Abstract: A processing device receives first specification information for an executable functional programming feature from a program and second specification information for the executable functional programming feature from a specification associated with the program. The processing device aggregates the first specification information with the second specification information to form combined specification information for the executable functional programming feature. The processing device verifies the executable programming feature using the combined specification information.

Abstract: Reference material in a digital graphics album is specified. Annotation data is extracted from the reference material and may be processed by a natural language processor to produce search keywords. In addition to the keywords, user directives may be provided, both of which are used to conduct a search for related graphical materials. The search is conducted by querying a graphical material database through a network connection. The search results are received and the user can select from the resultant materials for inclusion in the digital graphics album. If no satisfactory material is found, the user can specify a reference graphical image that is processed to produce search criteria that are image content descriptors. The database is again queried in accordance with these descriptors to provide search results for possible inclusion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for efficient computing of perspective transformation motion tracking parameters in a sequence of images. More specifically, a set of initial positions for N points defined as (xi yi) for i=1 to N corresponding to at least one input image in a sequence of images are defined. The initial positions are preferably chosen based on image features having good edge and corner definitions. A set of mapping parameters are then generated using a matrix processor to solve linearized equations that define a set of final positions. The mapping parameters are then applied to the initial positions to define the set of final positions.

Abstract: A method of producing a multimedia media by accessing, selecting, arranging, composing, compressing, and previewing multimedia materials. The method comprises the intercommunication of computers, imaging devices or kiosks communicating over an internet or communications network to author a multimedia media. The devices share capability over the network to produce the multimedia media. The resultant multimedia media is returned from a fulfillment center.

Abstract: A system and method of recording information on a recordable optical disc to provide a multimedia enabled disc. The method comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of digital still images, selecting at least one audio clip, encoding the plurality of digital still images and the audio clip as a single MPEG bitstream, encoding each of the plurality of digital still images as a digital image file; and recording the single MPEG bitstream and the plurality of digital image files on the recordable optical disc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for efficiently and automatically removing unwanted temporal lighting variations from image sequences. Specifically, temporal light variations from a sequence of images are removed by a process of selecting a reference image (R) and designating a portion of the reference image as a reference image region (M), designating a first portion of at least one base image (F) of the sequence of images as a first selected image region (M') and a second portion as a second selected image region (M"), generating a color mapping by comparing the selected image region of the base image (M') with the reference image region of the reference image frame (M), and applying the color mapping to the second selected image region (M") of the base image (F) to generated a corrected image (F'). Three separate methods of performing the color mapping are disclosed.

Abstract: A center of an approximately circular pattern in a physical image can be determined by scanning the physical image to produce an array of digital values. The array of digital values are used to calculate a score at each of a set of candidate center locations. The candidate center location having the highest score is selected as the best overall center for the entire pattern. Typically, the scores are computed on discrete rectangular grid locations, which gives the location of the center to the resolution of the discrete grid. The location can be determined to a finer resolution by recomputing the scores over a grid that has a finer resolution, but only extends over a small neighborhood around the first estimate of the center. This refinement can be repeated an arbitrary number of times. After the final refinement, the resulting estimate of the center location can be taken as the final estimate, or a final interpolation can be performed.

Abstract: A system for creating an index print, generated from a negative strip having one or more frame images, independent of sequentially scanning each frame on the negative strip, the system includes a scanner for substantially simultaneously creating a composite digital image of the negative strip from the negative placed on the scanner independent of the position or orientation of the negative on the scanner. An image locator operatively connected to the scanner for locating each digital representation in the composite digital image of the individual frame images on the negative strip. A printer operatively connected to the locator for printing the index print from a signal from the locator.

Abstract: A computer program product for inputting a desired soft edge into a digital mask comprises a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of selecting the desired profile having a predetermined hard-edge position and transition width; selecting a distance from the hard-edge position to a boundary of the transition width for forming a kernel distance; determining a minimum distance to the hard edge for each pixel within the kernel distance from the hard edge; substituting values from the desired profile for each pixel within the kernel distance from the hard edge using the minimum distance of the pixel from the hard edge.

Abstract: A computer program product for creating a soft edge in digital images comprises a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of independently receiving a transition width that indicates the width of the soft edge from a computer interface; independently receiving a desired position of a hard-edged boundary from the computer interface; receiving a function of the soft edge which uniquely corresponds a pixel value to a scaled pixel location in the digital image from the computer interface; and calculating an absolute profile of the soft edge, which uniquely corresponds a pixel value to a pixel location in the digital image, from the received transition width, position of the hard-edged boundary and function.

Abstract: A method of interpolating a reference cumulative histogram for a source image located within an image sequence, the reference cumulative histogram to be used to adjust image pixel code values of the source image to remove unwanted variations in color or tone, e.g. "flicker", while preserving an intended variation, e.g. "fade to black" in the color or tone occurring during the course of the image sequence. The method employs conversion of cumulative histograms derived from reference image frames at opposite ends of the image sequence into inverse cumulative histograms and the weighted averaging of these inverse cumulative histogram values based on the time location of the source image frame in the sequence to derive an interpolated inverse cumulative histogram which is then converted into the reference cumulative histogram used for adjusting pixel code values, for example by histogram matching, to remove the undesired variation in color or tone without loss of the intentional variation in color or tone.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of operating on a stored digital image produced by scanning the photographic element to smooth film-grain noise. The method includes extracting and storing a set of statistics of the grain pattern of the film type carrying the image, such statistics being representative of local, spatial, and spectral properties of a photographic grain pattern of that type of film; and using the stored set of statistics to operate upon the stored digital image to change such stored digital image so as to smooth film-grain noise when an image is produced.

Abstract: A pixel value estimation technique uses non-linear prediction to estimate a pixel value before the pixel is known, based on previous values seen. Initially, a number of classes are defined. Each class is a template for a pattern of pixel values. The pixels constituting the support for the prediction of a given pixel are compared to each template. A value giving the goodness of fit to each template is determined as well as a predicted pixel value based on that template. The predictions from each template are averaged together using weights related to the goodness of the fit to that template to produce a consolidated prediction.

Abstract: A pixel cloning technique allows for digital image retouching of a digital image. Initially, a cloned area and a surround area are determined. Using the image pixel values, the mean, slope, and quadratic coefficients in each color are computed for the cloned area and the surround area, and, if desired, for subregions of the surround. If subregions are used, it is determined which subregion of the surround deviates the least from the functional model. The values of the cloned pixels are adjusted so that their mean, slope, and quadratic term match the mean, slope, and quadratic term of the surround, or of the best fitting subregion of the surround.

Abstract: A luminance signal is formed from an original color signal and is used to determine a new luminance. The original color signal is then adjusted to have the new luminance in a way that does not change the hue or saturation of the original color. The method is embodied in an analog or a digital circuit and in the alternate may be may be emulated in a general purpose computer. The method permits a change in color signals which affect the overall brightness only in a non-linear way, while adding only a small amount of additional hardware or computation to implement the invention.

Abstract: An improved airbrush modeling routine is disclosed that can be implemented in a conventional electronic image reproduction system. The improved airbrush modeling routine incorporates an interpolation function with velocity smoothing to provide improved sampling of brush location during airbrushing operations by calculating the average velocity between sample intervals and determining average acceleration. In addition, randomness is introduced in the improved airbrush modeling routine to provide for a "textured" appearance in a retouched area of an original image.

Abstract: Color and luminance measurement signals produced by the multiple sensors of a multiband (e.g. RGB color) image signal processing system are processed to reduce noise. For images such as those obtained from a multi-dye film, the luminance component of the output signal from the luminance sensor may be expressed as a function of the color components of the color sensor output signals. A first signal, representative of the constructed low frequency luminance signal, is produced as a linear function of the color sensor output signals, employing signal weighting coefficients derivable from intrinsic characteristics of the scanned image, such as the respective dye densities of a three layer color film.

Abstract: An imagery data mechanism for controllably merging separate, digitally formatted and arbitrarily shaped images eliminates overlap-edge artifacts by gradually blending a paste image (40) along its border (44) with a base image (30), regardless of the shape of the paste image. The mechanism employs a `feathering` window (50) containing a plurality of neighboring pixel locations over which the pixel values of the paste image are controllably modified as to their transparency to achieve a tapered blending of the two images. Whether data value of any pixel within the display is to be modified from a given database value will depend upon whether or not that pixel location is both within the paste image and a prescribed distance to the border (44) of the paste image. If the pixel location is not part of the image, it is effectively masked, so that not only does feathering not take place, but neither the base image nor the paste image contributes to its data value.

Abstract: Colored shadows (and highlights) in a reproduced color image, caused by limited sensitivities in different channels of an image scanning device, such as a multicolor video camera, are effectively eliminated by controllably adjusting the signal intensity of the output signals of one of the channels in dependance upon whether or not the level of that signal is within a limited region of the camera's response characteristics. As long as the signal level of the channel of interest, (e.g. blue color band channel), lies within a non-limited portion of the sensitivity range of the camera for that channel, the intensity of that channel's output signals are left unchanged. However, in response to the level of the channel's output signals falling within a limited portion of the sensitivity range of the camera, the intensity of that channel's output signals is effectively corrected by substituting in their place the output signals of another camera channel (e.g.

Abstract: Blurring along edges between regions of different color characteristics in interpolated color images is avoided by a signal processing technique that segments the fully sampled channel into a plurality of contiguous image regions of respectively different image characteristics. The segmentation mechanism is such that, within a respective region, the fully sampled signal values are associated with a common image characteristic. A boundary between adjacent regions occurs where the segmentation mechanism has inferred the presence of an edge between sub-sampled locations and has assigned signal values for successive sampling locations of the fully sampled channel on opposite sides of the edge in accordance with different image characteristics.