Abstract: The present invention relates to a system 10 for generating a content hierarchy 12 for use in laying out content from a source 14 for display. The system comprises a content gatherer 16 co-operable with a source for gathering content from the source into content sub-groups dependent on the content type of the content; a design fragment populater 24 for populating at least one design fragment 19 using the gathered source content, the plurality of design fragments each comprising design parameters specifying how the source content can be laid out; and a content hierarchy assembler 32 for attaching the populated design fragment to a selected parent fragment 19 permitted for the populated design fragment, the parent fragment containing design parameters specifying how each design fragment can be laid out for display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of populating a space 10 with a plurality of child elements 12 at least one of which having variable size or shape, the method comprising: determining for each child element a permissible range of internal layouts 28 dependent on the content of the child element; generating a first set of allocations 64a, 64b, 64n of the child elements in the space, each first allocation being a layout of child elements which occupies less than the total amount of space to be populated; generating a second set of allocations 68a, 68b, 68n of the child elements by expanding the child elements allocated in each of the first allocations within the permissible range of internal layouts of the child elements such that at least some of the child elements occupy a greater amount of space in the second allocation than the first allocation.

Abstract: Systems and methods (150) are provided for budding and publishing a complex document. An example method (150) can include providing, to a user device, a graphical user interface (GUI) to a document builder and publisher to display a target complex document and a source complex document (152) and copying components from the source complex document to the target complex document in response to user input to build a new complex document (154). The method (150) can further include receiving a document order for the new complex document (156) and analyzing the document order to generate a list of components revenues and associated authors assigned to respective component revenues (158).

Abstract: A system (2, 200) can include memory (4, 208) to stare computer executable instructions and a processing unit (6, 210) to access the memory and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions can include a capture tool (14, 206) to import content (24, 222) into a design document (26, 212) and to logically group the content into a logical group, corresponding to a container. Dynamic behavior can be assigned to the container, in response to a user input, to control a layout of content within the container and to provide a source complex document (12, 202) stored in the memory to retain the dynamic behavior for editable content in the container.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for determining detection certainty in a cascade classifier (100). A first sequence (101) of detection stages (102) determines whether an image (112) is associated with a rare object. Each of the stages (102) rejects the image (112) when the image (112) is unassociated with the rare object and propagates the image (112) to a next stage (102) when the image (112) is unrejected. A second sequence (103) of detection stages (104) is configured for post-processing operation. If the image (112) is unrejected in a final stage (102d) of the first sequence (101), the second sequence (103) determines whether the image (112) is associated with the rare object. Each of the stages (104) propagates the image to a next stage (104), recording a rejection when the image (112) is unassociated with the rare object. A probability that the image (112) is associated with the rare object is determined.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with increasing face detection speed are described. One example method includes determining whether to control a face detection process to selectively perform a face detection in a patch in a digital image. The face detection may be based, at least in part, on determining whether the patch overlaps a face previously identified by the face detection process. The example method may also include providing a signal to control the face detection process to perform the face detection upon determining that a patch overlap does not exceed an overlap factor.

Abstract: A system for coordinating image characteristics in a plurality (n) of video streams, the system includes human factor value determination component, a human factor value comparator component, a human factor modification component. The human factor modification component determines the value of at least the human perceptible factor for at least a subset of the plurality of video streams. The human factor value comparator component compares the value of the at least one human perceptible factor for each of the at least a subset of n video streams. The human factor modification component modifies the value of the human perceptible factor for the at least a subset of the n video streams to minimize the differences in the values of the human perceptible factors between the n independently captured video streams.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that determine a largest patch size to traverse a digital image, analyze the digital image to detect one or more first objects of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size, and discontinue analyzing the digital image when the digital image includes the first object(s) of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size. The patch size is decremented to progressively smaller patch sizes if the first object(s) of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size is not detected and the digital image is further analyzed to detect one or more first objects of a size approximately the same as the smaller patch size until the first object(s) are detected or the patch size is decremented below a predetermined smallest size.

Abstract: A method of pre-processing an image to identify processes for subsequent processing of the image, comprising the steps of: a) investigating portions of the image using a spatial filter; b) calculating for a first plurality of regions within a portion of the image under investigation respective metrics as a function of intensity within those regions; c) selecting combinations of regions within the portion of the image under investigation and processing them to obtain a second plurality of filter values, where the second plurality is greater than the first plurality; and d) comparing the filter values with process thresholds for subsequent processes so as to identify subsequent processes that can be skipped.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for determining detection certainty in a cascade classifier (100). A first sequence (101) of detection stages (102) determines whether an image (112) is associated with a rare object. Each of the stages (102) rejects the image (112) when the image (112) is unassociated with the rare object and propagates the image (112) to a next stage (102) when the image (112) is unrejected. A second sequence (103) of detection stages (104) is configured for post-processing operation. If the image (112) is unrejected in a final stage (102d) of the first sequence (101), the second sequence (103) determines whether the image (112) is associated with the rare object. Each of the stages (104) propagates the image to a next stage (104), recording a rejection when the image (112) is unassociated with the rare object. A probability that the image (112) is associated with the rare object is determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for building a complex document. A system can include a memory for storing computer executable instructions and a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions can include a graphical user interface engine to display a complex document and to display a feedforward indicator associated with an element in the complex document in response to a first user operation. The feedforward indicator provides a user with an indication of affects to the complex document associated with a second user operation.

Abstract: A system to generate a source complex document can include memory for storing computer executable instructions and a processor for accessing the memory and executing the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions can include an interface to access selected content from a source of content. An ingest engine can populate the source complex document with the selected content from the source of content, attribute data being added to the selected content and stored with the selected content in the memory such that the selected content of the source complex document is dynamically linked via the attribute data in a format that is substantially identical to that of a target complex document.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for building a complex document. A system can include a memory for storing computer executable instructions and a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions can include a graphical user interface engine to display a target complex document browser and a plurality of source complex document browsers, such that elements and containers contained within a complex document displayed by each of the source complex document browsers are copyable into the target complex document browser in response to user input information to build a new complex document.

Abstract: A method of tracking an object such as a face in a video stream comprises running an object detector at a plurality of locations on a first frame, defining a coarse grid. This is repeated for second and subsequent frames, with the grid slightly offset each time so that, ultimately, all of the points on a fine grid are covered but in several passes. When an object such as a face is located on one frame, positional and/or scale information is propagated to the next frame to assist in the tracking of that object onto the next frame.

Abstract: Detectors capable of accurately detecting and tracking moving features of such as faces within a video stream are sometimes too slow to be run in real-time. The present invention rapidly scans video footage in real-time and generates a series of preattemptive triggers indicating the frames and locations within the frames at our deserving of further investigation by a sub real-time detector. The triggers are generated by looking for peaks in a time variant measure such as the amount of symmetry within a frame or portion of a frame.

Abstract: A method for automatically assessing the competence of a photographer includes assigning a competency level to the photographer based on a statistical comparison of image features between a collection of the photographer's images and a collection of high competency images. Service and product offerings can be tailored to the photographer based on the competency level assigned by the statistical comparison.

Abstract: A method of annotating audio-visual data is disclosed. The method includes detecting a plurality of facial expressions in an audience based on a stimulus, determining an emotional response to the stimulus based on the facial expressions and generating at least one annotation of the stimulus based on the determined emotional response.

Abstract: A sequence of templates (22) is determined. Each of the templates (22) defines a spatiotemporal layout of regions in a display area (38). Each of the regions is associated with a set of one or more image selection criteria and a set of one or more temporal behavior attribute values. For each of the templates (22), an image layer for each of the regions of the template is ascertained. For each of the layers (18), an image element (30) is assigned to the region in accordance with the respective set of image selection criteria. For each frame (20) in a frame sequence, a set of rendering parameter values is produced, where each set specifies a composition of the respective frame in the display area (38) based on a respective set of the image layers (18) determined for the templates (22) and the respective sets of temporal behavior attribute values.

Abstract: Systems and methods of face and skin sensitive image enhancement are disclosed. In one aspect, a face map that includes for each pixel of an input image a respective face probability value indicating a degree to which the pixel corresponds to a human face is calculated. A skin map that includes for each pixel of the input image a respective skin probability value indicating a degree to which the pixel corresponds to human skin is ascertained. The input image is enhanced with an enhancement level that varies pixel-by-pixel in accordance with the respective face probability values and the respective skin probability values. In another aspect, a facial content measurement value indicating a degree to which an input image contains human face content is ascertained. A tone-correction process is tuned in accordance with the facial content measurement value. The input image is enhanced in accordance with the tuned tone-correction process.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that determine a largest patch size to traverse a digital image, analyze the digital image to detect one or more first objects of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size, and discontinue analyzing the digital image when the digital image includes the first object(s) of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size. The patch size is decremented to progressively smaller patch sizes if the first object(s) of a size approximately the same as the largest patch size is not detected and the digital image is further analyzed to detect one or more first objects of a size approximately the same as the smaller patch size until the first object(s) are detected or the patch size is decremented below a predetermined smallest size.