Abstract: A method for decoding a barcode included in at least one scan line into a string of decoded characters. The method includes for each of at least one barcode character set, establishing a validation threshold based, at least in part, on a degree of difference found among a respective set of reference barcode symbols employed in representing a respective set of reference characters included in the barcode character set with which the respective validation threshold is associated. Each detected barcode symbol is decoded into a decoded character for a corresponding character position in the string using a selected character set. A best-matching symbol is identified for the detected barcode symbol among the respective set of reference barcode symbols of the selected character set. A best-matched character that is represented by the best-matching symbol is validated as the decoded character using the respective validation threshold established for the selected character set.

Abstract: A first set of pixels forming a first set of rows and a first set of columns of a first image acquired by an image acquisition device is received. A first corrected set of pixels forming a first corrected set of rows and a first corrected set of columns is generated from the first set of pixels. Successive pixels of each row from the first corrected set of rows correspond to successive parallel lines in a plane defined by the sheet of light that are equally spaced along a first axis of a world coordinate system. Successive pixels of each column from the first corrected set of columns correspond to successive parallel lines in the plane defined by the sheet of light that are equally spaced along a second axis of the world coordinate system. Based on the first corrected set of pixels, a first set of points of the sheet of light is determined. The first set of points of the sheet of light is used to obtain a three-dimensional profile of the object.

Abstract: A method and an image processing system for detecting an object in an image are described. A set of line segments are detected in the image. A subset of the line segments is identified based on a projection space orientation that defines a projection space. Each one of the line segments of the subset of line segments is projected into the projection space to obtain a set of projected line segments, where each projected line segment of the set of projected line segments is represented by a respective set of projection parameters. A determination is performed, in the projection space, based on the sets of projection parameters and a shape criterion that characterizes the object, of whether the image includes an instance of the object. In response to determining that the image includes the instance of the object, the instance of the object is output.

Abstract: A method and an image processing system for detecting an object in an image are described. A set of line segments are detected in the image. A subset of the line segments is identified based on a projection space orientation that defines a projection space. Each one of the line segments of the subset of line segments is projected into the projection space to obtain a set of projected line segments, where each projected line segment of the set of projected line segments is represented by a respective set of projection parameters. A determination is performed, in the projection space, based on the sets of projection parameters and a shape criterion that characterizes the object, of whether the image includes an instance of the object. In response to determining that the image includes the instance of the object, the instance of the object is output.

Abstract: A first set of pixels forming a first set of rows of a first image acquired by an image acquisition device is received. A first partially corrected set of pixels forming a first partially corrected set of rows is generated from the first set of pixels where successive pixels of a row from the first partially corrected set of rows correspond to successive parallel lines in a plane defined by the sheet of light that are equally spaced along a first axis of a world coordinate system. Based on the first partially corrected set of pixels and based on a peak extraction mechanism, a first partially corrected set of points of the sheet of light is extracted. The first partially corrected set of points is transformed to obtain a first corrected set of points of the sheet of light that are corrected in a first and a second direction.

Abstract: A method for recognizing an occurrence of an object in an image is provided where the appearance of the object may vary from one occurrence to another. The method includes defining a model set for object recognition, the model set including at least one model, acquiring a target image, processing the target image according to a set of morphological operations to obtain a set of morphologically-processed target images, performing object recognition on the set of morphologically-processed target images for the defined model set, and selecting at least one candidate occurrence of a model of the defined model set in the target image based on the object recognition performed on the set of morphologically-processed target images.

Abstract: Determining a set of edit operations to perform on a string, such as one generated by optical character recognition, to satisfy a string template by determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on the string to satisfy the string template and then determining the set of edit operations corresponding to the minimum cost. Transforming a string to satisfy one or more string templates by determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on the string to satisfy one or more string templates, selecting one or more minimum costs, determining a set of edit operations corresponding to the minimum costs, and then performing the set of edit operations on the string. Determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on a string to satisfy a string template by determining set costs of performing sets of edit operations using costs associated with edit operations of the set and determining the minimum cost using the set costs.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to process at least one of video data, audio data and ancillary data to generate an output for broadcast. The apparatus includes a plurality of processing components and a control engine configured to receive at least one topology from a host system, each of the at least one topology provides a grouping of the plurality of processing components to process the at least one of the video data, the audio data and the ancillary data received by the apparatus, respectively. For each of the at least one topology, the control engine is configured to determine commands for execution by the processing components on a frame-by-frame basis, to generate the commands for execution by the processing components, and to send commands to the processing components to process the data.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying an edge in a portion of an image, the portion having an associated intensity variation. An edge candidate is detected at a local extremum of the intensity variation (i.e. at a position along the x-axis that corresponds to a peak or valley of the intensity variation). A local threshold associated with the edge candidate is computed on the basis of a slope tolerance and the slope value of the edge candidate, where this local threshold defines a boundary region for the edge candidate. If the edge candidate is determined to be a global extremum (i.e. the highest peak or lowest valley) within its respective boundary region, the edge candidate is verified as being an actual edge of the image portion. Identification of this verified edge may include determination of one or more of a plurality of characteristics of the edge.

Abstract: Method and system for capturing and playing back ancillary data associated with a video stream. At capture, a first video stream and its associated non-audio ancillary data are received. The non-audio ancillary data associated with the first video stream is encoded into a first audio stream on a basis of a predefined encoding scheme. The captured non-audio ancillary data can then be transmitted and processed with the first video stream in the form of the first audio stream. At playback, a second video stream and a second audio stream containing encoded non-audio ancillary data associated with the second video stream are received. The second audio stream is decoded on a basis of a predefined decoding scheme in order to extract therefrom the non-audio ancillary data associated with the second video stream. The second video stream and its associated non-audio ancillary data are then both output for playback.

Abstract: The technology is directed to determining a class associated with an image. In some examples, a method determines the class associated with an image. The method can include determining a segmentation score for an image segment based on a comparison of the image segment and a region of an image. The region of the image can be associated with the image segment. The method further includes determining a confidence score for the image segment based on the segmentation score and a classification score. The classification score can be indicative of a similarity between the image segment and at least one class. The method further includes determining a class associated with the image based on the confidence score. The method further includes outputting the class associated with the image.

Abstract: According to one aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for converting data encoded in a graphics signal to at least one output signal. The apparatus includes an input, a plurality of outputs, signal processing circuitry and a controller. The input is adapted to receive the graphics signal where the graphics signal includes a plurality of frames generated at least in part from original data. The signal processing circuitry is adapted to locate, in the graphics signal, data corresponding to the original data, convert the data corresponding to the original data to output data and communicate the output data to the plurality of outputs. The controller is adapted to monitor a capacity of the signal processing circuitry and generate a signal that results in at least one disposable frame being added to the plurality of frames. The signal processing circuitry is adapted to discard the at least one disposable frame.

Abstract: A method of defining model characters of a font. The method includes receiving a string of characters, receiving an image that includes an occurrence of the string, identifying objects in the image, determining, for each respective object, which of the objects satisfies first criteria indicating that the respective object likely corresponds to a character in the string, determining, for each respective object satisfying the first criteria, which of the objects satisfies second criteria indicating that the respective object belongs to a sequence of objects likely to correspond to the string, and defining, for each respective object satisfying the second criteria, a model character for each character of the string based upon a corresponding object of the sequence of objects. The first criteria may include aspect ratio criterion, size criterion, or both, and the second criteria may include alignment criterion, spacing criterion contrast criterion, encompassment criterion, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The technology is directed to determining a class associated with an image. In some examples, a method determines the class associated with an image. The method can include determining a segmentation score for an image segment based on a comparison of the image segment and a region of an image. The region of the image can be associated with the image segment. The method further includes determining a confidence score for the image segment based on the segmentation score and a classification score. The classification score can be indicative of a similarity between the image segment and at least one class. The method further includes determining a class associated with the image based on the confidence score. The method further includes outputting the class associated with the image.

Abstract: A model-based object recognition system operates to recognize an object on a predetermined world surface within a world space. An image of the object is acquired. This image is a distorted projection of the world space. The acquired image is processed to locate one or more local features of the image, with respect to an image coordinate system of the image. These local features are mapped a world coordinate system of the world surface, and matched to a model defined in the world coordinate system. Annotations can be arranged as desired relative to the object in the world coordinate system, and then inverse-mapped into the image coordinate system for display on a monitor in conjunction with the acquired image. Because models are defined in world coordinates, and pattern matching is also performed in world coordinates, one model definition can be used by multiple independent object recognition systems.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for performing real-time execution of a plurality of commands in a non real-time operating system environment using a driver, running at the privileged level and which comprises a command dispatcher, receiving a plurality of commands provided by a user application, and a command queue storing the plurality of commands provided by the user application for further providing the plurality of commands to a target unit for execution.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a method of determining a transformation between a first image and a second image includes acts of, for at least one region in the first image, determining a corresponding region in the second image as a function of a transformation parameter and determining a similarity function as a function of the transformation parameter between the region in the first image and the corresponding region in the second image. In one embodiment, the method further includes acts of determining a similarity function between the first image and the second image using the similarity function for the at least one region, and determining a value of the transformation parameter, wherein the value substantially optimizes the similarity function between the first image and the second image.

Abstract: According to one aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for converting data encoded in a graphics signal to at least one output signal. The apparatus includes an input, a plurality of outputs, signal processing circuitry and a controller. The input is adapted to receive the graphics signal where the graphics signal includes a plurality of frames generated at least in part from original data. The signal processing circuitry is adapted to locate, in the graphics signal, data corresponding to the original data, convert the data corresponding to the original data to output data and communicate the output data to the plurality of outputs. The controller is adapted to monitor a capacity of the signal processing circuitry and generate a signal that results in at least one disposable frame being added to the plurality of frames. The signal processing circuitry is adapted to discard the at least one disposable frame.

Abstract: A method for locating an object in an image is provided for an object that exhibits, in at least one direction, foreground pixel runs and background pixel runs consistent with at least characteristic of the object. In one embodiment, the method includes the acts of defining a plurality of regions in the image, associating a metric with each of the regions, finding pixel runs in the image, and identifying at least one pixel run in one of the plurality of regions where the at least one pixel run is consistent with the at least one characteristic of the object. According to one embodiment, the method includes the acts of adjusting the metric associated with the region where the at least one pixel run is identified and identifying, from among the plurality of regions, a region where the object is located based on a metric determined for a plurality of regions. In various embodiments, the object includes a repetitive pattern such as those found in barcodes and character strings.

Abstract: An architecture which allows real-time video editing using a 2D/3D graphics engine. This architecture comprises input and output buffers. It receives video streams from either compressed sources of data or non compressed sources of data. This architecture allows a flexible upgrade of the video effects using software plug ins.