Abstract: A pixel block is compressed by providing a respective color component prediction for each pixel in the block. A difference between color components of two neighboring pixels is calculated and compared to a threshold. If the difference is smaller than the threshold, the prediction is calculated based on a first linear combination of the color components of these two neighboring pixels. However, if the difference exceeds the threshold, a second or third linear combination of the color components of the neighboring pixels is employed in the prediction. A guiding bit associated with the selected linear combination may be used. A prediction error is calculated based on the color component of the pixel and the provided prediction. The compressed block comprises an encoded representation of the prediction error and any guiding bit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to acquiring image data of a subject with an imaging system that has been calibrated. The imaging system can include an ultrasound imaging system that collects one of more images based on a plane of image acquisition. The plane of image acquisition can be calibrated to a tracking device associated with the ultrasound transducer.

Abstract: A JPEG decoder having a scaling function includes an inverse discrete cosine transform block, wherein the JPEG decoder selectively performs an inverse discrete cosine transform on a part of pixel data of a macroblock through the inverse discrete cosine transform block and outputs a scaled image file. The JPEG decoder and the scaling method using the JPEG decoder increase a decoding speed, thereby enabling an image to be output in real time, especially when the JPEG decoder and/or the scaling method are applied to a mobile field. Also, the JPEG decoder and the scaling method using the JPEG decoder can achieve an efficient scaling, even without a separate circuit for scaling, thereby reducing a circuit size and the number of components.

Abstract: A method for identifying a region of interest within a time sequence of images includes acquiring a time sequence of images comprising a plurality of image frames. Image segmentation is performed to segment a region of interest (ROI) from within each of the plurality of image frames of the time sequence of images. Manual edits are received for the ROI within one or more of the plurality of image frames. The manual edits are propagated to other image frames of the plurality of images. An extent to which each of the manual edits are propagated to other image frames is dependent upon a transformation function or deformation field used to propagate the manual edits and a weighing factor that is influenced by a distance in time between the other image frames and the frames that have been manually edited.

Abstract: A license plate localization method and system based on a combination of a top-down texture analysis and a bottom-up connected component. An image with respect to a vehicle captured by an image capturing unit can be processed in order to locate and binarize a busy area. A black run with respect to the binarized image can be analyzed and classified and one or more objects (connected components) can be generated based on the black run classification. The objects can be further classified in accordance with their size utilizing a run-length based filter to filter out a non-text object. The leftover objects can then be spatially clustered and the uniformity and linearity of the clustered objects can be examined based on a linearity test. The clustered objects can be rejected if they fail the linearity test and the detected objects can further be matched with a plate edge characteristic in order to locate a license plate.

Abstract: A forensic mark insertion apparatus includes: an original content segment storage unit for storing multiple original contents; and a service control unit for, in response to a request for a content from a user, retrieving an original content corresponding to the request for the content from the original content segment storage unit, separating the retrieved original content into plurality of content segments, selectively inserting a forensic mark into some of the content segments, and assembling the content segments to produce an forensic-mark inserted content to be provided to the user.

Abstract: A data structure for use by a computer system for processing medical image data and representing at least one first region of a patient includes at least one computer-detected feature of interest. The data structure includes a first computer code that is executable to detect first data representing at least one second region included within a respective first region. At least one said feature of interest in said second region has a significant likelihood of representing a computer-detected false positive. The second computer code is executable to provide second data for enabling at least one said first region to be displayed on a display device, such that at least one said second region is displayed on the display apparatus differently from part of said first region not containing features of interest having a significant likelihood of representing computer-detected false positives.

Abstract: Multiple candidates are optimized in medical device or feature tracking. Possible locations of medical devices or features for each of a plurality of different times are received. The possible locations of devices are modeled using a probability function. An iterative solution to obtain the maximum of the probability function determines the possible locations to be used as the locations of the medical devices or features for each time. Where two or more medical devices or features are provided with a geometric relationship, such as being connected by a detected guide wire, the probability function may account for the geometric relationship, such as a geodesic distance between the possible locations for the two medical devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems of recognizing images may include an apparatus having a hardware module with logic to, for a plurality of vectors in an image, determine a first intermediate computation based on even pixels of an image vector, and determine a second intermediate computation based on odd pixels of an image vector. The logic can also combine the first and second intermediate computations into a Hessian matrix computation.

Abstract: A digital image processing apparatus recognizes an image of a firework and performs image quality processing on the image. The digital image processing apparatus for recognizing a firework may include a digital signal processor (DSP) that recognizes a firework in a scene recognition mode based on data regarding luminance and size of flames of the firework of a live view image including at least two consecutively input frames, and that performs image quality processing on the live view image.

Abstract: A method for selecting important digital images in a collection of digital images, comprising: analyzing the digital images in the collection of digital images to identify one or more sets of similar digital images; identifying one or more sets of similar digital images having the largest number of similar digital images; selecting one or more digital images from the identified largest sets of similar digital images to be important digital images; and storing an indication of the selected important digital image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: A data compression system and a data compression method using the same are provided. The data compression method includes acquiring original data from a memory and performs image processing and quantization on the original data to transform the original data into a quantization matrix. The data compression method then transforms the quantization matrix into a digital sequence based on a coding table and compares the data volume of the digital sequence and a target volume to generate a volume difference. The data compression method transforms the digital sequence into an inverse quantization matrix based on the volume difference and then transforms the inverse quantization matrix into a modified digital sequence based on the volume difference. The data compression method repeats the processes until the data volume of the digital sequence is substantially equal to a target volume or within an acceptable range of the target volume.

Abstract: An image encoding device includes: a first encoding unit for encoding image data using a fixed-quantizing parameter to calculate a generated code amount; a second encoding unit for encoding the image data using multiple different quantizing parameters for each of the quantizing parameters as the image data of an intra picture to calculate a generated code amount; a code amount control unit for determining a quantizing parameter by predicting a quantizing parameter for realizing a target generated code amount, and a generated code amount when employing this quantizing parameter based on the generated code amount calculated at the first encoding unit, and correcting this predicted generated code amount according to the generated code amount calculated at the second encoding unit so as to realize the target generated code amount; and a third encoding unit for encoding the image data using the quantizing parameter determined at the code amount control unit.

Abstract: A review apparatus comprises: means for acquiring a reference image and an optical image by associating the data of the reference image and the data of the optical image with the gradation values defined by a color palette selected from among a plurality of first color palettes; and means for acquiring a comparison image by associating comparison image data that can be acquired from the reference image data and the optical image data with the gradation values defined by a color palette selected from among a plurality of second color palettes. Gradation values for the comparison image data are represented by gradation values for the reference image data and gradation values for the optical image data.

Abstract: A distance acquisition device is for acquiring a first rounded distance from a reference point to a basis point, and for subsequently acquiring a second rounded distance from an adjacent point to the basis point. The reference, adjacent, and basis points are disposed on a plane. The adjacent point is adjacent to the reference point. The distance acquisition device includes: a reference distance acquisition unit for acquiring a precise distance from the reference point to the basis point, and for subsequently performing rounding upon the precise distance so as to obtain the first rounded distance; a reference error acquisition unit for obtaining a first reference error corresponding to a difference between the precise distance and the first rounded distance; and a distance estimating unit for setting the second rounded distance based on the first rounded distance and the first reference error.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are described for providing a computer implemented control system for an automated system. The system includes a document receiving component configured for receiving a plurality of design documents and for rendering a plurality of design document views corresponding to the plurality of design documents. The system also includes an input receiving component configured for receiving an indication selecting first and second design document views, a data extraction component configured for automatically extracting design data from the first and second design document views, a matching component configured for determining a relationship between the design data from the first and second design document views, and a data manager component configured for storing the relationship in a data store accessible by a computer implemented control system that controls a plurality of devices in the automated system based on the stored relationship.

Abstract: Among other things, a degree is determined to which values of a feature that characterizes cases correctly predict classes to which cases belong, the degree depending on a combination of at least two factors that include: (a) uncertainty about the values that the feature will have depending on knowledge about classes to which cases belong, and (b) comparison of one or more first values of the feature that are associated with cases that belong to a first class with one or more second values of the feature associated with cases belonging to a second class.

Abstract: A technique for providing feedback about an image of a financial document to a user is described. During this feedback technique, the user provides the image of a financial document, such as W-2 form. For example, the user may take a picture of or may scan the financial document. This image may be analyzed using predefined information in a set of financial documents (such as different types of income-tax documents), and a quality metric for the image may be determined using the analysis. Moreover, the feedback, which is based on the determined quality metric, may be provided to the user. For example, the user may be instructed to retake the image, and the instructions may include an image of the desired orientation and content. In this way, the user may be advised as to how to improve the quality metric in the revised image.

Abstract: A CT angiography apparatus compensates for respiratory motion. During a helical scan, a radiation source and a detector generate data sets corresponding to a plurality of sub-volumes of a blood vessel over a plurality of cardiac cycles. Sub-volume data sets corresponding to a selected cardiac phase are reconstructed into a plurality of sub-volume images. Characteristic points in the sub-volume images are identified. A computer routine or processor calculates a respiratory motion vector based on the identified characteristic points in a plurality of the sub-volume images. An image reconstruction routine or processor reconstructs the original sub-volume data in the selected cardiac phase into a volume image representation using the calculated respiratory motion vector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for initializing motion tracking of human hands within bounded regions are disclosed. One embodiment includes: a processor; reference and alternate view cameras; and memory containing a plurality of templates that are rotated and scaled versions of a base template. In addition, a hand tracking application configures the processor to: obtain reference and alternate view frames of video data; generate a depth map; identify at least one bounded region within the reference frame of video data containing pixels having distances from the reference camera that are within a specific range of distances; determine whether any of the pixels within the at least one bounded region are part of a human hand; track the motion of the part of the human hand in a sequence of frames of video data obtained from the reference camera; and confirm that the tracked motion corresponds to a predetermined initialization gesture.