Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for serially receiving and dimensionally transforming an image in an ordered sequence of interleaved blocks. Each block comprises an ordered sequence of samples of the image, and the samples of a single block all corresponding to a single color component. The method includes steps of counting the samples in the order received to determine a sequence number for each sample, comparing the sequence number with a set of predetermined values; and dimensionally transforming the image by either discarding the sample or storing the sample in a memory depending on the result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image processing system and an image processing method can correct the distortion of an image at a low cost and can generate a high quality image in real time. An image processing apparatus is provided which is an image processing apparatus for correcting an original image having distortion.

Abstract: A method performed by a processing system is provided. The method comprises performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, and determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

Abstract: An image retrieving system is provided which is suitable for acquiring a retrieving result or a classifying result according to the desire of a user. The system extracts a noticing area from a retrieving key image and each retrieving object image, and a characteristic vector V of these images is generated on the basis of the extracted noticing area. An image similar to the retrieving key image is retrieved from a retrieving object image registration database on the basis of the generated characteristic vector V.

Abstract: An Image correction device for detecting an image area having movement according to an image signal, and providing the image signal with image correction and switching correction methods according to a control signal. The image correction device further detects the boundary area of the image area having movement; detects an image area with great gradational change by comparing gradation of image signals corresponding to adjoining pixels; and provides the boundary area of the image area having movement with a diffusion process in an area excluding the image area with great gradational change. The correcting methods performed by the image correcting device can be switched according to the movement signal, thereby improving image correction.

Abstract: A method for facilitating a reduction in image artifacts is provided. The method includes receiving data regarding a scan of an object, reconstructing a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space, determining an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation, locating the maximum intensity pixels within a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation, and filtering around each maximum intensity pixel along each ray path.

Abstract: A floodlight section emits light with a predetermined blinking pattern. The emitted light is reflected by a reflecting object. An image capturing section captures the light reflected by the reflecting object. A surveillance apparatus compares the pattern of the reflected light captured by the image capturing section and the blinking pattern of the light emitted by the floodlight section to determine that there is no invader in a surveillance area between the surveillance apparatus and the reflecting object while the predetermined blinking pattern is detected, and that there is an invader in the surveillance area when the predetermined blinking pattern is not detected. The present invention can be applied to surveillance apparatuses.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for variable bit rate encoding using a complexity ratio. Quantization parameter is calculated using a complexity ratio, which is equal to a local complexity divided by a global complexity. Complex pictures are allocated a larger bit budget relative to simple pictures. With the larger bit budget the quality of complex pictures can be maintained while reducing the overall size of the encoded video stream.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling an interpolation direction of a pixel needing to be interpolated between a first row and a second row within an image. The image has a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix format. The method includes calculating a plurality of first horizontal pixel value differences between pixels positioned in the first row and a plurality of second horizontal pixel value differences between pixels positioned in the second row. The method further includes comparing the plurality of first horizontal pixel value differences with a first threshold and the plurality of second horizontal pixel value differences with a second threshold to control whether the interpolation direction is orthogonal to the first row and the second row.

Abstract: An exemplary method of segmenting an object from a structure of interest is provided. A user-selected point in an image is received. A watershed transformation is performed on the user-selected point to determine a primary object. A neighboring watershed region is added to the primary object based on region competition and a smoothness constraint to form an updated object.

Abstract: We propose local watershed operators for the segmentation of structures, such as medical structures, from an image. A watershed transform is a technique for partitioning an image into many regions while substantially retaining edge information. The proposed watershed operators are a computationally efficient local implementation of watersheds, which can be used as an operator in other segmentation techniques, such as seeded region growing, region competition and markers-based watershed segmentation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus in which the cheek of a person captured in an image of a photo may be corrected to a finish with the cheek looking slimmer than in a two-dimensional photo. A face correction unit (400) calculates, in a calculation unit (411), a face length L1 and a cheek width L2 of a face of a person as an object and L3 corrected from the face length L1. A face classifying unit (412) compares L2 and L3 to each other to classify the face shape into a ‘round shape’, ‘a long shape’ and a ‘square shape’. Depending on the results of classification, the image trimming is carried out by a first contour correction unit (413), a second contour correction unit (414), and a third contour correction unit (415) so that the cheek will look slim.

Abstract: A method for assigning of geocodes to addresses identifying entities on a street includes ordering a set of entity geocodes associated with a street segment based on ordering criteria such as the linear distance of the geocodes along the length of the street segment. Assignable addresses are matched with the ordered geocodes creating a correspondence between a numerical order of the assignable addresses and a linear order of the ordered set of geocodes, consistent with address range direction data and street segment side data. The geocodes may be implicit or explicit, locally unique or globally unique. The set of entity geocodes may be obtained by identifying image features in aerial imagery corresponding to streets and buildings and correlating this information with data from a street map database.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding digital watermark information in an image, includes an image divider dividing the image into a plurality of partial images; and an embedder embedding in each of the partial images a digital watermark which indicates the digital watermark information. The digital watermark includes a plurality of watermark elements arranged in a sequence which is different for each of the partial images.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the orientation of text, so that the text can be correctly read. In one embodiment, the method analyzes the “open” portions of text characters to determine in which direction the open portions face. By determining the respective densities of characters opening in each direction (e.g., right or left), the method can establish in which direction the text as a whole is orientated. The present invention may be adapted for use in automated mail processing, to determine the orientation of checks in automated teller machine envelopes, or the orientation of scanned or copied documents, or documents sent via facsimile, or to determine the orientation of digital photographs that include text (e.g., road signs, business cards, driver's licenses, etc.), among other applications. A fast, substantially automatic determination of text orientation according to the present invention will reduce the labor expense and processing delay required for manual orientation.

Abstract: A system, methods and apparatus for rapidly and automatically orienting spherical objects, such as game balls, for subsequent downstream processing comprises a series of processing steps that can be performed at four separate, mechanically similar (or even identical) workstations. An imaging sub-system needs only one camera to image the spherical object and image the work process. The method of transposing the spherical object between work stations is simple, requiring an apparatus having only one degree of freedom to simultaneously convey and rotate spherical objects, and the system and method can automatically and rapidly determine the object's spatial orientation and change the orientation as required for downstream processing.