Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to construct a designated functional based on a plurality of functions each associated with a corresponding portion of image information relating to at least first and second images, and to generate a target image utilizing the constructed functional. For example, the functions may comprise a set of functions ƒ1(A1), ƒ1(A1), . . . , ƒ1(A1) of pixels from respective input images A1, A2, AL of the image information, and the functional may be a function F(X) of the set of functions ƒ1,(A1) ƒ2(AL), ƒL(AL) where X denotes the target image and is generated by minimizing the functional F(X). The input images may be received from one or more image sources and the target image may be provided to one or more image destinations.

Abstract: An image processor comprises image processing circuitry implementing a plurality of processing layers including a preprocessing layer for received image data and one or more higher processing layers coupled to the preprocessing layer. The image processor further comprises a multi-channel interface including at least first and second image data channels arranged in parallel with one another between the preprocessing layer and a given higher processing layer. The first image data channel is configured to carry partial depth information derived from the received image data to the given higher processing layer, and the second image data channel is configured to carry complete preprocessed frames of the received image data from the preprocessing layer to the given higher processing layer. By way of example only, in a given embodiment the partial depth information comprises depth information determined to have at least a specified level of reliability.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor having image processing circuitry and an associated memory. The image processor is configured to identify a region of interest in an amplitude image, to detect one or more relatively low gradient regions in the region of interest, to reconstruct depth information for said one or more relatively low gradient regions, to extend the reconstructed depth information beyond said one or more relatively low gradient regions to additional pixels of the region of interest, and to generate a depth image utilizing at least portions of the reconstructed depth information and the extended reconstructed depth information. The image processor in some embodiments is adapted for coupling to an active lighting image sensor, such as an infrared sensor that does not provide depth information corresponding to the amplitude image, or an SL or ToF sensor that provides depth information corresponding to the amplitude image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an image processor is configured to obtain a plurality of phase images for each of first and second depth frames. For each of a plurality of pixels of a given one of the phase images of the first depth frame, the image processor determines an amount of movement of a point of an imaged scene between the pixel of the given phase image and a pixel of a corresponding phase image of the second depth frame, and adjusts pixel values of respective other phase images of the first depth frame based on the determined amount of movement. A motion compensated first depth image is generated utilizing the given phase image and the adjusted other phase images of the first depth frame. Movement of a point of the imaged scene is determined, for example, between pixels of respective n-th phase images of the first and second depth frames.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to perform an edge detection operation on a first image to obtain a second image, to identify particular edges of the second image that exhibit at least a specified reliability, and to generate a third image comprising the particular edges and excluding other edges of the second image. By way of example only, in a given embodiment the first image may comprise a depth image generated by a depth imager, the second image may comprise an edge image generated by applying the edge detection operation to the depth image, and the third image may comprise a modified edge image having only the particular edges that exhibit at least the specified reliability.

Abstract: An image processor comprises image processing circuitry implementing a plurality of processing layers including at least an evaluation layer and a recognition layer. The evaluation layer comprises a software-implemented portion and a hardware-implemented portion, with the software-implemented portion of the evaluation layer being configured to generate first object data of a first precision level using a software algorithm, and the hardware-implemented portion of the evaluation layer being configured to generate second object data of a second precision level lower than the first precision level using a hardware algorithm. The evaluation layer further comprises a signal combiner configured to combine the first and second object data to generate output object data for delivery to the recognition layer. By way of example only, the evaluation layer may be implemented in the form of an evaluation subsystem of a gesture recognition system of the image processor.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor having image processing circuitry and an associated memory. The image processor is configured to implement a gesture recognition system comprising a static pose recognition module. The static pose recognition module is configured to identify a hand region of interest in at least one image, to extract a contour of the hand region of interest, to compute a feature vector based at least in part on the extracted contour, and to recognize a static pose of the hand region of interest utilizing a dynamic warping operation based at least in part on the feature vector.

Abstract: A depth imager is configured to generate a first depth image using a first depth imaging technique, and to generate a second depth image using a second depth imaging technique different than the first depth imaging technique. At least portions of the first and second depth images are merged to form a third depth image. The depth imager comprises at least one sensor including a single common sensor at least partially shared by the first and second depth imaging techniques, such that the first and second depth images are both generated at least in part using data acquired from the single common sensor. By way of example, the first depth image may comprise a structured light (SL) depth map generated using an SL depth imaging technique, and the second depth image may comprise a time of flight (ToF) depth map generated using a ToF depth imaging technique.

Abstract: An image processor comprises image processing circuitry implementing a plurality of processing layers including at least an evaluation layer and a recognition layer. The evaluation layer comprises a software-implemented portion and a hardware-implemented portion, with the software-implemented portion of the evaluation layer being configured to generate first object data of a first precision level using a software algorithm, and the hardware-implemented portion of the evaluation layer being configured to eV generate second object data of a second precision level lower than the first precision level using a hardware algorithm. The evaluation layer further comprises a signal combiner configured to combine the first and second object data to generate output object data for delivery to the recognition layer. By way of example only, the evaluation layer may be implemented in the form of an evaluation subsystem of a gesture recognition system of the image processor.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to construct a designated functional based on a plurality of functions each associated with a corresponding portion of image information relating to at least first and second images, and to generate a target image utilizing the constructed functional. For example, the functions may comprise a set of functions f1(A1), f1(A1), . . . , f1(A1) of pixels from respective input images A1, A2, AL of the image information, and the functional may be a function F(X) of the set of functions f1,(A1) f2(AL), fL(AL) where X denotes the target image and is generated by minimizing the functional F(X). The input images may be received from one or more image sources and the target image may be provided to one or more image destinations.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to determine velocity of a hand in a plurality of images, and to selectively enable dynamic gesture recognition for at least one image responsive to the determined velocity. By way of example, the image processor illustratively includes a dynamic gesture preprocessing detector and a dynamic gesture recognizer, with the dynamic gesture preprocessing detector being configured to determine the velocity of the hand for a current frame and to compare the determined velocity to a specified velocity threshold. If the determined velocity is greater than or equal to the velocity threshold, the dynamic gesture recognizer operates on the current frame, and otherwise the dynamic gesture recognizer is bypassed for the current frame. The dynamic gesture recognizer when enabled is configured to generate similarity measures for respective ones of a plurality of gestures of a gesture vocabulary for the current frame.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to perform an edge detection operation on a first image to obtain a second image, to identify particular edges of the second image that exhibit at least a specified reliability, and to generate a third image comprising the particular edges and excluding other edges of the second image. By way of example only, in a given embodiment the first image may comprise a depth image generated by a depth imager, the second image may comprise an edge image generated by applying the edge detection operation to the depth image, and the third image may comprise a modified edge image having only the particular edges that exhibit at least the specified reliability.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor having image processing circuitry and an associated memory. The image processor is configured to implement a gesture recognition system comprising a static pose recognition module. The static pose recognition module is configured to identify a hand region of interest in at least one image, to perform a skeletonization operation on the hand region of interest, to determine a main direction of the hand region of interest utilizing a result of the skeletonization operation, to perform a scanning operation on the hand region of interest utilizing the determined main direction to estimate a plurality of hand features that are substantially invariant to hand orientation, and to recognize a static pose of the hand region of interest based on the estimated hand features.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to establish a main processing thread and a parallel processing thread for respective portions of a multithreaded gesture recognition process. The parallel processing thread is configured to utilize buffer circuitry of the image processor, such as one or more double buffers of the buffer circuitry, so as to permit the parallel processing thread to run asynchronously to the main processing thread. The parallel processing thread implements one of noise estimation, background estimation and static hand pose recognition for the multithreaded gesture recognition process. Additional processing threads may be established to run in parallel with the main processing thread. For example, the image processor may establish a first parallel processing thread implementing the noise estimation, a second parallel processing thread implementing the background estimation, and a third parallel processing thread implementing the static hand pose recognition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an image processing system comprises an image processor configured to obtain depth and amplitude data associated with a depth image, to identify a region of interest based on the depth and amplitude data, to separately compress the depth and amplitude data based on the identified region of interest to form respective compressed depth and amplitude portions, and to combine the separately compressed portions to provide a compressed depth image. The image processor may additionally or alternatively be configured to obtain a compressed depth image, to divide the compressed depth image into compressed depth and amplitude portions, and to separately decompress the compressed depth and amplitude portions to provide respective depth and amplitude data associated with a depth image. Other embodiments of the invention can be adapted for compressing or decompressing only depth data associated with a given depth image or sequence of depth images.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image processor configured to identify one or more potentially defective pixels associated with at least one depth artifact in a first image, and to apply a super resolution technique utilizing a second image to reconstruct depth information of the one or more potentially defective pixels. Application of the super resolution technique produces a third image having the reconstructed depth information. The first image may comprise a depth image and the third image may comprise a depth image corresponding generally to the first image but with the depth artifact substantially eliminated. An additional super resolution technique may be applied utilizing a fourth image. Application of the additional super resolution technique produces a fifth image having increased spatial resolution relative to the third image.