Abstract: An image filter circuit which realizes a large-scale median filter as a digital circuit which has not been conventionally constructed without difficulty. The filter circuit has a histogram A update unit 102 which generates a histogram A with upper-bit data of pixels within a matrix, a cumulative adder A104 which searches for a class including a pixel value corresponding to a predetermined rank in ascending order as a target class based on the histogram A, a histogram B update unit 106 which generates a histogram B with lower-bit data of pixels included in the target class, and a cumulative adder B108 which searches for a pixel value of the predetermined rank in ascending order in the matrix. The filter circuit having these constituent elements outputs a median pixel value of the matrix.

Abstract: When a character having a reflection portion in which a background image is reflected is displayed together with the background, a highly real display can be achieved without creating an excessive load o the image processing apparatus. That is, sub-part images extracted from a part of the background is pasted on respective sub-reflection portions, and such a character image is displayed together with the background scene.

Abstract: A method for compressing an electronic image of an object including gray-level information includes processing the gray-level information to identify a kernel of pixels in the image having respective gray-level values darker than a given kernel threshold. A locus of the pixels in the kernel is stored in a memory, along with the gray-level values of the pixels in the kernel, in order to reconstruct a gray-level image of the object by applying the stored gray-level values to the pixels in the locus.

Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention includes a region separating section and a filter processing section. With respect to a picture signal which is read out after resolution thereof in a sub scanning direction has been converted, the region separating section computes maximum density difference and complexity as feature parameters indicative of a characteristic of each pixel in the picture signal. Additionally, with respect to the complexity which is dependent on a size of the resolution in the sub scanning direction, the region separating section carries out a correction in accordance with the size of the resolution in the sub scanning direction, and separates the picture signal into each region by using the maximum density difference and the corrected complexity. In accordance with the size of the resolution in the sub scanning direction and each region separated by the region separating section, the filter processing section performs suitable image processing of the picture signal.

Abstract: A centroid computation system is disclosed. The system has an imager array, a switching network, computation elements, and a divider circuit. The imager array has columns and rows of pixels. The switching network is adapted to receive pixel signals from the image array. The plurality of computation elements operates to compute inner products for at least x and y centroids. The plurality of computation elements has only passive elements to provide inner products of pixel signals the switching network. The divider circuit is adapted to receive the inner products and compute the x and y centroids.

Abstract: When a car turns, a visual point position CP and a sight line direction T are moved (from CP′ to CP and from T′ to T) in accordance with a turning angle of the car, and a displacement u of the visual point position (CP″) is made different from a displacement v of the sight line direction (T″). A ratio of the visual point position displacement u to the sight line direction displacement v is about 1:5.

Abstract: A subject inclination detector provided with: a display for displaying on a screen a subject image comprising a plurality of pixels; a pixel specifier for a user to specify a first pixel from among the pixels; a calculator for defining a pixel group constituting a circumference of an area including the specified first pixel, and calculating deviations in pixel value between adjoining pixels of the pixel group; and a detector for selecting a second pixel and a third pixel based on the calculated deviations, and detecting an inclination of a straight part of the subject based on the selected second and third pixels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated cell analysis of biological specimens automatically scans at a low magnification to acquire images (288) which are analyzed to determine candidate cell objects of interest. The low magnification images are converted from a first color space to a second color space (290). The color space converted image is then low pass filtered (292) and compared to a threshold (294) to remove artifacts and background objects from the candidate object of interest pixels of the color converted image. The candidate object of interest pixels are morphologically processed (296) to group candidate object of interest pixels together into groups which are compared to blob parameters (298) to identify candidate objects of interest which correspond to cells or other structures relevant to medical diagnosis of the biological specimen. The location coordinates of the objects of interest are stored and additional images of the candidate cell objects are acquired at high magnification.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing correlated noise in imagers is disclosed. Methods are described for determining a pixel correction value. Correlated noise in data generated by imagers can be reduced by applying the pixel correction value to adjust image data before being displayed.

Abstract: The present invention uses an image processing apparatus for inputting low-resolution video information, expanding one pixel to N×M pixels, and converting a low-resolution image into a high-resolution image, which comprises a first window formation unit for referring to peripheral pixels including a noticeable pixel, plural conversion units different from each other in conversion method for converting one pixel to N×M pixels, and a selection unit for selecting a proper conversion method out of the plural conversion units in accordance with a distribution state of pixels in a first window and in which the conversion units calculates conversion values for N×M pixels of the noticeable pixel in accordance with an evaluation result of the type of a selected conversion unit in adjacent pixels including the noticeable pixel in an evaluation unit.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of a first object onto a second object. The apparatus includes a holding member for holding the first object. The first object is positioned on the holding member and then is held thereon, and the first object as held by the holding member is then aligned with respect to the second object. A detecting device, provided on the holding member, directly detects in real time a relative positional deviation between the first object and the holding member. The detecting device detects the relative positional deviation after the first object is held by the holding member and before the holding member releases the holding of the first object.

Abstract: A method for automatically processing a digital image to locate one or more windows that are substantially brighter than their surroundings begins by processing the digital image to compute a feature image identifying the location of features in the image based on a weighted contribution of edge information, brightness information, information corresponding to spatial activity and occlusion boundary information. Then the feature image is processed with one or more morphological filtering operations to provide edge smoothing and noise removal, thereby generating a filtered image. The filtered image is processed to identify zero or more regions, wherein the presence of one or more regions provides a segmented image, and the segmented image is logically combined with the occlusion boundary information to provide zero or more window candidates. Actual windows are deduced by verifying zero or more of the window candidates based on their mean intensity relative to the mean intensity of the digital image.

Abstract: First control controls execution of a process for inputting an image drawn by the user using an input window, and a process for computing the image feature amount of the input image. Parallel to the first control, second control controls execution of a process for storing a plurality of image data in correspondence with their image feature amounts, a process for computing image similarity on the basis of the computed image feature amount and those of the stored image data, and a process for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the computed image similarity. Also, communications between the first control and the second control are controlled.

Abstract: A method for transforming an input variable having a plurality of binary input positions into an m-position output variable in accordance with a predeterminable transformation specification. The transformation is effected in the form of a plurality of input positions or intermediate positions combined group-wise in parallel and sequential partial transformations with intermediate positions being created according to predeterminable, discrete partial assignment specifications. In addition, an arrangement for transforming an n-position input variable having a plurality of binary input positions into an m-position output variable according to a predeterminable transformation specification in the form of a network.

Abstract: An image processing method that allows a user to easily make image processing settings. An image processing parameter is set in response to a user inputting an instruction to process an image in accordance with the image processing parameter. An image is processed using a plurality of different image processing parameters and resulting images are output in an array. The relationship between the plurality of different image processing parameters is displayed using graphics.

Abstract: A computerized apparatus and associated method and program code on a storage medium, for producing a flattening map of a digitized image. This image may be initially synthetically produced as discrete data or as quasi-discrete image data of a real object—and the original image data may be stored as two-, three-, or four-dimensional dynamic coordinate data. Once produced, the flattening map can be conformally mapped onto the computer generated surface (whether 2-D, 3-D, or any of the dynamically-varying family of surfaces) for display on a computer-assisted display apparatus in communication with a processor. The apparatus and associated method and program code include constructing a first set of data comprising a plurality of discrete surface-elements to represent at least a portion of a surface of the digitized image, and performing a flattening function on the first set of data to produce the flattening map.

Abstract: A technique for image alignment with global translation and linear stretch determines translation parameters for three corresponding linearly displaced blocks in a reference image and a corresponding distorted test image. From the differences between the translation parameters for the three blocks the presence of stretch is detected and, if detected, a stretch factor is estimated. The estimated stretch factor is used as a starting point to stretch the reference image to overlap the distorted test image as a refinement process. The resulting refined stretch factor is then used in a reverse stretch process to shrink the distorted test image, and the distorted test image is then aligned with the reference image to obtain picture quality metrics.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus and method in which an image capture device captures a distance image stream of an object body. A mouth portion extraction mechanism extracts a mouth portion from the distance image stream that has been extracted by the image capture device. An image recognition mechanism recognizes at least one of a lip shape and a lip movement based on a mouth portion distance image stream that has been extracted by the mouth portion extraction mechanism. Instructions for causing a computer to perform the method may be stored in a computer readable memory.

Abstract: Fractional Fourier transform properties inherent in lens systems and other light and particle-beam environments may be exploited to correct misfocus effects in photographs, digital files, video, and other types of images. Small corrections may utilize fractional Fourier transform approximations around the reflection operator. The fractional Fourier transform and approximations can be rendered by optical or numerical methods, alone or in combination, directly or though use of a conventional discrete Fourier transform in combination with multiplying phase “chirps.” The corrective fractional Fourier transform power may be determined automatically or by human operator.

Abstract: A method for sampling a Bayer image having two dimensional planes of red, green and blue pixels, the method including the steps of: rotating the green plane by 45 degrees; sequentially sampling an m×m pixel block of the rotated image, where m is an integer greater than 1; providing an address for the m2 samples by determining a starting address for a first of the samples and thereafter applying a predetermined fixed sequence of offsets to obtain the addresses of the remaining samples.