to some of its surrounding pixels and modifies the weights in an inverse relation with both their distance from the target pixel and the difference between their data. Various embodiments present different schemes for selection of surrounding pixels and computation of weighted average values.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for deriving histograms for neighborhoods of pixels in an image that uses subtractive image regions to increase the size of overlapping regions of regions of series of adjacent image pixels to a size equal to the size of a full neighborhood. Each neighborhood (except for a central neighborhood) is viewed as a combination of the central overlapping neighborhood and one or more additional regions, at least one of which comprises a “subtractive” region, and which vary in size depending on the distance of a pixel from the pixel that is the basis for the central neighborhood. The histogram for each neighborhood is derived by adding the histograms of the central neighborhood and the histograms for the relevant additional region or regions, which may have one or more negative element values.

Abstract: A content-dependent scan rate converter with adaptive noise reduction that provides a highly integrated, implementation efficient de-interlacer. By identifying and using redundant information from the image (motion values and edge directions), this scan rate converter is able to perform the tasks of film-mode detection, motion-adaptive scan rate conversion, and content-dependent video noise reduction. Adaptive video noise reduction is incorporated in the process where temporal noise reduction is performed on the still parts of the image, thus preserving high detail spatial information, and data-adaptive spatial noise reduction is performed on the moving parts of the image. A low-pass filter is used in flat fields to smooth out Gaussian noise and a direction-dependent median filter is used in the presence of impulsive noise or an edge. Therefore, the selected spatial filter is optimized for the particular pixel that is being processed to maintain crisp edges.

Abstract: In a device and a method for detecting a letter box for an MPEG decoder, the method includes performing processing area filtering for selecting a processing area of an image used to detect the letter box; performing intra-macroblock filtering for determining the letter box area based on a change level of pixels in macroblocks in one line of the image from the processing area; performing impulse data filtering for excluding the line being detected a high frequency component from the determined letter box area; performing inter-macroblock filtering for determining the letter box area based on a change level of lines between macroblocks of the image; performing inter-line filtering for determining a boundary of the letter box based on an average of the pixel values of the lines; and performing inter-picture filtering for outputting a boundary value of the letter box that has the highest frequency number as the boundary of the letter box in successive images.

Abstract: A method for reducing image noise includes calculating a mean pixel-correlation between a central pixel and neighboring pixels within a working window in an image. The method also includes calculating a weighted horizontal similarity between the central pixel and horizontal neighboring pixels and a weighted vertical similarity between the central pixel and vertical neighboring pixels within the working window. Then, the method determines if the central pixel is noise. If so, a noise-reduction process is executed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for block noise detection and filtering are disclosed. One embodiment includes, computing difference magnitudes in pixel values for adjacent pixels in the image. The difference magnitudes can include horizontal difference magnitudes for horizontally adjacent pixels and vertical difference magnitudes for vertically adjacent pixels. One embodiment further includes using normalized sums of the difference magnitudes to determine a set of noise characteristics of the block noise and a set of image characteristics of the image and configuring inputs to the block noise filter using the set of noise and image characteristics.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for automatic restoration of digital film and video frames, by operation of a sequence of five main interactive computer program blocks, mainly separating moving objects from still objects, separating smooth texture from regions containing edges using the coherency map, and detecting and removing defects to provide restored frames using a pair of frames as reference frames for each processed frame.

Abstract: A method of reducing noise levels in an input video signal comprising pixel data includes receiving input pixel data of the input video signal, where the input pixel data comprises luminance data and chrominance data, and estimating a noise level of the input video signal using the luminance data of the input pixel data. A plurality of filter parameters are identified based on the estimated noise level, and the input pixel data is filtered using a three dimensional spatiotemporal noise reduction filter that is controlled by a first set of the plurality of filter parameters.

Abstract: A method of enhancing the sharpness of spatial frequencies in a digital image obtained by a digital imaging system. The method comprising modifying digital data defining the pixel content of the image so as to replace the spatial frequency characteristics of the digital image due to the digital imaging system with spatial frequency characteristics of an image produced by a microscope.

Abstract: Film grain patterns can be modeled in the frequency domain by estimating the cut frequencies that define a 2D band-pass filter. The film grain parameters can be conveyed in accordance with the ITU-T H.264|MPEG-4 AVC standard in an SEI message allowing film grain reinsertion at a decoder.

Abstract: A CPU 411 divides image data GD into a plurality of areas (pixel data groups), analyzes the data in image data area units, and determines the color value and dispersion value of the image data areas. When the determined color value is within a flesh toned color area and the dispersion value is at or below a reference dispersion value, the CPU 411 determines the target image data area to be a flesh area. The CPU 411 carries out a smoothing process on the image data area determined to be a flesh area.

Abstract: A method of image restoration in an image processing system is provided. An observed image of an original image, wherein the observed image comprises multiple samples, is received. For a selected sample from the multiple samples, a subset of the multiple samples is selected, wherein said subset includes the selected sample. Image restoration to restore an original image sample from the selected sample is performed as a function of said subset of multiple samples, and not the entire observed image. A novel image restoration method which requires shorter length FFT calculation in the image restoration process is utilized, wherein the resulting restored image maintains the same quality as the result from conventional approaches.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for image demosaicing.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for image denoising based on medium filter is disclosed according to the present invention. Such method and apparatus may be used to remove linear noise and random noise for the sensor, as well as the bad points in the sensor image, and to prevent over-denoising. The technical solutions includes selecting three groups of pixels from neighboring pixels of a current pixel, calculating medians ?1, ?2 and ?3 for the pixels in each group; calculating a reference luminance Y: Y=?2+[(?1+?3?2*?2]*h*[1?k*var], where var=?3??1; determining whether the current pixel (cur_pixel) is a bad pixel; letting a temporary variable (tmp_data) be ?1 if the current pixel is a bad pixel; letting a temporary variable (tmp_data) be the current pixel value (cur_pixel) if the current pixel is not a bad pixel; determining whether the current pixel is located on an edge.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for improving image-processing applications. Embodiments of the invention provide methods for preserving computation results and offer intermediary computation steps to allow the processing of images at any location to take advantage of previously processed image areas. The preferred embodiment offers a method for building a median filter that significantly improves the processing speed over basic techniques. By building a histogram hierarchy, image data statistics are added and subtracted using a multiplicity of histograms from the histogram hierarchy, where each histogram describes an image area. Furthermore, a histogram hierarchy is built using multiple layers, each layer defining a level of statistical resolution.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a potential sample at a location interfaced with a first field of the picture by temporal filtering, (B) evaluating a protection condition in a current region around the location after inclusion of the potential sample and (C) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by vertical spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating a significant increase in a vertical activity within the current region due to the potential sample.

Abstract: A method of encoding and decoding image data by applying an image capturing device includes generating a difference coding group, applying an modified Hadamard transform (MHT) on the difference coding group to generate a corresponding low-frequency parameter and a plurality of corresponding high-frequency parameters, adjusting the low-frequency parameter, adjusting the high-frequency parameters by a quantification factor, decoding the low-frequency parameter, decoding the high-frequency parameters by the quantification factor, and applying an inverse modified Hadamard transform (IMHT) on the low-frequency parameter and the high-frequency parameters to decode the difference coding group.

Abstract: A method and system of eliminating color noises caused by an interpolation, which performs an interpolation on a Bayer image obtained by an image sensor to restore red, green and blue colors of each pixel. Interpolated image is converted into a chromatic domain in order to rapidly use chroma pixel values of a pixel previously processed to eliminate color noises to update the original chroma pixel values in a median filter with 3×3 area of 2D, thereby increasing the color noise filtering capability of the median filter, and a low-pass filter is used to further eliminate the uneven effect of clustered color noises filtered out by the median filter.

Abstract: A method and system for correcting defective pixels of a color image, which first performs an interpolation on a Bayer image captured by an image sensor to thus reconstruct red, green and blue (RGB) colors corresponding to each pixel and obtain an RGB image, then converts the RGB image from the RGB domain to a chroma domain, and finally uses neighboring pixel values to correct a respective defective pixel. Because a defective pixel can be distinct from the chroma domain easier than the RGB domain, it can accurately determine whether or not a pixel to be processed is defective.

Abstract: In a method of digital image compression, the spatial frequency content of a digital image is characterized using a relatively sparse sampling of data blocks from the image, and a quantization table is constructed based on the characterization of the spatial frequency content.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing method capable of effectively removing noise contained in an image photographed in a low light environment by using statistical information, and a system thereof.

Abstract: A method includes determining a lowest-score interpolation direction among a plurality of interpolation directions. The method further includes calculating a candidate pixel value by interpolating along the lowest-score interpolation direction. The method further includes applying a median function to a set of pixel values. The set of pixel values includes (a) the candidate pixel value, (b) at least one pixel value from a line of pixels that is immediately above a pixel location that is currently being interpolated, and (c) at least one pixel value from a line of pixel values that is immediately below the pixel location that is currently being interpolated.

Abstract: Regions within a scanned document are labeled according to content. These labeled regions allow for particular enhancement and sharpening methods to be applied. The labeled regions may be further leveraged in subsequent rendering of the scanned document on a printer or other output device and/or in storing the scanned document.

Abstract: A method for adjusting saturation by distinguishing a plurality of color systems and color system zones corresponding to the color systems from a Cb-Cr coordinate, and finding the corresponding color system zone including the to-be-adjusted pixel of a digital color image. Thus, the first chroma Cb and the second chroma Cr of the to-be-adjusted pixel may be adjusted after the corresponding color system zone is found. This method can adjust a chroma of a specific color system without influencing the chroma of other color systems.

Abstract: A vehicle restraint system has a vision-based occupant classification system for control of airbag deployment during a crash scenario. The classification system utilizes two imaging sensors which together create a stream of paired images received and stored by an occupant classification controller. A computer program product of the controller utilizes the paired images to extract disparity/range features and stereo-vision differential edge density features. Moreover, the controller extracts wavelet features from one of the two paired images. All three features or maps are classified amongst preferably seven classifications by algorithms of the computer program product producing class confidence data fed to a sensor fusion engine of the controller for processing and output of an airbag control signal input into a restraint controller of the vehicle restraint system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for image processing using a graphics processor in a handheld device including a first memory device receiving a video input signal containing encoded video frame having a plurality of portions of encoded video frame data. The first memory device has a storage capacity less than all of the plurality portions of the encoded video frame data. The method and apparatus further includes the graphics processor coupled to the first memory device, wherein the graphics processor receives the first portion of the encoded video frame data and generates a first graphics portion. A second memory device receives the first graphics portion and stores the first graphics portion therein. As such, the encoded video frame is processed on a portion-by-portion basis using the first memory device and the second memory device in conjunction with the graphics processor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for reducing flicker disturbances in a video signal having a temporal median filter and a filter connected downstream. The temporal median filter serves for compensating for brightness fluctuations in the video signal. The filter connected downstream separates high-frequency signal components from the output signal of the temporal median filter and suppresses high-frequency signal components with a high amplitude.

Abstract: Block-based image processing methods and apparatus that provide a reduction in block-transform image coding artifacts are described. In various embodiments, the invention is directly incorporated into a decoding process. In such embodiments, transform coefficients are modified in simple but particularly effective ways that reduce or eliminate many of the artifacts that were caused by the quantization of the transform coefficients during encoding and/or by independent block processing during encoding. In other embodiments, the invention is used on an image that has already been decoded. In such embodiments image data values are directly modified in a block-based fashion or a forward block transform is applied and then the methods of the invention for processing transform coefficient blocks are used, followed by an inverse transform operation to generate pixel values from the resulting processed transform coefficient blocks.

Abstract: Disclosed is an edge sharpening method using maximum and minimum filters. In an embodiment of the present invention, the edge region of an input image signal is detected, minimum and maximum signals are generated for the detected edge region, the input signal of the detected edge region is compared with the average signal of the minimum and maximum signals, and the average of the input signal and the maximum signal is output if the input signal is larger than the average signal, the average of the input signal and the minimum signal is output if the input signal is smaller than the average signal, and the input signal is output if the input signal is equal to the average signal. Meanwhile, median filtering, using a window perpendicular to the direction in which the edge sharpening is performed, is performed on the region on which the edge sharpening has been performed.

Abstract: A filtering apparatus calculates a median of image data that includes nine pixel values arranged in a window of 3*3. First, an input circuit receives as an input the image data, divides the data into groups each having three pixels, and outputs. The pixel values of each group are sorted in accordance with magnitude order, by a plurality of sorters. After sorting, the maximum values among the pixel values of the groups are determined by a plurality of shifters and a plurality of maximum value determiners, and the determined pixel values are removed from the corresponding groups. As a result, four largest pixel values are removed from the three groups. A last sorter extracts and outputs the maximum pixel value (median) from the remaining five pixel values.

Abstract: A method for determining a median value in a sliding window environment is provided. The method includes creating a merge tree defining leaf nodes associated with columns corresponding to a first position of a sliding window. A display controller and a computer readable medium having program instructions for determining a median value in a sliding window environment are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of removing fixed pattern noise in a digital image processing apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes a controlling unit adjusting a number of image frames of a same image photographed by an imaging device and an exposure time of a shutter, and controlling a movement direction of the imaging device, which photographs the image; and a signal processing unit which median-combines the image frames of the same image photographed by the imaging device during the adjusted exposure time after moving the imaging device. The total photographing time is reduced by skipping a process of photographing a dark image and fixed pattern noise can be effectively removed by median-combining the image frames photographed while physically moving the imaging device between the photographing of consecutive image frames to remove the fixed pattern noise.

Abstract: A noise reduction system comprises an inputting unit inputting image data, and a noise reduction unit performing a process for removing noise of the image data input by the inputting unit. The noise reduction unit includes a representative value calculating unit calculating a representative value from the level values of a plurality of pixels in a predetermined direction, which include an observed pixel of the input image data, a representative value selecting unit selecting one representative value according to a predetermined condition from among a plurality of representative values which are calculated by the representative value calculating unit and correspond to a plurality of directions, and a replacing unit replacing the level value of the observed pixel with the representative value selected by the representative value selecting unit.

Abstract: To reduce the fluoroscopic noise in an image I acquired at a date t, the pixels of this image are paired with the pixels of an image I? acquired at a date t?1. For a pixel with coordinates (x,y) of the image I, a convolution is done with a core U equivalent to a low-pass filter whose coefficients have been modified as a function of the neighborhood of the pixel with coordinates (x,y) in the image I. For the pixel paired in the image I?, a convolution is done with the core U whose coefficients have been modified as a function of the neighborhood of the pixel with coordinates (x,y) in the image I?. The result of the two convolutions is associated linearly in order to obtain a filtered value for the pixel with coordinates (x,y). These operations are repeated for each pixel of the image I.

Abstract: In a photograph and image compression system equipped with a camera, a low luminance noise cancellation algorithm is selectively applied to photographs and video images including a low luminance noise, by determining whether the low luminance noise is included in a portion of an input image, and if it is determined that low luminance noise is included, the low luminance noise cancellation algorithm is executed on the input image.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

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: A selected antialiasing technique is applied to non-labeled gray-scale or color image data by deconstructing an image into a set of binary images, applying the antialiasing method to each binary image to generate antialiased images, and combining the antialiased images to generate an output image. Computational requirements may be reduced by identifying boundaries within the input image data and generating and antialiasing localized binary images only in selected regions of the image.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a protection condition by performing a static check on the picture in a region around a location interlaced with a first field of the picture, (B) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by temporal averaging the first field with a second field in response to the protection condition indicating significant vertical activity and (C) calculating the interpolated sample at the location by spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating insignificant vertical activity.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus determines whether or not a target pixel TP which is the object of the smoothing process is an edge-forming pixel based on the edge level (gradient g). If the pixel is determined to be an edge-forming pixel, the smoothing process employs an elliptical median filter instead of a moving average filter. The median filter MF has an elliptical reference area RA that is tilted (angled) to match the orientation of the edge Eg (edge angle), allowing the smoothing process to be carried out without compromising the edge components. The angle of the edge Eg is thus determined in the smoothing process, a median filter MF with an angle matching the determined edge angle is selected, and the selected median filter MF is used to carry out the smoothing process on target pixels TP which are edge-forming pixels.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for reducing noise in an image. The method and apparatus involves calculating a plurality of directional operators, comparing the directional operators to a predetermined threshold, and applying a filter responsive to the comparing. The method and apparatus computes the directional operators by taking a weighted sum of the absolute differences between a target pixel and its surrounding pixels. The comparison signals to the method or apparatus the existence of a line or edge. If the method or apparatus detects no edge or line, the method applies a smoothing or averaging filter. If the method or apparatus detects an edge or line, the method applies a median filter in the direction with a minimum directional difference.

Abstract: The screened printing data are subjected to a filtering method, the raster information being maintained. Intermediate tonal values are produced by the filtering method, using the binary tonal values, the intermediate tonal values being configured in such a way that, by means of a color space transformation, transformed tonal values and/or intermediate tonal values can be formed which represent a true-to-color proof.

Abstract: A plurality of panels are assembled into a single image. Each of the panels may have different intensities throughout the panel, as well as non-uniformities between panels. The panels are modified using flat-field calibration, panel flattening, and panel connecting techniques. These techniques correct for non-uniformities and provide a cleaner, single image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an interpolation method for enlarging a digital image or predicting a moving vector of a compressed image system as a sub-pixel unit when the image digitized through a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera ect. has a low resolution in a video phone or video conference or general digital video system, particularly the present invention can be adapted to a post processor of a compressed digital image in order to improve the image quality, and can be used for finding a moving vector of a moving picture compressed type, accordingly the present invention is capable of improving the image quality.