Abstract: A character string retrieval apparatus classifies a plurality of characters following a prefix of a registration character string into a plurality of groups, and registers those following characters in an array structure using a different displacement amount for each group. The character string retrieval apparatus retrieves a given character string based on the displacement amount of a group corresponding to an input character.

Abstract: An improved multimedia encoder having features advantageous for use in a computer system. These features provide for the reduction of bandwidth and storage requirements, the enhancement of noise immunity, the evening of computational loading, and the use of multimedia drives for general purpose data storage. In one embodiment, the encoder receives image data representing a sequence of video frames and display text data representing a sequence of text fields to be overlaid on the sequence of video frames. The multimedia encoder produces a compressed video frame only for each subsequent video frame which is different from the current video frame. After each video frame is compressed, it becomes the current frame. The multimedia encoder provides error correction encoding to enhance noise immunity, and performs interframe compression using a dynamic search area to even out computational loading.

Abstract: A programmable optical filter for use in multispectral and hyperspectral imaging. The filter splits the light collected by an optical telescope into two channels for each of the pixels in a row in a scanned image, one channel to handle the positive elements of a spectral basis filter and one for the negative elements of the spectral basis filter. Each channel for each pixel disperses its light into n spectral bins, with the light in each bin being attenuated in accordance with the value of the associated positive or negative element of the spectral basis vector. The spectral basis vector is constructed so that its positive elements emphasize the presence of a target and its negative elements emphasize the presence of the constituents of the background of the imaged scene. The attenuated light in the channels is re-imaged onto separate detectors for each pixel and then the signals from the detectors are combined to give an indication of the presence or not of the target in each pixel of the scanned scene.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus comprising: an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision means for deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing means for executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision means, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting means for requesting, if said identification information is decided as the global identification information by said decision means, a specific

Abstract: A scheme for detecting telop character displaying frames in video image which is capable of suppressing erroneous detection of frames without telop characters due to instability of image features is disclosed. In this scheme, each input frame constituting the video data is entered, and whether each input frame is a telop character displaying frame in which telop characters are displayed or not is judged, according to edge pairs detected from each input frame by detecting each two adjacent edge pixels for which intensity gradient directions are opposite on some scanning line used in judging an intensity gradient direction at each edge pixel and for which an intensity difference between said two adjacent edge pixels is within a prescribed range as one edge pair, edge pixels being pixels at which an intensity value locally changes by at least a prescribed amount with respect to a neighboring pixel among a plurality of pixels constituting each input frame.

Abstract: A game machine for high-speed execution of iterated transformation decoding based on a drawing command or data loaded from a recording medium. The drawing command, fractal transformation parameters or data loaded from a recording medium 24 are stored in a main memory 21. A drawing texture, expanded on a VRAM 23 in a graphics processing unit 22, is iteratively transformation decoded in accordance with the drawing command or the fractal transformation parameters transferred under control of the CPU 20. The generated texture is displayed as a picture on a CRT 32 of the graphics processing unit. This realizes high-speed iterated transformation decoding of the texture and a restored picture of high picture quality while realizing iterated transformation decoding with a significantly reduced calculation volume.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a system for classifying images, used in image detection, image recognition, or other computer vision. The system processes directory images to obtain eigenvectors and eigenvalues, and selects a set of “smooth” basis vectors formed by linear combinations of these eigenvectors to be applied against a target image. Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, a group of the eigenvectors having the weakest eigenvalues are used to select the basis vectors. A second process is then performed on this group of “weakest” eigenvectors to identify a set of candidate vectors, ordered in terms of “smoothness.” The set of basis vectors (preferably 3-9) is then chosen from the candidate vectors in order of smoothness, which are then applied in an image detection or image recognition process.

Abstract: A method, system, and product for analyzing a digitized image of an array to create an image of a grid overlay. The method comprising the steps of locating the center of each object on the array, determining a standard shape and size for the objects, and creating a final image of the grid overlay. Preliminary procedures can be used to normalize the image so that optimal results can be obtained. Sub-grids can be identified and objects repositioned within their corresponding sub-grids. Noise can be removed by filtering processes based on object size, intensity, and location.

Abstract: Image data is generated by a process of radiosity, wherein a plurality of elements are defined in three dimensional space. Selected elements are set as being non-occluding and light emission values for said elements are determined by calculating the effect of light reflections between the elements. An accumulated total level of light is adjusted in response to the visibility of elements including at least one of said non-occluding elements.

Abstract: A pixel filling system or method begins with an initial set of image data that is a subset of data values in a data array fk,l representing data values at corresponding positions (k,l). Some of the fk,l values are initially undefined, while others, at positions where both k and l are even numbers, have initially defined values.

Abstract: A system and method for processing segmentation tags is disclosed. The system comprises a neighborhood analysis module, transition analysis module, and a tag cleaning module. The neighborhood analysis module generates a neighborhood block tag prediction from a block of segmentation tags having a first predefined relationship with a current tag. The transition analysis module generate a transition block tag prediction from a block of segmentation tags having a second predefined relationship with the current tag. The tag cleaning module modifies selected segmentation tags based on the neighborhood block tag prediction and the transition block tag prediction. The method comprises identifying a current segmentation tag to be cleaned; generating a tag prediction from a plurality of segmentation tags having a predefined relationship to the current segmentation tag; and generating a cleaned segmentation tag for the current segmentation tag based upon the current segmentation tag and the tag prediction.

Abstract: An image processor which corrects tilt of an input image without operator intervention. Projections of two partial images of an original are obtained at check points determined from input image information. A tilt angle of the original is obtained from a correction position of the projections of each partial area. The image is divided into belt-shaped small areas and shifted in accordance with the obtained tilt angle to form an image in which the tilt of the input image is corrected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for correctly determining the position of a vehicle in a traffic lane by obtaining correct information about the position of the traffic lane without being affected by variations in the road surface, weather, time of day, or such imaging conditions as fixed or moving lighting, are provided. An edge signal of a high spatial frequency component and a luminance signal of a low spatial frequency component of a digital image signal representing the view of the local area to the front of a vehicle are extracted. A road contour signal is then extracted from the edge signal, and a road region signal is extracted from the luminance signal. The position of the lane Sre is then detected with high precision by evaluating the lane contour Sre based on the road region signal Srr and lane contour data Sre.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a laser stimulating ray source for emitting a laser beam, a base made of transparent material and bearing thereon an image carrier which carries a fluorescence image formed by a fluorescent substance which can be excited and can release fluorescent light in response to irradiation by the laser beam, a laser beam scaner for upwardly scanning a bottom surface of the image carrier borne on the base with the laser beam emitted from the laser stimulating ray source through the base, a light detector provided below the base for photoelectrically detecting fluorescent light released from the image carrier, and an image carrier receiving portion provided on the base and containing a substance having a refractive index larger than that of air and closer to that of the image carrier than that of air, the substance filling gaps between the image carrier and the base.

Abstract: A video processing device and method for generating a descriptor data structure representative of a feature that has been selected from among of plurality of features including visual, conceptual, textual and graphical of a visual animated data file includes a user input unit for selecting a desired feature and generating an associated descriptor data containing attribute values, and a processor identifies the selected feature inserts selected attribute values into a standard descriptor template. Various types of features, from concepts about a video sequence, to age identification, to images in a video clip, to particular objects or colors can all be classified in a standard descriptor template, to provide uniformity in storing and retrieving the various features currently lacking in freeform or single feature descriptors.

Abstract: An efficient and reliable method that identifies possible reference sites in an image is disclosed. The method emphasizes customizing the identification of reference sites for each application by providing for initialization of various parameters, such as the size of the reference site. The method then uses a series of measurable parameters to filter possible reference sites in the image and produces and ordered set of possible reference sites. The highest-ranking site of the ordered set is expected to be chosen as the reference site for production. A preferred implementation is disclosed that uses multi-resolution images to enhance efficiency of the identification and that specifically measures the symmetry, orthogonality and uniqueness of the windows.

Abstract: In the device according to the present invention, it is possible readily to distinguish between a road of travel and an obstacle in an image, simply using a distance image, even in cases where such a distinction is difficult to make, for instance, when a moving body is inclined during travel or the road forms a slope. Three-dimensional co-ordinate position data in a three-dimensional co-ordinate system is calculated for each pixel of the distance image, on the basis of two-dimensional co-ordinate position data for each pixel in the distance image and distance data from a reference position for each of the pixels, in such a manner that a three-dimensional distribution of pixels corresponding to a plane and an object to be detected is generated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a large static image M(n), such as a sprite or a mosaic, from a video sequence. This method first comprises, in view of a first accretion step, an estimation of the motion parameters related to the video objects of the sequence, with respect to the previously generated static image. Each video objects is then warped on the basis of said parameters, and the warped video objects are blended with the previously generated static image. According to the invention, said method also comprises (n−1) further accretion steps, but applied this time to the same video sequence considered in the reverse order. Each additional accretion step itself includes a warping sub-step, based on each successive video object considered in said reverse order and on the corresponding motion parameters already estimated, and a blending sub-step, pixel-based or region-based weighting coefficients being then computed in order to be taken into account during the blending steps.

Abstract: A method for reading and sorting documents is provided which generally comprises staging each document for processing, capturing a digital image of the front side and the back side of each document, determining the physical orientation of each document using digital orientation recognition software and possibly hardware, reading the information from a digital image of each document, sorting the documents by orientation, and then communicating the information read from each document to a posting system. Additionally, the image of the document can be automatically oriented and then read. The documents, among other things, can include checks and coupons. When the document is a bank check, the method further comprises endorsing the check, printing an audit trail for the check, sorting the check by orientation, preparing a cash letter and sending the check to the bank.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for still image compression, video compression and automatic target recognition are disclosed. The method of still image compression uses isomorphic singular manifold projection whereby surfaces of objects having singular manifold representations are represented by best match canonical polynomials to arrive at a model saved and compressed using standard lossy compression. The coefficients from the best match polynomial together with the difference data, if any, are then compressed using lossless compression. The method of motion estimation for inhanced video compression sends I frames on an “as needed” basis, based on comparing the error between segments of a current frame and a predicted frame. If the error exceeds a predetermined threshold, which can be based on program content, the next frame sent will be an I frame.