Abstract: A computer implemented gambling chip recognition system having the ability to capture an image of a stack of gambling chips and automatically processing the image to determine the number of chips within the stack and the value of each. The system processor determines the classification for each chip in a stack by way of processing performed in real time on the image of the stack of gambling chips. The system further includes the ability to communicate the information derived from the stack of gambling chips to a video monitor and the ability to communicate the information to a main database where information is being compiled and stored about an individual gambler.

Abstract: A method for estimating the skeletal status or bone quality of a vertebrate on the basis of two-dimensional image data comprising information relating to the trabecular structure of at least a part of a bone of the vertebrate, the image data being data obtained by exposing at least the part of the bone to electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, the method comprising subjecting the image data to a statistical analysis comprising a background correction procedure in which low frequency intensity variations not related to the trabecular structure of the bone are reduced relative to image data related to the trabecular structure of the part of the bone, a feature extraction procedure comprising (a) determining values reflecting the projected trabecular density in the image data, caused by the X-ray attenuating properties of cancellous bone in the part of the bone, for each of a number of locations or areas in the image data, (b) deriving one or more features from the variation of the determined PTD-values, pre

Abstract: A method for distinguishing photocopied or laser-printed documents from original documents produced by offset printing, handwriting, or typewriting. A document is scanned at low-resolution and at high-resolution to produce a low-resolution and a high-resolution matrix representation of the presence or absence of ink or toner at discrete locations on the surface of the document. Printed regions detected at low-resolution are used to mask regions of the high-resolution matrix representation from the analysis. The remaining unmasked regions of the high-resolution matrix representation are analyzed to detect discrete microdots uniformly distributed within those regions. The presence of microdots on the surface of the document indicates that the document was produced as a photocopied or a laser-printed duplicate.

Abstract: In a radiographic image reading method of reading a radiographic image on a radiographic image conversion panel and for obtaining radiographic image information; the adiographic image reading method includes steps of: reading panel discriminating information corresponding to the radiographic image conversion panel, thereby obtaining information regarding the radiographic image conversion panel; and applying image processing for the radiographic image information based on the information regarding the radiographic image conversion panel.

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: It is an object to prevent an abuse of a print-out copy image as much as possible even if an image which was optically recorded in a film is printed out. For example, it is an object to enable information of an author to be obtained as much as possible so long as a copy image is used. To accomplish the objects, an image processing apparatus of the invention has optical reading means for optically reading a film and generating image data, magnetic reading means for magnetically reading the film and generating predetermined additional information, adding means for adding the predetermined additional information to the image data so that it is hard to be discriminated by the human eyes, and output means for outputting the image data to which the predetermined additional information was added.

Abstract: A seal imprint verifying apparatus for conducting verifying work of a seal imprint more properly than in the past is provided. When an image data of the seal imprint surface of a bill, etc. is acquired by an image reader, a CPU extracts only the image data of the color of the seal imprint out of the image data of the seal imprint surface and takes out the image data of a target seal imprint out of the extraction result. The CPU thereafter compares the image data of the reference seal imprint and the image data of the target seal imprint and thereby determines whether or not both image data agree with each other.

Abstract: The invention is a statistical method for analyzing exploration data associated with image elements showing physical properties of a complex environment such as subsoil for identifying the spatial relations between image elements. The method comprises successive identification of the spatial structures of the data, separation of these spatial structures with removal of possible redundancies, formation, from initial images, of synthetic images or spatial components that show the spatial structures of the data, providing a typology of the initial images according to the spatial structures shown by the spatial components, and filtering of the initial images in order to suppress the noise and to select one or more identified spatial structures. The method can be used for study of any spatial data, notably in geosciences in order to process seismic images of the subsoil, but also in geography, agronomy, hydrology, geomarketing, etc.

Abstract: The method and system embeds digital meta-data into an original image in such a way that the meta-data can be completely removed at a later time to allow loss less recovery of the original image. The loss less recovery of the original image allows for a digital signature of the image to be embedded in the image itself and later recovered and used to verify the authenticity of a received image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing spectral artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system are described. In one embodiment, the CT system includes a plurality of multislice detector modules, a detector housing and a collimator adjacent the detector modules. Each detector module is mounted to the detector housing and includes a scintillator array. The collimator includes a plurality of plates that are positioned so that a x-ray beam shadow is centered over gaps in the scintillator array. In operation, the collimator separates the x-ray beams so that the scintillator gaps are protected and the x-ray beams are prevented from projecting through the scintillator array elements along a shortened length path.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium configured for computerized detection of lung abnormalities, including obtaining a standard digital chest image and a soft-tissue digital chest image; generating a first difference image from the standard digital chest image and a second difference image from the soft-tissue digital chest image; identifying candidate abnormalities in the first and second difference images; extracting from the standard digital chest image and the first difference image predetermined first features of each of the candidate abnormalities identified in the first difference image; extracting from the soft-tissue digital chest image and the second difference images predetermined second features of each of the candidate abnormalities identified in the second difference image; analyzing the extracted first features and the extracted second features to identify and eliminate false positive candidate abnormalities respectively corresponding thereto; applying extracted features from remainin

Abstract: A hand gesture recognizing device is provided which can correctly recognize hand gestures at high speed without requiring users to be equipped with tools. A gesture of a user is stereoscopically filmed by a photographing device 1 and then stored in an image storage device 2. A feature image extracting device 3 transforms colors of the stereoscopic image data read from the image storage device 2 in accordance with color transformation tables created by a color transformation table creating device 13, and disassembles and outputs the feature image of the user in corresponding channels. A spatial position calculating device 4 calculates spatial positions of feature parts of the user by utilizing parallax of the feature image outputted from the feature image extracting device 4. A region dividing device 5 defines the space around the user with spatial region codes. A hand gesture detecting device 6 detects how the hands of the user move in relation to the spatial region codes.

Abstract: A digital image signal is watermarked by locally changing geometric features of the image. The watermark consists of a pseudo-random, dense subset of image pixels, e.g., a pattern of lines (20). A number of significant image pixels (21,22,23), i.e., pixels which give the highest response to a predetermined processing operation, is determined and then moved (24) to the vicinity (&dgr;) of the line pattern. As a result of this “warping”, the majority of significant image pixels (21,22) is eventually located within the vicinity of the line pattern. At the receiver end, the most significant pixels of an input image are again determined. The image is a watermarked image if a statistically high percentage lies within the vicinity of the line pattern.

Abstract: A system for creating copy restrictive media is disclosed. The system comprises printing a first pattern of microdots (80) on a first set of documents and printing a second pattern of microdots (82) on a second set of documents. A first key code is associated with the first microdot pattern (80), which allows a copy machine to copy the first set of documents, and a second key code is associated with the second microdot pattern (82), which allows a copy machine to copy the second set of documents. This system allows individual copyright owner to insure that no one else is able to reproduce their copyrighted documents.