Abstract: A method for producing a cropped digital image, includes the steps of: providing a plurality of partially overlapping source digital images; providing a cropping aspect ratio L:H, the cropping aspect ratio being the ratio of the length to the height of the cropped digital image; providing a cropping criterion, the cropping criterion being a criterion for the size and location of the cropped digital image; combining the source digital images to form a composite digital image; selecting the cropping region of the composite digital image according to the cropping criterion, said cropping region being a rectangular region having aspect ratio L:H, and having size and location determined by the cropping criterion; and, cropping the composite digital image to the cropping region to form a cropped digital image.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model of a scene is obtained from a plurality of three-dimensional panoramic images of a scene, wherein each three-dimensional panoramic image is derived from a plurality of range images captured from a distinct spatial position. Transformations are determined that align the plurality of three-dimensional panoramic images, and spatial information is integrated from the plurality of three-dimensional panoramic images to form a spatial three-dimensional model of the scene. Finally, intensity and texture information is integrated from the plurality of three-dimensional panoramic images onto the spatial three-dimensional model to form a three-dimensional model of the scene containing both spatial and intensity information.

Abstract: Intermediate panoramic images are each generated from two original panoramic images, where each panoramic image provides a 360 degree field of view of a scene from different nodal points. First, pairs of planar images are derived, where each pair corresponds to original planar views derived from respective portions of the original panoramic images, where a similar area of the scene is visible from each pair of planar views. Then, an intermediate planar image is generated from each pair of planar images, and the resulting series of intermediate planar images are cylindrically concatenated to form the intermediate panoramic image.

Abstract: A highly secure personal identification badge is achieved by having an area which contains machine readable information and also having a printed region having embedded data in the image printed thereon. A method of producing the identification badge, includes the steps of: forming a digital image of the badge holder; generating an array of random numbers using a random number generator that employs a seed value; adding the array of random numbers to the digital image to produce a modified digital image; and printing the modified digital image on the identification badge. The badge is authenticated by scanning the image on the identification badge to produce a recovered digital image; and correlating the array of random numbers with the recovered digital image to produce a validity check of the identification badge.

Abstract: A sliding glass door system includes a conventional sliding glass door, fixed glass door, and a sliding screen door in combination with a sliding glass door display case. All are mounted on the outside wall of a house to slide parallel to each other in the manner of conventional sliding glass door systems. The sliding glass door display case has a frame commensurate in size to the frame of the sliding glass door and has a dish-shaped body which extends outwardly in cantilever fashion from its frame. Shelves are provided within the body in order to display items placed on them through the sliding glass door and/or the fixed glass door. The sliding glass door display case is especially suited for use as a personal sliding glass door greenhouse.

Abstract: A scannerless range imaging system employs a technique for embedding digital data into its image output in a manner that allows exact recovery of its associated images. The range imaging system captures (a) a plurality of phase images of reflected modulated illumination, wherein each image incorporates a phase delay term corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, together with a phase offset term unique for each image, and (b) at least one intensity image of reflected unmodulated illumination, and then generates an image bundle of associated images including the plurality of phase images and the intensity image.

Abstract: A digital image processing method for locating eyes and mouth in a digital face image. The method includes the steps of detecting iris colored pixels in the digital face image; grouping the iris colored pixels into clusters; detecting eye positions using the iris colored pixels; identifying salient pixels relating to a facial feature in the digital face image; generating a signature curve using the salient pixels; and using the signature curve and the eye positions to locate a mouth position. In a preferred embodiment, a summation of squared difference method is used to detect the eye positions. In another preferred embodiment, the eyes and mouth positions are validated using statistics.

Abstract: A scannerless range imaging system includes an illumination system and an electromechanical light modulator. The illumination system illuminates objects in the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, and the modulated illumination reflected from objects in the scene incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of the objects from the range imaging system. The electromechanical light modulator, which is positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination, operates at a reference frequency that corresponds to the predetermined modulation frequency and accordingly modulates the modulated illumination reflected from the object, thereby generating a phase image from the interference between the reference frequency and the reflected modulated illumination.

Abstract: A scannerless range imaging system includes an illumination system and an electromechanical light modulator. The illumination system illuminates objects in the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, and the modulated illumination reflected from objects in the scene incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of the objects from the range imaging system. The electromechanical light modulator, which is positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination, operates at a reference frequency that corresponds to the predetermined modulation frequency and accordingly modulates the modulated illumination reflected from the object, thereby generating a phase image from the interference between the reference frequency and the reflected modulated illumination.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) illumination device for generating modulated light for a scannerless range imaging system includes circuitry for generating a drive signal having a given phase and frequency characteristic; a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a plurality of LED banks, wherein each LED bank comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes connected in series to the circuitry to receive the drive signal; and a switching stage for simultaneously activating the plurality of LED banks such that the LED banks generate the modulated light according to the phase and frequency characteristics of the drive signal.

Abstract: A color scannerless range imaging system includes an illumination system for illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency and an image capture section positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing a plurality of images including (a) at least one range image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination and including a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, and (b) at least one other image of reflected unmodulated illumination corresponding to color in the scene.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a digital image processing method for detecting human eyes in a digital image. This method comprises the steps of: detecting iris pixels in the image; clustering the iris pixels, and selecting at least one of the following methods to identify eye positions: applying geometric reasoning to detect eye positions using the iris pixel clusters; applying a summation of squared difference method using the iris pixel clusters to detect eye positions; and applying a summation of squared difference method to detect eye positions from the pixels in the image. The method applied is selected on the basis of the number of iris pixel clusters. In another embodiment, the present invention also comprises a computer program product.

Abstract: A digital image processing method is taught for detecting human irises in a digital image. The method comprises the steps measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image, determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel, determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether the pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and the probability that the pixel is not an iris. In one embodiment of the present invention, the determination as to whether a pixel is an iris pixel is then made based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the identified region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the identified region.

Abstract: An alignment method is provided for a color scannerless range imaging system whereby the separate optical paths of colored texture and monochromatic range images may be precisely aligned. The range imaging system includes an illumination system for illuminating a scene with modulated infrared illumination, image forming optics for forming an image of the scene, optical means for forming first and second optical paths between the image forming optics and an image sensor, a transponder subject to modulation located in the first optical path for amplifying and converting infrared light to visible light to form a range image on the image sensor.

Abstract: A color scannerless range imaging system includes an illumination system for controllably illuminating a scene with modulated illumination and an image responsive element for capturing image light from the scene, including the modulated image light. The system establishes a primary optical path for directly image light toward the image responsive element. A beamsplitter located in the primary optical path separates the image light into two channels, a first channel including an infrared component and a second channel including a color texture component, whereby one of the channels traverses a secondary optical path distinct from the primary path. A modulating element is operative in the first channel to receive the infrared component and a modulating signal, and to generate a processed infrared component with phase data indicative of range information.

Abstract: A highly secure personal identification related document is achieved by having an area which contains machine readable information and also having a printed region having embedded data in the image printed thereon. The machine readable information as recorded has been encoded using a secure hash algorithm. For legitimate personal identification related documents, the machine readable data and the embedded data are identical information. The personal identification related document is used in conjunction with a reader system which includes a reader for the machine readable data, an optical scanner for scanning the image and data embedded therein, and a processor. The machine readable data is delivered to the processor which applies the secure hash algorithm thereto to generate a first data set. The digitized image data retrieved with the optical scanner is also delivered to the processor and the embedded data is retrieved therefrom to generate a second data set.

Abstract: A method of unambiguous range estimation is provided for use with a range imaging system that derives phase images from image pixels of a digital image. The method involves generating (a) a first phase image having one or more ambiguous phase intervals and (b) at least one additional phase image that is generated by shifting the phase intervals of the first phase image. Then at least one region of intersection between phase intervals in the two phase images is identified. Finally, the phase of at least one of the ambiguous phase intervals in the first phase image is adjusted based on values of the phase of the image pixels that belong to the region of intersection. As a result, the phase adjustment unwraps the phase ambiguity in the phase intervals of the first phase image.

Abstract: A panoramic image capture aid is formed in a photographic camera to assist a photographer in recording a series of film images that can be combined to form a panoramic image. The capture aid includes a viewing window on the camera, a first stripe indicator coupled to a film advance mechanism for moving with each film advance, and a second stripe indicator coupled to a compass for indicating the direction the camera is pointing. The first and second stripe indicators are supported on transparent rings concentrically arranged relative to the camera body such that their stripes intersect in the viewing window when the camera is properly positioned for the next image in the series of images.

Abstract: A method for image capture and estimation of range information is provided which uses photographic film as the image capture mechanism. A plurality of identical images are captured on film yielding an image bundle wherein each image in the image bundle is captured with a different phase offset. Fiducial marks are placed on the photographic film between adjacent images in the image bundle. The image bundle is developed and the developed images are scanned. The images of the image bundle are then registered by aligning the fiducial marks. The distance from the image capture device to object(s) in the images of the image bundle can then be estimated using the different phase offsets for each image. The range at a pixel location is estimated by selecting the intensity of the pixel at that location of each image and performing a best fit of a sine wave of one period through the points.

Abstract: In a continuously variable hydrostatic transmission including a hydraulic pump unit driven by an input shaft, a grounded hydraulic motor unit, and an intermediate, wedge-shaped swashplate for developing torque on an output shaft in response to pumped exchanges of hydraulic fluid between the pump and motor units through swashplate ports, a ratio controller is provided to vary transmission ratio by changing the swashplate angular orientation and to engage a lock-up clutch directly mechanically coupling the input shaft to the output shaft when a 1:1 transmission ratio is set.