Abstract: An unsharp mask signal Lu, which corresponds to super-low frequency, is calculated from an original image signal Dorg representing an original image. The rate of compression, at which the dynamic range of the original image is compressed, is changed in accordance with the unsharp mask signal Lu. A dynamic range compressing process is carried out with respect to each of picture elements in the original image, with the rate of compression being thus changed for each of the picture elements. The dynamic range compressing process is carried out with Formula (1)Dproc=Dorg+f(Lu) (1)and a processed image signal Dproc is thereby obtained. The unsharp mask signal Lu represents the mean value of the image signal values of all picture elements located within a rectangular unsharp mask having shorter sides, which extend across an edge of a region of interest in the original image, and longer sides extending in the direction along which the edge extends.

Abstract: An adaptive variable-length coding/decoding method performs an optimal variable-length coding and decoding depending on an intra mode/inter mode condition, quantization step size and a current zigzag scanning position, such that a plurality of variable-length coding tables having different patterns of a regular region and an escape region according to statistical characteristics of the run level data are set. One of the variable-length coding tables is selected according to mode, quantization step size and scanning position, and the orthogonal transform coefficients according to the selected variable-length coding table are variable-length-coded.

Abstract: In a code compressing system for determining a quantizing step of a image compressing code, a second DCT calculating portion performs a DCT calculation for each element reduced and divided by a picture dividing portion. A second quantizing portion quantizes the calculated result with the maximum value of quantizing steps of an applicable system. A third quantizing portion quantizes the calculated result with the minimum value of the quantizing steps of the applicable system. A code amount controlling portion determines the difference between the code amounts generated by the second quantizing portion and the third quantizing portion for each element divided by the picture dividing portion and obtains an optimum quantizing step corresponding to the determined result, the target compressing ratio, and the target encoding bit rate. A first quantizing portion quantizes the calculated result of a first DCT calculating portion with the optimum quantizing step determined by the code amount controlling portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a contour of an object determines a number of vertex points based on a polygonal approximation to the contour. A set of approximation errors calculated at a predetermined number of sample points on each line segment between two adjacent vertex points is transformed to obtain a corresponding set of transform coefficients. The apparatus converts, in response to a masking range designation signal corresponding to each line segment, a part of the set of transform coefficients to zeros and produces a set of masked transform coefficients corresponding thereto. The set of masked transform coefficients is quantized and encoded to be transmitted through a transmitter.

Abstract: A video compression error signal in a video compression scheme is affected by random and high frequency impulse noise. An error signal suppressor containing two filters is applied to the video compression error signal. The first filter reduces or eliminates random noise. The second filter eliminates high frequency impulse noise. Random and high frequency noise is reduced or eliminated from frequencies that are unimportant to human visual perception. The error signal suppressor reduces the overall video compression bitrate by up to between 10% and 20% which provides corresponding increases in video compression and transmission efficiency. The error signal suppressor is used in video compression encoding schemes such as MPEG to reduce random and high frequency noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the quality of images captured by inexpensive scanning devices is described. After an initial scan of the image to be captured is performed, at least two additional scans are performed, one at an exposure level much greater than that used in the first scan and one at an exposure level much lower than that used in the first scan. After all three scans are complete, a composite stored image is formed using the gray scale values generated by the overexposed scan for darker areas of the image, the gray scale level generated by the underexposed scan for the lighter portions of the image, and, for those areas between the extremes, using the gray scale levels produced by the first scan. An apparatus is also described for performing these scans and selecting and combining the requisite data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for embedding auxiliary information into the digital representation of host data created by a lossy compression technique and a method and apparatus for constructing auxiliary data from the correspondence between values in a digital key-pair table with integer index values existing in a representation of host data created by a lossy compression technique. The methods apply to data compressed with algorithms based on series expansion, quantization to a finite number of symbols, and entropy coding. Lossy compression methods represent the original data as ordered sequences of blocks containing integer indices having redundancy and uncertainty of value by one unit, allowing indices which are adjacent in value to be manipulated to encode auxiliary data. Also included is a method to improve the efficiency of lossy compression algorithms by embedding white noise into the integer indices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing an image captured by an image acquisition device having a two-dimensional matrix of non-square pixels with a first aspect ratio. In one aspect of the method, the image is sampled in a color sub-sampled manner such that fewer than three color measurements are known for each pixel location. A processed image is then constructed by processing the fewer than three color measurements known for each pixel to generate one or more interpolated color values at each of the pixel locations. A processed image is then created for rendering on an output device having a square raster with a second aspect ratio which differs from the first aspect ratio. The processed image is processed such that an aspect ratio of the original image captured on the non-square pixels is maintained on the output device.

Abstract: Analysis of video data in an MPEG compressed format to identify scene changes to facilitate indexing to access specific video frames and to improve data compression and/or quality of the compressed video. MPEG compressed video data include I-pictures, P-pictures, and B-pictures. Scene changes are identified by analyzing P-pictures using average error power, based upon direct cosine transform components in the compressed data, and/or using an interframe correlation between a P-picture and its past reference frame. When a scene change occurs, average error power becomes large and interframe correlation between frames becomes substantially zero. Alternatively (or in addition), B-pictures in a video slot can be analyzed, in terms of interframe correlation between past and future reference frames, using either an AND analysis technique or an OR analysis technique.

Abstract: This relates to a general purpose circuit that maximizes the computing power of a Unix workstation or other computer system for processing image or other data in accordance with a selected one or ones of several alternative compression and decompression algorithms. This dynamically allocates system memory for storage of both compressed and uncompressed data and ensures adequate compression and decompression rates.

Abstract: A picture compression circuit includes a video memory and an encoding unit connected to the video memory in order to read a picture by macroblocks to subject these macroblocks to a discrete cosine transform, a quantification and a variable length coding, and to read in the memory predictor macroblocks of another picture and to subtract these predictor macroblocks from the currently processed macroblocks. A motion estimation unit can be connected to the video bus and to the encoding unit, to receive through the video bus a macroblock currently processed and a search window, in order to search in the window for a predictor macroblock. The difference of position between the predictor macroblock and the currently processed macroblock is provided as a motion estimation vector to the encoding unit.

Abstract: Handwriting recognition which is invariant with respect to translation, rotation and scale is achieved with a new feature signal, ratio of tangents, and a new application of the normalized curvature feature. Use of these features is optimized by augmenting the ratio of tangents with the sign of local curvature and weighing each feature signal with its relative discriminative power.

Abstract: For encoding and decoding images of the luminance and the opacity which constitute the layer images divided by the front and back relations in the direction of eyes at high efficiency, the apparatus has a deformation analyzer to take the correlation of plane expressing the luminance plane and the opacity, and extract a deformation parameter which is expressed by the affine transformation and the block movement, and a deformation synthesizer which forms a predicted image from the decoding result of the previous frame and the result of the deformation analyzer, the predicted image being composed of the luminance plane and plane, respective difference being subjected to the error coding, and the output bit stream including the affine transformation parameter, the block movement parameter, the luminance plane error code and the plane error code.

Abstract: A method (900, 1000) and device (100, 600) are provided for encoding and/or decoding a compact representation of a discrete region contour for the purposes of image and video compression. The compact representation described provides bitstream scalability so that progressively larger subsets of the compact representation can be used to provide progressive better quality in the approximate reconstruction of the discrete region contours. The resulting device and method provide for coding of shape information within object-based and region-based image and video compression systems.

Abstract: A hierarchical object encoding technique or process capable of representing general binary arbitrary shapes that include, for example, embedded or disconnected components. The method decomposes successive layers of general binary arbitrary shapes into simple arbitrary shapes. Each mask formed in this manner is a simple arbitrary shape having only a continuous outer boundary. Accordingly, each outer boundary is encoded, preferably by a contour encoding method, to provide accurate encoding of general binary shapes.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for effecting a series of processes for capturing an image and scrutinizing the captured image is disclosed. Each process in series of processes is selected from different modes of processes. Selector selects a mode of process for each of the series of processes. A preselected number of parameters are set for each of the selected mode of processes, and the set parameters are stored in a parameter memory sequentially. Mode data indicative of the selected modes for the series of processes are stored in the mode memory. A parameter number table informs the number of parameters necessary for each mode in each of the series of processes. When the parameters and the mode data are read from the parameter memory and said mode memory, respectively, parameter allocator allocates and produces proper parameters to corresponding modes of processes with reference to the parameter number table.

Abstract: The system provides system and method for having a customer register with a computer system a PIN, one or more registration biometric samples, and one or more of the customer's financial accounts. During an initiation step, the customer initiates an account access at an ATM or a PC or any other financial access device, by entering the customer's personal authentication information comprising a PIN and at least one bid biometric sample. No portable man-made memory devices such as smartcards or swipe cards are used in this step. In a transmission step, an account access request message comprising the personal authentication information of the customer and other data are forwarded from the ATM to the computer system.

Abstract: An electro-optical imaging system that utilizes an efficient search algorithm to find a coded symbol within a digitized image is provided. A digitized image of an area of an object having a coded symbol attached or printed thereon is created and stored in an image memory. A search algorithm is then activated to search for the coded symbol within the digitized image stored in the image memory. The search is limited to an area of the digitized image that is defined by boundary parameters. The search begins with the scan of an initial horizontal line of pixels that passes through the center of the search area, and an initial vertical line of pixels that also passes through the center of the search area. Subsequent horizontal and vertical lines of pixels are then scanned, one each subsequent line is located an integer multiple number of step sizes from one of the initial lines.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for encoding video frame sequences (input images) using overlapping block motion compensation in conjunction with zerotree wavelet coding. The method partitions each input image into a plurality of overlapping blocks and applies wavelet transform on the partitioned input image. Various optional quantization processes can be selectively applied to determine an optimal quantizer scale for each wavelet coefficient. Zerotree coding is then optionally applied to selectively prune the wavelet coefficients. Finally, the quantized coefficients are encoded into a bitstream.

Abstract: A video decoder/format/frame rate converter with common memory is provided. This device decodes a compressed, interlaced video stream and converts the decoded output to a non-interlaced format and/or a format with a different frame rate.