Abstract: Techniques in accordance with the following disclosure enable digital images to be filtered (smoothed) to reduce noise and, at the same time, preserve the image's underlying structure. In general, image pixels are analyzed to identify those that participate in, or belong to, structure within the image and those that do not. For those pixels determined to be part of the image's structure, the direction of that structure is determined and filtering or smoothing along that direction is provided. Contrast enhancement in a direction perpendicular to the detected edge's direction may also be provided.

Abstract: A recognition processing method and an image processing device ends recognition of an object within a predetermined time while maintaining the recognition accuracy. The device extracts combinations of three points defining a triangle whose side length satisfy predetermined criterion values from feature points of the model of a recognition object, registers the extracted combinations as model triangles, and similarly extracts combinations of three points defining a triangle whose side lengths satisfy predetermined criterion values from feature points of the recognition object. The combinations are used as comparison object triangles and associated with the respective model triangles.

Abstract: Methods, machine-readable media, and devices for face image prioritization based on face quality analysis are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include detecting a facial image in an image that has been acquired by a camera that monitors a scene, passing the facial image through a number of quality analysis filters that include a number of quality analysis factors, wherein processing complexity associated with the number of quality analysis factors increases consecutively, and submitting the facial image to a facial recognition program upon a determination that the facial image has passed the number of quality analysis filters.

Abstract: A method of discriminating a region and a method of measuring a three dimensional shape are disclosed. The method includes irradiating light onto a substrate having a measurement target formed thereon to capture an image by receiving light reflected by the substrate, setting up an object region in which the measurement target is disposed and a ground region corresponding to a remaining region in an inspection region of the image, irradiating a grating patterned light onto the substrate having the measurement target formed thereon to capture a patterned image by receiving the grating patterned light reflected by the substrate, and obtaining height of each position in the inspection region by using the patterned image to establish a ground height with respect to the measurement target with a height of the ground region.

Abstract: A method for measuring a dimension of a device includes receiving an image of a portion of the device, receiving a first offset value and a second offset value, processing the image to define a least one graph of a line of pixels, the at least one graph including the brightness level of each pixel in a line of pixels, identifying a location of a first peak and a second peak in the graph, defining a first exclusion area boundary, defining a second exclusion area boundary, setting the brightness level of the pixels between the first exclusion area boundary and the second exclusion area boundary to zero, identifying a first portion of the feature of interest and a second portion of the feature of interest, and measuring a distance between the first portion of the feature of interest and the second portion of the feature of interest.

Abstract: A word recognition method in which as a result of a recognition process performed on an image of a character string, one or more character candidates are obtained for each of characters forming the character string, according to which a word corresponding to the character string is recognized using a word database having registered therein a plurality of words includes setting a predetermined number of words included in the word database, as initial word candidates, performing a process in which the characters forming the recognition target character string are set as processing targets, one character by one character, and every time a processing target character is set, word candidates present at a time of the setting are narrowed down to words in which character candidates obtained for the processing target character are arranged at a same location as a location where the processing target character is arranged in the recognition target character string, and identifying, when a narrowing-down process perfor

Abstract: A variety of methods and systems involving sensor-equipped portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are described. One particular embodiment decodes a digital watermark from imagery captured by the device and, by reference to watermark payload data, obtains salient point data corresponding to an object depicted in the imagery. Other embodiments obtain salient point data for an object through use of other technologies (e.g., NFC chips). The salient point data enables the device to interact with the object in a spatially-dependent manner. Many other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of comparing a first group of frames to a second group of frames includes electronically receiving the first group of frames, selecting a group of frames from the first group of frames as a first key frame set, calculating a hash distance between an image hash for each frame in the first key frame set to an image hash of each frame of a second key frame set taken from second group of frames, and choosing frames in the first group of frames with a minimum hash distances to respective reference frames to form a series of minimum hash distances.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to apparatuses, methods, and computer readable media for red-eye removal techniques using multiple recognition channels. In the following examples, red, golden, and white recognition channels are used. A recognition channel is the monochrome extraction from a color photograph in a manner designed to make one kind of red-eye artifact glow with maximum contrast. Once the red-eye artifact has been characterized by, e.g., size and location, the techniques disclosed herein may then discern whether the red-eye artifact is, for example, a red-, golden-, or white-eye case by examining the configuration and characteristics of prominence bitmasks created for the various recognition channels. Once the type of red-eye case has been discerned, the techniques disclosed herein may then replace the artifact with a photographically reasonable result based on the type of red-eye case being repaired. Specular reflection may also be re-added to the photograph.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating identification of and interaction with objects in a video frame are provided. In some embodiments, a system can include a computer-readable storage medium encoding computer executable components, and a processor that executes computer executable components encoded within the computer-readable storage medium. The components can include: a communication component that receives a video; a segmentation component that obtains a frame from the video; and a selection component that determines an object selected within the frame. The selection component can include a classifier trained using a probability map stored in the memory. The probability map can include information indicative of a likelihood that a pixel in the frame corresponds to the object, and can be generated based on crowdsourcing object differentiation.

Abstract: The invention provides a technique for accurate detection of objects appearing in the image, such as single fluorescent molecules, cells, microorganisms, nucleotides, DNA strands, or stars in celestial images. The method allows to differentiate between two combined point sources even if they are closer to each other than the optical resolution of the system. The procedure involves computing several coefficients representing decomposition of the intensity data in the basis of Hermit functions.

Abstract: Certain aspects of an apparatus and method for orienting tissue samples for comparison may include incrementally rotating orientation of a first image by a predetermined rotation angle while maintaining orientation of a second image at a fixed angle, checking alignment of the orientation of the first image with the orientation of the second image at each predetermined rotation angle by matching a plurality of points in the first image and the second image, determining whether a predetermined rotation angle is a correct rotation angle for alignment based on a count of the plurality of points being greater than a threshold value and rotating to the next predetermined rotation angle when the count of the plurality of points is less than or equal to a threshold value.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process is provided for reorienting a three-dimensional (3D) scan image of an object. The object has a generally flat surface. The image is constructed from image data obtained during rotation of the object about a rotation axis, which intersects the plane of the flat surface at an angle. Axial slices of the scan image are obtained, each of which represents a slice of the object that is perpendicular to the rotation axis and comprises a line representing the flat surface of the object. The axial slices are shifted to align lines representing the flat surface in different axial slices, thus forming a reoriented 3D image. Alternatively, an axial tilt angle is determined from the positions of these lines and the image is rotated by the determined angle to form a reoriented 3D image.

Abstract: A method of predicting hepatotoxicity of a compound. The method includes imaging cells of hepatic origin positioned within a plurality of containers to obtain imaged cellular targets, each container being treated with a different concentration of the compound, the imaging being performed using a quantitative high-content cell imaging system; quantitatively measuring the imaged cellular targets to detect changes in multiple cellular targets associated with cytotoxicity of the compound; and analyzing measurements obtained from the measured imaged cellular targets over a range of compound concentrations to determine the hepatotoxicity of the compound.

Abstract: An image registration process for detecting a change in position of a surgical target, such as a tumor, within a patient is disclosed. A pre-operative model of the target and surrounding area is generated, then registered to live patient images to determine or confirm a location of the target during the course of surgery. Image registration is based on a non-iterative image processing logic that compares a similarity measure for a template of the target (generated from the pre-operative model) at one location within the live image to other locations within the live image.

Abstract: A block-based image denoising method includes determining similarities between a current block and reference blocks within a search range around the current block, from among certain-sized blocks divided from an input image; determining weights of the reference blocks with respect to the current block based on the similarities; and generating resultant blocks by denoising the current block with respect to every block of the input image based on the weights of the reference blocks.

Abstract: An object detection method and apparatus is provided. When an object pixel having a target pixel value is found while an image including an object is scanned at intervals of a preset number of pixels, whether or not each pixel around the object pixel has the target pixel value is sequentially determined, while spreading to pixels around the object pixel, to find an entire pixel region constituting the object and position values of the found pixels are stored. This ensures that an entire pixel region of the object is simply, easily, quickly, and correctly found.

Abstract: A method including receiving an image sequence, wherein the image sequence includes a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) image frames of an organ arranged in a time sequence; constructing a three-dimensional (3D) volume by stacking a plurality of the 2D image frames in time order; detecting a best bounding box for a target of interest in the 3D volume, wherein the best bounding box is specified by a plurality of parameters including spatial and temporal information contained in the 3D volume; and determining the target of interest from the best bounding box.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a substrate in which multiple pixel circuits are formed and a driving unit that generates an image signal in which a target has been captured by driving the multiple pixel circuits. When the region in which the multiple pixel circuits is formed is taken as a capturing region, the capturing region includes a fingerprint capturing region for capturing a fingerprint and a vein capturing region for capturing veins.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3-D) spatial image data may be received that is associated with at least one arm motion of an actor based on free-form movements of at least one hand of the actor, based on natural gesture motions of the at least one hand. A plurality of sequential 3-D spatial representations that each include 3-D spatial map data corresponding to a 3-D posture and position of the hand at sequential instances of time during the free-form movements may be determined, based on the received 3-D spatial image data. An integrated 3-D model may be generated, via a spatial object processor, based on incrementally integrating the 3-D spatial map data included in the determined sequential 3-D spatial representations and comparing a threshold time value with model time values indicating numbers of instances of time spent by the hand occupying a plurality of 3-D spatial regions during the free-form movements.