Abstract: Provided are a filtering method and apparatus for removing blocking artifacts and ringing noise. The filtering method includes transforming video data on a block-by-block basis, and detecting the presence of an edge region in the video data by checking the distribution of values obtained by the transformation. Accordingly, it is possible to completely remove blocking artifacts and/or ringing noise by more effectively detecting the presence of an edge region in video data.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for organization and presentation of content. In some embodiments, a plurality of images and a plurality of similarity rules for image categorization are received. For each image in the plurality of images, the image from the plurality and each remaining image from the plurality is compared by: applying each similarity rule to the image and a remaining image from the plurality to obtain a numeric result, and recording the numeric result for the two images in a numeric representation, the numeric representation embodying similarities found between each of the plurality of images. The numeric representation is used as a reference for clustering the plurality of images into clusters of similar images, and each image is stored with a marker denoting a cluster to which it has been assigned.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and computer program products for robust estimation of color-dependent measurements are described herein. In one aspect, a method for generating a reference color grid that may be placed beside a color-dependent measuring device is disclosed. The reference color grid may contain a number of colors which enable a mapping from the color space of a testing device to a reference color space. This mapping may allow a function that is able to determine an estimate of a color-dependent measurement based on a color in the reference color space to be used. In another aspect, a method for robust estimation of color-dependent measurement using a reference color guide is disclosed.

Abstract: An implementation of location estimation using image analysis is described. In this implementation, an image of a place is obtained and matched with previously stored images. The matching may be achieved by employing methods based on key feature extraction algorithm, color histogram analysis, pattern matching or other image comparison techniques. Upon determining a match, the location information associated with the image provides the location. The location information may be in the form of location tags or location keywords and the location information may be used by the user or other applications for the purposes of location determination. The technique allows for the user to enter location information. The location information may be assigned to the previously stored images residing in local and remote databases for users and applications to assign information or keywords to images.

Abstract: A video processing apparatus includes: a first detection unit configured to detect a moving object from a movie; a second detection unit configured to detect an object having a predetermined shape from the movie; an extraction unit configured to extract a partial region of a region in which the second detection unit has detected the object having the predetermined shape in the movie; and a discrimination unit configured to discriminate whether the object detected by the second detection unit is a certain object depending on a ratio of a size of an overlapping region to a size of an extracted region extracted by the extraction unit, the overlapping region being a region where a region in which the first detection unit has detected the moving object in the movie and the extracted region overlap with each other.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for extracting systematic defects is provided. The method includes inspecting a wafer outside a process window to obtain inspection data, defining a defect pattern from the inspection data, filtering defects from design data using a pattern search for the defined defect pattern within the design data, inspecting defects inside the process window with greater sensitivity than outside the process window, and determining systematic defects inside the process window. A computer readable storage medium, and a system for extracting systematic defects are also provided.

Abstract: An adaptive image processing apparatus includes a first matching unit selecting representative candidate images from among a plurality of images included in an image pyramid and calculating a first matching score between each of the representative candidate images and a target model; a second matching unit selecting one scale level from among scale levels of the representative candidate images based on the first matching score and calculating a second matching score between each of images having scale levels included in a dense scale level range with respect to the selected scale level and the target model; a representative scale level selecting unit selecting at least one of the scale levels included in the dense scale level range as a representative scale level based on the second matching scores; and an image processing unit performing image processing based on an image having the selected representative scale level.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for identifying modified images based on visual dissimilarity to a first image. In an aspect, a method includes determining, for each of a first image and a second image, a respective set of local image feature descriptions; determining one or more unmatched regions of the images that include unmatched image features and that correspond to one or more same respective regions in both the first image and the second image; determining, for each of the one or more unmatched regions of the images, a modification measure based on the image data corresponding to the unmatched region in the first image and the image data corresponding to the unmatched region in the second image; and determining that the second image is a modification of the first image when one of the modification measures meets a modification measure threshold.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reception unit, a determination unit, a handwriting separation unit, an image generation unit, an image recognition unit, and an output unit. The reception unit receives handwriting information. The determination unit determines whether first handwriting indicated by first handwriting information and second handwriting indicated by second handwriting information overlap each other on the basis of the handwriting information. The handwriting separation unit separates the first handwriting from the second handwriting by changing a first/second handwriting position in the first/second handwriting information when the determination unit has determined that the first and second handwriting overlap each other. The image generation unit generates an image from handwriting information obtained through the separation, and information regarding handwriting that has been determined not to overlap other handwriting. The image recognition unit recognizes the generated image.

Abstract: Described herein are implementations of various technologies for a method for mapping water table depths. In one implementation, a satellite image of an area of interest may be received. The satellite image may comprise a red spectrum, a green spectrum and a blue spectrum. A first map may be generated that identifies only water features on the satellite image. The first map may be convolved with a digital elevation model of the area of interest to generate a second map. The second map may identify elevations of the water features on the satellite image. An interpolation algorithm may be applied to the second map to generate a third map. The third map may identify water tables and elevations for the water tables on the satellite image.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a network learning portion that performs learning of an appearance/position recognition network by constraining first to third weights and using a learning image, wherein the appearance/position recognition network has a foreground layer including a position node, a background layer including a background node, and an image layer including a pixel node, and is a neural network in which the position node, the background node, and the pixel node are connected to each other, and wherein the first weight is a connection weight between the position node and the pixel node, the second weight is a connection weight between the position node and the background node, and the third weight is a connection weight between the background node and the pixel node.

Abstract: The system and method disclosed herein relate to the establishment of both the location and identity of individual items in pictures or videos. Once the one or more items in the picture/video are identified and matched to images in a reference database, the locations of the items is established and additional information relating to the items is accessed. Collectively, the position data and additional data is merged in the electronic pictures or videos and then provided to a user as a merged data stream. Additional functionality related to those identified items can occur when those identified locations are “pointed to”, “clicked” or otherwise selected (e.g., purchase an item, request information, select another video stream, play a game, share the item, rate, “Like”, and the like).

Abstract: A method and system analyzes data acquired by image systems to more rapidly identify objects of interest in the data. In one embodiment, z-depth data are segmented such that neighboring image pixels having similar z-depths are given a common label. Blobs, or groups of pixels with a same label, may be defined to correspond to different objects. Blobs preferably are modeled as primitives to more rapidly identify objects in the acquired image. In some embodiments, a modified connected component analysis is carried out where image pixels are pre-grouped into regions of different depth values preferably using a depth value histogram. The histogram is divided into regions and image cluster centers are determined. A depth group value image containing blobs is obtained, with each pixel being assigned to one of the depth groups.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting a changed part of an image includes a separate graphic-element acquisition unit configured to acquire separate graphic-elements included in each of a first image and a second image and an integrative graphic-element acquisition unit configured to associate the separate graphic-elements with one another based on geometric relation thereamong, and to acquire integrative graphic-elements each including the separate graphic-elements associated with one another. The apparatus further includes a correspondence relation acquisition unit configured to acquire correspondence relation between the integrative graphic-element included in the first image and the integrative graphic-element included in the second image and a changed part extraction unit configured to extract a changed part between the first image and the second image based on the correspondence relation.

Abstract: Provided are a filtering method and apparatus for removing blocking artifacts and ringing noise. The filtering method includes transforming video data on a block-by-block basis, and detecting the presence of an edge region in the video data by checking the distribution of values obtained by the transformation. Accordingly, it is possible to completely remove blocking artifacts and/or ringing noise by more effectively detecting the presence of an edge region in video data.

Abstract: An improved object recognition method is provided that enables the recognition of many objects in a single image. Multiple instances of an object in an image can now be detected with high accuracy. The method receives a plurality of matches of feature points between a database image and a query image and determines a kernel bandwidth based on statistics of the database image. The kernel bandwidth is used in clustering the matches. The clustered matches are then analyzed to determine the number of instances of the object within each cluster. A recursive geometric fitting can be applied to each cluster to further improve accuracy.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein relates to systems and method for testing user content of given mobile communication devices. According to one aspect, there is provided a method for testing user content of given mobile communication devices that includes the steps of providing at least one model image associated with at least one graphical user interface (“GUI”) screen of a model mobile communication device corresponding to the given mobile communication device, obtaining at least one test image associated with at least one GUI screen of the given mobile communication device, comparing the test image with the model image, and determining whether the user content of the given mobile communication device is different from the desired content of the model mobile communication device.

Abstract: A cigarette inspection device designed to obtain an image showing filter end faces of a bundle C of filtered cigarettes arranged side by side with their axes parallel to one another, analyze the image and determine whether the bundle is short of filtered cigarettes comprises a first determination section which determines how many filtered cigarettes are arranged side by side from contours of filter end faces in the image generated, and determines whether the bundle consists of a predetermined number of filtered cigarettes, and a second determination section which determines whether the first determination section has falsely recognized one cigarette as two.

Abstract: A machine vision inspection system comprising an illumination source and an imaging system and a method for performing high-speed focus height measurement operations. The method comprises: placing a workpiece in a field of view of the machine vision inspection system; determining a region of interest for focus height measurement operations; operating the illumination source to illuminate the workpiece with strobed illumination; periodically modulating a focus position of the imaging system along a Z-height direction proximate to the workpiece; collecting an image stack, wherein each image of the image stack corresponds to an instance of strobed illumination matched with a phase of the modulated focus position corresponding to an appropriate Z height within the image stack; and determining a Z-height measurement for at least one portion of the region of interest.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for extracting information from digital documents, including physical documents that have been converted to digital documents. For example, some embodiments are configured to extract information from a field in a digital document by identifying a block of tokens before (i.e., a prior block) and a block of tokens after (i.e., a post block) the field from which the information is to be extracted, where both the prior block and post block are known to be associated with the field type of the field (e.g., name, address, phone number, etc.).