Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus includes a subject region determination unit that determines a region of a nearby subject for each of taken images based on subject distance information of a plurality of points generated by distance measurement made during imaging and an image synthesizing unit that creates a synthetic image by cutting out an image from each of the taken images based on a position of the region of the nearby subject and combining the cut images of the taken images.

Abstract: The invention is a system for measuring the true dimensions and orientation of objects in a two dimensional image. The system is comprised of a ruler comprising at least one set of features each comprised of two or more markers that are identifiable in the image and having a known spatial relationship between them and a software package comprising programs that allow extension of the ruler and other objects in the two dimensional image beyond their physical dimensions or shape. The system can be used together with radiographic imagery means, processing means, and display means to take x-ray images and to measure the true dimensions and orientation of objects and to aid in the identification and location of a surgery tool vs. anatomy in those x-ray images. The invention provides a method of drawing and displaying on a two dimensional x-ray image measurements of objects visible in said image, graphical information, or templates of surgical devices.

Abstract: A binarizing section generates binary image data representing a binary image from raster image data representing a raster image. A white-pixel ratio determining section determines, based on the binary image data, a white pixel ratio for each line of the binary image and a position of each of lines having a white pixel ratio equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold among the lines of the binary image, and also determines a white pixel ratio for an entirety of the binary image. An image-type determining section determines that the raster image is a photographic image when the white pixel ratio of the entirety of the binary image is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold, and that the raster image includes a text image when the lines having a white pixel ratio equal to or greater than the first threshold appear cyclically in the binary image.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and systems for enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of an image scanned by a charged particle beam. In an embodiment, a sequence of grayscales of a pixel is recorded first, extreme values of the sequence of grayscales are then identified and removed, and the remained grayscales are used to determine a nominated grayscale of the pixel.

Abstract: A video segmentation system can be utilized to automate segmentation of digital video content. Features corresponding to visual, audio, and/or textual content of the video can be extracted from frames of the video. The extracted features of adjacent frames are compared according to a similarity measure to determine boundaries of a first set of shots or video segments distinguished by abrupt transitions. The first set of shots is analyzed according to certain heuristics to recognize a second set of shots distinguished by gradual transitions. Key frames can be extracted from the first and second set of shots, and the key frames can be used by the video segmentation system to group the first and second set of shots by scene. Additional processing can be performed to associate metadata, such as names of actors or titles of songs, with the detected scenes.

Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a defective pixel includes a unit configured to obtain a first corrected value based on a maximum value or minimum value of values of surrounding pixels around a defective pixel, a unit configured to identify a direction in which a change in pixel values is the smallest based on the values of the surrounding pixels, and configured to obtain a second corrected value responsive to values of pixels situated in the identified direction among the surrounding pixels, and a selection unit configured to select the first corrected value when a difference between a value of the defective pixel and a representative value of the surrounding pixels is smaller than a first threshold value, configured to select the second corrected value when the difference is larger than or equal to a second threshold value that is larger than or equal to the first threshold value.

Abstract: A word segmentation method for segmenting a text line into word segments, which is particularly advantageous for processing italic text but can also be used for regular text. A horizontal center zone of the text line, corresponding to the vertical center parts of the characters, is used to generate a center-zone-only vertical projection profile. The center zone is determined using a horizontal projection profile, by locating the two major peaks of that profile and defining the two major peak positions as the upper and lower boundaries of the center zone. Spacing segments (white gaps) in the vertical projection profile are identified, and classified into two classes, namely character spacing (gap between characters with a word) and word spacing (gap between words). The word spacings are used to segment the text line into word segments.

Abstract: A method and system for matching an unknown facial image of an individual with an image of a celebrity using facial recognition techniques and human perception is disclosed herein. The invention provides a internet hosted system to find, compare, contrast and identify similar characteristics among two or more individuals using a digital camera, cellular telephone camera, wireless device for the purpose of returning information regarding similar faces to the user The system features classification of unknown facial images from a variety of internet accessible sources, including mobile phones, wireless camera-enabled devices, images obtained from digital cameras or scanners that are uploaded from PCs, third-party applications and databases. Once classified, the matching person's name, image and associated meta-data is sent back to the user. The method and system uses human perception techniques to weight the feature vectors.

Abstract: RAW images and/or light field images may be compressed through the use of specialized techniques. The color depth of a light field image may be reduced through the use of a bit reduction algorithm such as a K-means algorithm. The image may then be retiled to group pixels of similar intensities and/or colors. The retiled image may be padded with extra pixel rows and/or pixel columns as needed, and compressed through the use of an image compression algorithm. The compressed image may be assembled with metadata pertinent to the manner in which compression was done to form a compressed image file. The compressed image file may be decompressed by following the compression method in reverse.

Abstract: A schedule managing method capable of automatically generating schedule data using data extracted from an image, and an apparatus thereof are provided. The schedule managing method preferably includes: setting at least one recognition region within an image; extracting data from the set recognition region; categorizing the extracted data according to a predetermined categorization rule; and generating schedule data using the categorized data.

Abstract: An inpainting apparatus and method are described for infilling of blank areas from which an image object or area has been missing, removed, or moved from. Structure regions that reach the edge of the removed object area are identified and then prioritized as to fill order based on depth (distance) from the camera. Then these structure regions are filled in prioritized fill order, followed by remaining (homogeneous) areas to generate the inpainted image. The method may be performed on any desired computer-enabled electronic device, including cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, tablets, personal computers and other processor-equipped electronic devices.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method of controlling an eye-to-eye contact function, which provide a natural eye-to-eye contact by controlling an eye-to-eye contact function based on gaze information about a local participant and position information about a remote participant on a screen when providing the eye-to-eye contact function by using an image combination method and the like in a teleconference system, thereby improving absorption to a teleconference.

Abstract: Methods and systems for tag recognition in captured images. A candidate region can be localized from regions of interest with respect to a tag and a tag number shown in the regions of interest within a side image of a vehicle. A number of confidence levels can then be calculated with respect to each digit recognized as a result of an optical character recognition operation performed with respect to the tag number. Optimal candidates within the candidate region can be determined for the tag number based on individual character confidence levels among the confidence levels. Optimal candidates from a pool of valid tag numbers can then be validated using prior appearance probabilities and data returned, which is indicative of the most probable tag to be detected to improve image recognition accuracy.

Abstract: Object images captured by a wide-angle camera are distorted due to the optical effects of the wide-angle lens. The disclosed innovations allow an automatic analysis on the corrected image distinguishing normal movement from an unusual event movement. The analysis is based on Markov Modeling on moving object trajectories and motion angles.

Abstract: An example image processor provides a distortion-corrected image including a masking area having improved appearance. The image processor includes: a masking area retaining section that retains a masking area set for an image having distortion; a masking execution section that performs masking processing for the image having distortion using the masking area retained in the masking area retaining section; a distortion correction section that corrects the image having distortion that is subjected to the masking processing using a correction parameter for correcting distortion of the image having distortion; and a masking area shaping section that shapes the masking area of the corrected image into a predetermined shape.

Abstract: Techniques for enhancing an image using pixel-specific processing. An image can be enhanced by updating selected pixels through patch aggregation. Respective patch values for patches of any size of the image are determined. Patch values provide update information for updating the respective pixels in the patch. Relevant patch values for the selected pixel are identified by identifying associated patches of the pixel. Information from the relevant patch values of the selected pixel may be obtained by averaging the relevant patch values or determining the maximum or minimum patch value. Using this information, pixel-specific processing may be performed to determine an updated pixel value for the selected pixel. Pixel-specific processes may be executed for each of the selected pixels. These pixel-specific processes can be executed in parallel. Therefore, through the execution of pixel-specific processes, which may be performed concurrently, an enhanced image may be determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for determining a skin tone distribution for a plurality of pixels in a video signal and using the skin tone distribution to conduct one or more blob-based hand gesture determinations with respect to the video signal. In one example, the video signal includes two-dimensional (2D) image data, and the skin tone distribution has an execution time budget that is greater than an execution time budget of the blob-based hand gesture determinations.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing method for generating a mosaic of images. The method includes selecting a cover image from a plurality of images and dividing the cover image into a number of grid blocks. For each grid block, the average color (or other parameter) is calculated and each grid block is assigned a sub-content based on the color matching. Mosaic generation information is transmitted to a server, the mosaic generation information including a list of sub-content to be displayed in the mosaic, each sub-content including corresponding grid block location information. A server verifies whether each of the sub-content exists on the server and transmits sub-content not present on the server, to the server.

Abstract: An apparatus for improving fogged image using user-controllable root operator comprises an atmosphere brightness value calculation unit for receiving a fogged input image and calculating the value of the brightest pixel of the atmosphere, a transmission calculation unit for calculating the lower bound of transmission rate by using the pixel value calculated by the atmosphere brightness value calculation unit and the fogged input image, and calculating the transmission rate for each pixel by computation processing of power operation with the lower bound of transmission rate according to the user control value, a restoration image computation unit for outputting restored image in which the fog is removed by using the transmission rate calculated by the transmission rate computation unit and the fogged input image, and a post-processing unit for outputting a fog-eliminated image by performing brightness stretching or color processing.

Abstract: A method for applying a filter to data to improve data quality and/or reduce file size. In one example, a region of interest of an image is identified. A histogram is generated of pixel intensity values in the region of interest. The histogram is iteratively updated to focus (zoom) in on the highest peak in the histogram. A Gaussian curve is fitted to the updated histogram. A bilateral filter is applied to the images, where parameters of the bilateral filter are based on the parameters of the Gaussian curve.