Abstract: A method of estimating a volume of a remaining fluidum in a non-translucent recipient having an opening which area is wider than or equal to the area of a bottom of the recipient. The method includes taking a picture of the opening at the top side of the recipient by with camera, deriving from the picture characteristics of a first and second number of pixels representing a visible part of the recipient and a visible part of the fluidum in the recipient, respectively, requesting from a user an identification of the recipient, matching the identification with a stored identification in order to retrieve reference data about an empty recipient, and estimating a volume of the remaining fluidum in the recipient by means of the retrieved reference data and a ratio of the characteristics of the first number of pixels and the characteristics of the second number of pixels.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating a user of a device. A multi-band biometric iris scan camera system is capable of obtaining an iris image using near-infrared (NIR) light and/or visible wavelength (VW) light. The camera system can initially image a user to detect the iris color of the user and, based on the iris color, determine whether to use the NIR iris scan or the VW iris scan. Additionally, NIR and VW systems can be operated as integrated camera systems. The iris scan camera system can take a series of images and compare against a database of anonymous iris images captured at different illumination conditions, for selecting a preferred illumination condition for capturing the iris and performing authentication.

Abstract: The embodiments reduce output delay for pictures by determining after a current picture has been decoded and stored in a decoded picture buffer, DPB, a number of pictures in the DPB that are marked as needed for output. This number is compared, after a current picture has been decoded and stored in the DPB, against a value derived form at least one syntax element present or to be present in a bitstream representing pictures of a video sequence. If this number is greater than the value a picture, which is the first picture in output order, of the pictures in the DPB that are marked as needed for output is preferably output and marked as not needed for output.

Abstract: A three-dimensional measurement apparatus selects points corresponding to geometric features of a three-dimensional shape model of a target object, projects a plurality of selected points corresponding to the geometric features onto a range image based on approximate values indicating the position and orientation of the target object and imaging parameters at the time of imaging of the range image, searches regions of predetermined ranges respectively from the plurality of projected points for geometric features on the range image which correspond to the geometric features of the three-dimensional shape model, and associates these geometric features with each other. The apparatus then calculates the position and orientation of the target object using differences of distances on a three-dimensional space between the geometric features of the three-dimensional shape model and those on the range image, which are associated with each other.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating stereoscopic content with granular control over binocular disparity based on multi-perspective imaging from representations of light fields are provided. The stereoscopic content is computed as piecewise continuous cuts through a representation of a light field, minimizing an energy reflecting prescribed parameters such as depth budget, maximum binocular disparity gradient, desired stereoscopic baseline. The methods and systems may be used for efficient and flexible stereoscopic post-processing, such as reducing excessive binocular disparity while preserving perceived depth or retargeting of already captured scenes to various view settings. Moreover, such methods and systems are highly useful for content creation in the context of multi-view autostereoscopic displays and provide a novel conceptual approach to stereoscopic image processing and post-production.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting an inter-layer of an image having a plurality of layers including at least one temporal sub-layer. The method according to present invention comprises the steps of: acquiring information on a temporal sub-layer for inter-layer prediction; inducing a reference picture used for predicting an inter-layer of a current picture on the basis of the information on the temporal sub-layer; and predicting the inter-layer of the current picture on the basis of the reference picture.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for performing intra-prediction using an adaptive filter. The method for performing intra-prediction includes the steps of: determining whether or not to apply a first filter for a reference pixel value on the basis of information of a neighboring block of a current block; applying the first filter for the reference pixel value when it is determined to apply the first filter; performing intra-prediction on the current block on the basis of the reference pixel value; determining whether or not to apply a second filter for a prediction value according to each prediction mode of the current block, which is predicted by the intra-prediction performance on the basis of the information of the neighboring block; and applying the second filter for the prediction value according to each prediction mode of the current block when it is determined to apply the second filter.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a light emitting unit and an image sensor having a plurality of pixels are disposed in a matrix. Each pixel includes a photodiode, a pixel memory connected to the photodiode, and a floating diffusion portion connected to the pixel memory via a switch. The image capturing apparatus opens the switch from the start of a charge accumulation period that includes a light emission period of the light emitting unit until a predetermined time in the light emission period, reads out a first signal corresponding to the charge accumulated in the floating diffusion portion after the switch has been closed, reads out a second signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in the pixel memory when the charge accumulation period has passed and calculates a distance to the subject based on the first and second signals.

Abstract: A transmission system includes: a first timing signal generation unit; a second timing signal generation unit; a timing adjustment unit; a transmission processing unit; a first valid data generation unit which receives a first timing signal, receives only data according to valid timing of the first timing signal in a first image signal from a process signal to generate a first valid image signal, and receives only data according to valid timing of the first timing signal in a second image signal and a second timing signal from the process signal to output the received second image signal and the received second timing signal; and a second valid data generation unit which receives the second timing signal from the first valid data generation unit and receives only data according to valid timing of the second timing signal in the second image signal to generate a second valid image signal.

Abstract: A camera that includes a capture unit, a calculation unit, an object information acquisition unit, and an evaluation unit. The capture unit generates an image by capturing an area in which an evaluation-use object is present. The calculation unit analyzes the image, and thereby detects the evaluation-use object in the image and calculates meaningful information from the evaluation-use object in the image. The object information acquisition unit acquires and stores object information that is meaningful to a user and derived from the evaluation-use object. The evaluation unit performs an evaluation that includes comparing the meaningful information and the object information, and thereby calculating a degree of matching between the meaningful information and the object information, the evaluation determining whether or not a desired result is obtained from the image.

Abstract: An image encoding device includes a first prediction parameter determination section (53) for selecting, for each of prediction units belonging to a first group, a prediction parameter from a basic set; a second prediction parameter determination section (55) for selecting, for each of prediction units belonging to a second group, a prediction parameter from a reduced set (i) including at least a part of the prediction parameter(s) selected by the first prediction parameter determination section (53) and (ii) is constituted by a prediction parameter(s), the number of which is not more than the number of prediction parameters included in the basic set; and a prediction parameter encoding section (243) for encoding (i) information indicating which one of prediction parameters is selected by the first prediction parameter determination section (53) and (ii) information indicating which one of prediction parameters is selected by the second prediction parameter determination section (55).

Abstract: According to the invention, the construction measuring device has a functionality for modifying the orientation of the sighting unit in a manually controllable manner, within the framework of which the orientation of the sighting unit is dynamically modified by the first or second rotary drive, according to a current direction and a current distance from a defined central anchor display point to a currently marked display point. The respective current direction defines an orientation modifying direction and the respective current distance defines an orientation modifying speed for changing the orientation of the sighting unit.

Abstract: An omnidirectional image measuring instrument includes a horizontal rotary table, a horizontal rotary driving unit capable of rotating the horizontal rotary table, an electronic distance meter (EDM) device and an image pickup device provided on the horizontal rotary table, and a control device for synchronously controlling a distance measurement by the EDM device and an image pickup by the image pickup device.

Abstract: An automatic range finding method is applied to measure a distance between a stereo camera and a reference plane. The automatic range finding method includes acquiring a disparity-map video by the stereo camera facing the reference plane, analyzing the disparity-map video to generate a depth histogram, selecting a pixel group having an amount greater than a threshold from the depth histogram, calculating the distance between the stereo camera and the reference plane by weight transformation of the pixel group, and applying a coarse-to-fine computation for the disparity-map video.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an encoding apparatus and an encoding method capable of reducing the overhead on a macroblock basis. A number of reference image decision unit 19 determines that the number of fields of the reference image in encoding is one on the basis of the bit rate of the coded data. If the number of fields of the reference image is determined to be one, a slice header generating unit 13 selects, from among pictures input to an image sorting buffer 12, one of the pictures as the reference image. The present invention is applicable to, for example, encoding apparatuses that perform video coding based on the AVC standard.

Abstract: A filtering method according to the present invention is for filtering a plurality of blocks included in an image, and comprises: determining whether each of the blocks is an IPCM block or not; filtering a non-IPCM block that is not an IPCM block among the blocks to generate filtered data; outputting the filtered data as pixel values of the non-IPCM block, and outputting pixel values of the unfiltered IPCM block as pixel values of the IPCM block.

Abstract: A moving picture coding method includes: coding a coding target block using a motion vector; generating motion vector predictors; and coding the motion vector using one of the motion vector predictors generated in the generating of the motion vector predictors. In the generating of the motion vector predictors, a replacement vector which replaces a temporal motion vector predictor is added to the motion vector predictors when it is impossible to obtain the temporal motion vector predictor from a block which is included in a coded picture different from the coding target picture and corresponds to the coding target block.

Abstract: Devices and methods for inspection of various mechanical instruments to determine their level of wear and re-usability, particularly surgical and dental instruments, are provided.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of video encoding, the method comprising: encoding a position of a last non-zero coefficient within a video block, wherein the position of the last non-zero coefficient is provided in a significance map according to block width; and assigning at least one context model to the significance map; wherein the at least one context model includes at least three first contexts, and wherein each of the first three contexts is configured to be shared across two or more blocks of different widths.

Abstract: Notches or chevrons with known angles relative to each other are formed on a surface of the sample, where each branch of a chevron appears in a cross-sectional face of the sample as a distinct structure. Therefore, when imaging the cross-section face during the cross-sectioning operation, the distance between the identified structures allows unique identification of the position of the cross-section plane along the Z axis. Then a direct measurement of the actual position of each slice can be calculated, allowing for dynamic repositioning to account for drift in the plane of the sample and also dynamic adjustment of the forward advancement rate of the FIB to account for variations in the sample, microscope, microscope environment, etc. that contributes to drift. An additional result of this approach is the ability to dynamically calculate the actual thickness of each acquired slice as it is acquired.