Abstract: A blurred image having a spatially invariant motion blur resulting from camera motion during image capture is deblurred based on one or more light streaks identified and extracted from the blurred image. A blur kernel for the blurred image is estimated by performing an optimization procedure having a blur kernel constraint based at least in part on the light streak. One or more light streaks can in some embodiments be posed as the blur kernel constraint. A modeled light streak may be defined as a convolution between the blur kernel and a simulated light source, with the optimization procedure being to minimize a distance between the modeled light streak and the corresponding identified light streak from the blurred image.

Abstract: A simulated tracking shot is generated from an image sequence in which a foreground feature moves relative to a background during capturing of the image sequence. The background is artificially blurred in the simulated tracking shot in a spatially-invariant manner corresponding to foreground motion relative to the background during a time span of the image sequence. The foreground feature can be substantially unblurred relative to a reference image selected from the image sequence. A system to generate the simulated tracking shot can be configured to derive spatially invariant blur kernels for a background portion by reconstructing or estimating a 3-D space of the captured scene, placing virtual cameras along a foreground trajectory in the 3-D space, and projecting 3-D background points on to the virtual cameras.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for motion deblurring are disclosed. In one embodiment, an estimate of a latent image of a blurred image at a current scale from an estimate of a latent image at a previous coarse scale is generated using an upsampling super-resolution function, and a blur kernel is estimated based on the estimate of the latent image and the blurred image; and are repeated from a course to fine scale. A final image estimate is generated. The generating the final image estimate includes performing a deconvolution of the latent image using the blur kernel and the blurred image.

Abstract: A method for activating network storage includes: a message processing server receives a network storage request from a client; the message processing server establishes a session with a history function (HF) according to the network storage request, and sends the content from the session in which the client participates to the HF through the session with the HF. A system for activating network storage, a message processing server, and a client are also provided. With the present invention, the network storage is implemented more conveniently, and the user experience is improved.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of measuring a hollow object such as a pipe including temporarily attaching to that object a reference target support such as a stencil that supports a plurality of scannable reference targets. When scanning the object with a movable scanner, most conveniently a hand-held scanner, the reference targets provide a positional reference for the scanner. A reference support that is attachable to or movable along a hollow object has a display face presenting and supporting a plurality of scannable reference targets. The display face can stand up from a surface of the object or can lie against a surface of the object. The reference target support and the scanner can be movable together along a pipe as an internal inspection pig.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus are described for automatically selecting a region in a blurred image for blur kernel estimation. The method may include accessing a blurred image and defining a size for each of a plurality of regions in the image. Thereafter, metrics for at least two of the plurality of regions are determined, wherein the metrics are based on a number of edge orientations within each region. A region is selected from the plurality of regions based on the determined metrics, and a blur kernel for deblurring the blurred image is then estimated for the selected region. The blurred image is then deblurred using the blur kernel.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are described for deblurring an image. The method may include accessing an image having a first blurred region and a second blurred region, and generating a first blur kernel for the first blurred region and a second blur kernel for the second blurred region. Thereafter, the first blur kernel is positioned with respect to the first blurred region, and the second blur kernel is positioned with respect to the second blurred region based on the position of the first blur kernel. The image is then deblurred by deconvolving the first blurred region with the first blur kernel, and deconvolving the second blurred region with the second blur kernel.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus are described for deblurring an image. The method may include accessing the image that has at least one blurred region and, automatically, without user input, determining a first value for a first size for a blur kernel for the at least one blurred region. Thereafter, automatically, without user input, a second value for a second size for the blur kernel is determined for the at least one blurred region. A suggested size for the blur kernel is then determined based on the first value and the second value.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to a method for pulmonary delivery of therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic agents to a patient wherein the agent is released in a sustained fashion, and to particles suitable for use in the method. In particular, the invention relates to a method for the pulmonary delivery of a therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic agent comprising administering to the respiratory tract of a patient in need of treatment, prophylaxis or diagnosis an effective amount of particles comprising a therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic agent or any combination thereof in association with a charged lipid, wherein the charged lipid has an overall net charge which is opposite to that of the agent upon association with the agent. Release of the agent from the administered particles occurs in a sustained fashion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a synchronous rectification control method can include: (i) setting or updating a count value when a rectification switch is turned on; (ii) generating an off enable signal after a delay time corresponding to the count value has elapsed; (iii) turning off the rectification switch based on the off enable signal, and comparing a drain-source voltage of the rectification switch against a reference voltage; and (iv) generating a comparison signal for updating the count value based on the drain-source voltage and the reference voltage.

Abstract: A method for rapidly measuring melatonin adulteration of Chinese patent medicines and healthcare foods comprises: (1) extracting melatonin added to a Chinese patent medicine or healthcare food by using ethyl acetate; and (2) adding p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde to the extracted solution, and observing color. The method is rapid, simple and convenient, has strong specificity, high accuracy, reaction sensitivity, and a wide application range, and is applicable to on-site detection of melatonin adulteration of a Chinese patent medicine or healthcare food.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for automatic upright adjustment of digital images. An automatic upright adjustment technique is described that may provide an automated approach for straightening up slanted features in an input image to improve its perceptual quality. This correction may be referred to as upright adjustment. A set of criteria based on human perception may be used in the upright adjustment. A reprojection technique that implements an optimization framework is described that yields an optimal homography for adjustment based on the criteria and adjusts the image according to new camera parameters generated by the optimization. An optimization-based camera calibration technique is described that simultaneously estimates vanishing lines and points as well as camera parameters for an image; the calibration technique may, for example, be used to generate estimates of camera parameters and vanishing points and lines that are input to the reprojection technique.

Abstract: Processors and methods disclosed herein include a cache memory unit, n processor cores where n?1, a controller connected to the cache memory unit and to each of the n processor cores, and n obstruction monitoring units, where each obstruction monitoring unit is connected to the controller and to a different one of the n processor cores, and where during operation of the electronic processor, each obstruction monitoring unit is configured to detect an obstruction corresponding to an operation from the processor core connected to the obstruction monitoring unit before the operation executes in the cache memory unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing improved de-noising image content by using directional noise filters to accurately estimate a blur kernel from a noisy blurry image. In one embodiment, an image manipulation application applies multiple directional noise filters to an input image to generate multiple filtered images. Each of the directional noise filters has a different orientation with respect to the input image. The image manipulation application determines multiple two-dimensional blur kernels from the respective filtered images. The image manipulation application generates a two- two-dimensional blur kernel for the input image from the two-dimensional blur kernels for the filtered images. The image manipulation application generates a de-blurred version of the input image by executing a de-blurring algorithm based on the two-dimensional blur kernel for the input image.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for chatter reduction in video object segmentation using a variable bandwidth search region. A variable bandwidth search region generation method may be applied to a uniform search region to generate a variable bandwidth search region that reduces the search range for segmentation methods such as a graph cut method. The method may identify parts of the contour that are moving slowly, and reduce the search region bandwidth in those places to stabilize the segmentation. This method may determine a bandwidth for each of a plurality of local windows of an image according to an estimate of how much an object in the image has moved from a previous image. The method may blend the bandwidths for the plurality of local windows to generate a blended map. The method may then generate a variable bandwidth search region for an object according to the blended map.

Abstract: A system and method of text detection in an image are described. A component detection module applies a filter having a stroke width constraint and a stroke color constraint to an image to identify text stroke pixels in the image and to generate both a first map based on the stroke width constraint and a second map based on the stroke color constraint. A component filtering module has a first classifier and second classifier. The first classifier is applied to both the first map and the second map to generate a third map identifying a component of a text in the image. The second classifier is applied to the third map to generate a fourth map identifying a text line of the text in the image. A text region locator module thresholds the fourth map to identify text regions in the image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for robust video stabilization. A video stabilization technique applies a feature tracking technique to an input video sequence to generate feature trajectories. The technique applies a video partitioning technique to segment the input video sequence into factorization windows and transition windows. The technique smoothes the trajectories in each of the windows, in sequence. For factorization windows, a subspace-based optimization technique may be used. For transition windows, a direct track optimization technique that uses a similarity motion model may be used. The technique then determines and applies warping models to the frames in the video sequence. In at least some embodiments, the warping models may include a content-preserving warping model, a homography model, a similarity transform model, and a whole-frame translation model. The warped frames may then be cropped according to a cropping technique.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for face fitting are disclosed. In one embodiment, sets of two-dimensional local feature points on a face in each image of a set of images are identified. The set of images includes a sequence of frames a video stream. A three-dimensional face model for the face in the each image is generated as a combination of a set of predefined three-dimensional face models. In some embodiments, the generating includes reducing an error between a projection of vertices of the set of predefined three-dimensional face models and the two-dimensional local feature points of the each image, and constraining facial expression of the three-dimensional face model to change smoothly from image to image in the sequence of video frames.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cushion for preventing pressure sore. The cushion for preventing pressure sore includes an air cell layer, an air passage layer, a base layer, and a plurality of air ducts. The air cell layer has a plurality of air cells; the air cell layer is divided into at least four air cell zones. Air cells in each air cell zone are in communication with each other, but air cells in any two adjacent air cell zones are not in communication with each other; the air passage layer is under the air cell layer and has a plurality of air passages therein. Each air passage is in connection and communication with at least one of the air cell zones; the air passage layer and the air cell layer are disposed on the base layer; an end of each air duct is in communication with a corresponding air passage, and the other end extends out of the cushion and is provided with a joint; and each air duct has a respective valve.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to management of evaluated rule data sets. Specifically, a unreduced evaluated rule data set may contain a number of items to be compared or analyzed according to a number of rules, and may also contain the results of such analysis. An illustrative reduced evaluated data set can include the results of evaluated rules. When utilized in conjunction with an item data set and a rule data set, the information contained within the unreduced evaluated rule data set may be maintained. The reduce memory requirements of the reduced evaluated rule data set may facilitate storage of the reduced evaluated rule data set in faster to access memory, or may facilitate distributed computation of the reduced evaluated rule data set.