Abstract: An image of a compound document is processed by accessing a plurality of blocks of the image; and classifying the blocks for compression. At least some of the blocks are classified according to their numbers of distinct colors.

Abstract: The invention features a method wherein a recognition environment utilizes pseudo-English as a programming language to extract simple and complex objects with image-and/or map-data as inputs. Based on this human/computer interface in which pseudo-English is a programming language, the object-recognition system has three major logic modules: (1) an input data module; (2) an information-processing module, coupled with the above-noted human computer interface (HCI) module; and (3) an output module that has a feedback mechanism back to the main information-processing and the input-data module. A physical phenomenon (i.e., one that is visible, audible, tactile, etc.) is analyzed by the information-processing module to determine whether it is susceptible to description or articulation. If not, the phenomenon is matched or compared, via the output module, to a known articulatable, physical-phenomenon model and recognizable features are extracted.

Abstract: There is provided herein a new method of identifying when a particular hand-drawn selection has been made on, for example, a standardized test form. This method does not require the use of any particular form nor does it use registration marks. It is robust enough to be used when the form is somewhat misaligned on the scanning device. This method utilizes a scanned “blank” form which is then compared with a form containing user markings thereon. As a first step, the user's form is mathematically iteratively aligned with the scanned blank form. As a next step, a fine-scale refinement is applied to each individual “bubble” (i.e., response field) of the user's form to bring that feature into near exact alignment with the same bubble on the blank form. Finally, a quantitative measure of the similarity between the blank and user forms is used to determine whether or not the user has made a mark on the form within that response region.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus has an optical lens system and a color image sensing device. The optical lens system forms an image on the color image sensing device by means of light from an illuminated subject. The color image sensing device is a charge coupled device which has a plurality of pixels. The apparatus fulfills the conditions: 1.5×p×FNo.<|LBg−LBe|<5.0×p×FNo. 1.5×p×FNo.<|LBc−LBe|<5.0×p×FNo. where p is a predetermined pitch of a photoelectrically converted pixel of said color image sensing device, LBe is a paraxial back Ad focal length of an e-line (546.07 nm in wavelength), LBg is a paraxial back focal length of a g-line (435.84 nm in wavelength), LBc is a paraxial back focal length of a C-line (656.28 nm in wavelength), and FNo. is an F-number of said optical lens.

Abstract: An improved block noise elimination method is provided, which uses one-dimensional pixel vectors made of pixel rows or columns across two neighboring blocks to analyze blocky noise residing across the neighboring blocks. The blocky noise in each pixel-vector is modeled as shape vector multiplied by boundary discontinuity. The shape vector, varying with local image activity, is estimated by Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) approach. Depending upon the shape vector, the corresponding blocky noise is eliminated in postprocessing of decoded images so that encoded images may be restored to their original images.

Abstract: It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a structure and method of processing signals, which includes transforming a signal into subbands by applying a forward discrete wavelet transform (FDWT) to the signal, partitioning the subbands into overlapping subband subsets, inverse transforming the overlapping subband subsets into signal subsets by applying at least one inverse discrete wavelet transform (IDWT) to the overlapping subband subsets, and combining the signal subsets to reproduce the signal. The IDWT is applied to all of the subband subsets in parallel.

Abstract: An automatic and adaptive MR data selection technique for use with a multi-receiver coil assembly in an MR imaging device is disclosed. The invention includes acquiring image data from a plurality of receiver coils and determining an index gauge for each of the images. The index gauge is a representation of the position of a given receiver coil within a desired field-of-view (FOV). The index gauges are compared and any image data set having an index gauge demonstrating a less than optimal position of the given receiver coil with respect to the desired FOV is removed based on the index gauges and the comparison. A final image can be reconstructed using the remaining image data sets. The final image is reconstructed from data having overall reduced noise, and therefore reduced artifacts.

Abstract: In reading an image of the document, the CCD sensor reads the image of the document through the image reading lens. The reading head including the image reading lens and the CCD sensor is arranged deviated from the center of the document reading area so that the reading head is removed from above the document. The image of the document read in is corrected by the image correction device, and the corrected image is displayed on the display.

Abstract: The invention relates to an encoding method for the compression of a video sequence divided in flames decomposed by means of a wavelet transform. Said method, based on the hierarchical subband encoding process called “set partitioning in hierarchical trees” (SPIHT), leads from the original set of picture elements of the video sequence to wavelet transform coefficients encoded with a binary format. These coefficients are organized in trees and ordered into partitioning sets respectively corresponding to levels of significance, by means of magnitude tests leading to a classification into three ordered lists called list of insignificant sets (LIS), list of insignificant pixels (LIP) and list of significant pixels (LSP). According to the invention, a specific initialization order of the LIS is proposed.

Abstract: The coded block parameters used to code blocks of image samples into structures called macroblocks are compressed more efficiently by exploiting the correlation between chrominance and luminance blocks in each macroblock. In particular, the coded block pattern for chrominance and luminance are combined into a single parameter for the macroblock and jointly coded with a single variable length code. To further enhance coding efficiency, the spatial coherence of coded block patterns can be exploited by using spatial prediction to compute predicted values for coded block pattern parameters.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating the halves of slaughtered animals by optical image processing. A simple computerized method for sufficiently reliable evaluation is obtained even when the symmetry plane has been missed during cutting of the slaughtered animals due to cutting error by detecting two salient points and a straight line (5) in a photogrammetric reliable manner and by additionally calculating a parallel line (6) and a vertical line (7), wherein the end of the connecting bone (2) on the body side is used as first salient point and the central extension of the back fat (4) is used as a first direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for early detection and classification of retinal pathologies, especially glaucoma and macular edema. The method comprises; (a) illuminating predetermined locations on the retina; (b) receiving light returning from predetermined locations; (c) generating a series of primary graphs corresponding to the light intensity with respect to retinal depth of predetermined locations on the retina; (d) separating the component curves of said graphs; (e) analyzing said component curves to produce data including data corresponding to the front slope and/or the back slope, and/or the area of at least one of said component curves; (f) comparing said data to analogous pre-specified data.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for copying images from a source document to a destination document in a computer user interface. The preferred embodiment provides a user interface that gives the user the option to cut or copy information from an image and extract the textual information from the copied image in one cut and paste. The extracted text can then be pasted into the destination document as text. Thus, textual information from an image can easily and automatically be copied into text portions of the destination document. Alternatively, the image with the text removed can be copied into the destination in one cut and paste operation.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved method for producing color watermarks in digitally reproducible color documents. The color watermarks are generated by producing a halftone pattern, which appears as stochastically distributed dots, in at least one or more color separations of the color document. A second halftone pattern, which also appears as stochastically distributed dots and is spatially displaced from the first halftone pattern, is generated in at least one or more different color separations. Portions of the first and second halftone patterns are auto-correlated or conjugally correlated, therefore, when the two halftone patterns are laid over each other, watermark patterns of highly contrasting colors become markedly visible.

Abstract: A relatively long, narrow defect in a digital image is repaired by identifying an elongated area to be repaired, and by automatically calculating pixel color/shade values within the area to be repaired from pixel values in the vicinity of the perimeter of the elongated area. Preferably, a user identifies an elongated rectangular area to be repaired on an interactive display. The computer automatically generates the pixel coordinates of a pair of parallel lines constituting the opposite long sides of the rectangle, and a set of line segments running between the long sides. The interior pixels of the rectangle are then filled by interpolating color values along each line segment. Since this method is not guaranteed to fill all pixels, the system optionally maintains a map of pixels filled and not filled while performing this method, and after completion, performs an additional step of assigning to any unfilled pixels a value based on the average of all adjacent pixels.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus prints a visible watermark superimposed over an original image on recording paper. The apparatus includes a first memory for storing watermark print information, a second memory for storing watermark effective data, a third memory for storing original image data, an original image data reader for reading out the original image data from the third memory, and a watermark data reader for reading out the watermark effective data based on the watermark print information.

Abstract: The present invention provides the method of extracting temporal and spatial combination markers including the steps of: (1) simplifying inputted current image frames, quantizing the simplified images, and then extracting spatial markers from the simplified and quantized image frames using spatial information; (2) extracting temporal markers from inputted current image frames and previous image frames using temporal information, and (3) combining the extracted spatial marker and the extracted temporal marker to extract temporal and spatial markers.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method of determining an index of a code vector (VCk) belonging to a predetermined lattice, characterised in that it includes the steps of: determining (E47) a leader vector (Y, VLk) for the code vector (VCk), seeking (E50, E51) a permutation number (NP) between the code vector and the leader vector, determining (E51) the index (Ik) for the code vector according to the permutation number. The invention makes it possible to code a code vector, for example in the context of the lattice vector quantization of a digital signal.

Abstract: Automatic coil selection is based on determining an index gauge for a corresponding k-space data line acquired for each preselected coil during a prescan. Reliance on manual coil selection and markers is eliminated by adaptively determining the coils of an MR system that produce a preferred sensitivity to a desired field-of-view (FOV). The fast scan data is used to determine those coils most sensitive to the FOV and reject coil(s) least sensitive. Using only data acquired with the most sensitive coils, SNR is increased and unwanted artifacts are reduced in the final data acquisition and image reconstruction. Through automatic and adaptive selection/deselection, the invention reduces the susceptibility to human error, and therefore results in higher quality images.

Abstract: According to present invention, there is provide a method of verification for a computer system, the method comprising the steps of acquiring a face image of a user at any time of a user operation, verifying whether the acquired face image coincides with any one of pre-registered face images, and executing a preset process where the acquired face image coincides with the any one of the pre-registered face images.