Abstract: A multi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition method is provided. The method can be applied in image texture analysis, such as medical image analysis. The method can adaptively decompose a three-dimensional image into a number of characteristic image layers and extract characteristic images showing more noticeable textures from the layers. The method uses the physical concept of field to perform the data mode decomposition to obtain envelope and tendency estimation of multi-dimensional data. The method can also be applied in time and frequency analysis of two-dimensional data or multi-channel data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reconstructing a nuclear medical image from time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data are disclosed. Measured three-dimensional (3D) TOF-PET data, including direct two-dimensional (2D) projections and oblique 3D projection data, are acquired from a PET scanner. A model 3D image is preset, a modeled 2D TOF sinogram is generated from the model 3D image, and a modeled 3D TOF sinogram is generated from the 2D TOF sinogram based on an exact inverse rebinning relation in Fourier space. The model 3D image is corrected based on the 3D TOF sinogram and is provided as the reconstructed nuclear medical image. Techniques disclosed herein are useful for facilitating efficient medical imaging, e.g., for diagnosis of various bodily conditions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel technique for producing images of arteries that overcomes a significant limitation of conventional computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The technique is performed by the acquisition of pre-contrast computed tomography in addition to the conventional computed tomographic angiography and by the digital subtraction of the pre-contrast computed tomogram from the conventional CTA after alignment of the two images.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing or removing noise in digital images. Image noise reduction methods are described that may be applied to grayscale and color images, for example RGB images. An image noise reduction method may, before applying a noise filtering technique, transform the image values from linear space to flat noise space in which the noise is independent of the signal. An edge-preserving noise filtering technique may then be applied to the image in flat noise space. After noise filtering is applied, the image is transformed from flat noise space back to linear space. For color images, the flat noise space may be converted from linear color space to luminance-chrominance space before applying the noise filtering technique so that different filters can be applied to luminance and color channels. After applying the noise filtering technique, the image is converted back to linear color space.

Abstract: A data correction apparatus includes a sensitivity correction unit and an SNR distribution correcting unit. The sensitivity correction unit produces first processed data by performing sensitivity correction to first objective data obtained based on correction objective data using ununiform sensitivity distribution of a sensor for acquiring the correction objective data. The SNR distribution correcting unit produces pieces of component data each subjected to corresponding weighting depending on an SNR distribution and corresponding filtering having a mutually different intensity using second objective data obtained based on the correction objective data to produce second processed data by compounding the pieces of the component data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing applications to access edited image data from an image editing application are disclosed herein. When the user desires to export edited images, the user causes the image editing application to display a plug-in user interface (UI). The plug-in UI may allow the user to enter exporting parameters, although this is not required. After the user selects an “export” button in the plug-in UI, the image editing application confirms with the plug-in on an image-by-image basis which of the images should be exported. The image editing application then generates an export version of the image. If necessary, the image editing application applies image adjustments to the master image to generate the export version. The image editing application then makes the export version available to the plug-in.

Abstract: Methods and systems for securing digital imagery are provided. In one respect, embedding, compression, encryption, data hiding, and other imaging processing techniques and systems may be provided for digital image security. In one non-limiting example, a method for producing a compressed and encrypted image is provided. An image may be converted into a binary bit stream, and the bit stream may be decomposed into a plurality of segments. A binary sequence based on a first key may be generated and may be used to generate a code matrix. A distance between the code matrix and the distance may be determined for each of the plurality of segments. Using a combined first and second key, a compressed and encrypted image may be obtained.

Abstract: A method is provided for reliably determining anatomical properties of a tree having a plurality of growth rings spaced from each other in a radial direction. The method involves preparing a sample from a tree to be analyzed, and preparing an image of the sample at a resolution sufficient to analyze at least one of the earlywood and latewood portions of one or more rings. The image is used to determine at least one anatomical property of the sample based on the image, the anatomical property being selected from the group consisting of sample density, tracheid wall thickness, and tracheid exterior dimension.

Abstract: A medical procedure support system of the invention includes an endoscope for obtaining images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject, an endoscopic image creating unit for creating an endoscopic image obtained by the endoscope, an image reading unit for reading a virtual image relating to the subject and a reference image relating to the virtual image, a superimposition commanding unit for commanding to superimpose the reference image on at least one of the virtual image and the endoscopic image, and a combined image creating unit for performing the superimposition of the reference image data commanded by the superimposition commanding unit and creating a combined image thereof.

Abstract: Data on a lane marker are extracted based on a centerline position, centerline shape, and width of a lane, which are projected for the present cycle. Data on a lane centerline are generated by adjusting x-axis components of the extracted data. A centerline position and centerline shape is calculated with the Hough's transformation using the generated data on the lane centerline. A frequency distribution is calculated for opposing positions with respect to the lane centerline. A lane width of the road is calculated by calculating an auto-correlation function with respect to the frequency distribution. A centerline position, centerline shape, and lane width at the present cycle and subsequent cycles are estimated/projected with the Kalman filter.

Abstract: Provided is an information retrieval system for car navigation systems that allows a vehicle occupant to designate a destination both easily and quickly. Each address is given as a combination of a plurality of strings of characters, each string corresponding to one of a plurality of search hierarchy levels, and the character strings are stored in a storage unit. If a current hierarchy level does not include any candidate of data that corresponds to a character entered by a user on an interface unit, a character type data search unit retrieves candidates from a next lower hierarchy level. Thereby, even if the use does not know a part of an address, the vehicle operator is able to successfully reconstruct the full address and enter a destination in an unambiguous manner. Such a candidate or candidates may be displayed on the monitor in combination with the corresponding data of the next higher hierarchy level.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically generating a severity index for images of anatomical features of a patient are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an image of an anatomical feature of a patient is compared with a normal, standardized image of the same anatomical feature. Based on this comparison, a deviation image for the anatomical feature is generated that represents the degree and manner the acquired image deviates from normal for that anatomical feature. The deviation image is automatically pattern matched against multiple images of known disease severity for the anatomical feature. Based on the automated pattern match, a known disease severity, such as in the form of a severity index, is provided as corresponding anatomical feature for the patient.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for compressing a picture by wavelet transform and entropy coding, in which the processing load of arithmetic coding may be relieved and rate control may be carried out effectively, while still maintaining the picture quality. An encoding object prediction unit predicts bitplanes to be encoded and extracts only those bitplanes which are to be encoded. An EBCOT unit generates an encoding pass from one bitplane to be encoded to another to execute arithmetic coding. In controlling the code volume to a target code volume, a rate controller sums the arithmetic codes in a sequence from the arithmetic code with the highest bit position in the totality of the code blocks of an input picture to the arithmetic code of the lowermost bit, from one bitplane to another or from one encoding pass to another, and halts the summation when the predetermined target code volume is exceeded.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for displaying a virtual slide capable of storing positional information of a prescribed cell in a virtual slide photographed with a magnification capable of recognizing cell morphology and a terminal device for displaying the virtual slide; or a method for displaying the virtual slide capable of classifying the prescribed cell in the virtual slide photographed with a magnification capable of recognizing cell morphology by a simple operation; or a terminal device for displaying the virtual slide.

Abstract: A method for differentiating between a blood vessel bifurcation and a bleeding blood vessel in an ultrasound volume includes performing vessel segmentation on the ultrasound volume, calculating vessel centerlines for the segmented vessels, automatically detecting a bifurcation candidate using the calculated vessel centerlines, placing a first marker at a predetermined distance before the detected bifurcation candidate, placing a second marker at a predetermined distance after the bifurcation candidate, placing a third marker at a predetermined distance alone a potential vessel branch of the bifurcation candidate, acquiring spectral Doppler waveform data at each of the three markers, and comparing the acquired spectral Doppler waveform data for each of the three markers to determine whether the bifurcation candidate is a point of internal bleeding.

Abstract: Taught herein is an apparatus for measurement of floating body posture of a person wearing a life jacket, comprising a backpack frame having a plurality of reference points, an image collecting system, and an image processing system; wherein the image collecting system collects image sequence information of the person wearing the life jacket via the reference points; the image processing system processes the image sequence information, so as to obtain the dynamics of a movement of the person and the quasi-static parameters of such movement. The system is capable of reflecting the dynamics of a movement of a body in water and the quasi-static parameters thereof.

Abstract: A color processing method for identification of areas within an image corresponding to monetary banknotes includes dividing the image into a plurality of sections; extracting color histogram data for each section; assigning a color vector for each section according to the color histogram data for the section; comparing the color vector for each section to a color lookup table to determine a probability of the section corresponding to monetary banknotes; and selecting probable sections having the probability exceeding a first predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A lane recognition apparatus that recognizes a lane from an input image sequence captured from a visual sensor mounted on a vehicle at a fixed time interval, includes a time series smoothing part for generating a smoothed feature image based on a feature image extracted from the input image sequence so that a dotted line lane boundary describes a linear locus over time, a gradient image generation part for generating a gradient image by estimating a feature value gradient at each pixel position of the smoothed feature image, and a Hough transform part for performing Hough transform on the gradient image and detecting lines of edges in the smoothed feature image.

Abstract: A method for navigating digital medical images includes providing a digitized patient medical image of a structure of interest in a patient, using a pre-trained classifier to segment the structure of interest from the image, creating links from the structure of interest to a corresponding structure in an anatomical atlas, receiving a query to view the structure of interest, parsing the query to identify one or more keywords from noun phrases in the query, mapping a keyword to a corresponding structure in the anatomical atlas, wherein the anatomical atlas structure is associated with a link to the corresponding structure in the patient image, and following the link to display said patient structure of interest.

Abstract: A method for characterizing texture of areas within an image corresponding to monetary banknotes includes dividing the image into a plurality of sections; calculating a gray level for each section; selecting potential sections from the sections, the potential sections having gray levels within a predetermined range; selecting bill sections from the potential sections, the bill sections having pixels within a predefined color range and a predefined continuous color gradient range; generating a binary edge map according to gray levels of pixels within the bill sections; and calculating a texture value for each bill section according to the binary edge map.