Abstract: The present invention is to provide a parallel filtering method, which is implemented to an interpolation filter and comprises the steps of separating coefficients of the interpolation filter into two sets comprising the positive and negative coefficients respectively for parallelly filtering a plurality of input data pixels packed into data words inputted to the interpolation filter concurrently to obtain a first result data word, and clipping and shifting the first result data word to obtain a final output data word containing packed half-pel pixels for parallelly and efficiently filtering data stream of video without increasing the complexity, cost, size and power consumption of circuitry of an electronic video apparatus.

Abstract: A known face guided imaging method applied for an electronic imaging device uses the scale of a known face sensed in a previous frame to define a scale range of a searching window, which adds a scale constraint into the searching window so as to search a current frame horizontally and vertically in the searching window to perform a face searching loop for a face. The invention simply sends a corresponding image patch within the scale range to a face detector for the face detection, and the searching space is constrained in a small group of scale ranges without the need of detecting the whole image of various different scales within the scale range, and thus the invention effectively reduces the huge quantity of computing values required for the detection process and greatly enhances the speed and efficiency of the face detection.

Abstract: A method for aligning images includes (1) selecting a pair of overlapping pixels when two second image are aligned with a camera motion; (2) if both pixels are edge pixels, incrementing a correlation value between the two images for the camera motion; (3) if only one of pixels is an edge pixel, decrementing the correlation value between the two images for the camera motion; (4) repeating steps (1) to (3) for other pairs of overlapping pixels in the two images to determine the correlation value for the camera motion. The method further includes (5) repeating steps (1) to (4) for other camera motions; (6) selecting camera motions having large correlation values; (7) determining matched edge counts for members of the group; (8) selecting the camera motion with the largest matched edge count; and (8) aligning the two images with the selected camera motion.

Abstract: A method for driving virtual facial expressions by automatically detecting facial expressions of a face image is applied to a digital image capturing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a face image captured by the image capturing device and images of a plurality of facial features with different facial expressions to obtain a key point position of each facial feature on the face image; mapping the key point positions to a virtual face as the key point positions of corresponding facial features on the virtual face; dynamically tracking the key point of each facial feature on the face image; estimating the key point positions of each facial feature of the current face image according to the key point positions of each facial feature on a previous face image; and correcting the key point positions of the corresponding facial features on the virtual face.

Abstract: A method for correcting a radial distortion in an image includes receiving a radial distortion parameter from the user and calculating new intensity values of points in the image to correct a radial exposure distortion in the image.

Abstract: A method for improving image resolution includes (a) selecting a low-resolution pixel in a low-resolution image; (b) generating a vector that characterizes a low-resolution patch about the low-resolution pixel; (c) classifying the low-resolution patch into one of a plurality of possible patterns; (d) if said one pattern is one of a plurality of top ranking patterns having filters, applying a filter of said one of the top ranking patterns to the low-resolution patch to generate high-resolution pixels that correspond to the low-resolution pixel; (e) if said one pattern is not one of the plurality of top ranking patterns, applying an interpolation process to the low-resolution patch to generate the high-resolution pixels; (f) repeating steps (a) to (e) for additional low-resolution pixels to generate additional high-resolution pixels to form a high-resolution image.

Abstract: In a method for detecting facial expressions of a portrait photo by an image capturing electronic device, a face captured in the portrait photo is detected. The position and range of the opened and closed facial features are detected, and the facial features within an identified range are magnified according to a specific proportion. A patch of facial features and their surroundings within a specific range is cut according to the magnified identified range, so that the patch can show a change of facial expressions and a specific range of their surroundings. A facial feature classifier is trained by a specific number of opened and closed facial feature samples based on the Adaboost algorithm and used for detecting the facial features in the patch to determine whether the facial feature is situated at an opened state or a closed state.

Abstract: A method for cache image display in an electronic apparatus having at least a LCD screen and a storage device, said method being applied when a user performs operations such as shrinking, enlarging, dragging or adjusting the viewing area of a thumbnail image on said screen, said method comprises the steps of determining if a random access memory in said electronics apparatus contains a pre-shrunk cache image and said pre-shrunk image has nearly the same image size as the one demanded by said user; retrieving said cache image upon the determination that said pre-shrunk cache image has nearly the same image size as the one demanded by said user; resizing said cache image with a proper proportion to form a new thumbnail image with the size demanded by said user; and displaying said thumbnail image on said LCD screen.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for automatically adjusting the position and size of each object of an image mask to fit an image page, and the method is applied to an image mask. The image mask includes an object such as a frame, a figure and a text, and each object can change its position and dimensions on the image mask according to a predetermined variable or invariable attribute and a relative position attribute or absolute position attribute to automatically adjust its position and dimensions on the image mask to adapt the change of the image page, such that after the image mask is adjusted, the position and dimensions of each object still can meet a designer's expected design style and artistic visual effect.

Abstract: A method for correcting a nonlinear distortion in an image includes receiving an image of a calibration template comprising calibration patterns, detecting at least three points from the calibration patterns, calculating a distortion parameter from coordinates of the at least three points that should align along a straight line, and correcting the nonlinear distortion in the image using the distortion parameter. A method for correcting a radial distortion in an image includes receiving a radial distortion parameter from the user and calculating new intensity values of points in the image to correct a radial exposure distortion in the image.

Abstract: A method for determining a border of an image includes (a) receiving a composite image including a background image and a foreground image, (b) following one geometric feature (e.g., a line) of the background image, and (c) detecting two or more breakpoints in the first geometric feature where the foreground image superimposes the geometric feature. Actions (b) and (c) are repeated to detect breakpoints for a number of the geometric features. The border of the foreground image is determined by constructing linear edges that each connects three or more breakpoints and extending the linear edges until each intersect with two other linear edges to form the border of the foreground image. An apparatus for determining a border of an image includes a scanner and a document cover. The document cover includes a blue backdrop and geometric features. The geometric features include green vertical and horizontal lines.

Abstract: A method includes (a) performing image deblur at the original size of underexposed and normally exposed images when their original image size is small. Otherwise, the method includes (b) downsizing the images and performing image deblur on the downsized images. The image deblur on downsized images includes (c) applying a global color transfer between the images if their difference of average gray values is small. Otherwise, the method includes four successive sub-procedures: (d) histogram customizing of the underexposed image based on the normally exposed image; (e) region segmentation for the histogram-customized underexposed image and local alignment of regions in the histogram-customized underexposed image with the normally exposed image; (f) color tuning for the histogram-customized underexposed image based on the local alignment and a global alignment between the underexposed and the normally exposed images; and (g) local color transfer with multi-size neighbor windows from between the images.

Abstract: A video sequence is processed to extract one or more objects. The extracted objects are used to create a new video sequence. In particular, a user is able to select a background and/or an audio recording. Alternatively, the object extraction system automatically selects a background and/or audio recording. The extracted objects are integrated into the selected background and/or the audio recording is added to form a new video sequence.

Abstract: A data structure, termed a pyramid, representing levels of data is disclosed. A method to produce the data structure is also disclosed. The pyramid data structure includes a series of levels, termed floors. In turn, the each floor is comprised of numerous cells. The data structure may be cached or can be stored in a file or database for run-time access by distributed applications.

Abstract: A video stabilization system processes a video segment to remove unwanted motion, resulting in a stabilized video segment. The video stabilization system tracks one or more features through multiple frames, identifies ideal positions for the features, and then generates information (e.g., rotation, scaling, shearing, and/or translation) to transform all pixels in each frame to ideal positions based on the ideal positions of the features.

Abstract: A method for rasterizing an edge includes determining an area projected by the edge in a pixel it touches. The projected area is first set equal to a unit area projected by the edge in one unit step. If a starting point of the edge is located in the pixel, an excessive projected area attributed to the edge before the starting point is subtracted from the projected area. If an end point of the edge is located in the pixel, another excessive projected area attributed to the edge after the end point is subtracted from the unit area from the projected area. If the edge crosses the pixel, then a carryover projected area attributed to the edge in a preceding pixel is added to the projected area.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining fill styles for pixels. A parameter “sum fill” is calculated for each pixel. Parameter sum fill is the sum of the difference between the right fill style and the left fill style of each edge that touches the bottom border of a pixel. A parameter “fa” is then calculated for each pixel. Parameter fa is the sum of the parameters sum fill of the current pixel and the preceding pixels. The fill style of a pixel that is untouched by any edges is set equal to the parameter fa of the adjacent pixel to its right.

Abstract: A method is provided for approximating a quadratic Bezier curve represented by two anchor points and a control point that are fixed-point binary numbers. If a first flatness of a line formed between the two anchor points of the Bezier curve is less than a threshold, the method includes replacing the Bezier curve with an edge between the two anchor points. If the first flatness is not less than the threshold, the method includes subdividing the Bezier curve into halves and determining a second flatness of one of the halves. The first flatness is approximated by a triangular area formed by the two anchor points and the control point, and the triangular area is approximated by multiplication and subtraction operations. The second flatness of the half is approximated as the triangular area divided by 8, where the division by 8 is determined by shifting 3 bits to the right.

Abstract: A video segment is processed to identify frames representing shot boundaries in the video segment. Initially, a partial block-based comparison technique is used to determine the amount of change (i.e., a first difference) that occurs between a pair of distant (i.e., not consecutive) frames. Additionally, edge and/or color differences are computed between the pair of frames to confirm that a change has occurred. If the change is confirmed, a step variable technique is used to locate the change between two consecutive frames between the distant frames. If the partial block-based comparison technique obtains a difference between the consecutive frames that exceeds the first threshold, then an abrupt change is detected. Otherwise, the edge and/or color differences are used to determine whether a gradual transition has occurred.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for editing a video story includes a storyboard pane, a timeline pane, and a layer pane. The storyboard pane displays video clips of the video story and their transitions. The timeline pane displays tracks including a video track, a video overlay track, a text track, an effect track, and at least one audio track. The layer pane displays layers of a selected video clip from the video track. Each layer displays one layer clip. The layer clip can be a video layer clip, a text layer clip, or an audio layer clip. The layers in the layer pane show how the layer clips overlay each other (or not) in time to compose the selected video clip. A user uses the storyboard pane and the timeline pane to layout the video story, and the layer pane to layout the video clips in the video story.