Abstract: The object is to obtain undistorted images in high speed using a small amount of memory capacity, to realize high-quality characteristic information verification.

Abstract: Pixels are classified as text; or “non-text” by responding to accumulated luminous brightness gradients within a predetermined pixel interior. Text and non-text image characteristics rest on estimating text-containing rectangles by determining a narrow width and a height of a peak in an interval of accumulated gradients around each pixel. The text characteristics also are inferred by detecting character corners by quantifying and smoothing gradient angles and by associating directional corner responses with each pixel.

Abstract: Fingerprint section images of a finger are continuously input by relative movement with respect to a fingerprint sensor, and characteristic shapes such as ridge shapes, edge lines, and portions where changes of tangent directions are large are extracted from the fingerprint section images. Common areas in which character shapes match in two fingerprint section images which are chronologically continuous are searched by correlative calculation of characteristic shapes to detect an amount of movement of images at an overlapping position. Two living body section images which are chronologically continuous are connected to each other on the basis of the amount of movement to generate an entire living body image.

Abstract: A method of processing a digital image, including the steps of: assigning belief values to pixels in the digital image, wherein the belief values are proportional to a belief that the pixels are associated with human skin; calculating a brightness adjustment amount based on a statistic of the pixels with belief values exceeding a threshold and the assigned belief values of the pixels; and applying the brightness adjustment amount to the digital image to produce a processed digital image having improved overall brightness.

Abstract: Fingerprint section images of a finger are continuously input by relative movement with respect to a fingerprint sensor, and characteristic shapes such as ridge shapes, edge lines, and portions where changes of tangent directions are large are extracted from the fingerprint section images. Common areas in which character shapes match in two fingerprint section images which are chronologically continuous are searched by correlative calculation of characteristic shapes to detect an amount of movement of images at an overlapping position. Two living body section images which are chronologically continuous are connected to each other on the basis of the amount of movement to generate an entire living body image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of forming windows corresponding to a data point of a data set, successively expanding the windows, determining a local hill for the windows, re-centering the windows on the local hill, and merging any of the windows within a selected distance of each other. The windows formed may be substantially the same size as a single data point, in one embodiment. The merged windows may be recorded as possible merge points of a hierarchical cluster formed from the data set. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The present invention provides high-accuracy image input capable of correcting for uneven lighting due to the shape of the subject, its reflectivity, its positioning and ambient light conditions, without increasing the scale of the circuitry or its costs. The image input apparatus of the present invention has an LED that projects light onto the subject, a sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and that detects light reflected back from the subject, and a controller that changes the LED irradiation conditions in a cycle longer than that for a single screen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for learning-based automatic commercial content detection are described. In one aspect, the systems and methods include a training component and an analyzing component. The training component trains a commercial content classification model using a kernel support vector machine. The analyzing component analyzes program data such as video and audio data using the commercial content classification model and one or more of single-side left neighborhood(s) and right neighborhood(s) of program data segments. Based on this analysis, each of the program data segments are classified as being commercial or non-commercial segments.

Abstract: A business form processing program to cause a computer to execute a character box-image reading step for reading by a scanner all colors of a business form with blank character boxes and storing them as character box images, a business form reading step for reading by a scanner a recognized image from which colors of unwanted recognized parts on a filled-out business form are dropped out and storing it, a character recognizing step for recognizing characters on the recognized image, and a composite display step for displaying the character recognized results and a filled-out business form image in which the recognized image is superposed on the character box image when character recognized results need correted.

Abstract: Described are methods and systems for providing improved defect detection and analysis using infrared thermography. Test vectors heat features of a device under test to produce thermal characteristics useful in identifying defects. The test vectors are timed to enhance the thermal contrast between defects and the surrounding features, enabling IR imaging equipment to acquire improved thermographic images. In some embodiments, a combination of AC and DC test vectors maximize power transfer to expedite heating, and therefore testing. Mathematical transformations applied to the improved images further enhance defect detection and analysis. Some defects produce image artifacts, or “defect artifacts,” that obscure the defects, rendering difficult the task of defect location. Some embodiments employ defect-location algorithms that analyze defect artifacts to precisely locate corresponding defects.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device. The device comprises a scan drive unit for selectively outputting turn-on/turn-off signals in the image display mode and outputting turn-on signals in the fingerprint recognition mode; a data drive unit for outputting data signals in the image display mode; a switch control unit for outputting turn-off signals in the image display mode and for selectively outputting turn-on/turn-off signals in the fingerprint recognition mode; a reading unit for outputting fingerprint image information read in the fingerprint recognition mode; a sensor thin film transistor for driving liquid crystal in the image display mode; and a switch thin film transistor having a channel with a first end and a second end, a drain and a source.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the face of a subject person can be rapidly detected. An image input unit inputs an image to be processed. A photographing-position input unit inputs photographing-position information attached to the processed image. An angle-range information determination unit determines an angle range, where face detection should be performed to the processed image, on the basis of the information obtained by the photographing-position information input unit. On the basis of information indicating the determined angle range, under the control of a process control unit, a face detection unit performs face detection to the processed image input by the image input unit in predetermined angle increments. A face integration unit integrates all of face data detected by a basic-angle-range face detection unit into face information and then outputs the information.

Abstract: A technique for enhancing a gray-scale image to improve conversions of the image to binary employs fuzzy reasoning. In the technique, pixels in the image are analyzed by comparing the pixel's gray scale value, which is indicative of its relative brightness, to the values of pixels immediately surrounding the selected pixel. The degree to which each pixel in the image differs in value from the values of surrounding pixels is employed as the variable in a fuzzy reasoning-based analysis that determines an appropriate amount by which the selected pixel's value should be adjusted to reduce vagueness and ambiguity in the image and improve retention of information during binarization of the enhanced gray-scale image.

Abstract: A three-dimensional measurement apparatus of a slit light (or pseudo slit light) projection type that is adapted to prevent deterioration of measurement accuracy and to be easily miniaturized. Detected positions C1, C2 are adopted that are determined so as to correspond to scanning lines on each of which a number of brightened pixels falls within an allowable range are detected. The allowable range varies from Nav × amin to Nav × amax or from Nav?? to Nav +?, where Nav is an average of the numbers of brightened pixels detected on scanning lines for each of which at least one pixel is determined, and amin, amax, ?, and ? are minimum proper ratio, maximum proper ratio, subtract number of pixels, and add number of pixels, respectively, which are set in advance as parameters.

Abstract: A method for edge direction detection at a selected pixel on a center-line between two lines of an image includes defining two vectors using certain pixels on the two lines. A vector norm is defined which gives an indication of the correlation of between pixels of one vector and pixels of the other vector. If a vertical vector norm value indicates a low correlation in the vertical direction, then it can be assumed that the selected pixel is in a non-vertical edge area. Vector norm values associated with small angles from the vertical direction are used to determine candidate directions for the non-vertical edge. If a candidate direction is verified as being a preferred direction, then a direction-fine tuning process is performed in which vector norm values associated with big angles from the vertical direction are calculated in order to find a more accurate direction for the non-vertical edge.

Abstract: A method of correcting errors in motion vectors due to camera panning includes identifying an error block that contains an error motion vector out of a plurality of blocks in a current video frame, each block in the current video frame containing a corresponding motion vector. The method also includes calculating an average motion vector value of the motion vectors for all blocks in the current video frame that are not error blocks, identifying a group of effective motion vectors in the current video frame having corresponding motion vector values within a threshold value of the average motion vector value, calculating a panning motion vector value to be equal to an average value of the effective motion vectors, and correcting the error block by setting the motion vector of the error block to be equal to the panning motion vector value.

Abstract: A method for inspecting semiconductor wafers and the like is presented. The method comprises initially determining a baseline greyscale difference, such as a greyscale plot or greyscale visual representation, for at least one baseline semiconductor wafer subjected to a process. The baseline greyscale difference represents a numerical difference between composite preprocessing and postprocessing greyscale representations of all pixels on the baseline semiconductor wafer. The method further comprises determining a preprocess greyscale representation for one wafer in the semiconductor wafer set and subjecting the one wafer in the semiconductor wafer set to the process, determining a postprocess greyscale representation of the one wafer in the semiconductor wafer set, and determining a difference for the one wafer in the semiconductor set. The difference represents any disparity between preprocess and postprocess greyscale representations of the one wafer in the semiconductor set.

Abstract: A method for preparing corneocites specimen, which comprises stripping off corneocites from the surface of a skin using an adhesive material, staining the corneocites in a solution of stain in solvent containing a water-miscible organic solvent, and mounting the stained corneocites into an oil and fat constituent and/or composition that is liquid at 1 atm, 25° C.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device of novel construction, in which a fingerprint recognition device is integrally formed with the liquid crystal display device, thereby minimizing the increase in the price and size of a final product. The liquid crystal display device comprises an image display panel and a fingerprint recognition panel which are integrally formed, wherein the image display panel comprises a scan drive unit which sequentially turns on rows formed in the image display panel for each frame in order to display images, and a data drive unit which outputs data signals to a turned-on row provided in the image display panel, and wherein the fingerprint recognition panel comprises a switch control unit which sequentially turns on rows formed in the fingerprint recognition panel for each frame in order to perform fingerprint recognition, and a reading unit, to which fingerprint information recognized from a turned-on row is outputted.

Abstract: Methods that include acquiring aerial images of a reticle for different values of a member of a set of lithographic variables are provided. One method also includes determining a presence of an anomaly in a design pattern of the reticle by comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values. A different method includes comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values and determining an area on the reticle where a lithography process using the reticle is most susceptible to failure based on the results of the comparison. Another embodiment includes determining a presence of transient repeating defects on the reticle by subtracting non-transient defects from the aerial images and comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values.