Abstract: A method for assessing image quality between a reference image and an impaired image is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of subband decomposition of the luminance component of the reference image into N subbands, called reference subbands and of the luminance component of the impaired image into N subbands, called impaired subbands; errors computation from the reference subbands and from the impaired subbands; and pooling the computed the errors. The subband decomposition is based on a wavelet transform adapted to decompose each of the luminance components into L levels of decomposition, with L a positive integer determined as a function of the image height and of the distance of visualization.

Abstract: A device and method for efficient computation of statistical information, such as a mean, co-variance, or histogram of the image pixels, over discrete image regions. The computation employs integral computations to determine the statistical information over image regions of arbitrary shape, including irregular polygonal shaped regions. The integral computations are simplified by categorizing corner points of boundaries of image regions. The computation can be applied to calculate descriptors or signatures of persons or objects within an image. The computation also has a low computational cost enabling fast calculation of image statistics.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a technique to correctly recognize road markings by a simple processing. This road marking recognition method: obtaining image data of a road, and storing the image data into an image data storage; detecting a first road marking in the image data stored in the image data storage, and storing position data of the first road marking into a storage; detecting a second road marking in the image data stored in the image data storage, and storing position data of the second road marking into a storage; judging based on the position data stored in the storage, whether or not a predefined proper mutual positional relationship between the first and second road markings is established; and evaluating a confidence degree for the detection result of the first and second road markings by using a result of the judging.

Abstract: An image classification device includes a characteristic value set calculation unit 11 that calculates a characteristic value set of the whole image for each of multiple sets of image data in an image database 51, detects an edge of the set of the image data, and calculates a characteristic value set of the detected edge portions; a first clustering unit 12 that classifies the multiple sets of image data into multiple clusters on the basis of the characteristic value sets of the whole images; a second clustering unit 13 that further classifies the multiple clusters classified by the first clustering unit 12 into multiple clusters on the basis of the characteristic value sets of the edge portions; and a cluster integration unit 14 that determines which pixels constitutes a subject in each of the multiple sets of image data, based on the composition of the image, and integrates some of the multiple clusters classified by the second clustering unit 13 together based on the pixels constituting the subject.

Abstract: A similar image retrieving device (1) comprises: an image database (21) for storage of sets of image data, and sets of keywords each associated with a corresponding image data; a cluster classification section (11) to read the sets of image data, provide a respective one of the sets of image data with a compatibility value as an index representative of a set of compatibilities of a corresponding one of the sets of keywords, and classify the sets of image data into clusters thereof in accordance with the compatibility value; an optimum cluster extracting section (12) to provide the set of query image data with a compatibility value, and select one of clusters to which the query image data is to belong to minimize an error caused in a Projection onto Convex Sets using the clusters; and a similar image extracting section (13) to output, as a similar image, a set of image data provided a close compatibility value, among the sets of image data belonging to the cluster selected by the optimum cluster extractor.

Abstract: A method for estimating quality of images compressed with a transformation based compression method. The estimation method uses estimated errors generated by quantization to obtain an image quality indicator and does not require use of a reference image. The estimation method includes calculating a probability of at least one specific quantized transformation coefficient value for at least all coefficients representing one identical two-dimensional frequency, and estimating identifying parameters of at least one probability density function of non-quantized coefficient values from the quantized coefficient value probabilities, with a type of probability density function being preset. The estimation method further includes calculating an image quality indicator from errors introduced by quantization, which are derived from probability density function parameters and quantization parameters.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for detecting presence of an object in an image are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a method for detecting a presence of an object in an image comprises: receiving multiple training image samples; determining a set of adaptive features for each training image sample, the set of adaptive features matching the local structure of each training image sample; integrating the sets of adaptive features of the multiple training image samples to generate an adaptive feature pool; determining a general feature based on the adaptive feature pool; and examining the image using a classifier determined based on the general feature to detect the presence of the object.

Abstract: This invention provides a correcting device and a correcting method for perspective transformation of document images.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an input unit receiving an encoded image data stream; a decoding processor decoding the stream to obtain image data; a first storage storing the image data; a second storage storing the image data and having a storage area storing at least one picture whose size is the largest of image data to be decoded; a controller analyzing the stream and storing the image data in the first and second storages according to an analysis result; and an output unit reading and outputting the stored pictures in a display order. The controller sets storage areas in the first storage according to image size information, stores the image data in the storage areas, determines whether the image size changes according to the analysis result, and, when the image size changes, stores image data of a picture displayed immediately before the image size changes in the second storage.

Abstract: Systems and methods for character-by-character alignment of two character sequences (such as OCR output from a scanned document and an electronic version of the same document) using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) in a hierarchical fashion are disclosed. The method may include aligning two character sequences utilizing multiple hierarchical levels. For each hierarchical level above a final hierarchical level, the aligning may include parsing character subsequences from the two character sequences, performing an alignment of the character subsequences, and designating aligned character subsequences as the anchors, the parsing and performing the alignment being between the anchors generated from an immediately previous hierarchical level if the current hierarchical level is below the first hierarchical level. For the final hierarchical level, the aligning includes performing a character-by-character alignment of characters between anchors generated from the immediately previous hierarchical level.

Abstract: A method and system for (semi-) automatic dental implant planning (A) is described including (a) means for creating 3D models of a tooth setup (b) and/or means for creating 3D models of parts of the jaw, (c) means for detecting zones in the jaw where implants can (or optionally cannot be placed), (d) means for detecting restorative elements in the tooth setup, (e) means for determining candidate implant dimensions, positions, orientations and configurations, (f) means for obtaining implant plans, (g) means for comparing implant plans to each other or to given criteria, (h) means for selecting or improving an implant plan.

Abstract: A device and method for processing an image to create appearance and shape labeled images of a person or object captured within the image. The appearance and shape labeled images are unique properties of the person or object and can be used to re-identify the person or object in subsequent images. The appearance labeled image is an aggregate of pre-stored appearance labels that are assigned to image segments of the image based on calculated appearance attributes of each image segment. The shape labeled image is an aggregate of pre-stored shape labels that are assigned to image segments of the image based on calculated shape attributes of each image segment. An identifying descriptor of the person or object can be computed based on both the appearance labeled image and the shape labeled image. The descriptor can be compared with other descriptors of later captured images to re-identify a person or object.

Abstract: A target digital image is received from an image sensor. The image is contaminated by noise of unknown magnitude that is represented by a reference digital image. A process is applied that uses statistical analysis of the target digital image and of the reference digital image to estimate a magnitude of the noise for at least some pixels of the target digital image.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an image information encoding apparatus, used in receiving compressed image information through network media when processing of such compressed image information is performed on storage media. A picture sorting buffer delivers information of picture type of frame Picture_type to a picture type discrimination unit. The picture type discrimination unit transmits command to a motion prediction/compensation unit on the basis of that information. The motion prediction/compensation unit generates predictive picture by using filter coefficients having the number of taps lesser than that of P picture with respect to B picture for which operation quantity and the number of memory accesses are required to more degree as compared to P picture on the basis of that command.

Abstract: A method for correlating or finding similarity between two data sets. The method can be used for correlating two images with common scene content in order to find correspondence points between the data sets. These correspondence points then can be used to find the transformation parameters which when applied to image 2 brings it into alignment with image 1. The correlation metric has been found to be invariant under image rotation and when applied to corresponding areas of a reference and target image, creates a correlation surface superior to phase and norm cross correlation with respect to the correlation peak to correlation surface ratio. The correlation metric was also found to be superior when correlating data from different sensor types such as from SAR and EO sensors. This correlation method can also be applied to data sets other than image data including signal data.

Abstract: In generating stereo image data based on a plurality of monocular images of the same subject with a predetermined parallax, a metadata generating section generates collateral data, related to stereo image data, and an image file generating section generates information related to a date and time at which collateral data was generated or updated. Stereo image data and collateral data are synthesized into an image file. Information, related to a date and time at which collateral data was generated or updated, and information, related to a date and time at which the image file is generated or updated, are further added for conversion to a predetermined file format to generate the image file. Using information related to such date and time makes it possible to appropriately process, edit and reproduce a subsequent stereo image even when the stereo image is processed and edited with non-3D-compliant equipment or software.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an image information encoding apparatus, used in receiving compressed image information through network media when processing of such compressed image information is performed on storage media. A picture sorting buffer delivers information of picture type of frame Picture_type to a picture type discrimination unit. The picture type discrimination unit transmits command to a motion prediction/compensation unit on the basis of that information. The motion prediction/compensation unit generates predictive picture by using filter coefficients having the number of taps lesser than that of P picture with respect to B picture for which operation quantity and the number of memory accesses are required to more degree as compared to P picture on the basis of that command.

Abstract: An amount-of-compressed-data control method applicable to image data compression processing for compressing an amount of data is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: performing quantization by: dividing one digital image into multiple blocks each having n×n pixels; performing orthogonal transform on each block; and dividing n×n conversion coefficients resulting from the conversion by each threshold value of a quantization matrix including n×n threshold values each resulting from the multiplication of a predetermined coefficient S (where S is a positive real number); and variable-length encoding the quantized data.

Abstract: A method for reducing image noise with edge tracking comprises receiving input of an object image data for conversion and a size data of a matrix, namely, a conversion area of the image data; calculating a statistical difference value between each pixel of the image data and a pixel adjacent to the pixel in a predetermined direction and calculating edge map data obtained from the calculation in each predetermined direction; and converting an object pixel for conversion of the image data using calculation pixels located in the matrix of the image data, wherein the conversion step outputs main calculation pixels, namely, calculation pixels having a statistical difference value below a predetermined level with a value of the object pixel among the calculation pixels based on the edge map data, and converts the object pixel using a statistical calculation value of the main calculation pixels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for image analysis and in particular may relate to the detection of cross-fades in film or video sequences. The invention relates in particular to a method of analysing an image of a sequence of images to determine a cross-fade measure based on determined temporal picture information transitions associated with picture elements of the image. In particular, the cross-fade measure may be determined based on the extent to which the temporal picture information transitions are uniform. The method and apparatus of the invention can provide a measure of likelihood of a cross-fade in a single pass. In addition the described method can be accomplished in real-time or close to real-time. In addition the cross-fade detection results are comparable with, or better than, the results achieved by the prior art methods.