Abstract: Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of determining smarty between first and second elements of an electronic document. The method uses a computer to calculate a plurality of measures of similarity between the first and second elements in at least two representations of the electronic document. A computer program product and system implementing this method are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and machine-readable media for segmenting and enhancing images are described. In one aspect, gradient magnitude values at respective pixels of a given image are determined. The gradient magnitude values are thresholded with a global threshold to produce thresholded gradient magnitude values. The pixels are segmented into respective groups in accordance with a watershed transform of the thresholded magnitude values. A classification record is generated. The classification record labels as background pixels ones of the pixels segmented into one of the groups determined to be largest in size and labels as non-background pixels ones of the pixels segmented into any of the groups except the largest group.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques to automatically crop an image to a desired size. Automating the cropping process, while at the same time providing a high quality, cropped image, can be accomplished by employing a comprehensive approach that includes one or more of contextual cropping (e.g., basing cropping decisions on elements within the image to be cropped itself), training the cropping mechanism (e.g., using previously cropped versions of the same image or related images) and multiple operational modes (e.g., selecting one of a plurality of different cropping techniques for cropping a particular image).

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for removing artifacts from a digitized document.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting Web content is disclosed. In one embodiment, Web content in a Webpage is extracted by identifying paragraphs in the Web content based on line-break node determination. A range of text-body associated with the identified paragraphs is then identified using a maximum scoring subsequence. Further, the identified text-body is refined using a heuristic rule of substantially horizontal alignment. Furthermore, one or more titles and one or more images associated with the Web content are extracted. Moreover, the Web content including the identified paragraphs, the one or more titles and the one or more images are outputted.

Abstract: A system and method for segmenting foreground and background regions on a digitized image uses a computer, having a processor and system memory, to segment the image into initial regions and identify background regions from the initial regions. A complete background surface is estimated of the image, and pixels of the image are rectified with the estimated background surface to normalize the image. Normalized pixels are compared with a threshold color to determine a final segmentation of background regions.

Abstract: Image processing methods, image processing systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, an image processing method includes defining an image dimension corresponding to a common size of data content of a plurality of images which are associated with one another, determining a plurality of image boundaries individually corresponding to a size of the data content of a respective one of the images, comparing individual ones of the image boundaries with respect to the image dimension providing difference information for respective ones of the images and indicative of differences of the respective image boundaries with respect to the image dimension, and adjusting the images using respective difference information corresponding to respective ones of the images.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for segmenting text from a portable document format (PDF) document. The system includes 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 include an engine to group line segments into text blocks using a homogeneity measure based on relative line space difference between line segments and a homogeneity measure based on difference in font size between line segments, where the line segments comprise text elements extracted from the PDF document.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to identify text-like pixels from an image by providing an image and classifying line segments of pixels within the image by edge-bounded averaging.

Abstract: An image enhancement method includes segmenting pixels of an image into background pixels and non-background pixels and computing a color scaling factor based on the color of the background pixels compared to white. The color scaling factor is then applied to the background pixels and the non-background pixels.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention recite a system and method for creating an editable template from a document image. In one embodiment of the present invention, the spatial characteristics and the color characteristics of at least one region of a document are identified. A set of characteristics of a graphic representation within the region are then determined without the necessity of recognizing a character comprising the graphic representation. An editable template is then created comprising a second region having the same spatial characteristics and the same color characteristics of the at least one region of the document and comprising a second graphic representation which is defined by the set of characteristics of the first graphic representation.

Abstract: A personalized slide show generation system is comprised of a script generator and a personalized slide show generation engine. The script generator is configured for employing a user interaction associated with an image to generate an interaction script. The personalized slideshow generation engine is coupled to the script generator and configured for utilizing the image and the interaction script to generate a personalized slide show.

Abstract: A card reader with power-saving function is used for being inserted with a memory card so that a computer can access the memory card through the card reader. When the memory card is inserted in the card reader, the card reader is enabled to operate. On the other hand, when the memory card is not inserted in the card reader, the card reader enters to a power-down mode for saving power.

Abstract: A method of correcting warp on an imaged page includes generating projection profiles for pixels on the imaged page and determining a reference baseline based on the projection profiles; calculating a deviation away from the reference baseline for points along a boundary; and mapping the points along the boundary to the reference baseline.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for removing artifacts from a digitized document.

Abstract: A method for generating a panoramic image that enables a user to obtain panoramic photographs with a digital camera without the aid of a computer system or specialized lenses. A digital camera according to the present techniques captures a series of image frames as a user pans the digital camera through a panoramic image scene and combines the captured image frames while the image frames are being captured.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques to reliably detect edges, lines and quadrilaterals, especially those with low local contrast, in color images. Edges can be detected using a color gradient operator is based on color distance with a non-linear weight determined by the consistency of local gradient orientations, thereby significantly improving the signal/noise ratio. In detecting lines, a variant of the Gradient Weighted Hough Transform can be used employing both the edge strength and orientation. Multiple non-overlapping quadrilaterals can be detected using a process which includes quality metrics (for both individual quadrilaterals and for a set of non-overlapping quadrilaterals) and a graph-searching method.

Abstract: A method analyzes an image to be scanned and analyzes at least part of the image pixel-by-pixel. Elements in the image are characterized according to a perceived characteristic and each image element having a given characteristic that is adjacent a similar or identical image element is identified. In one form, there are preferably at least three different characteristics, such as black, background and edge, by which the image elements can be characterized. In another form, image elements that are close enough to each other in physical location and close enough to each other in image characteristic are grouped together or included in a blob. Sub-blobs can be found to be part of a more predominant blob. In a further form, image elements are identified that represent an edge in the image, along with identifying those edge elements that are adjacent at least one other edge element.

Abstract: A card reader with power-saving function is used for being inserted with a memory card so that a computer can access the memory card through the card reader. When the memory card is inserted in the card reader, the card reader is enabled to operate. On the other hand, when the memory card is not inserted in the card reader, the card reader enters to a power-down mode for saving power.

Abstract: A method performed by a processing system is provided. The method comprises detecting a first pixel value associated with an artifact in a current frame of a digital video using a previous frame and a next frame and replacing the first pixel value in the first frame with a replacement value.