Abstract: An adaptive filter is used to filter a target version of a visual image that is produced by processing an original version of the visual image, the characteristics of the adaptive filter being determined in accordance with one or more characteristics of the original version of the visual image. The orientation and/or strength of filtering of the adaptive filter can be adjusted based on local properties of the original image, which can enable the adaptive filter to avoid introducing blurring across true edges in an image.

Abstract: A three-dimensional space formed by three-channel input signals is divided into a plurality of polyhedrons having vertices at points corresponding to a conversion table. A particular polyhedron is determined which is associated with the points corresponding to the three-channel input signals. The nonlinear interpolation is carried out using the conversion data corresponding to the vertices of the intended polyhedron thus determined and the conversion data corresponding to the vertices of the polyhedrons in surface contact with the intended polyhedron.

Abstract: An image processing method for extracting a threadlike structure (GW) represented in an image, comprising a phase of acquisition (10) of a sequence of images, including an image of a present instant (t) in which the threadlike structure is to be extracted and an image of a past instant (t-1) in which the threadlike structure is detected as a string of points (Gt-1), and further comprising a phase of prediction (20) of a silhouette (?t) of the threadlike structure estimated from said detected string of points (Gt-1), of the image of the past instant, a phase of pursuit (30) for extracting a final string of points (Gt) representing the threadlike structure in the image of the present instant t, including steps of estimation of constraints (C2t, ?) based on said silhouette (?t) for performing said extraction.

Abstract: A method for extracting and matching gesture features of image is disclosed. An input gesture image is captured, and then a closed curve formed by a binary contour image of the gesture image is determined by preprocessing the gesture image. A curvature scale space (CSS) image of the gesture image is drawn based on the closed curve. Feature parameters of a plurality of sets of the gesture image are determined by extracting first plural peaks from the CSS image as basis points, and each feature parameter of the plurality of sets of the gesture image is compared with each feature parameter of a plurality of reference gesture shapes represented as a basis point of the maximal peak, thereby determining a gesture shape corresponding to the gesture image.

Abstract: In a fingerprint image, this fingerprint matching method extracts as skeleton stability the area of a zone which is drawn around a pre-determined attention point and which does not contain any minutiae that are bifurcations or endpoints in ridges forming a fingerprint pattern, and calculates similarity by collating said skeleton stability thus extracted with skeleton stability already registered.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding data in information material, the data being a plurality of data items each having a different relative importance. The apparatus comprises an encoding processor operable to encode each of said data items, and a combining processor operable to combine said encoded data items with said information material. The information material provides a limited data embedding capacity, as a result for example of the limited bandwidth of the information material itself. Each of the data items are encoded and embedded to the effect that a proportion of the limited data embedding capacity is allocated to the encoded data items in accordance with the relative importance of these data items. As such, for example, an amount of error protection given to each of the data items can be arranged in accordance with the importance of the data items, whilst still satisfying the limited data embedding capacity.

Abstract: Watermark data that indicate additional information, such as copyright information, are optimized in accordance with the contents of object data, and the watermark data is embedded in image data. An image divider 200 divides image data Vi into image blocks Iij, and corresponds a selected basic pattern Phij with each of the image blocks Iij. Orthogonal transformation units 24 and 202 generate DFT coefficients I?ij and P?hij, and power element calculators 208 and 264 generate power elements I?ij and P?ij. A basic pattern adjustment unit 26 adjusts the coefficient of P?hij to generate P?hij1 to P?hijn. A watermark pattern generator 28 calculates variations before and after P?hij1 to P?hijn are embedded in I?ij, and selects, from P?hij1 to P?hijn, P??hij1 to P??hij1 that provide variations equal to or smaller than the threshold value e. Then, the watermark pattern generator 28 selects, as a watermark pattern P?ij, the pattern that is most easily detectable, and a pattern embedding unit 204 that adds P?ij to I?ij.

Abstract: Digitized mapping of a three dimensional area includes dividing the area into a plurality of primary regions having defined closed contours which are considered flat. Within selected primary regions, one or more secondary regions having defined closed flat contours are identified. Plan coordinate information for the contours of each primary and secondary region is then determined and stored in a file in a hierarchical fashion, where each selected primary region has stored thereunder identified secondary regions thereof. Certain primary and/or secondary regions are also designated for which elevation information is additionally desired. An imaginary grid of lines is defined on each of the designated regions, so that three dimensional coordinate information for each line intersection point of each grid is determined. This intersection point three dimensional coordinate information is stored in a file, whereby elevation information about each of the designated regions is available.

Abstract: A method of automatic human identification includes matching an image of a subject's ear against a database of images of ears from identified people to identify the subject.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forecasting the likely occurrence of convective weather events, such as thunderstorms. An image filter is used to identify areas of interest within a meteorological image that are likely to contain convective weather. The image filter and an image difference processor identify sub-image regions within the meteorological image that are likely to experience a growth and/or decay of weather events. The classification filter classifies sub-image regions within the meteorological image into a number of predetermined storm categories. The meteorological images are filtered using matched filters, features within the filtered images are tracked, and the resulting track vectors are combined according to the storm classification. The meteorological image, interest image, growth/decay image, classification image, and combined vectors are processed to produce the short-term forecast.

Abstract: A method for estimating the noise appearance in an image, includes the steps of: forming a noise table representing noise magnitude vs. intensity of the image; and generating a noise metric from the noise table, said noise metric representing the noise appearance in the image.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus is provided for detecting both stationary objects and moving objects accurately from an image captured from a moving mobile unit. The object detection apparatus of the present invention applies Gabor filter to two or more input images captured by an imaging device such as CCD camera mounted on a mobile unit, and calculates optical flow of local areas in the input images. Then the object detection apparatus closely removes optical flow produced by motion of the mobile unit by estimating optical flow produced from background of the input images. In other words, the object detection apparatus clarifies the area where object is not present (“ground”) in the input images. By removing such “ground” part, the area where objects seems to be present (“feature”) is extracted from the input images. Finally, the object detection apparatus determines whether objects are present or not using flow information of the extracted “feature” part.

Abstract: Displaying a writing guide for a free-form document editor by detecting electronic ink, classifying the detected ink as corresponding to handwriting or a drawing, and displaying a handwriting guide or a drawing guide in response to classifying the detected ink as handwriting or a drawing, respectively. The writing guides can provide feedback regarding the classification of the detected ink and can be resized as additional ink is detected. The handwriting guide can comprise a writing area, writing guide portion, bullet guide, indent marker, character notches, gesture guide, or sacrificial guide to create meaningful structure within an outline object of an electronic document.

Abstract: An apparatus for re-coding an image signal, which conducts re-coding processing using a decoded image signal subjected to coding processing as an input image signal, includes: a DCT unit for subjecting the input image signal to a discrete cosine transform (DCT); a DCT coefficient counter for counting a feature amount on a picture basis using a DCT coefficient output from the DCT unit; a picture type detector for detecting a picture type in coding processing in a previous stage, using the feature amount output from the DCT coefficient counter; a coding control portion for determining coding parameters in re-coding in accordance with detection results of the picture type detector; and a coding portion for conducting re-coding processing, using the coding parameters determined by the coding control portion.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of setting anti-forgery information addition level while taking an apparatus individual difference into consideration. The method is employed by a data processing system including: an image processing apparatus 100 for processing an image; and a maintenance apparatus 120, connected with the image processing apparatus through a network 110, for setting a processing function of the image processing apparatus 100. The maintenance apparatus 120 determines an anti-forgery information addition level depending on an individual difference of apparatuses, such as an exhaustion level of the image processing apparatus 100. The addition level determined by the maintenance apparatus 120 is transmitted to the image processing apparatus 100. The image processing apparatus 100 adds anti-forgery information to an inputted image at the addition level transmitted by the maintenance apparatus 120.

Abstract: A method for determining a region of interest on an object includes the step of producing an image of the object. The method also includes the step of identifying regions of adjacent pixels on the image. The method also includes the step of identifying which of the regions of adjacent pixels are positioned within a predetermined distance of each other on the image. The method also includes the step of grouping in a cluster regions determined as being positioned within a predetermined distance of each other. The method further includes the step of identifying the cluster as a region of interest on the object.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking multiple targets using distributed linear sensor arrays. The system includes a plurality of arrays of sensors for receiving signals from a target; a receiver for receiving signals received by the plurality of sensor arrays; an analog/digital converter for converting the signals received from the sensor arrays to a digital format, if signals are received in an analog format; a digital storage device for storing the digitized data from the sensor arrays; and a computer system for retrieving the stored digitized data from the plurality of sensor arrays and processing the data through the use of a composite Hough transform to determine a track of the target. Embodiments include a computer system and method for processing target data from sensors through the use of a composite Hough transform to determine a track of the target.

Abstract: Smart selection and paste operations for image processing use a wide edge area for selection and masking of an object from a source image. The wide edge area, which can be designated with a brush tool, allows a user to select all of a desired object without requiring pixel-by-pixel identification of the objects edge. A masking unit operates on the edge area and designates each portion or pixel of the edge area as being foreground, background, or a combination of foreground and background. The mask unit constructs a mask and a pixel map for the selected object. The mask is an array of blending parameters, and the pixel map contains natural foreground colors generated by removing background contributions form portions designated as combinations of foreground and background. A paste operation uses the blending parameters from the mask to add background contributions from a target images to the portions of the object designated as combinations of foreground and background.

Abstract: An accumulation method for fast pattern search can accurately locate regular shaped patterns of interest. The method can be used for invariant search to match patterns of interest in images where the searched pattern varies in size or orientation or aspect ratio, when pattern appearance is degraded, and even when the pattern is partially occluded, where the searched image is large, multidimensional, or very high resolution, or where the pattern size is large. The computation requirement is independent of the size of the pattern region.

Abstract: A method for detecting and attenuating grid artifacts in a digital radiographic image comprising; providing an input digital radiographic image; processing the input digital radiographic image with a detection algorithm based on 2-D dynamic correlation in both spatial and frequency domains to determine whether the input digital radiographic image has a grid artifacts; and if it does detecting the grid orientation, frequency, and signal-to-noise ratio of the grid artifacts, designing a frequency bandstop (notch) digital 1-D filter as a function of the grid frequency and attenuation level; and suppressing the grid artifacts by further processing said input digital radiographic image with said designed filter to produce an output digital radiographic image of improved image quality.