Abstract: The object of the present invention is to quickly and easily recognize the position, quantity, and kind of the object, which takes unspecified forms according to the angle in which the object is positioned. Points are arranged at regular intervals on an image. For each respective point, a fundamental wave Fourier transformation is calculated on the respective pixel values on the circumference of a circle whose center is at the point. The phase obtained by the fundamental wave Fourier transformation is a normal vector of the point. From the normal vector groups of every point arranged at regular intervals the object is recognized.

Abstract: Frames such as boxes or rectangles are recognized in image document data. A first determination process initially screens frames by applying a first set of criteria to select frame candidates. The first set of criteria includes a comparison of a dimension to a predetermined threshold value. A second determination process then further determines whether or not the selected frame candidates are true frames based upon a second set of criteria. For each frame candidate, a pair of a black pixel rectangle and a white pixel rectangle is determined. The second set of criteria includes at least some information on the black pixel rectangle and the white pixel rectangle.

Abstract: An apparatus for adding a watermark to a moving image as it is displayed comprises a watermark generator in which data representing a watermark is generated. The watermark contains at least one of location data and time data pertaining to the displaying of the moving image. The location and time data is protected by forward error encoding. The watermark also contains at least one of program data identifying the moving image and frame data unique in identifying each frame of the moving image. The program and time data is protected by scrambling. A watermark applicator applies the watermark data to image data representing substantially all of the moving image depending on a characteristic, such as amplitude, of the data.

Abstract: There is provided an image control apparatus which incorporates an automatic configuration mechanism for setting parameters used in event detection, to thereby perform efficient event detection, and improve quality and reliability of image monitoring control. An encoding section encodes an image from a monitoring camera. A reduced image generation section performs simplified decoding of an encoded image to generate a reduced image. A feature amount extraction section detects an image event from the reduced image and extracts feature amounts therefrom. A screen display control section performs screen display control such that a listing of static images of the reduced image is displayed on a display, and a detection event can be set which is an event to be detected. A detection dictionary-preparing section measures variance values from the feature amounts of the detection event to thereby prepare a detection dictionary containing detection parameters which are feature amounts having small variance values.

Abstract: A visual image system is constructed as including: a three-dimensional visual image reproducer for transmitting a three-dimensional video signal; a parallax quantity detecting section for detecting a parallax quantity in the three-dimensional video signal from the three-dimensional visual image reproducer; a fatigue measure estimating section for estimating the degree of fatigue based on the detected parallax quantity and outputting an image switching signal correspondingly to a fatigue measure estimating quantity; a 3D/2D image switching section for providing an output by switching between three-dimensional and two-dimensional images based on the image switching signal; and an image display section for displaying a three-dimensional image or a two-dimensional image. The visual image system thereby fulfills the capability of suitably controlling the degree of three-dimensionality of stereoscopic images by inferring from the inputted video signal the degree of effects likely to be produced on the observer.

Abstract: A watermarking method converts a watermark message into a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) signal and embeds the FSK signal in a host signal. The spectral properties of the FSK watermark signal facilitate its detection, even in applications where the watermarked signal is corrupted. Because of these properties, the FSK watermark signal can perform the dual function of identifying the watermark's presence and orientation in potentially corrupted media, and also conveying a hidden message in the host signal. Such a watermark may be referred to as a self-orienting watermark.

Abstract: Upon scaling input image data and outputting the scaled image data, an address arithmetic processor determines phase information, which indicates the distances between the position of the pixel of interest after scaling and neighboring pixels of an original image, in accordance with the scale of that scaling, a coefficient arithmetic processor calculates filter coefficients in a filter process in accordance with the determined phase information, and a filter processor executes the filter process of the input image data by convolution operations on the basis of the calculated filter coefficients and outputs multi-valued image data. An LUT converts the density of the multi-valued image data in correspondence with the density characteristics of a printer, and a binarization processor binarizes the multi-valued image data and outputs binary image data to an image storage unit.

Abstract: A system and method to facilitate pattern recognition or matching between patterns are disclosed that is substantially invariant to small transformations. A substantially smooth deformation field is applied to a derivative of a first pattern and a resulting deformation component is added to the first pattern to derive a first deformed pattern. An indication of similarity between the first pattern and a second pattern may be determined by minimizing the distance between the first deformed pattern and the second pattern with respect to deformation coefficients associated with each deformed pattern. The foregoing minimization provides a system (e.g., linear) that may be solved with standard methods.

Abstract: An analyzer/classifier tool (100) for data comprises use of an energy minimization process (120) with data transformed by an input process (110) into one or more input matrices. The data to be analyzed/classified is processed by an energy minimization technique such as individual differences multidimensional scaling (IDMDS) to produce at least a rate of change of stress/energy. Using the rate of change of stress/energy and possibly other IDMDS output, a back end process (130) analyzes and classifies data through patterns recognized within the data.

Abstract: A segmentation method of a frame of image information including a plurality of spaced DNA spot images corresponding to a plurality of DNA spots. The image information includes image intensity level information corresponding to said DNA spots. The frame is stored in a memory device and a set of image information within said frame including a selected set of the DNA spot images is selected. A grid including a plurality of spaced grid points corresponding to said selected DNA spot images is generated, such that each grid point includes position information indicating the position of the grid point within said frame.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an input that receives a stream of image pixels such as high addressable bits, multiple bits per pixel or binary image bits representing an input image and a processor that processes and directs signals to an LED bar that selectively exposes areas of a photoreceptor. The exposed areas of the photoreceptor form a latent image, controlled by the processor, of areas of varied exposure based on surrounding pixels. The processor examines the pixels to determine an image structure beneficially adaptable to varied exposure and selects a pixel for varied exposure, such as increased or decreased exposure or altered timing to apply the pixel.

Abstract: A pattern evaluation method includes processing image data of at least one pattern serving as an object to be evaluated and detecting coordinates of edge points of the pattern in an image of the image data, making pairs of edge points from the edge points of the pattern, setting an arbitrary axis, calculating a distances between the edge points of each pair of the pairs of edge points and an angle between a straight line connecting the edge points of the pair and the axis, preparing a distance/angle distribution map which represents distribution of the distances and angles of the pairs of edge points, extracting a characteristic point of the distance/angle distribution map and analyzing the pattern on the basis of the extracted characteristic point.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus including an image storage for storing image data is disclosed. A first managing section generates first management information for managing the image data, which are to be stored in the image storage, on a single unit image basis. A second managing section generates second management data for managing one or more unit images as a single image file. An image data managing method for the image processing apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a shade from an image includes a principle component analyzing unit performing principle component analysis on a set of face images having various types of shades to generate an eigen space, a storing unit storing the eigen space generated by the principle component analyzing unit, an image input unit receiving as an input a new face image, a projecting unit projecting the face image input through the image input unit to the eigen space stored in the storing unit, and an image producing unit producing a face image with the shade component removed, based on the face image input through the image input unit and the image projected to the eigen space by the projecting unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus processes input pixel data and outputs the processed pixel data as output pixel data. The image processing apparatus includes an input reliability calculation section for calculating an input reliability indicating the reliability of the input pixel data, an output reliability calculation section for calculating an output reliability indicating the reliability of the output pixel data, a motion-amount detecting section for detecting the amount of the motion of the input pixel data, a compensation section for compensating the output reliability according to the amount of the motion, and a processing section for processing the input pixel data according to the input reliability and the compensated output reliability and for outputting the output pixel data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for reading and decoding information extracted from a form. In the system of the present invention, packages are randomly placed on a conveyor belt, with their labels facing a two-camera subassembly. As the conveyor belt moves, the two-camera subassembly continuously takes images of the belt underneath the overhead camera. The design of the camera permits it to take a high resolution image of a non-singulated, unjustified package flow. A digital image of the packages within the field of view of the camera is then transferred to the processing system for analysis. The processing system identifies individual packages in the image, extracts them and then analyzes the information written on the package labels. The analysis process utilizes conventional Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) techniques to evaluate the information written on the package label.

Abstract: A scanning system and method for locating a point within a region. The method may: 1) determine or locate a region of interest in the region; 2) determine one or more characteristics of the region of interest within the region, wherein the region of interest includes the point of interest; 3) determine a continuous trajectory based on the one or more characteristics of the region of interest; 4) measure the region of interest at a plurality of points along the continuous trajectory to generate a sample data set; 5) perform a surface fit of the sample data set using the approximate model to generate a parameterized surface; and 6) calculate a location of the point of interest based on the parameterized surface. The method may include measuring the region at and/or near the calculated location to confirm the solution, and may also include generating output comprising the results.

Abstract: The invention is a method of and system for identifying a target form for increased efficiency in an automated data capture process. Forms are scanned and stored as digitized images. Regions are defined on the form relative to corresponding reference points between the form and the digitized image. The regions are defined in areas that contain anticipated digitized data from data fields of the form. Digitized data is recognized through such means as optical character recognition (OCR) and the resulting string variable is compared in form to a plurality of formats expected for that data. Scoring systems are used to attain a resultant score for a number of string variables which is compared to a predetermined confidence number. If said confidence number is reached, the form is flagged as a target form and used in the data capture process. A first step identification of certain graphical features can be added as an initial determination as to the source of the form.

Abstract: Apparatus for obtaining 3-Dimensional data of a geometric body for matching, and particularly for use in facial matching, comprises a three dimensional scanner for obtaining three-dimensional topographical data of the body, a triangulator for receiving or forming said data into a triangulated manifold, a geodesic converter, for converting the triangulated manifold into a series of geodesic distances between pairs of points of the manifold, and a multi-dimensional scaler, for forming a low dimensional Euclidean representation of the series of geodesic distances, to give a bending invariant representation of the geometric body. In one variant, matching is carried out by taking the principle eigenvalues from the representation and plotting as co-ordinates in a feature space. Tilted or different expression versions of the same face tend to form clusters in the feature space allowing for matching. The apparatus preferably uses the fast marching method for the triangulated domain to obtain the geodesic distances.

Abstract: An efficient approach to exploit hyperspectral imagery and detect target of interest is disclosed. This approach uses proximity pixels as reference signatures to detect potential discontinuity that represents material of unknown existing on the terrain. By incorporating signature of a chosen material of interest, this approach provides an effective way for target detection and identification. An evolutionary algorithm is employed to estimate the abundance of material of interest.