Abstract: A system and method that efficiently, accurately, and simply detect reliably least-significant-bit (“LSB”) embedding of a secret message in randomly scattered pixels. The system and method apply to both 24-bit color images and 8-bit grayscale or color images. Many commercial steganographic programs use Least Significant Bit embedding (LSB) as the method of choice to hide messages in 24-bit, 8-bit color images and in grayscale images. They do so based on the common belief that changes to the LSBs of colors cannot be detected because of noise that is always present in digital images. By inspecting the differences in capacity for lossless (invertible) embedding in the LSB and the shifted LSB plane, the present invention reliably detects messages as short as 1% of the total number of pixels (assuming 1 bit per sample). The system and method of the present invention are fast, and they provide accurate estimates for the length of the embedded secret message.

Abstract: Color information having R, G, B components is entered. When an optic nerve head contained in the color image information is designated by an image processor and region designation unit, an image compression unit encodes the B component, which is included among a plurality of color components in this designated region, at a compression rate lower than that in a region other than the designated region, and encodes the G component and the B component other than in the designated region at a higher compression rate.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus for embedding second digital data in first digital data comprises: bit-swap means for bit-swapping target data comprising a predetermined number of bits within the first digital data; predicting means for outputting a prediction value which predicts a value corresponding to the target data from marginal data surrounding the target data; sorting means for sorting target data subjected to the bit-swapping according to the prediction margin of error value between a prediction value output by the predicting means and respective values corresponding to target data subjected to the bit-swapping; correction code output means for outputting correction code according to target data subjected to the bit-swapping that has been sorted by the sorting means; and embedded data output means for outputting, as embedded data, one of the target data subjected to the bit-swapping that has been sorted by the sorting means, according to the second digital data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a hard disk drive, an external image storing device for writing image data in a removable storing medium, and a memory for storing list data representative of a list of the image data stored in the hard disk drive or the storing medium. A main controller urges the operator of the apparatus to select, among the image data stored in the hard disk, desired image data to be written to the storing medium via an operation panel. When the image data selected are sequentially written to the storing medium, the main controller updates the list data of the memory every time one image data is written to the storing medium. After all the image data selected have been written to the storing medium, the controller updates the list data of the memory and causes the updated list data to be written to the storing medium.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes an approximating element having plural different prediction techniques to approximate, a value of a target pixel to be coded with reference to values of peripheral pixels surrounding the target pixel; a holding element which holds information about ranks of the prediction techniques, the ranks obtained upon processing of the pixel preceding the target pixel; a determining element computing an error between each of approximate values obtained by the prediction techniques and that of the target pixel, selecting one of the prediction techniques for the target pixel based on the computer error, and performing the selection by preferentially referencing the rank information if the error is within a predetermined tolerance; and a coding element which codes the value of the target pixel using the approximate value obtained by the selected prediction technique.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing circuit for use in an electrooptic device having a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, switching elements which are respectively disposed in correspondence with intersections between the scanning lines and the data lines, and pixel electrodes which are electrically coupled to the corresponding switching elements.

Abstract: Content data is judged to determine whether data prepared by a digital device were altered by performing an authentication process using a medium on which content data are recorded; reading the content data from the medium; embedding, in the content data, data for verifying the pertinent content; extracting, from the content data, the data for verifying the pertinent contents; using the results of the extraction to determine whether the content data were altered. Preferably, the means includes means for identifying any portion containing altered data.

Abstract: An image alignment tool is described for adjusting the alignment of a grid with an image. An initial grid aligner determines an initial, approximately aligned, position of the grid. An intensity scorer determines, for each of a plurality of test grid elements of the plurality of grid elements, a set of intensity scores. Each member of the set is based, at least in part, on intensities of pixels of one or more image features within the test grid element in one of the initial or additional positions. A combined-rank-score generator combines, for each of the initial and additional grid positions, members of sets of rank scores corresponding to the grid position in order to generate a combined rank score for the grid position. A grid alignment adjuster adjusts the alignment of the grid based on a comparison among the combined rank scores.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for color image processing using gamut mapping reduces halo artifacts by correcting terms in a gamut mapping algorithm. The color image may be represented by f, the in gamut image by g, the target gamut by C, and the gamut constraint by c. The method for reducing halo artifacts includes two correction steps. First a color distance term L2 in the gamut mapping algorithm is corrected. Second, a distance measure of an image gradient in the gamut mapping algorithm is corrected. The first correcting step comprises computing a function u=projectC(ƒ). The second correcting step comprises computing a scaled down function for f. Next, a function g(x,y) is determined that minimizes a functional comprising the color distance term and the image gradient term. The solution may be determined by iteration using a gradient descent operation by first initializing g0=projectC(ƒ), and then performing one or more iteration steps to compute g(x,y).

Abstract: A method of prefiltering is applied before data compression of scanned image data to better preserve important information. Before prefiltering, the image is segmented and tagged as belonging in a first region, such as a Lineart region, in which edges are the most important information, or a second region, such as a Contone or Halftone Region, in which pixel level is the most important information. For prefiltering, dynamic filters condition the image data passing into the two compressors. Each filter attempts to suppress noise associated with its particular channel by applying a smoothing filter, no filter or a sharpening filter based on segmentation tags and other characteristics of the data.

Abstract: The invention, in a first aspect, is a method for mitigating edge effects in a decompressed video image. The method comprises first reads an N×N group of pixels defining a vertical edge between two blocks in a video frame row by row into N registers, wherein N is a predetermined number defining the length of a filter. The content of the N registers is then transposed and then filtered in the filter. The filtered content of the N registers is then transposed and stored back from where it was read. In other aspects, the invention is a program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform such a method; a computer programmed to perform such a method; and a computing system capable of performing such a method.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image processing method for noise filtering an image sequence representing a threadlike structure on a background, including an acquisition of point data in first and second sequence images and an estimation of the corresponding filtered point data for constructing a filtered second image. The method is, performed in each sequence image, and includes: extracting the threadlike structure points, forming strings from the extracted points, temporally filtering the data of the points located outside the strings denoted background points, spatially filtering the data of the string points, and constructing the filtered second image data by performing an insertion of the spatially filtered data of the string points into the temporally filtered data of the background points.

Abstract: An arrangement for examination of one or more specimens arranged in specimen vessels or on specimen carriers by transmitted light or incident light by imaging and/or detecting at least a portion of the specimen volume through the specimen vessel or specimen carrier by a CCD camera followed by an evaluating unit, wherein, advantageously, an incident illumination is likewise effected through the specimen vessel or specimen carrier and the illumination is used to excite specimen emission, preferably fluorescence excitation.

Abstract: Interpolation along an axis is performed on a Correlation Surface Array that was created from counting the instances of difference (XOR) between corresponding pixels of single bit resolution images having trial displacements. The interpolation is performed by finding the intersection of two straight line segments that are identified by the shape of the cross section of the Correlation Surface along the axis of interest. In the case of nine trial shifts there are three values in such a cross section, and they may seen as representing three points whose abscissas are the pixel shift amounts minus one, no shift, and plus one, and whose ordinates are the corresponding correlation values. In situations where navigation (and interpolation) is possible, these three points will have certain properties. The ususal case is that two of the points determine one line having a slope m, and the other point determines the other line (assumed to have slope −m).

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus of the present invention and having an energy saving function includes an auxiliary controller or subcontroller for managing the conditions of the apparatus. While the subcontroller is in operation, a time manager manages the duration of the stand-by state of the apparatus and feeds time information to the subcontroller. A main controller delivers, before the stand-by state, a specified cancelling time for cancelling the stand-by state to the subcontroller. In the stand-by state, the subcontroller compares the time information and specified cancelling time. When the specified cancelling time is reached, the auxiliary controller cancels the stand-by state and causes power to be fed to the main controller and preselected units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for classifying or annotating image and video content by assigning each class of event, action, region or object a unique symbol and then building symbol strings to represent sequences in space or time. The symbol strings can be decoded using a library of annotated PT descriptors to automatically label the image and video content. Furthermore, the PT descriptors can be used for searching by sketch or searching by example where the search query input is converted to symbol strings, which are efficiently compared based on the presence and relative counts of PT descriptors mapped into a PT matrices. The Precedence Template (PT) descriptor can be used for classifying and querying video based on the spatial and temporal orderings of regions, objects, actions or events. Applied to video, the PT descriptors provide a way to compare the temporal order of events, actions, or objects such as those represented in a scene transition graph, key-frame list, or event string.

Abstract: A document processing apparatus is provided with an output document generating section which extracts an arbitrary part of an input document and creates an output document including text information of the extracted part, and a writing section which writes information which makes it possible to specify the output document, in the extracted part of the input document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus correct for image brightness of images taken of an object with point source illumination in an imaging system. The brightness correction method and apparatus of the present invention correct for the non-object related brightness characteristics of a point source illumination in the observed or measured brightness of a relatively planar object being imaged by the imaging system. The method and apparatus are applicable to imaging and inspection systems used with a wide variety of planar and semi-planar objects including but not limited to X-ray inspection of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated circuits.

Abstract: A failure analysis method is provided that allows high-precision failure mode classification. Based on the result of a predetermined test using an LSI tester (2), an original FBM (27a) is generated. The FBM (27a) is compressed with 8×8 bits per pixel to generate an FBM (27b). Based on the FBM (27b), an area where a failure bit exists in the FBM (27a) is determined. Then, by compressing a portion of the FBM (27a) which corresponds to the above area with 2×2 bits per pixel, FBMs (27c, 27d) are generated. Based on the FBMs (27c, 27d), failure bits are determined.

Abstract: An image data preservation method wherein, when converting imaged in which date information is photographed into image data, information about the date is read and preserved to be correlated with the image data, as additional information.