Abstract: An encoding apparatus whereby image signals provided in units of frames, each having a plurality of pixels, are divided into macro groups, and the pixels in each macro group are combined, forming a group. The pixels of the group are encoded on the basis of the level data representing the signal level of the representative pixel in the group, the position data concerning all pixels of the group and the data representing the number of the pixels existing in the group.

Abstract: There is disclosed a macroblock-based segmentation and background mosaicking method for object-based coding of image sequence having a stationary background. An image comprising a background having rare change and an object having slow change taken from a position and focus fixed camera is segmented into changing regions and stationary regions in units of macroblock of 16×16 pixels that is most widely used as a basic coding unit in a video coding method or apparatus. A background mosaic is constructed with only macroblocks corresponding to the regions having rare temporal change. The background mosaic is newly constructed with respect to an entire image whenever there are any changes in the image sequence, thereby maximizing coding efficiency. Therefore, the present inventions realizes a very low complexity, thus facilitating real time operation and maximizing efficiency in is object shape coding.

Abstract: Method of storing pixel data in a memory of a predictive video decoder that stores pixel data in words that contain blocks of pixel information. Each word or a sequence of words contains pixel data from a rectangular block of pixels, e.g., a 2×2 pixel block is stored in a 4 byte word or a 2×4 pixel block is stored in two successive 4 byte words. These words are stored in memory pages where a page or successive pages contain a series of words of data representing a row of pixel blocks. Consequently, the words representing groups (blocks) of pixels are stored from left to right in the order that the pixels appear in the frame. A pair of memory banks is used to store the words and each successive row of pixel blocks is stored in a different one of the two memory banks.

Abstract: A device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to a surface by a user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for extracting a common structure from two three-dimensional structures each formed from a set of sequenced points. The apparatus is constructed so as to extract one of common portions with which the common portion length of the two point sets superposed with each other exhibits a greatest length and the cumulative sum of distances between matched points of the two point sets superposed with each other exhibits a lowest value as an optimum common structure. The common structure extraction apparatus is suitably used to analyze a molecular structure to make clear a mechanism for manifestation of a function of a substance in order to investigate a property of a novel substance such as a protein or artificially produce a novel substance in the fields of physics, chemistry and so forth.

Abstract: A method for designating a local representative color value and automatically determining image searching algorithm for a color based image searching system is disclosed. A method for designating a local representative color values generally includes the steps of dividing a color image area; and obtaining a color histogram for each block, obtaining a color group from hue histograms of each block, or obtaining a maximum color group value to designate the representative color value. Also, a method determining a search algorithm generally includes the steps of detecting the number of color blocks CB having color information from the blocked information of a reference image; comparing the number of the color blocks with a determined reference value and assigning different weights to at least two search algorithm according to the comparison results; and performing a comparison search of an image by the search algorithm based on the determined weight.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scheme for creating, manipulating and transmitting images of a 3-D object through networks. A useful layering coupled with vector quantization allows an efficient combination of compressing and encoding of both the topology (connectivity) and geometry (vertex coordinates) of polygon meshes such as triangles. Connectivity information is contained in both generalized triangle strips and exception strips, the latter characterized by triangles for which all three vertices lie in the parent vertex layer. Geometry encoding is achieved with a productive vector quantization scheme which uses correction vectors for which distortion is merged into a following correction vector. Progressive connectivity transmission is achieved by using both intra-layer and inter-layer decomposition and reconstruction. The process encodes connectivity and geometry separately. Encoding of 3-D objects having left-right mirror symmetries using the process is described.

Abstract: Apparatus for fraud detection for an account includes a plurality of N statistical estimators which estimate the likelihood of a transaction being fraudulent from data about a transaction on the account and transaction history of the account. A statistical estimator is provided which computes an estimate of the likelihood of a particular signature being that of a person authorized to sign on the account from an exemplar of the signature and a history of previous signatures. A combiner produces a combined probability estimate from the plurality of N statistical estimators and the statistical estimator.

Abstract: A soft windowing technique involves the use of a window for vector assisted frame differing, the window being larger than a macroblock of the structure defined over the video picture. The edges of each window taper so that overlapping windows provide the correct pixel weighting at the edges. For a scheme having 16*16 luminance macroblocks and 8*8 chrominance macroblocks, the luminance window is 24*24 and the chrominance window is 12*12.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of simply and reliably handling two different forms of information, audio and image, as linked together in order to record the information on the same recording medium. This image processing apparatus has an image input unit (10) for inputting image information, an audio input unit (60) for inputting audio information, a link processing unit (130a) for setting link information to link the image information and audio information, a code converter (242) for converting the audio information into an optically readable audio code image, and a printing device (30) operable based on the link information for recording a visual image corresponding to the image information and the audio code image on a predetermined recording medium. One can not only visually enjoy the image recorded on the recording medium, but hear a sound from the audio code image recorded on the recording medium with an appropriate reproduction device.

Abstract: A reversible eight-element DCT providing values near to transform values of the original DCT. In a 4×4 matrix, coefficients (X1, X7, X3, X5) are separated into (X1, X7) and (X3, X5. If (X1, X7) are determined, then (X3, X5) values are limited. (X1, X7) are linearly quantized with steps k1, k7 to obtain quantization values (Xq1, Xq7). (X3, X5) are divided into global and local signals. The global signals are linearly quantized with steps L3, L5, and local signals are determined using a table. The quantization values of (X3, X5) are added to obtain quantization values (Xq3, Xq5). The reversible 4×4 matrix and conventional 2×2 matrices are combined to construct a reversible eight-element DCT.

Abstract: A method for picture compression which may be used with advantage for compressing a picture. The picture compression apparatus includes a compression unit for compressing input picture data, a basic compression ratio setting unit for setting the basic compression ratio in compressing the input picture data by the compression unit, a designating unit for designating an optional area in the input picture, a designated area importance setting unit for setting the importance in compressing the input picture data corresponding to the area designated by the designation unit and a compression ratio modifying unit for modifying the basic compression ratio based upon the importance for the designated area as set by the designated area importance setting unit. An optional area in an input picture is designated, and importance attached to the designated area is set, so that the picture in the designated area can be compressed with the desired importance.

Abstract: A semiconductor failure analysis system and method therefor facilitated by a failure information collection unit for collection, by bit, failure information of a semiconductor, an inspection unit for examining relations between various types of inspection data obtained by inspection of the semiconductor and for examining relations between the inspection data and failure information, a storage unit for storing design information of the semiconductor, an analysis unit for analyzing the failure information from the failure information collection unit, from the inspection unit and design information stored in the storage unit, a display unit for displaying at least one of the result of analysis from the analysis unit and the failure information, a failure cause estimation unit for estimating a cause of the failure information, and a unit for feeding the estimated cause of the failure information back to a process in which the failure has occurred.

Abstract: Digital images are transformed using a set of filters derived from the evolving states of cellular automata. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the ensuing transform coefficients are encoded using a sub-band-based embedded stream technique that places the most important transform coefficients at the top of a hierarchical storage/transmission. Compression is achieved when the stream encoding/decoding is terminated after 1) a stipulated maximum bit budget is reached, or 2) when a predefined maximum error rate is attained. The present invention provides an encoding method for accelerating the transmission of image/video data through communications networks and storing the compressed data on digital storage media.

Abstract: A hierarchical coding apparatus comprising first and second compressive coding units for subjecting high- and low-resolution digital image signals to hierarchical coding to generate high- and low-resolution coded data, and a resolution conversion circuit for subjecting a portion of low-resolution decoded image signal obtained by decoding the low-resolution coded data to resolution conversion, wherein only the resolution converted image signal is used as a reference signal for a low resolution side in coding the high-resolution digital image signal, thereby making the reduction of compression efficiency of image data, which is transmitted or stored, less, and simplifying the configuration of the hierarchical coding apparatus.

Abstract: A system for processing digital image signals to reduce the effect of quantizing noise in the images represented by the signals. An n-bit image signal is converted into an m-bit image signal (m>n). The high frequency content of the m-bit signal is estimated and then first and second multipliers are derived on the basis of the high frequency content. The first multiplier is applied to the m-bit image signal, the second multiplier is applied to a filtered version of the m-bit image signal, and the two resulting signals are combined to generate a reduced quantizing noise m-bit image signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for downsizing a digital video image, such as an image corresponding to the MPEG-2 standard. The system is particularly suitable for providing a reduced image for a picture-in-picture mode on a television. Digital video pixel data that is received from a channel is decompressed to provide pixel data of an original image (e.g., A1, A2, A3, A4). Horizontally adjacent pixel pairs of the original image are averaged to provide horizontally downsized pixel data (e.g., (A1+A2)/2, (A3+A4)/2), which is stored in a first bank of a multi-bank memory. Data from every other pixel of the original image (e.g., A2, A4) is stored in a second bank of the dual-bank memory. To obtain a downsized image, vertically adjacent lines of the horizontally downsized pixel data are retrieved from the first bank, and averaged to provide vertically and horizontally downsized pixel data for display.

Abstract: Image signals are encoded following a spatial decomposition pattern that is based on a selected location within the image. The resulting sequence of sets of encoded image signals may be transmitted to a remote node for decoding and display. The display of the decoded signals is progressively updated as subsequent sets of encoded image signals are received and decoded. In a prefeired embodiment, the first set of encoded image signals comprises DC transformed signals corresponding to the original image, while the subsequent sets of encoded signals comprise AC transformed signals corresponding to the original image.

Abstract: A data handling method is provided for handling digitized data through compression/decompression and utilization. By this method, the original digitized data are concurrently compressed into a first set of compressed data through a low-compression-rate compression process and a second set of compressed data through a high-compression-rate compression process. Then, the first and second sets of compressed data are transferred together to an information processing unit, such as a personal computer. At the personal computer, the first set of compressed data are decompressed to obtain a set of decompressed data representing the original digitized data for output of the original digitized data at an output device, while the second set of compressed data remain in compressed form for storage and further transfer. Since the information processing unit needs to perform just a simple decompression process to decompress the low-compression-rate set of compressed data, the overall system efficiency can be increased.

Abstract: In a reduction process, data in portion buffers are selectively sampled at different sampling rates proportional to their assigned weights. For instance, portions assigned highest weights could be sampled at a reference rate corresponding to the repetition frequency of the originally received frames, portions assigned lowest weights could be sampled at {fraction (1/10)}th the reference rate, and portions assigned weights intermediate the lowest and highest ones could be sampled at rates less than the reference rate but more than {fraction (1/10)}th the reference rate. Accordingly, sampled portions assigned less than highest weights, but containing data representing objects in motion, could be subject to reproduction with less clarity than sampled portions assigned highest weight.