Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for generating a synth packet and/or for providing an interactive view experience of a scene utilizing the synth packet. In particular, the synth packet comprises a set of input images depicting a scene from various viewpoints, a local graph comprising navigational relationships between input images, a coarse geometry comprising a multi-dimensional representation of a surface of the scene, and/or a camera pose manifold specifying view perspectives of the scene. An interactive view experience of the scene may be provided using the synth packet, such that a user may seamlessly navigate the scene in multi-dimensional space based upon navigational relationship information specified within the local graph.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for generating a panorama packet and/or for utilizing a panorama packet. That is, a panorama packet may be generated and/or consumed to provide an interactive panorama view experience of a scene depicted by one or more input images within the panorama packet (e.g., a user may explore the scene through multi-dimensional navigation of a panorama generated from the panorama packet). The panorama packet may comprise a set of input images may depict the scene from various viewpoints. The panorama packet may comprise a camera pose manifold that may define one or more perspectives of the scene that may be used to generate a current view of the scene. The panorama packet may comprise a coarse geometry corresponding to a multi-dimensional representation of a surface of the scene. An interactive panorama of the scene may be generated based upon the panorama packet.

Abstract: A process for compressing and decompressing non-keyframes in sequential sets of contemporaneous video frames making up multiple video streams where the video frames in a set depict substantially the same scene from different viewpoints. Each set of contemporaneous video frames has a plurality frames designated as keyframes with the remaining being non-keyframes. In one embodiment, the non-keyframes are compressed using a multi-directional spatial prediction technique. In another embodiment, the non-keyframes of each set of contemporaneous video frames are compressed using a combined chaining and spatial prediction compression technique. The spatial prediction compression technique employed can be a single direction technique where just one reference frame, and so one chain, is used to predict each non-keyframe, or it can be a multi-directional technique where two or more reference frames, and so chains, are used to predict each non-keyframe.

Abstract: Techniques are described for rendering annotations associated with an image. A view of an image maybe shown on a display, and different portions of the image are displayed and undisplayed in the view according to panning and/or zooming of the image within the view. The image may have annotations. An annotation may have a location in the image and may have associated renderable media. The location of the annotation relative to the view may change according to the panning and/or zooming. A strength of the annotation may be computed, the strength changing based the panning and/or zooming of the image. The media may be rendered according to the strength. Whether to render the media may be determined by comparing the strength to a threshold.

Abstract: Multi-spline image blending technique embodiments are presented which generally employ a separate low-resolution offset field for every image region being blended, rather than a single (piecewise smooth) offset field for all the regions to produce a visually consistent blended image. Each of the individual offset fields is smoothly varying, and so is represented using a low-dimensional spline. A resulting linear system can be rapidly solved because it involves many fewer variables than the number of pixels being blended.

Abstract: A process for compressing and decompressing non-keyframes in sequential sets of contemporaneous video frames making up multiple video streams where the video frames in a set depict substantially the same scene from different viewpoints. Each set of contemporaneous video frames has a plurality frames designated as keyframes with the remaining being non-keyframes. In one embodiment, the non-keyframes are compressed using a multi-directional spatial prediction technique. In another embodiment, the non-keyframes of each set of contemporaneous video frames are compressed using a combined chaining and spatial prediction compression technique. The spatial prediction compression technique employed can be a single direction technique where just one reference frame, and so one chain, is used to predict each non-keyframe, or it can be a multi-directional technique where two or more reference frames, and so chains, are used to predict each non-keyframe.

Abstract: Multi-pass image resampling technique embodiments are presented that employ a series of one-dimensional filtering, resampling, and shearing stages to achieve good efficiency while maintaining high visual fidelity. In one embodiment, high-quality (multi-tap) image filtering is used inside each one-dimensional resampling stage. Because each stage only uses one-dimensional filtering, the overall computation efficiency is very good and amenable to graphics processing unit (GPU) implementation using pixel shaders. This embodiment also upsamples the image before shearing steps in a direction orthogonal to the shearing to prevent aliasing, and then downsamples the image to its final size with high-quality low-pass filtering. This ensures that none of the stages causes excessive blurring or aliasing.

Abstract: A “Joint Bilateral Upsampler” uses a high-resolution input signal to guide the interpolation of a low-resolution solution set (derived from a downsampled version of the input signal) from low-to high-resolution. The resulting high-resolution solution set is then saved or applied to the original input signal to produce a high-resolution output signal. The high-resolution solution set is close to what would be produced directly from the input signal without downsampling. However, since the high-resolution solution set is constructed in part from a downsampled version of the input signal, it is computed using significantly less computational overhead and memory than a solution set computed directly from a high-resolution signal. Consequently, the Joint Bilateral Upsampler is advantageous for use in near real-time operations, in applications where user wait times are important, and in systems where computational costs and available memory are limited.

Abstract: A location history is a collection of locations over time for an object. A stay is a single instance of an object spending some time in one place, and a destination is any place where one or more objects have experienced a stay. Location histories are parsed using stays and destinations. In a described implementation, each location of a location history is recorded as a spatial position and a corresponding time at which the spatial position is acquired. Stays are extracted from a location history by analyzing locations thereof with regard to a temporal threshold and a spatial threshold. Specifically, two or more locations are considered a stay if they exceed a minimum stay duration and are within a maximum roaming distance. Each stay includes a location, a starting time, and an ending time. Destinations are produced from the extracted stays using a clustering operation and a predetermined scaling factor.

Abstract: A technique for image compositing which allows a user to select the best image of an object, such as for example a person, from a set of images interactively and see how it will be assembled into a final photomontage. A user can select a source image from the set of images as an initial composite image. A region, representing a set of pixels to be replaced, is chosen by the user in the composite image. A corresponding same region is reflected in one or more source images, one of which will be selected by the user for painting into the composite image. The technique optimizes the selection of pixels around the user-chosen region or regions for cut points that will be least likely to show seams where the source images are merged in the composite image.

Abstract: A Bayesian two-color image demosaicer and method for processing a digital color image to demosaic the image in such a way as to reduce image artifacts. The method and system are an improvement on and an enhancement to previous demosaicing techniques. A preliminary demosaicing pass is performed on the image to assign each pixel a fully specified RGB triple color value. The final color value of pixel in the processed image is restricted to be a linear combination of two colors. Fully-specified RGB triple color values for each pixel in an image used to find two clusters represented favored two colors. The amount of contribution from these favored two colors on the final color value then is determined. The method and system also can process multiple images to improve the demosaicing results. When using multiple images, sampling can be performed at a finer resolution, known as super resolution.

Abstract: A system and process for compressing and decompressing multiple video streams depicting substantially the same dynamic scene from different viewpoints that from a grid of viewpoints. Each frame in each contemporaneous set of video frames of the multiple streams is represented by at least a two layers—a main layer and a boundary layer. Compression of the main layers involves first designating one or more of these layers in each set of contemporaneous frames as keyframes. For each set of contemporaneous frames in time sequence order, the main layer of each keyframe is compressed using an inter-frame compression technique. In addition, the main layer of each non-keyframe within the frame set under consideration is compressed using a spatial prediction compression technique. Finally, the boundary layers of each frame in the current frame set are each compressed using an intra-frame compression technique. Decompression is generally the reverse of the compression process.

Abstract: Techniques are described for rendering annotations associated with an image. A view of an image maybe shown on a display, and different portions of the image are displayed and undisplayed in the view according to panning and/or zooming of the image within the view. The image may have annotations. An annotation may have a location in the image and may have associated renderable media. The location of the annotation relative to the view may change according to the panning and/or zooming. A strength of the annotation may be computed, the strength changing based the panning and/or zooming of the image. The media may be rendered according to the strength. Whether to render the media may be determined by comparing the strength to a threshold.

Abstract: Multi-pass image resampling technique embodiments are presented that employ a series of one-dimensional filtering, resampling, and shearing stages to achieve good efficiency while maintaining high visual fidelity. In one embodiment, high-quality (multi-tap) image filtering is used inside each one-dimensional resampling stage. Because each stage only uses one-dimensional filtering, the overall computation efficiency is very good and amenable to graphics processing unit (GPU) implementation using pixel shaders. This embodiment also upsamples the image before shearing steps in a direction orthogonal to the shearing to prevent aliasing, and then downsamples the image to its final size with high-quality low-pass filtering. This ensures that none of the stages causes excessive blurring or aliasing.

Abstract: Multi-spline image blending technique embodiments are presented which generally employ a separate low-resolution offset field for every image region being blended, rather than a single (piecewise smooth) offset field for all the regions to produce a visually consistent blended image. Each of the individual offset fields is smoothly varying, and so is represented using a low-dimensional spline. A resulting linear system can be rapidly solved because it involves many fewer variables than the number of pixels being blended.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the production of seamless, geo-referenced orthographic images that can comprise a composite of two or more underlying images. Illustratively, an exemplary image processing environment comprises an image processing engine and an instruction set comprising at least one instruction to instruct the image processing engine to process data representative of two or more images. Illustratively, the two or more images can comprise data representative of correspondence points between the two or more images and the underlying area (e.g., ground control points). Illustratively, the exemplary image processing engine can identify features that the overlapping photos have in common (e.g., feature match points) and place and re-project (e.g., distort) each of the two or more images to achieve a selected balance of correct position (e.g., based on ground control points) and seamless overlap (e.g., based on feature match points) which can be composited into a single image.

Abstract: An automatic digital image grouping system and method for automatically generating groupings of related images based on criteria that includes image metadata and spatial information. The system and method takes an unordered and unorganized set of digital images and organizes and groups related images into image subsets. The criteria for defining an image subset varies and can be customized depending on the needs of the user. Metadata (such as EXIF tags) already embedded inside the images is used to extract likely image subsets. This metadata may include the temporal proximity of images, focal length, color overlap, and geographical location. The first component of the automatic image grouping system and method is a subset image stage that analyzes the metadata and generates potential image subsets containing related images. The second component is an overlap detection stage, where potential image subset is analyzed and verified by examining pixels of the related images.

Abstract: A dynamic tone mapping technique is presented that produces a local tone map for a sub-image of a wide-angle, high dynamic range (HDR), which is used in rendering the sub-image for display. The technique generally involves first computing a global tone map of the wide-angle, HDR image in advance of rendering the sub-image. The global tone map is then used during rendering to compute a local tone map based on the average luminance and contrast of the pixels of the sub-image. In addition, the sub-image can be tone mapped as part of the rendering of a sequence of sub-images during a viewer-executed panning and/or zooming session. In this case, the local tone maps can be kept from changing too rapidly by adding a hysteresis feature to smooth out the intensity changes between successive sub-images.

Abstract: A gigapixel image is generated from a set of images in raw format depicting different portions of a panoramic scene that has up to a full spherical field of view. Radiometric alignment of the images creates a set of images in radiance format. Geometric alignment of the radiance format images creates a set of true poses for the images in radiance format. A gigapixel image depicting the entire scene is assembled from the set of radiance format images and radiance format true poses for the images. The set of images in raw format is captured using a conventional digital camera, equipped with a telephoto lens, attached to a motorized head. The head is programmed to pan and tilt the camera in prescribed increments to individually capture the images at a plurality of exposures and with a prescribed overlap between images depicting adjacent portions of the scene.

Abstract: A “Joint Bilateral Upsampler” uses a high-resolution input signal to guide the interpolation of a low-resolution solution set (derived from a downsampled version of the input signal) from low-to high-resolution. The resulting high-resolution solution set is then saved or applied to the original input signal to produce a high-resolution output signal. The high-resolution solution set is close to what would be produced directly from the input signal without downsampling. However, since the high-resolution solution set is constructed in part from a downsampled version of the input signal, it is computed using significantly less computational overhead and memory than a solution set computed directly from a high-resolution signal. Consequently, the Joint Bilateral Upsampler is advantageous for use in near real-time operations, in applications where user wait times are important, and in systems where computational costs and available memory are limited.