Abstract: A paper-like sheet discriminator has reference rollers for detection of a thickness of a paper-like sheet and a detection roller opposing the reference rollers. The paper-like sheet is passed between the reference rollers and the detection rollers and its thickness is detected from a displacement of the lever. Wavelength components less than a specified wavelength are extracted from a signal indicative of a thickness of the paper-like sheet passing through the respective thickness detection sensors and appearance positions on the paper-like sheet are determined at which the extracted wavelength components being less than the specified wavelength and having amplitude either not less than or less than a constant value appear. The thus determined appearance positions are collated with precedently stored appearance positions so as to discriminate genuineness/spuriousness of the paper-like sheet.

Abstract: Subdivision per basic color channels of grey level data generated by a color sensor is no longer required according to a novel color interpolation method of an image acquired by a digital color sensor generating grey levels for each image pixel as a function of the filter applied to the sensor by interpolating the values of missing colors of each image pixel for generating triplets or pairs of values of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel. The method may include calculating spatial variation gradients of primary colors or complementary base hues for each image pixel and storing the information of directional variation of primary color or complementary base hue in look-up tables pertaining to each pixel.

Abstract: An image distribution system has a source that encodes digital images and transmits them over an error-prone channel to a destination. The source has an image coder that processes the digital images using vector transformation followed by vector quantization. This produces groups of vectors and quantized values that are representative of the images. The image coder orders the vectors in the codebooks and assigns vector indexes to the vectors such that a bit error occurring at a less significant bit in a vector index results in less distortion than a bit error occurring at a more significant bit. Depending upon the format and the capabilities of the source and destination, the image coder may allocate different numbers of bits to different groups of vectors according to a bit allocation map for this allocation process. The source also has a UEP (Unequal Error Protection) coder that layers the vector indexes according to their significance.

Abstract: A foreground extracting section extracts the foreground of each of the first to the N-th frames, and a foreground-accumulated-image configuration section configures a front accumulated image obtained by overlapping the foregrounds of the first to the N-th frames viewed from the future side and a rear accumulated image obtained by overlapping them viewed from the past side. A learning section uses the front accumulated image and the rear accumulated image to obtain prediction coefficients used for predicting the foreground of each frame, and a multiplexer outputs the prediction coefficients, the front accumulated image, and the rear accumulated image as the result of encoding of the foregrounds of the first to the N-th frames.

Abstract: A fast method of color interpolation of pixels of an image acquired by a color filtered digital sensor uses a very simple cost function that nevertheless produce interpolated images of good quality. The cost function is computationally simpler because it does not require the calculation of powers and square roots. The triangulation algorithm may be executed in far less time, while practically ensuring the same performance. The triangulation algorithm on average may use only two iteration steps. The interpolation process may be followed by an anti-aliasing processing that effectively removes color artifacts.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for precisely processing an input signal by detecting the frequency characteristic of the signal and applying the detection result in an image signal processing block to reduce noise in the signal or enhance the details of the signal. The apparatus includes an indication value calculator, a level selector, and a frequency characteristic determination unit. Accordingly, the frequency distribution of an input signal is analyzed, and the signal is filtered by adjusting its filtering frequency band based on the analyzed frequency characteristic. Thus, it is possible to appropriately filter a signal using only a filter regardless of the resolution of the signal. In particular, noise in the signals of different scale ratios can be reduced or the details of the signal can be enhanced by processing the signals by only a filter.

Abstract: The analysis tool is a system and method for providing athletic training and instruction as it pertains to a golf club swing motion, specially a golf putting stroke motion. The analysis tool provides analysis information to a user from the analysis of at least one video image recording device. The motion of the golf club during the swing or stroke is determined by processing the video image frame data collected by the video image recording device(s). The resulting measurements are displayed by the computer processing environment and presented to the user numerically or pictorially for the purposes of instruction and improvement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interpolating color image information are provided. One or more image data values for a portion of a digital image in a vicinity of a target pixel are received and stored in a local array. A processor determines whether there is an edge in the vicinity of the target pixel based on the data values in the local array. If there is not an edge in the vicinity of the target pixel, then long scale interpolation is performed on the image data values in the local array, in order to result in interpolating color information that is missing from the image. If there is an edge in the vicinity of the target pixel, then short scale interpolation is performed using image data values in a subset of the local array in a closer vicinity of the target pixel. As a result, accurate color rendering of a digital image is achieved, even in the presence of an edge portion that exhibits great contrast between regions of the image.

Abstract: Assessing the quality of an electronic image comprises determining a quality rating for the electronic image, associating image quality thresholds with purposes for electronic images, selecting the purpose that corresponds to the electronic image, identifying an image quality threshold associated with the selected purpose, and determining whether the quality rating meets the image quality threshold. The electronic image is suitable for its intended purpose if its quality rating meets the threshold.

Abstract: A system is provided for selecting a foreground region of an image, given a set of pixels defining the boundary of the foreground region of the image. The system includes a component to determine a foreground value (F) and opacity value (?) for each pixel on the set wherein ?is determined via a subpixel edge-offset to facilitate a separation the foreground region from background portions of the image. The foreground value (F) and opacity value (?) are then employed to smoothly mix the foreground region of the image with a subsequent image background region.

Abstract: A color management architecture includes multiple color transform modules chainable together by a framework, with each color transform module having access to color profiles which provide data necessary to convert color data in accordance with algorithmic functionality in the transform modules. The color profiles are stored in accordance with a pre-designated format, such as a standardized format that is neither vendor specific nor platform specific. Each color transform module further includes the functionality to read to and write from a phantom profile. The phantom profile is also organized in the same pre-designated format, and thus serves as a primary conduit for data transfer between chained ones of the color transform modules.

Abstract: A method and system for storing and generating anti-aliased text and lineart data from compressed document images files, using a MRC model that represents the image as an ordered set of mask/image pairs at resolutions appropriate to the content of each layer. The method and system provide the ability to generate for anti-aliased text data to improve appearance at both high and low resolution, and to avoid baseline jitter of compressed tokens.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of performing video image decoding includes the following. A compressed video image is downsampled in the frequency domain. The downsampled video image is inverse transformed. Motion compensation for the downsampled image is performed in the spatial domain.

Abstract: In the processing of image data, image data are analyzed to determine a characteristic of the image, and the characteristic and a first correction parameter in correspondence to the characteristic are displayed in a screen of a display device. A second correction parameter may be set in the screen of the display device by a user. The image data is corrected with the first correction parameter, but when the user sets a second correction parameter, the image data are corrected with the second correction parameter. Alternatively, The image data are corrected automatically with the first correction parameter, and the characteristic of the image data is displayed in a screen after the image data have been corrected.

Abstract: Creating a look-up table which converts color image data from a device-independent color space to a device-dependent color space, by determining a range of lightness values corresponding to a lightness value of a target data point in device-independent color space, searching a predetermined set of data points in device-independent color space to obtain a selected set of data points, each selected data point having a lightness value within the determined range of lightness values and having corresponding device-dependent component values within a predetermined tolerance level of the component values of a previously-determined device-dependent data point, performing a weighted interpolation on the device-dependent component values corresponding to the selected set of data points to calculate an interpolated data point which is in device-dependent color space, and entering the interpolated device-dependent data point into a look-up table entry corresponding to the device-independent target data point.

Abstract: An improved noise reduction process by wavelet thresholding utilizes a discrete wavelet transform to decompose the image into different resolution levels. A thresholding function is then applied in different resolution levels with different threshold values to eliminate insignificant wavelet coefficients which mainly correspond to the noise in the original image. Finally, an inverse discrete wavelet transform is applied to generate the noise-reduced video image. The threshold values are based on the relationships between the noise standard deviations of different decomposition levels in the wavelet domain and the noise standard deviation of the original image.

Abstract: A system that captures both whiteboard content and audio signals of a meeting using a video camera and records or transmits them in real-time. The Real-Time Whiteboard Capture captures pen strokes on whiteboards in real time using an off-the-shelf video camera. Unlike many existing tools, the RTWCS does not instrument the pens or the whiteboard. It analyzes the sequence of captured video images in real time, classifies the pixels into whiteboard background, pen strokes and foreground objects (e.g., people in front of the whiteboard), and extracts newly written pen strokes. This allows the RTWCS to transmit whiteboard contents using very low bandwidth to remote meeting participants. Combined with other teleconferencing tools such as voice conference and application sharing, the RTWCS becomes a powerful tool to share ideas during online meetings.

Abstract: A system that captures both whiteboard content and audio signals of a meeting using a digital camera and a microphone. The system can be retrofit to any existing whiteboard. It computes the time stamps of pen strokes on the whiteboard by analyzing the sequence of captured snapshots. It also automatically produces a set of key frames representing all the written content on the whiteboard before each erasure. The whiteboard content serves as a visual index to efficiently browse the audio meeting. The system not only captures the whiteboard content, but also helps the users to view and manage the captured meeting content efficiently and securely.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a high-resolution digital image from a plurality of starting images formed by pixel matrices acquired at a lower resolution includes combining the plurality of starting images to generate a provisional high-resolution image, and producing from the provisional high-resolution image a plurality of low-resolution images. Each low-resolution image corresponds to a respective starting image. At least a portion of the provisional high-resolution image is processed by modifying pixels thereof to reduce a difference between the plurality of starting images and the plurality of low-resolution images. The processing includes associating with the pixels of the provisional high-resolution image a respective uncertainty measure representing an uncertainty of the pixels, and leaving unmodified at least a subset of the pixels of the provisional high-resolution image having associated therewith a respective uncertainty measure smaller than a threshold.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a high resolution digital image from a plurality of starting images formed by pixel matrices and acquired at a lower resolution is provided. The method may include combining the plurality of starting images to generate a provisional high resolution image formed by a pixel matrix. The method may also include associating a respective error with at least a part of the pixels of the provisional image HR(0). More particularly, this may include providing a first error associated with at least one first pixel, and at least partially processing the provisional image by modifying the pixels of this image based upon the respective errors associated therewith. A second error may also be calculated to associate with at least one second pixel situated in the vicinity of the first pixel in the matrix (HR(0)). The second error may be calculated by using the first error associated with the at least one first pixel.