Abstract: At least two biometric measurements of a person are collected, then a statistical measure based on the measurements is computed. The statistical measure is a bounded estimate of the discriminative power of a test based on the measurements. While the discriminative power is less than a target value, additional biometric measurements are collected. When enough measurements have been collected, a biometric template is constructed from the measurements and stored for use in future identifications. Systems and software to implement similar methods are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A face detection device comprises: a judgment area determining operable to judgment areas in an inputted image; and a face judgment unit operable to judge existence of a face image greater than a first predetermined size in the judgment areas. According to face directions, the judgment area determining unit determines a ratio of the inputted image to the judgment areas. The characteristics of face images can be effectively utilized.

Abstract: The apparatus greatly reduces the registered data amount and the verification computation amount required for user verification, in comparison with the verification using image information itself, and also decreases the false verification rate. The apparatus divides a biometric information image into cells, and extracts minutia information as well as cell basic information from the individual cells. After comparison of direction information of the individual cells of the registered data with direction information of the individual cells of the to-be-verified data, thereby aligning the registered fingerprint image and the to-be-verified fingerprint image, the apparatus compares the minutia information of corresponding cells between the registered data and the to-be-verified data to make a match/non-match decision.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a halftone frequency determining section for determining a halftone frequency of an image data consisting of plural color components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-performance computer vision system and method for measuring the wings deformation of insects with high flapping-frequency, large stroke-amplitude and excellent mobility during free-flight. A geometrical optic unit composed of a polyhedral reflector with four reflection-planes and four planar reflectors is used to image one high-speed CMOS camera to four virtual cameras, combined with double laser-sheet sources, multiple virtual stereo and structured-light sensors are available to observe the free-flight of insect at different viewpoints simultaneously. In addition, an optoelectronic guiding equipment is included to lead the free-flight of insect and trigger the camera to capture the image sequences of insect-flight automatically. The deformation of insect-wings can be reconstructed by the spatial coordinates of wing-edges and the distorted light-lines projected on the surface of wings.

Abstract: A color image of an inspection object is taken by an imaging means capable of taking a color image to obtain color information of an RGB color space. A gray-scale image of a color component of the RGB color space or another color space is generated, and the inspection object is detected by a pattern recognition technique. Alternatively, a binary image is generated from the generated gray-scale image, and the inspection object is detected by performing pattern recognition on the binary image. Color data of a pixel occupied by the detected inspection object is compared with color data of a non-defective inspection object which is previously prepared to judge whether or not the inspection object is defective. In addition, this judgment result is reflected in another manufacturing step through a network and product quality is improved.

Abstract: A method of recognizing an injury pattern on a fingerprint is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing biometric information to a contact imager; imaging and characterizing the biometric information; comparing an image of the biometric information against previously stored templates; upon a comparison result of the comparison, determining an injury pattern; wherein upon an injury pattern determination, performing a comparison against a stored template based on features extracted from the biometric data and the damage data.

Abstract: A method for driving virtual facial expressions by automatically detecting facial expressions of a face image is applied to a digital image capturing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a face image captured by the image capturing device and images of a plurality of facial features with different facial expressions to obtain a key point position of each facial feature on the face image; mapping the key point positions to a virtual face as the key point positions of corresponding facial features on the virtual face; dynamically tracking the key point of each facial feature on the face image; estimating the key point positions of each facial feature of the current face image according to the key point positions of each facial feature on a previous face image; and correcting the key point positions of the corresponding facial features on the virtual face.

Abstract: A method of operating on an image of a document includes, for an electronic file that includes a representation of the document, portioning the representation of the document into non-overlapping areas. Each area includes a matrix of pixels and each pixel has an initial grayscale value and a position in the matrix. The method also includes, for each area, determining a black point value and a white point value. The method further includes, for each pixel in each area, determining a revised pixel grayscale value for the pixel using the pixel's grayscale value, the pixel's position in the matrix, the black point value for the area comprising the pixel, the white point value for the area comprising the pixel, the black point value for at least one area adjacent to the area comprising the pixel, and/or the white point value for at least one area adjacent to the area comprising the pixel. The method also includes producing the image of the document using the revised grayscale values for each pixel.

Abstract: Plate-image-inspection RIP data CD2, CD3 are prepared using the same RIP processing conditions from two print image data prepared in different steps of the prepress process, and inspection results are obtained by comparing these data CD2, CD3. Plate-image-inspection RIP data CD2, CD3 can be prepared in several methods: (1) a method for RIP processing respective non-RIP data using standard RIP processing conditions; (2) a method for respectively converting two RIP data to standard RIP processing conditions; and (3) a method for converting one of two RIP data such that it conforms to the RIP processing conditions of the other.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of font identification includes receiving a first document, the first document including the first text set in a proportional font. Test text, corresponding to the first text of the first document, is received. The test text is set in a test font. A first fingerprint is generated, based on relative line widths of the first text of the first document. A second fingerprint is generated based on relative line widths of the test text, as set in the test font. The test font is then accepted as being consistent with a font of the first text, based on a predetermined strength of relationship between the first and second fingerprints.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system, each capable of recognizing or reproducing a character color, are disclosed. An original image is divided into a character image and a background image. The color information of the character image is obtained to generate a color palette of the character image. A color, defined by the color palette, is assigned to each of the characters in the character image. The color palette may include a main color palette and a minor color palette.

Abstract: Face detection techniques are provided that use a multiple-stage face detection algorithm. An exemplary three-stage algorithm includes a first stage that applies linear-filtering to enhance detection performance by removing many non-face-like portions within an image, a second stage that uses a boosting chain that is adopted to combine boosting classifiers within a hierarchy “chain” structure, and a third stage that performs post-filtering using image pre-processing, SVM-filtering and color-filtering to refine the final face detection prediction. In certain further implementations, the face detection techniques include a two-level hierarchy in-plane pose estimator to provide a rapid multi-view face detector that further improves the accuracy and robustness of face detection.

Abstract: An optical reading apparatus and optical character recognition processing apparatus operating in conjunction with a magnetic ink character reading apparatus reduce the time in reading a string of characters formed in a line on a processed medium. This is done in the optical reading and recognition operations by selectively using a broad recognition area that allows for variation in character positions and a narrower recognition area where the probability of the desired character string being present is high depending on past results. An extracted image containing the character string is acquired from scanned image data and the recognition process is run. If recognition succeeds, the next matching area is set to a relatively narrow predicted range and the recognition process is applied to the predicted range. If character recognition succeeds within a specified distance, the next matching area is set to a relatively narrow predicted range.

Abstract: A method of processing an image to form an image pyramid having multiple image levels includes receiving a base level image comprising pixel values at pixel locations arranged in rows and columns; determining sample locations for a next level image in the pyramid such that the sample locations are arranged in a regular pattern and the sample locations exceed the range of the pixel locations of the base level image; determining the pixel values of the next level image by interpolating the pixel values of the base level image using an interpolation filter at the sample locations; and treating the next level image as the base level image and repeating steps of determining sample locations and pixel values until a predetermined number of pyramid image levels are generated, or until a predetermined condition is met.

Abstract: A method of measuring a welding-groove position for an over-lapped fillet welding of thin members, comprising a projection step of projecting a slit light so that the slit light is projected on both the thin members crossing a welding-groove face, a two-dimensional image acquisition step of capturing the slit-light image projected on each of the thin members as two-dimensional images; a three-dimensional conversion step of converting the two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images using a predetermined three-dimensional conversion parameter, and a calculation step of calculating the welding-groove position based on the three-dimensional data of the projected slit-light images, and relative positions between the projected slit-light images in the three-dimensional data defined by shapes and arrangement of the thin members.

Abstract: A Bayesian competitive model integrated with a generative classifier for unspecific person verification is described. In one aspect, a competitive measure for verification of an unspecific person is calculated using a discriminative classifier. The discriminative classifier is based on a Bayesian competitive model that is adaptable to unknown new classes. The Bayesian competitive model is integrated with a generative verification in view of a set of confidence criteria to make a decision regarding verification of the unspecific person.

Abstract: Techniques and tools for analyzing and adjusting the exposure of digital images are described. For example, a computer processes a digital image by analyzing exposure data, assigning an image classification (e.g., StretchNeeded, UnderExposed, OverExposed, or Normal) based on the analysis, and selecting an exposure compensation technique (e.g., histogram stretch, positive gamma curve, negative gamma curve, or no adjustment) based on the image classification. The exposure data can be luminance values for pixels in the digital image represented in a histogram. The computer can produce transform data comprising a transformation of the exposure data according to the selected exposure compensation technique. The computer can store transform data in a look-up table and can store the look-up table in the digital image file. The described techniques and tools can be implemented as a feature of an operating system environment and can be activated responsive to user action via a user interface.

Abstract: An authentication system for authenticating a person-to-be-authenticated, including: a first photographing section, which is provided in a route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated, operable to photograph the person-to-be-authenticated; a first authentication section operable to perform a first authentication of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the first photographing section; a second photographing section, which is provided at a location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes, operable to photograph the person-to-be-authenticated, wherein the second photographing section is located downstream of the first photographing section in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated; and a second authentication section operable to authenticate the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing an image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the first photographing section with an image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the second photographing section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that performs image processing on a first image and a second image includes a dividing unit dividing the first image into a plurality of blocks; a first motion-vector calculator calculating first motion vectors representing movements from the blocks of the first image to corresponding regions of the second image; a second motion-vector calculator calculating second motion vectors representing movements of the blocks that occur when the blocks are transformed based on a first positional-relationship parameter representing positional relationship between the first image and the second image; a difference-vector calculator calculating difference vectors representing differences between the first motion vectors and the second motion vectors; and an extracting unit extracting blocks including a moving object or blocks including a non-moving object based on distribution density of end points of the difference vectors.