Abstract: A system and method for improving the uniformity in exposure and tone of a digital image using a locally adapted histogram equalization approach. This approach involves first segmenting the digital image into a plurality of image patches. For each of these patches, a pixel brightness level histogram is created. The histogram for each patch is then optionally averaged with the histograms associated with a prescribed number of neighboring image patches. A normalized cumulative distribution function is generated for each patch based on the associated averaged histogram. This normalized-cumulative distribution function identifies a respective new pixel brightness level for each of the original pixel brightness levels. For each of the original pixel brightness levels, the 1s associated new pixel brightness levels from one or more of the image patches are blended. Preferably, this blending is accomplished using either a bilinear or biquadratic interpolator function.

Abstract: A shape detection device which can detect the existence/absence or normal/abnormal state of an object and the shape and movement of the object by directly contacting the object. The shape detection device includes a shape detection section having two substrates on which a plurality of electrodes are formed and which are arranged to face each other or in the same direction with a predetermined space therebetween and bonded together by an insulating adhesive filled into the space between the substrates. The shape detection device is manufactured by forming the plurality of electrodes on the substrates, arranging the substrates to face each other or in the same direction with the predetermined space therebetween, bonding the substrates together by filling the insulating adhesive into the space between the substrates, and grinding edge portions of the electrodes formed on the substrates bonded together.

Abstract: On the basis of an image data of image data, an image discrimination unit discriminates whether the input image is a color image or an image having index data. The input image is corrected by an image correction unit based upon the results of discrimination.

Abstract: A histogram preparing portion prepares a density histogram based on input image data. A reference value calculating and correcting portion calculates a white reference value and a black reference value for adjusting density on the basis of the density histogram. A reference value determining portion corrects one of the white reference value and the black reference value such that the black reference value is necessarily greater than the white reference value. An automatic density adjusting portion adjust the density of the input image data with the corrected white or black reference value. Thus, automatic adjustment for removing a background or darkening a light letter can be performed suitably without failure, so that a clear image can be provided.

Abstract: An image is rotated in opponent color space, such as L*a*b* or Y CB CR color space, by inputting the opponent color space image data, subsampling the opponent color space image data, and addressing the subsampled opponent color space image data into an output configuration corresponding to a specified rotation angle. For 90° and 270° rotation, the opponent color space image data is scaled before being addressed. This eliminates distortion of the rotated image, while allowing real-time rotation of the image in hardware.

Abstract: An image retrieval system and method using an image histogram for determining central points and dispersion values as well as quantity information of color about respective histogram bins, thereby using these as mapping information for image retrieval. The image retrieval method using an image histogram includes the following steps. A first step of computing an image histogram bin when an image is inputted, and accumulating values of x, y, x2, y2 to compute central points and dispersion values. A second step of normalizing the respective central points and dispersion values through dividing these by size of whole image, and storing these. A third step of generating a value of model to be retrieved by drawing a feature vector when a query image is inputted, and computing the difference between the generated value of model and central points and dispersion values of an image histogram, count, and number of corresponding bins within the data stored in the second step.

Abstract: In a first signal suppressing process, in cases where a signal level of a certain color signal among color signals obtained from an image sensing operation is higher than a predetermined signal level, the certain color signal is suppressed. An image sensing operation with a comparatively large exposure quantity and an image sensing operation with a comparatively small exposure quantity are performed alternately. It is detected that suppression of a certain color signal is performed in the first signal suppressing process when the image sensing operation with a comparatively large exposure quantity is performed. A calculation is made to find composition ratios of the color signals, which are obtained from the image sensing operation with a comparatively small exposure quantity. A second signal suppressing process is performed for suppressing at least one color signal other than the certain color signal such that the composition ratios become identical with the calculated composition ratios.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a character writing area inputs a plurality of images of written documents respectively having different characters recorded thereon to an existing document. The apparatus produces a common image and a differential image, based on the input images. By using of the common image and the differential image, a character-writing-areas are detected and an attribute is set for each of the areas. A format used for the written document is produced by using of the character-writing-areas and set attributes.

Abstract: A mixed raster content system and method improves the performance of the compression process by reducing the amount of data. The system and method uses a selector plane as a reference to aid in reducing the amount of data necessary to encode each of associated planes. A smoothing technique is used to pre-process the associated planes using the information contained in the selector plane, thereby reducing the amount of data that will be subjected to further processing. The system and method determines the useless data, smooths the boundary of the useless data, and replaces the useless data by values that improve compression.

Abstract: A visual inspecting method for an electronic device, comprising steps of: photographing an image of a surface of the electronic device; dividing the photographed image into a plurality of unit regions and obtaining a distribution of gradation levels for each unit region; subtracting a predetermined offset value from the gradation level of the highest frequency selected from the gradation levels for each unit region so as to obtain a binarization level for each unit region; interpolating the binarization levels for unit regions so as to obtain a binarization level at each coordination position of the photographed image; and comparing the gradation level at each coordination position of the photographed image with the binarization level at each coordination position and determining that a defect is present at a coordination position where the gradation level thereat is lower than the binarization level thereat.

Abstract: Red-Green-Blue color-coding of overlaid registered stereo pair imagery from different spectral regions (for example, near-, mid-, and far-infrared) can be used to derive depth perception information. The human preattentive vision process uses coarse spatial structure in the scene to fuse the images for the detection of depth and motion cues. Optimization is accomplished by assigning green to the lowest spatial frequency content image, then red to the next lowest, and finally blue. If the fusion of one of the colored imagery layers produces depth perception information in one portion of the scene whereas the other two colored layers do not, the human mind can retain the information from this color and discard the inputs from the other two colors as noise. The same is true for the other two colors. Human color discrimination and depth perception are combined to greatly enhance preattentive object recognition in the fused stereo pair imagery.

Abstract: A method for representing an image in an image retrieval database first separates and filters images to extract color and texture features. The color and texture features of each image are partitioned into a plurality of blocks. A joint distribution of the color features and a joint distribution of the texture features are estimated for each block. The estimated joint distributions are stored in the database with each image to enable retrieval of the images by comparing the estimated joint distributions.

Abstract: A position detection tool in a machine vision system finds the position of target objects in a digital image using the length and width of the target object as parameters. The input length and width dimensions are measured by the developer as the length and width of a simple hypothetical rectangle that surrounds the object. For most shapes, the developer can easily obtain these two measurements. The position detection tool can easily be adapted to discern particular image patterns from multiple component images.

Abstract: The color correcting method and the image reading apparatus estimate a spectral sensitivity characteristic of an image reading apparatus using a measured value obtained by measuring a reference original with a preset measuring instrument or a characteristic value of the reference original and a statistic calculated by analyzing an image signal value obtained by reading the reference original with the image reading apparatus, create an input color correction parameter from the estimated spectral sensitivity characteristic and correct an image signal of an original image read with the image reading apparatus using the input color correction parameter. As a result, according to the method and the apparatus, when the original image is photoelectrically read, the dispersion of the spectral sensitivities of scanners (image reading apparatus) can be preferably corrected, whereby images of high quality in which appropriate colors are reproduced can be stably reproduced in a digital photoprinter and the like.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a converter, a calculator and a reverse converter. The converter performs a frequency conversion operation on a color image signal which includes a brightness signal and color signals and divides values of each of the brightness signal and the color signals into high frequency coefficients and a low frequency coefficient. The calculator calculates the high frequency coefficients of the brightness signal and the color signals, generates a set of different high frequency coefficients, and produces a new brightness signal by adding the low frequency coefficient of the brightness signal to the set of different high frequency coefficients. The reverse converter performs a reverse frequency conversion operation on the new brightness signal.

Abstract: A method for color misregistration detection. Input image data is buffered and transferred to vector space. An examination window for a current pixel is established and foreground and background pixels within that window are selected. The current pixel is examined to determine if it is in an edge of a scanned object. If the current pixel is in an edge, it is analyzed for color misregistration. The analysis includes an application of Stokes' theorem. If the results of the application of Stokes' theorem indicate that the color misregistration is above a threshold, the pixel is identified as having color misregistration.

Abstract: A means 9 for extracting the characteristic of the multi-value image causes an extracting filter to perform spiral retrieval so as to extract a nostril region from an image of the face input by a CCD camera 2 so as to cause the nostril region to be stored in the binarized image memory 10. The eye retrieving range is specified by using, as a reference, the position of the nostrils which is an intermediate point of the positions of the centers of gravity of the nostrils in the binarized nostril region stored in the binarized image memory 10. Then, an extracting filter is used to extract an eye region from the image of the face so as to store the eye region in the binarized image memory 10. The opening/closing determining means 11 determines opening/closing of the eyes in accordance with the binarized eye region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting the placement of a device-under-inspection (DUI), for example a surface-mount component, on a circuit board includes scanning the circuit board to acquire stored images of the circuit board. From the stored images, a pad-bounding rectangle is constructed that circumscribes the outer edges of the pads for the DUI. An error-bounding rectangle is then constructed from the pad-bounding rectangle. The error-bounding rectangle has a length equal to the length of the pad-bounding rectangle plus a lengthwise error deemed allowable for placing the pins of the DUI over its pads. Similarly, the error-bounding rectangle has a width equal to the width of the pad-bounding rectangle plus an allowable widthwise error. A pin-bounding rectangle is constructed that circumscribes the outer edges of the pins of the DUI. The invention then determines whether the DUI is properly placed by examining whether any portion of the pin-bounding rectangle lies outside of the error-bounding rectangle.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of extracting text from a color image by receiving a color image made up of pixels in any color component system, converting the color image to a grayscale image by performing one to five conversion methods, comparing the grayscale images to a user-definable threshold, and turning the grayscale images into binary images that may be further processed by an optical character reader or a search engine.

Abstract: A generic spatially scalable shape encoding apparatus and method for deriving shape information for chrominance components from luminance component. The present generic spatially-scalable shape encoding applies a series of subband (e.g., wavelet) filters to obtain N-levels of wavelet decomposition for the texture information of both luminance and chrominance components. The application of the corresponding subsampling filters of said subband filters is applied in a manner such that the shape of the chrominance can be derived from the shape of the luminance at the same spatial layer.