Abstract: Multi-resolution images of a reference image and a target image are generated. Then, whole-range matching is performed on an image of a lower resolution to detect a two-dimensional displacement between the images. Block matching is performed on an image of a higher resolution to detect a displacement at each feature point. The accuracy of motion data is increased by correcting the motion data with an image of a higher resolution by using the previously calculated motion data of the lowest resolution through higher resolutions as an initial value.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the generation of a background mask from an intensity-value-coded image with a noisy background area. The method includes generating an intensity value histogram of the image; fitting a model curve to a subarea of the intensity value histogram; calculating a threshold value in the intensity value histogram from the fit parameters of the model curve; and generating the background mask starting from at least one defined image area that belongs to the background noise by adding all the pixels whose intensities are below the threshold value to the background mask when connected to the image area via pixels whose intensities are also below the threshold value.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes obtaining unit for obtaining moving image data having been obtained in shooting unit for shooting an object and shooting information relating to a condition of the shooting unit during the shooting, encoding unit for executing motion detection on the moving image data by unit of two or more kinds of pixel block shapes and encoding the data, and decision unit for deciding, based on the shooting information, whether to execute motion detection using all the kinds of pixel block shapes, wherein when the decision unit decides that motion detection should not be executed using all the kinds of pixel block shapes, the encoding unit executes the motion detection using some of the kinds of pixel block shapes.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing an estimate of the size of a compressed signal without actually compressing the signal. A compression estimation mechanism models the behavior of entropy encoders on the transform coefficients generated by the application of a discrete transform method on an input uncompressed signal. The compression estimation mechanism may be used to predict a lower bound and upper bound on the size of the compressed signal from the entropy encoders, or alternatively an estimated size of the compressed signal. Since embodiments use a model of the behavior of entropy encoders to predict the bounds of the compressed signal or the size of the compressed signal without performing the actual entropy encoding, the bounds or size estimate may be predicted in less time than it takes to perform full compression of the signal.

Abstract: This patent describes a system for encoding information such as identity into an image or series of images. It also describes a system for identifying, extracting, and decoding that information from the image or images. The encoding process is designed to minimize the damage to the perceived quality of the image. The decoding process is optimized for use with images generated with digital cameras and can easily be implemented in mobile communications devices.

Abstract: A color transformation method of transforming a first color component set representing a first color space to a second color component set representing a second color space is provided. The method comprising: reading the first color component set; transforming the read first color component set to the second color component set using a predetermined transformation function; and storing the second color component set to correspond to the first color component set, wherein the transformation function is defined by: defining a first transformation matrix used for acquiring dominant components of the first color component set and multiplying each of the elements of the determined first transformation matrix by a predetermined integer k. The method further comprises inverse-transforming the second color component set to the first color component set.

Abstract: A method for holographic storage data recovery in a holographic storage system is presented. One exemplary method includes detecting a stored image at a detector such that the image is oversampled. A relationship is determined between a location of the detected image and a location of the source image. Pixel information associated with the source image may be obtained from the detected image based on a fractional delay filter. In one example, the image may be oversampled by magnifying the detected image at the detector and/or having a detector with pixel sizes and spacing less than the image pixel size. Further, coefficients of the fractional delay filter may be determined, at least in part, on magnification and shift information of the image based on known registration marks.

Abstract: Presegmentation or prior, pre-existing segmentation of an object obtained through other means will be presented for interactive editing of a segmented object in an image or volume. Prior segmentation will be seamlessly combined with graph cuts or the random walker methods. Editing of the presegmentation is possible, while maintaining the important property of both methods that an arbitrary segmentation may be achieved with enough interaction.

Abstract: A method and system for characterizing structures in an image are presented. The method and system generates a structure checksum value based on a plurality of pixels in the image. The structure checksum is used as an index of a look-up table containing structure characteristics corresponding to the structure checksum values.

Abstract: A method tracks an object. A sequence of visible images and a sequence of infrared images are acquired concurrently of a scene. A visible background image is maintained from each current visible image, while an infrared background image is maintained from each current infrared image. Each current visible image and the visible background image, and each current infrared image and the infrared background image are compared to generate corresponding changed pixels. Shadow pixels and reflectance pixels are discarded from the changed pixels to identify foreground pixels associated with an object in the scene.

Abstract: An inter-frame difference generation circuit generates, in every pixel unit, a difference level of an image between a present frame and a frame before one frame period. A histogram generation circuit generates a difference histogram indicating a frequency distribution of difference levels between the frames in a state in which a difference corresponding to a pixel including predetermined or more image changes is removed from generated difference levels. An erroneously detected histogram exclusion judging section excludes a histogram which is inappropriate as a histogram for use in deciding a noise amount among histograms generated by the histogram generation circuit from the histograms generated by the histogram generation circuit. A noise amount judging section decides the noise amount based on the histograms remaining without being excluded by the erroneously detected histogram exclusion judging section. Therefore, noises included in a dynamic image are detected with a good precision.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, each capable of applying document layout analysis to a document image with control of a non-character area. A non-character area is extracted from a document image to be processed. A character image is generated from the document image by removing the non-character area from the document image. The character image is segmented into a plurality of sections to generate a segmented image. The segmented image is adjusted using a selected component of the non-character image to generate an adjusted segmented image. A segmentation result is output, which is generated based on the adjusted segmented image.

Abstract: Segmentation of foreground from background layers in an image may be provided by a segmentation process which may be based on one or more factors including motion, color, contrast, and the like. Color, motion, and optionally contrast information may be probabilistically fused to infer foreground and/or background layers accurately and efficiently. A likelihood of motion vs. non-motion may be automatically learned from training data and then fused with a contrast-sensitive color model. Segmentation may then be solved efficiently by an optimization algorithm such as a graph cut.

Abstract: A method and apparatus transcode an image. An encoded input bitstream of the image is analyzed to obtain a structure of the encoded input bitstream, in which the image includes a region-of-interest and a background region, and in which the encoded input bitstream is a stream of packets. A first quality value for the region-of-interest and a second quality value for the background region are determined. An encoded output bitstream is composed from a subset of the packets selected from the encoded input bitstream according to the structure, in which the subset of packets includes a first set of packets corresponding to the region-of-interest having the first quality value, a second set of packets corresponding to the background region and having second quality value, and empty packets.

Abstract: System and method for distinguishing between foreground content and background content in an image presentation. An initial background model is provided, and a final background model is constructed from the initial background model using the image presentation. The foreground content and background content in the image presentation are then distinguished from one another using the final background model. The present invention permits foreground content and background content to be separated from one another for further processing in different types of computer-generated image presentations such as digital slide presentations, video presentations, Web page presentations, and the like.

Abstract: The decoding apparatus in the present invention includes a memory operable to hold encoded data representing one of a compressed sound and a compressed image, a memory read-out unit operable to sequentially read out the encoded data from said memory, a match determining circuit operable to determine whether or not data matching a specific bit sequence exists in the encoded data read out by said memory read-out unit, a deleting circuit operable to delete a part of the specific bit sequence from the encoded data read out from said memory, when said match determining circuit determines that the specific bit sequence exists, and a decoding circuit operable to decode the post-deletion encoded data.

Abstract: A correction processing section 1 performs a color correction such that a movement amount indicating how much input values of image signals should be moved for the purpose of color correction becomes smaller as the distance between the input values and the coordinates of the center of region to be corrected becomes larger in the region to be corrected, based on the input values of the input signals (L signal, *a signal, *b signal), conditional data (such as radius r) defining a local region to be corrected, the coordinates (Lc, *ac, *bc) of the center of the region to be corrected and the coordinates (Lm, *am, *bm) of the center of an ideal color region to be targeted.

Abstract: A coding method codes a sequence of digitized images with a plurality of macro blocks in error-prone networks in which case the macro blocks in a section of the image are coded in a first intra-coding mode depending on predetermined criteria. In addition, the macro blocks in a section of the image are coded in a second intra-coding mode or in an inter-coding mode in which case in the inter-coding mode for the macro blocks, movement vectors are selected from the number of accessible reference images. The selection from the number of accessible reference images is limited in such a way that referencing takes place from image areas that were not subjected to the first intra-coding mode at a later stage.

Abstract: A system for coding images, and more particularly, to a system for compressing images to a reduced number of bits by employing a Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) in combination with a visual model.

Abstract: An image having few colors can be losslessly encoded at a higher compression ratio. For this purpose, pixel data are input in raster order and temporarily stored in a buffer. A neighborhood matching determination unit generates first information representing whether a pixel having the same color as that of the pixel of interest exists in neighboring pixels and second information specifying whether a pixel having the same color as that of the pixel of interest exists, and if the pixel having the same color exists, specifying the neighboring pixel. A pixel matching detection unit counts the number of colors contained in the neighboring pixels and generates information representing whether the number of colors is two or less, or three or less. On the basis of the information, a code generation unit outputs one or both of encoded data from a matched-pixel position encoding unit and a prediction error encoding unit.