Abstract: The present invention relates to a method to make effective use of non rectangular display space for displaying a collage. In an embodiment of the invention, a heterogeneous set of images can be arranged to display the region of interest of the images to avoid overlapping regions of interest. The background gaps between the regions of interest can be filled by extending the regions of interest using a Voronoi technique. This produces a stained glass effect for the collage. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be applied to irregular shapes including circular shapes with a hole in the middle. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be used to print labels for disks.

Abstract: A speaker predicting apparatus includes a speech detector that detects a person who is delivering a speech out of a plurality of persons, a feature extracting portion that extracts a feature in an image from the image in which the person is captured, a learning portion that learns the feature in the image occurring before the speech is detected by the speech detector, from the feature in the image, and a predicting portion that predicts the speaker out of the plurality of the persons, from the feature in the image in which the person is captured, with the use of a result learned by the learning portion.

Abstract: Passive wands, tracked by one or more cameras, are used as user interface devices. The wands are inexpensive, and are a natural way for users to interact with devices such as large displays. Each wand may be used to specify a full 6 degrees of freedom, which can be helpful for manipulation of 3D applications. The wands may also be used to identify 3D world points, which is useful for multi-camera calibration, and for building 3D models of physical spaces. The described methods provide a more precise estimation of wand pose, and can be implemented with a single camera. Also described is a method for estimation wand pose using information available along a one dimensional ‘line scan’ within the image, which simplifies processing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a status of a teleconference by determining an approximate delay time and providing a status signal in view of the determined approximate delay time are provided. An approximate delay time is approximately the amount of time that will elapse before an occurrence occurring at a first time, which is captured into an occurrence signal by a source unit, will be experienced at a second time after the occurrence signal is received by at least one receiving unit.

Abstract: Passive wands, tracked by one or more cameras, are used as user interface devices. The wands are inexpensive, and are a natural way for users to interact with devices such as large displays. Each wand may be used to specify a full 6 degrees of freedom, which can be helpful for manipulation of 3D applications. The wands may also be used to identify 3D world points, which is useful for multi-camera calibration, and for building 3D models of physical spaces. The described methods provide a more precise estimation of wand pose, and can be implemented with a single camera. Also described is a method for estimation wand pose using information available along a one dimensional ‘line scan’ within the image, which simplifies processing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method to make effective use of non rectangular display space for displaying a collage. In an embodiment of the invention, a heterogeneous set of images can be arranged to display the region of interest of the images to avoid overlapping regions of interest. The background gaps between the regions of interest can be filled by extending the regions of interest using a Voronoi technique. This produces a stained glass effect for the collage. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be applied to irregular shapes including circular shapes with a hole in the middle. In an embodiment of the present invention, the technique can be used to print labels for disks.

Abstract: A speaker predicting apparatus includes a speech detector that detects a person who is delivering a speech out of a plurality of persons, a feature extracting portion that extracts a feature in an image from the image in which the person is captured, a learning portion that learns the feature in the image occurring before the speech is detected by the speech detector, from the feature in the image, and a predicting portion that predicts the speaker out of the plurality of the persons, from the feature in the image in which the person is captured, with the use of a result learned by the learning portion.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing system including multiple controlled devices respectively having display areas and a controlling device that controls the controlled devices to display given images in the display areas thereof and that identifies positions of the display areas on the basis of image information including the display areas. It is therefore possible to identify the positions of the display areas.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a status of a teleconference by determining an approximate delay time and providing a status signal in view of the determined approximate delay time are provided. An approximate delay time is approximately the amount of time that will elapse before an occurrence occurring at a first time, which is captured into an occurrence signal by a source unit, will be experienced at a second time after the occurrence signal is received by at least one receiving unit.

Abstract: A position measurement system optically measures a position of an object in a simple manner at low cost. The position measurement system includes: a light source; an optical lens with a large spherical aberration which transmits light from the light source and forms a light ring due to its spherical aberration; a light receiving device (CCD sensor) which detects the light ring as formed by the optical lens; and a calculator which measures a position of the light source according to detected information on the light ring as detected by the CCD sensor. An optical mirror with a large spherical aberration may be used instead of the optical lens.

Abstract: A position measurement system optically measures a position of an object in a simple manner at low cost. The position measurement system includes: a light source; an optical lens with a large spherical aberration which transmits light from the light source and forms a light ring due to its spherical aberration; a light receiving device (CCD sensor) which detects the light ring as formed by the optical lens; and a calculator which measures a position of the light source according to detected information on the light ring as detected by the CCD sensor. An optical mirror with a large spherical aberration may be used instead of the optical lens.

Abstract: An input data group is converted into an output data group in accordance with coefficients. For each coefficient, a current coefficient value, a coefficient value greater than the current coefficient value and a coefficient value smaller than the current coefficient value may be computed. One of the current, greater and smaller coefficient values is selected on the basis of errors between the output data computed with the current, greater and smaller coefficient values and an ideal output data group corresponding to the input data group.

Abstract: Device independent color signals in color coordinates of the calorimetric system are computed using the color signals Ci, Mi, Yi, Ki in first CMYK coordinates. A maximum quantity of black maxKi of the color signals Ci, Mi, Yi, Ki is computed by using the color signals Ci, Mi, Yi, Ki and the device independent color signals. A black ratio g of the color signals Ci, Mi, Yi, Ki is computed using the maximum black quantity maxKi and the color signal Ki. A maximum quantity of black that can be obtained without changing the device independent color signals is computed using the device independent color signals. The color signal Ko in second CMYK coordinates is determined by the maximum black quantity and the black ratio, and the color signals Co, Mo, Yo, Ko in the CMYK coordinates are determined by using the device independent color signals and the color signal Ko.

Abstract: Input color signals are input at step S11 and are converted into first CMYK color material amounts to minimize a first distance function at step S12. At step S13, color coordinates reproduced from the first CMYK color material amounts are obtained based on a printer model. If the input color signals are determined within a color reproduction range at step S14, the first CMYK color material amounts are output at step S22. If the input color signals are determined outside the color reproduction range, reproduced lightness is compared with input lightness at step S15. If the reproduced lightness is less than the input lightness, lightness weight .alpha. responsive to a yellow saturated color rate is used to generate a second distance function at steps S16-S18. On the other hand, if the reproduced lightness is equal to or greater than the input lightness at step S15, a second distance function having weight as a constant is generated at steps S19 and S20.

Abstract: A method of determining lattice point data of a look-up table for transforming input color coordinates into colorant coordinates of a color image output device, or of reconstructing the same by using a differentiable-continuous function. An input-output characteristic of the device is determined by using a differentiable-continuous function based on discrete transformation pairs, and coefficients of color transformation that uses a look-up table or a continuous function is determined based on the thus-determined differentiable-continuous function.

Abstract: A color image processing system for generating recorder image signals of four colors containing India ink from three color signals, the color image processing system includes a converter for converting three color signals into separated brightness and chromaticity signals; a range converter for converting the brightness signal into a range converted brightness signal which is within a record color reproduction range; an edge detector for obtaining an edge amount signal from the range converted brightness signal; a chroma detector for detecting chroma of an image signal from the chromaticity signal; an edge enhancer for enhancing an edge part of an image represented by the range converted brightness signal; a smoothing circuit for smoothing the range converted brightness signal; a brightness and chromaticity converter which includes a converter for executing brightness conversion by mixing an output of the edge enhancer and an output of the smoothing circuit according to the edge amount signal detected by the

Abstract: A first nonlinear conversion section converts input color signals of a kind that is one of plural, different kinds to L*a*b* signals. A second nonlinear conversion section converts the L*a*b* signals to image recording signals of four colors including black. The first nonlinear conversion section includes an input judgment device for judging the kind of input color signals, a weight memory for storing weights for the respective kinds of color signals, and a nonlinear conversion circuit. The weights corresponding to the kind of input color signals identified by the input judgment device are read from the weight memory and set in the nonlinear conversion circuit. The first nonlinear conversion section further has a learning device to accommodate color signals whose conversion relationship with the L*a*b* signals has not been defined.

Abstract: A nonlinear operation unit includes a nonlinear function unit for receiving at least one input signal and performing a nonlinear computing operation on the input signal. A multiplying unit multiplies the resulting function value by a weight value. An adder unit adds together the results of the multiplying operations to achieve a summation to which a threshold value is added.

Abstract: A lightness/chromaticity separation device converts three input color signals to {L*, a*, b*} signals. A chroma determination device determines a chroma signal C* based on the {a*, b*} signals. An UCR ratio calculation device calculates an UCR ratio .alpha. according to a C*-.alpha. function that is adjustable by changing parameters. A nonlinear conversion circuit determines output color signals of four colors including black based on the {L*, a*, b*} signals and the UCR ratio. The nonlinear conversion circuit includes a network-type combination of a plurality of analog nonlinear operation units.