Abstract: A real-time imaging method that provides ultrasonic imaging and optoacoustic imaging coregistered through application of the same hand-held probe to generate and detect ultrasonic and optoacoustic signals. These signals are digitized, processed and used to reconstruct anatomical maps superimposed with maps of two functional parameters of blood hemoglobin index and blood oxygenation index. The blood hemoglobin index represents blood hemoglobin concentration changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background blood concentration. The blood oxygenation index represents blood oxygenation changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background level of blood oxygenation. These coregistered maps can be used to noninvasively differentiate malignant tumors from benign lumps and cysts.

Abstract: A video quality objective assessment method based on a spatiotemporal domain structure firstly combines a spatiotemporal domain gradient magnitude and color information for calculating a spatiotemporal domain local similarity, and then uses variance fusion for spatial domain fusion. The spatiotemporal domain local similarity is fused into frame-level objective quality value, and then a temporal domain fusion model is established by simulating three important global temporal effects, which are a smoothing effect, an asymmetric track effects and a recency effect, of a human visual system. Finally, the objective quality values of the distorted video sequence are obtained. By modeling the human visual temporal domain effect, the temporal domain weighting method of the present invention is able to accurately and efficiently evaluate the objective quality of the distorted video.

Abstract: An optoacoustic imaging system includes a handheld probe and a computing subsystem. The probe includes an ultrasound transducer array, the array being capable of receiving an acoustic return signal. The system further includes a light source capable of generating pulses of light and delivering the pulses to the handheld probe. The computing subsystem generates images from the acoustic return signal, and the subsystem is configured to store raw data frames in a buffer. Upon actuation of a playback mode via the user input device, the computing subsystem is caused to switch from a live mode wherein images from the acoustic return signal are displayed substantially in real time to the playback mode wherein images are generated from the frames stored in the buffer.

Abstract: A mobile device with camera automatically captures an image of a check from a video sequence. A computing application assesses quality metrics of a frame of the video and, if acceptable, initiates capture of the check in that frame without user selection. Metrics include an aspect ratio of the check, image quality of the routing transit symbols that delineate a routing transit number on a MICR line of the check, distances between the routing transit symbols and to an edge of the check, recognition of digits of the routing transit number, checksum of the routing transit numbers, and image sharpness. Other embodiments note cropping of the check from the background of the image, properly orienting the check for viewing, and providing color coded visual feedback to users about the quality of the image frame about the check, to name a few.

Abstract: Both object-oriented analysis and the faster pixel-oriented analysis are used to recognize patterns in an image of stained tissue. Object-oriented image analysis is used to segment a small portion of the image into object classes. Then the object class to which each pixel in the remainder of the image most probably belongs is determined using decision trees with pixelwise descriptors. The pixels in the remaining image are assigned object classes without segmenting the remainder of the image into objects. After the small portion is segmented into object classes, characteristics of object classes are determined. The pixelwise descriptors describe which pixels are associated with particular object classes by matching the characteristics of object classes to the comparison between pixels at predetermined offsets. A pixel heat map is generated by giving each pixel the color assigned to the object class that the pixelwise descriptors indicate is most probably associated with that pixel.

Abstract: A computing device may obtain a first captured image of a scene and a second captured image of the scene. For a plurality of m×n pixel tiles of the first captured image, the computing device may determine respective distance matrixes. The distance matrixes may represent respective fit confidences between the m×n pixel tiles and pluralities of target p×q pixel tiles in the second captured image. The computing device may approximate the distance matrixes with respective bivariate quadratic surfaces. The computing device may upsample the bivariate quadratic surfaces to obtain respective offsets for pixels in the plurality of m×n pixel tiles. The respective offsets, when applied to pixels in the plurality of m×n pixel tiles, may cause parts of the first captured image to estimate locations in the second captured image.

Abstract: A method for training a neural network to perform assessments of image quality is provided. The method includes: inputting into the neural network at least one set of images, each set including an image and at least one degraded version of the image; performing comparative ranking of each image in the at least one set of images; and training the neural network with the ranking information. A neural network and image signal processing tuning system are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for relaying electrical signals representing acoustic response of a volume of tissue to light and ultrasound stimulation. In an embodiment, a plurality of ultrasound transducers receive acoustic energy from the volume and generate electrical energy, which is transmitted via an electrical path to a relay system. The ultrasound transducers are operated at a wide band frequency of at least 1 MHz to 5 MHz to receive acoustic energy from the volume of tissue responsive to light stimulation and at a narrower band frequency to receive acoustic energy from the volume of tissue responsive to acoustic stimulation. The relay system relays the electrical signals to an optoacoustic system or an ultrasound instrument for further processing depending on whether the electrical signals resulted from ultrasound or light stimulation. In an embodiment, optoacoustic, ultrasound, or other images are generated from the electrical signals and may be coregistered, overlayed, or displayed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a set of tags that has been generated by performing computer vision analysis of image content of a visual media item may be obtained, where each tag of the set of tags has a corresponding probability. In addition, a set of information that is independent from the image content of the visual media item may be obtained. The probability of at least a portion of the set of tags may be modified based, at least in part, upon the set of information.

Abstract: A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping, the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values.

Abstract: A user identifies an unwanted object in a source image. Related images are identified on the basis of timestamp and/or geolocation metadata. Matching masks are identified in the source image, wherein each of the matching masks is adjacent to the selection mask. Features in the selection and matching masks which also appear in one of the related images are identified. The related image having a maximum of features which are tracked to a source image matching mask, but also a minimum of features which are tracked to the source image selection mask, is identified as a best-match related image. By mapping the source image matching masks onto the best-match related image, a seed region can be located in the best-match related image. This seed region is used for filling in the source image. This allows the unwanted object to be replaced with a visually plausible background having a reasonable appearance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a trajectory of a axisymmetric object in 3-D physical space using a digital camera which records 2-D image data are described. In particular, based upon i) a characteristic length of the axisymmetric object, ii) a physical position of the camera determined from sensors associated with the camera (e.g., accelerometers) and iii) captured 2-D digital images from the camera including a time at which each image is generated relative to one another, a position, a velocity vector and an acceleration vector can be determined in three dimensional physical space for axisymmetric object objects as a function of time. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus can be applied to determine the trajectories of objects in games which utilize axisymmetric object objects, such as basketball, baseball, bowling, golf, soccer, rugby or football.

Abstract: A method and a system for density measurement of zooplankton in situ in an aqueous solution are provided. The method comprises acquiring at least one image of a volume of the aqueous solution; processing the at least one image and identifying particles in the at least one image; analyzing the identified particles based on a sharpness of each particle, and identifying zooplankton to be counted.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a video input unit, a region division unit configured to divide an image acquired by the video input unit into a plurality of regions each including pixels of similar attributes, a feature extraction unit configured to extract a feature from each divided region, a background model storage unit configured to store a background model generated from a feature of a background in advance, and a feature comparison unit configured to compare the extracted feature with a feature in the background model and determine for each of the regions whether the region is the background.

Abstract: A method for assessing turbulence parameters of a medium comprises the following steps: the illumination, by a laser beam being propagated in said medium, of a film of photochromic organic material that can comprise molecules of azobenzene, or of spyropyrane, or of stilbene, or of coumarin, or of fulgide, said illumination creating a surface grating in said film comprising scratches, the deformations of which are a function of the turbulence parameters; a step of acquisition of images comprising individual areas of structures linked to said scratches, more or less reduced and representative of the turbulence parameters of said medium; a step of processing of said images that makes it possible to assess the turbulence parameters of said medium. A device is also provided.

Abstract: A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping, the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values.

Abstract: A method for encoding an image represented in a perceptual color space is described. The image has at least a luminance component. The method includes transforming by a wavelet transform the luminance component to form at least one low frequency subband of wavelet coefficients, reconstructing a low frequency component for at least one spatial area of the low frequency subband, subtracting the reconstructed low frequency component from the wavelet coefficients of the spatial area, quantizing the wavelet coefficients of the spatial area responsive to the threshold, the threshold being proportional to the reconstructed low frequency component of the spatial area and encoding the quantized wavelet coefficients and the low frequency component.

Abstract: A range is determined for a disparity search for images from an image sensor array. In one example, a method includes receiving a reference image and a second image of a scene from multiple cameras of a camera array, detecting feature points of the reference image, matching points of the detected features to points of the second image, determining a maximum disparity between the reference image and the second image, and determining disparities between the reference image and the second image by comparing points of the reference image to points of the second image wherein the points of the second image are limited to points within the maximum disparity.

Abstract: A method for detecting differences between two digital images includes the steps of: transforming the images by resizing the images in order to get identical image sizes, by aligning pixels of the images and by normalizing colors of the images; determining plural binary masks from the pixels of the transformed images, each binary mask being composed of one element per couple of pixels of the transformed images having same coordinates; determining plural energy functions, each energy function being the sum of a first term representative of transformed images and of one binary mask and of a second term which is only dependent on said one binary mask; minimizing the energy function over other plural energy functions; and selecting the binary mask corresponding to the minimized energy function.

Abstract: Techniques for image segmentation can include receiving image data of an image including a background and a face of a person in a foreground, and determining a respective a priori probability of a head-shoulder foreground pixel appearing per pixel of the plurality of pixels, according to a positioning result of a plurality of exterior contour points of the face. The techniques can also include selecting foreground and background pixels of the plurality of pixels, according to at least the a priori probabilities, and determining respective color likelihood probabilities of the foreground and the background, according to color feature vectors of the selected pixels. The techniques can also include determining respective posteriori probabilities of at least part of the foreground and at least part of the background, according to the a priori probabilities and the respective color likelihood probabilities.