Abstract: Scanning a layer of a layout in a first direction and selecting a first rectangle in a scan order, scanning the layer of the layout in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to find a second rectangle that intersects the first rectangle, and if the second rectangle is found, performing a union of the first and second rectangles to generate a set of non-intersecting rectangles equivalent to the first and second rectangle.

Abstract: In a pattern recognition section of a digital color copying machine, a position analysis section successively selects, in units of a predetermined number, position data of rectangular regions stored in a position information memory, calculates distances between the rectangular regions, and determines whether a combination of the distances coincides with that of a pattern to be detected. If the combination of distances coincides with that of the pattern to be detected, the position analysis section outputs to a rear-stage page memory a control signal for resetting the page memory.

Abstract: Object detection method and apparatus, including an image-pickup unit picking up the image of a target region, a first recording device accumulating, as a reference image, an image signal from the image-pickup unit, a second recording device storing a table which defines surveillance information on the image signal, an object detection processing unit detecting a target object from the image signal and the reference image, a memory table storing a processing result from the processing unit, and a display unit. The image signal from the image-pickup unit is saved based on the table of the second recording device, and the processing result in the memory table is displayed on the display unit. The surveillance information in the table of the second recording device is modified based on the display of the processing result obtained by the object detection processing unit.

Abstract: A fingerprint recognizing apparatus including a sensor section mounted on the apparatus body for detecting a fingerprint of an operator; a cover movable between an open position and a closed position for protecting the sensor section in such a manner that an operator's finger can access to the sensor section when the cover is in the open position; and a contact section arranged on the apparatus body at a position where the operator's finger can easily come into contact therewith during an operator's action to open the cover, the contact section being electrically connected to the ground of the apparatus body.

Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of wavefront coding a wavefront that forms an optical image, converting the optical image to a data stream, and processing the data stream with a filter kernel to reverse effects of wavefront coding and generate a final image. By example, the filter set kernel may be a reduced filter set kernel, or a color-specific kernel. Methods and systems are also disclosed for processing color images, such as by separating color and spatial information into separate channels. Methods and systems herein are for example useful in forming electronic devices with reduced opto-mechanical, opto-electronic and processing complexity or cost.

Abstract: Hands may be tracked before, during, and after occlusion, and a gesture may be recognized. Movement of two occluded hands may be tracked as a unit during an occlusion period. A type of synchronization characterizing the two occluded hands during the occlusion period may be determined based on the tracked movement of the occluded hands. Based on the determined type of synchronization, it may be determined whether directions of travel for each of the two occluded hands change during the occlusion period. Implementations may determine that a first hand and a second hand are occluded during an occlusion period, the first hand having come from a first direction and the second hand having come from a second direction. The first hand may be distinguished from the second hand after the occlusion period based on a determined type of synchronization characterizing the two hands, and a behavior of the two hands.

Abstract: A method for recognizing an object in an image is disclosed wherein a fractal map of the image is generated by estimating the fractal dimension of each pixel in the image. The fractal map may be segmented by thresholding and locations of candidate objects are determined. The pixel value of the image pixel corresponding to the same location where the candidate object is found in the fractal map may be compared to a threshold value. If the pixel value is greater than the threshold value, the candidate object is recognized as a valid object.

Abstract: A super-resolution enhanced image generating system is described for generating a super-resolution-enhanced image from an image of a scene, identified as image g0, comprising a base image and at least one other image gi, the system comprising an initial super-resolution enhanced image generator, an image projector module and a super-resolution enhanced image estimate update generator module. The initial super-resolution enhanced image generator module is configured to use the image g0 to generate a super-resolution enhanced image estimate. The image projector module is configured to selectively use a warping, a blurring and/or a decimation operator associated with the image gi to generate a projected super-resolution enhanced image estimate. The super-resolution enhanced image estimate update generator module is configured to use the input image gi and the super-resolution enhanced image estimate to generate an updated super-resolution enhanced image estimate.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, including a transform unit configured to wavelet-transform image data into a set of wavelet coefficients, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the image data is of a vertical writing or of a horizontal writing based on the set of wavelet coefficients.

Abstract: Input handwritten characters are classified as print or cursive based upon numerical feature values calculated from the shape of an input character. The feature values are applied to inputs of an artificial neural network which outputs a probability of the input character being print or cursive. If a character is classified as print, it is analyzed by a print character recognizer. If a character is classified as cursive, it is analyzed using a cursive character recognizer. The cursive character recognizer compares the input character to multiple prototype characters using a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm.

Abstract: There is provided a method and system for positioning a mammal for optical imaging in which a digital image of the mammal is obtained using a camera and a region of interest is selected using the digital image. The selected region is registered with an optical imaging system and the mammal is positioned in the imaging system to image the selected region of interest.

Abstract: A digital image signal based on transformed in frequency, thereby providing partitioned frequency components. Characteristic information is calculated in accordance with a coefficient at a first frequency domain that is selected from among the partitioned frequency components. A coefficient at a second frequency domain is handled in accordance with predetermined rules, thereby embedding the characteristic information into the coefficient at the second frequency domain. The second frequency domain is selected from among areas that differ from the first frequency domain. The frequency coefficients that exhibit several frequency components are encoded in a predetermined manner, thereby producing compressed image data.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting a point source target using multiple matched filters are disclosed. A sensor, which is preferably an infrared focal plane array, includes a plurality of pixels for providing image data. A processor processes the image data from a selected pixel corresponding to a potential point source target and from a plurality of neighboring pixels. The system includes multiple filters having a plurality of different phases, including at least a center phase and four corner phases. The multiple filters filter the image data to obtain different filtered spatial images. A detector, which is preferably a CFAR detector, detects a target based upon the spatially filtered images from the multiple matched filters.

Abstract: Ten representative images are extracted from an image database storing images of a number of frames. The extracted representative images are displayed in a coordinate area, along the coordinate axes of which the image characteristics of the images are plotted, in a form in which the images are distributed in accordance with the image characteristics possessed by the extracted representative images. An image having characteristics resembling those of a required image is designated from among the representative images displayed. Images of ten frames having characteristics resembling those of the designated image are again displayed in distributed form in a coordinate area having image characteristics plotted along the coordinate axes thereof. The coordinate axes of the coordinate area displayed the second time are made more detailed than those of the coordinate area displayed the first time.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to effectively encode/decode position information of leaves or nodes in tree-structured information by using a less amount of bits. The coding device according to the present invention includes a branching layer discriminating portion for identifying a hierarchical layer in which a leaf or node and a preceding leaf or node are separately branched and a position information coding portion for outputting a code corresponding to the identified hierarchical layer as a position information code for the leaf or node. Namely, merely information indicating a hierarchical layer in which a current leaf or node and a preceding leaf or node are separately branched is encoded as the position information of the leaf or node, thus increasing the efficiency of encoding leaf or node positions in the tree-structured information.

Abstract: A first interpolation processing apparatus that engages in processing on image data which are provided in a colorimetric system constituted of first˜nth (n?2) color components and include color information corresponding to a single color component provided at each pixel to determine an interpolation value equivalent to color information corresponding to the first color component for a pixel at which the first color component is missing, includes: an interpolation value calculation section that uses color information at pixels located in a local area containing an interpolation target pixel to undergo interpolation processing to calculate an interpolation value including, at least (1) local average information of the first color component with regard to the interpolation target pixel and (2) local curvature information corresponding to at least two color components with regard to the interpolation target pixel.

Abstract: A method and a system for separating an image signal into a set of image planes in accordance with a control signal. The system comprises a selector module, an edge processing module and a foreground/background separation module. The selector module receives the control signal and produces a selector signal. The edge processing module receives the selector signal and produces a decision signal. The foreground/background separation module receives the image signal and the decision signal, and outputs a foreground signal and a background signal, a representation of the current pixel of the image signal being included in at least one of the foreground signal and the background.

Abstract: A method for removing an area from a raster image includes defining a target area in a raster image, where the raster image has a plurality of pixels and an object area made up of a first subset of the pixels. The target area comprises the object area enclosed by a contour. A resizable target feathering area is defined, enclosing the target area, having an inner edge abutting the contour enclosing the target area, and made up of a second subset of pixels not including the first subset of pixels. A movable template area is defined, made up of a third subset of pixels. A template feathering area is defined, made up of a fourth subset of pixels. The template area pixels are copied to the target area and the template feathering area pixels are copied to the target feathering area, replacing the first subset of pixels of the object area. The template area is selected.

Abstract: A plurality of images of portions of a fingerprint surface is generated by measuring structural features the portions of the surface with a sensor array as the surface is moved relative to the array. A two-dimensional image of the fingerprint surface is constructed from a portion of the plurality of images. In one embodiment, a varying voltage is applied to a finger positioned over an exciting electrode and a capacitive sensor array, and the capacitance or impedance through the finger is measured between the electrode and the array to detect variations in capacitance or impedance caused by variations in the structural features of the fingerprint surface.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting location and luminance transition range of slant image edge in a digital image. The variance value for the pixels inside a window in the image is calculated, based on which a current pixel is classified. If the current pixel is in a non-edge region, no further checking is needed, otherwise binary pattern data is generated from the pixels inside the window. Then it is determined whether the current pixel is a center pixel in a luminance transition range of a slant edge based on the binary pattern data at the current pixel location and its neighboring binary pattern data. If the current pixel is the center pixel in a luminance transition range of a slant edge, then the length of the luminance transition range of the slant edge is determined.