Abstract: A character recognition apparatus, in which a type of each of accounts, a type of each of marks, and characteristic data indicating a string of characters recognized when any of the marks is written in each account are previously registered for each group of the types of accounts in correlation to each other in an account-type database; a mark is estimated according to a result of verification between the account-type database and a result of ordinary character recognition according to a character recognizing program; and a type of account having the estimated mark is determined as a selected account name according to a result of recognizing characters in accounts other than the account having the mark.

Abstract: A method and apparatus detects sheet explosives in computed tomography (CT) data. In particular, sheet-shaped objects such as sheet explosives can be discriminated from other object shapes and detected. The detection includes analyzing a neighborhood of voxels surrounding a test voxel. If the density of the test voxel is sufficiently different from the mean density of the neighboring voxels, then it is concluded that the test voxel is associated with a sheet object. Sheet objects can also be detected by eroding the CT data so as to eliminate voxels associated with thin objects. Remaining objects are then subtracted from the original data, leaving only thin sheet-shaped objects. Erosion of the data can be performed by identifying a neighborhood of voxels surrounding a voxel of interest. If the number of voxels having densities below a predetermined threshold exceeds a predetermined number, then it is assumed that the test voxel is a surface voxel and is removed from the object.

Abstract: An electronic signature management system includes a graphic tablet digitizer for signaling position coordinates of a stylus being moved to produce a handwritten signature, a clock circuit of the digitizer defining a fixed interval between successive stylus position measurements, a computer processor electrically interfaced with the tablet and programmed for receiving and storing a multiplicity of the coordinates in sequential order as an electronic signature forming a time history of the stylus movement.

Abstract: A light image is conveyed from a biological tissue through a flexible optical system to an image receiver, where it is converted to a form which may be entered into a computer. The computer segments the image by generating a segmentation mask defining the boundary of a region of interest in at least one spectral band, estimates at least one rotationally and translationally invariant statistical measure of coefficient distributions of the multiscale wavelet maxima representations of the digital images in at least one spectral band, characterizes the condition of the tissue based on the estimated values, and outputs the characterization of the condition of the tissue.

Abstract: A system that estimates both the ego-motion of a camera through a scene and the structure of the scene by analyzing a batch of images of the scene obtained by the camera employs a correlation-based, iterative, multi-resolution algorithm. The system defines a global ego-motion constraint to refine estimates of inter-frame camera rotation and translation. It also uses local window-based correlation to refine the current estimate of scene structure. The batch of images is divided into a reference image and a group of inspection images. Each inspection image in the batch of images is aligned to the reference image by a warping transformation. The correlation is determined by analyzing respective Gaussian/Laplacian decompositions of the reference image and warped inspection images. The ego-motion constraint includes both rotation and translation parameters. These parameters are determined by globally correlating surfaces in the respective inspection images to the reference image.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a high-speed data interpolation in a control method for controlling a predetermined plant. The present invention also provides an image processing apparatus that carries out color correction according to the control method. A table is provided to store data at respective lattice points that are discretely set in a coordinate space of a predetermined number of dimensions. The process first identifies a specific lattice division which is defined by some lattice points and in which input coordinates are included, and computes a base point of the specific lattice division and offset coordinates corresponding to a deviation from the base point. The process then refers to an offset correction table, which stores weighting coefficients and lattice point specification data used for interpolation, and reads the weighting coefficients and the lattice point specification data corresponding to the computed offset coordinates.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining a calibration relationship between a reference frame of motion of an object and a reference frame of a camera that generates images of the object. The method includes the steps of coupling a target to an object and placing the object at each of plural locations and orientations that are known with respect to the motion reference frame of the object. The location of the target(s) with respect to the object need not be known. An image of the object and target is generated while the object is at each of those locations/orientations. From each those images, the method determines the location/orientation of the target with respect to the reference frame of the camera.

Abstract: A fast position tolerant and economical fingerprint verification algorithm and software implementation is disclosed. The algorithm has very important advantages in comparison to existing fingerprint verification algorithms like minutia extraction or full image analysis based on a series of two dimensional fast Fourier transforms ( FFT's) and two dimensional cross correlation in speed, compactness of the template and finger positioning for verification. It is based on a small “yardstick” pattern being moved inside the image to be verified, and when a match is found the rest of the verification process is started. The yardstick is divided into segments in order to fit different DSP and microcontroller register lengths and structures. The software code implements the algorithm in the most efficient way for utilization on a digital signal processor architecture.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for encoding zerotrees in a wavelet-based coding technique. The method uses a depth-first pattern for traversing the zerotree, i.e., each branch of the tree, from parent to child to grandchild and so on, is fully traversed before a next branch is traversed. The depth-first tree traversal pattern is used to quantize the coefficients of the tree as well as to assign symbols to the quantized coefficients. The method assigns one of three symbols to each node: ZEROTREE ROOT, VALUED ZEROTREE ROOT, and VALUE. By using three symbols and the efficient tree traversal pattern, the method is substantially more efficient at encoding a zerotree than the prior art. Additionally, this concept is applied to the encoding of “vector” zerotrees.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for generating an image of handwritten text having improved appearance, includes the steps of: providing a handwritten sample of the text; generating a digital image of the handwritten sample; processing the digital image of the handwritten sample to generate a digital image of text having improved appearance; and displaying the digital image having improved appearance. According to one approach, the digital image of a handwritten sample is combined with a digital image of the sample written in a normative handwriting font. According to an alternative approach, the digital images of several samples of the same text are combined to produce the improved image.

Abstract: A device for and method of detecting motion between a reference image and a test image by acquiring the images; aligning the images; dividing the images into blocks; masking certain blocks; differencing corresponding blocks; median filtering the differences; low-pass filtering the outputs of the median filter; generating a normalized histogram for each output of the low-pass filter; generating a model of gaussian noise; calculating the distance between the noise model and each normalized histogram; comparing each distance calculated to a user-definable threshold; and determining if motion has occurred between the images if a certain number of distance calculations are at or above the user-definable threshold. If a scene is to be continuously monitored and no motion occurred between the previous reference image and the previous test image then a new test image is acquired and compared against the previous reference image as described above.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a pattern within an image. Image data (22) is received which is representative of the image. Filter values (70) are determined which substantially optimizes a first predetermined criterion (68). The first predetermined criterion (68) is based upon image data (22). A correlation output (40) is determined which is indicative of the presence of the pattern within the image data (22). The correlation output (40) is based upon the determined filter values (70) and the image data (22) via a non-linear polynomial relationship (78).

Abstract: Noise-corrupted boundary information in tomographic images is restored using a data structure, called a “boundary envelope”. Both the restored boundary information and a measure of the precision of the restoration are described by the process. This data structure is used to describe the restored information in both qualitative and quantitative terms. The results of the boundary restoration process are described qualitatively by graphically displaying the boundary envelope together with the noisy CT image in such a way that allows a human observer to (a) see more details of the boundary than are visible in the CT image alone, and (b) to visually apprehend the precision with which the boundary has been restored. A boundary envelope describes a region in the image within which the boundary of a given noisy object is guaranteed to lie. The boundary envelope describes a set of limits on the object boundary, and limits on those properties of a noisy object that can be computed from boundary information.

Abstract: An automatic text inputting method and a system inputs text from multiple pages such as in a book by automatically turning pages, optically converting text image on each page into character data and determining an end of a specified unit of text. For example, the specified unit of text includes an article in a magazine and a chapter in a book. Additionally, in a selected group of text, a representative word is also automatically selected.

Abstract: A communication system that transmits and receives combinations of paper mail and electronic mail. The communication system permits a user of the system to send an internet message via post mail including the mailing address for delivery. The post mail office forwards the internet message via e-mail to the internet post office that is the closest to the addressee. This post office that is local to the addressee downloads this message, prints a hard copy on a paper, encloses it in an envelop and sends the hard copy to the addressee via usual local mail. The communication system also permits a user of the system to send paper mail to the post office. The post office scans the paper mail and forwards the scanned information data either to the addressee directly via internet or via a post office that is local to the addressee.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for transmitting video images over a data communication network, in which method the video image is encoded at the sending end, transmitted, and decoded at the receiving end. The first frame is compressed and transmitted to the receiving end where it is stored in image memory. A copy of the first frame is retained at the transmitting end and divided into blocks. The next frame is also divided into blocks. The blocks of the first frame and the blocks of the next frame are compared to determine a block difference for each block. For each block, the difference between successive blocks is compressed and transmitted if the block difference for the block exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: R, G, B signals outputted from a digital camera or a color scanner are converted into colorimetric signals by a colorimetric converter having a colorimetric conversion matrix and a colorimetric conversion table. Colorimetric signals are processed for setup by a colorimetric setup unit. Colorimetric signals processed for setup are converted by a cmyk converter into c, m, y, k signals that are half tone dot % signals for being supplied to an image output unit such as a film producing device, a color printer, or the like.

Abstract: A fast and effective method and an apparatus are provided for obtaining relative and absolute magnifying factors in the transverse and longitudinal directions to improve the scanning quality.

Abstract: A method and system for recognizing an object in an image. A model of the sought object is transformed according to a set of preselected transformations to produce a set of transformed models, each transformed model including a plurality of transformed model pixels. A hash table is constructed, each entry of the hash table corresponding to an image pixel that in turn corresponds to a transformed model pixel of at least one of the transformed models, each entry of the hash table including a list of all the transformed models that include that transformed model pixel. The feature pixels of the image are determined, and are augmented by a distance transformation to provide a set of relevant pixels. Each relevant pixel that appears in the hash table contributes a score to the corresponding transformed models. For each transformed model, the sums of the scores provides a tally.

Abstract: When a user points a hot spot 322-i, a selection frame 38 is displayed in correlation to input frames 320-i (hot spot 322-i). The selection frame 38 includes within a same window a list of candidate characters of a handwritten character inputted to the input frame 320-i and a symbol (x,{circumflex over ( )}) indicating editing process such as deletion and insertion with respect to the prime candidate character displayed in the prime candidate frame 34. When the user selects a candidate character within the selection frame 38, the prime candidate character in the prime candidate frame 34 is replaced with a newly selected candidate character. When the user selects a symbol indicating deletion and insertion, etc., an editing process is performed with respect to the character string displayed in the prime candidate frame 34 and the input frame 320-i.