Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating contour images that represent the contour of objects reflected in images, calculating contour histogram descriptors of the contour images, and classifying images based in part on the histogram descriptors of the contour images. For example, a contour image of an image is created. A radial-polar grid having a plurality of radial-polar bins is then positioned on the contour image. A contour histogram descriptor is created to include a number of bins that correspond to the radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid, where the contents of the bins of the contour histogram descriptor represent the number of pixels of the contour image that are located in the corresponding radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid. Images are classified at least based in part on comparisons between contour histogram descriptors of the images and contour histogram descriptors of training images.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus obtains an image of an original area on the basis of a platen image obtained by reading an entire surface of a platen including an original placed on the platen. The image processing apparatus extracts a plurality of image areas included in the platen image, and determines whether each of the extracted image areas has a specific characteristic. The image processing apparatus judges that a rectangular area including all of the plurality of image areas is an original image in a case where at least one of the plurality of image areas has the specific characteristic, and judges that each of the plurality of image areas is an original image in a case where none of the plurality of image areas has the specific characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method system for providing group interactivity. The system includes a module that determines a size of an audience in an image provided by an image acquisition device and a module that controls interaction in a small audience environment. In addition, the system includes a module that controls interaction in a large audience environment. The present invention can also be viewed as a method for providing group interactivity. The method operates by determining size of an audience in a image, interacting in a small audience environment and interacting in a large audience environment.

Abstract: A method for distinguishing a foreground object from a monochromatic background in a digital image depicting a foreground object in front of said monochromatic background. A outer edge intensity map is created of the foreground object to which a tracing process is conducted. A continuous edge map is created by utilizing the traced edges in the outer edge intensity map. By selecting a path on the continuous edge map based on average edge intensity, a final edge map is created. The pixels comprised within the final edge map are distinguished as the foreground object. Optionally, the final edge map may be refined utilizing certain techniques.

Abstract: An image compression apparatus includes: a line memory unit for holding pixel values for at least one immediately previous line in the lines to be processed of an image to be compressed; a division unit for dividing pixels of the line to be processed into 2n-pixel blocks; a first estimation value calculation unit for extrapolation-estimating the 2n-1-th pixel and the 2n-th pixel in the blocks divided, and obtaining an estimated value in processing for the first hierarchical level; a second estimation value calculation unit for interpolation-estimating certain pixels and obtaining an estimated value in the processing for the second hierarchical level through the processing for the n-th hierarchical level; and an estimation coding unit for obtaining an estimation error from the estimated value, converting the estimation error into a quantization number, converting the quantization number into a variable length code, and obtaining a compression code.

Abstract: An example-based 2D to 3D image conversion method, a computer readable medium therefore, and a system are provided. The embodiments are based on an image database with depth information or with which depth information can be generated. With respect to a 2D image to be converted into 3D content, a matched background image is found from the database. In addition, graph-based segmentation and comparison techniques are employed to detect the foreground of the 2D image so that the relative depth map can be generated from the foreground and background information. Therefore, the 3D content can be provided with the 2D image plus the depth information. Thus, users can rapidly obtain the 3D content from the 2D image automatically and the rendering of the 3D content can be achieved.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a block background/foreground determination unit which determines, based on a block attribute and quantized color information, whether each connected area is a foreground or a background, a block background/foreground attribute determination unit which determines, based on the block attribute, the attribute of a connected area determined to be the foreground of the block and the attribute of a connected area determined to be the background of the block, and a block background/foreground attribute information recording unit which records and holds information of the attribute of the block and the attribute of each connected area.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus, an image encoding method, and an image encoding program capable of minimizing image degradation, controlling a code amount in units smaller than a picture, and ensuring that encoding of the picture is completed within a certain time period is provided. A symbol number estimating device estimates the total bin number of a plurality of macro blocks constituting a picture. An entropy encoding selector outputs the entropy encoding mode selecting signal to an entropy encoder using the inputted bin number, in order to select one of a CABAC device or a VLC device. A CPU performs image encoding by executing a control program stored in a program storing portion.

Abstract: Resolution interpolation data is generated by relatively simple processing. This enables image encoding by simple and quick processing to attain high image quality and high compression performance. To do this, a tile divider extracts tile data of 32×32 pixels from encoding target original image data. A resolution converter samples one pixel of a block of 2×2 pixels in the tile data, thereby generating reduced tile data of a reduced image. An interpolation data generator generates interpolation data to be used to generate tile data having the original resolution from the reduced tile data. Based on the interpolation data of a tile of interest, an encoding method selector outputs a control signal indicating which one of lossless encoding and lossy encoding should be executed for the reduced tile data. A code stream generator outputs the generated encoded data and interpolation data as encoded image data.

Abstract: A preprocessing section binarizes input image data and calculates a total black pixel ratio. A feature extracting section detects connected components included in the binary image data and detects circumscribing bounding boxes of the connected components. Predetermined connected components are removed from all of the connected components based on the sizes of the detected circumscribing bounding boxes and bounding box black pixel ratios. By using the connected components that remain after removing the unnecessary connected components, a histogram is generated by specifying the sizes of the circumscribing bounding boxes as classes and numbers of the connected components as the frequencies of occurrence. A determining section determines whether the input image data is document image data or non-document image data based on information related to the generated histogram and the total black pixel ratio.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for modeling a chromatic object, such as an image. For a set of colors of a chromatic object that are expressed as color values in a perceptual color space, the method includes optimizing a convex objective function which is a log likelihood function of a combination of weighted kernels centered on each color in the set over each of the other colors in the set. A number Nc of weighted kernels in the optimized function which each have a weight which is at least greater than 0 is identified. The chromatic object is modeled with a mixture model in which the complexity of the model is based on the identified number Nc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which able to shorten processing time and includes an image inputting unit that inputs an image, a region division unit that generates region information by dividing an input image input by the image inputting unit into regions having a plurality of different types of attributes, including a frame region attribute, a non-frame region processing unit that obtains data of respective regions other than frame regions by applying attribute-specific processing for respective regions, excluding frame regions, included in the input image on the basis of the input image and the region information, and executes processing of filling of the processed regions, and a frame region processing unit that executes reduction processing and vectorization processing for the frame region according to the region size of the frame region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image correction processing unit configured to correct an input image so as to generate a corrected image and a super-resolution processing unit configured to receive the corrected image generated by the image correction processing unit and increase a resolution of the corrected image through super-resolution processing so as to generate a high-resolution image. The image correction processing unit performs at least one of a time-direction noise removal process, a space-direction noise removal process, a compression noise removal process, and an aperture control correction process.

Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, apparatus and systems for performing image processing regression for approximating multidimensional color transformation. According to an exemplary method, a shaping matrix is selected to minimize a cost function associated with a local linear regression representation of the color transformation. In addition, an alternating least squares algorithm is utilized to jointly optimize regression and shaping parameters.

Abstract: A method of segmenting a media signal for parallel watermarking operations sub-divides the media signal into segments, distributes the segments to parallel processors, and performs parallel digital watermark operations on the segments in the parallel processors. These parallel processors may comprise separate threads of execution on a processing unit, or several execution threads distributed to several processing units. In one enhancement, the method prioritizes the segments for watermarking operations. This enables finite processing resources to be allocated to segments in order of their priority. Further, processing resources are devoted to segments where the digital watermark is more likely to be imperceptible and/or readable. A system for distributed watermark embedding operations includes a watermark signal generator, a perceptual analyzer and a watermark applicator.

Abstract: A testing method includes following steps. An electronic image is captured by an electronic device. A test device detect whether the image has any black bar. If the image has a black bar, pixel values in the black bar are extracted. If the pixel values in the black bar are all the same, a test result of imaging software error is presented. If the pixel values in the black bar are different from each other, a test result of mechanism error is presented. A test system associated with the testing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An image processing device for converting an input image into an output image whose blur is reduced. The image processing device includes a first image extracting section that extracts a plurality of pixels composed of a pixel of the input image corresponding to a pixel of interest in the output image and predetermined pixels surrounding the pixel of the input image. A first feature quantity calculating section calculates a first feature quantity from the plurality of pixels extracted by the first image extracting section. A second pixel extracting section extracts a plurality of pixels composed of the pixel of interest and predetermined pixels surrounding the pixel of interest from the input image. A predicting section then generates a pixel value of the pixel of interest.

Abstract: An image processing device that can highly precisely correct an image with a degraded image quality due to the unnecessary diffracted light generated in the optical system including the diffractive optical element is provided.

Abstract: This invention generates efficient encoded data to restore original image data from reduced image data. An input unit inputs block data of 2×2 pixels from original image data. A converter generates reduced image data having a size smaller than the original image data by sampling one pixel data at a preset position in the input block data. A generator generates encoded data to restore three non-sampling target pixel data in each block data so as to restore the original image data from the reduced image data generated by the resolution converter. To do this, the generator determines whether all non-sampling target pixels in a block of interest are restorable from a sampling target pixel in the block of interest or from sampling target pixels in three blocks adjacent to the block of interest, and generates and outputs three kinds of additional information based on the determination result.