Abstract: Implementations generally relate to estimating grouped observations. In some implementations, a method includes detecting a license plate of a vehicle. The method further includes capturing a plurality of images of the license plate. The method further includes determining candidate characters from the images of the license plate. The method further includes selecting target characters from the candidate characters based on one or more predetermined selection criteria.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an image sensor that captures a sequence of image frames that includes a plurality of different vehicles. The electronic device further includes control circuitry configured to identify a first group of frames from the captured sequence of image frames that belong to a first vehicle. A first bounding box is generated on a first vehicle region within a first frame of the identified first group of frames. A first license plate region of the first vehicle is detected within the first bounding box in the first frame and within a specific area in subsequent frames of the identified first group of frames, based on a reference of the spatial position of the first bounding box of the first vehicle in the first frame. At least the first vehicle is tracked based on the detected first license plate region of the first vehicle.

Abstract: A receiver of network data dynamically filters packets by packet type from a network device CPU based on usage information, such as time, day, location, and feature (e.g., “video” or “application”) selection.

Abstract: Each of plural multimedia files desired to be backed up are transformed into vector representations and divided into segments, and the segments are sent to respective participating computers in a network as a means of backing up the files. The multimedia files can be recovered and may be reconstituted with less than 100% of the segments with minimal deleterious noticeability upon subsequent display of the content in the files.

Abstract: A camera system includes an image sensor and a processing apparatus receiving image frames from the sensor before and after receipt of a user picture signal. The processing apparatus discards frames that do not meet a quality criterion such as under-exposed frames. Also, the processing apparatus compresses only a subset of remaining frames, specifically, those that meet a compression amount threshold. The remaining frames are presented to a user, who can select a representative frame as the “picture” that was taken.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of electronic devices. The electronic devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for applying a filter to an image comprising: receiving a filter setting, selecting a selected filter from a family of filters stored on a computer-readable storage medium, based at least on the filter setting, wherein the family of filters comprises a plurality of filters each being an approximation of a function on different orders, and applying the selected filter to a stored image with a processor.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively supporting data transfer procedures includes a source device that registers with an account server to participate in a data backup service. The source device then encrypts and stores user data onto a datacenter. The source device later may request a data transfer task from a vendor. The datacenter responsively transfers the encrypted user data to a vendor server, and an escrow server generates and sends a temporary key to the vendor server. A destination device may then utilize the temporary key to decrypt and securely store the user data onto the destination device.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a content server and a peer-to-peer network of client devices. The content server stores content items received from a content provider. A recommendation engine of the content server creates a global recommendation list to identify an optimal global candidate from among the stored content items for performing an automatic and transparent content download procedure. The recommendation engine creates the global recommendation list by analyzing selectable content-ranking criteria from a plurality of device users of the client devices. The content server then downloads the optimal global candidate from the stored content items to one or more identified target devices during the content download procedure.

Abstract: A system and method for populating a mesh network model includes peer devices that are configured to transmit peer device signals by utilizing a wireless broadcasting procedure. Mobile devices wirelessly detect the peer device signals to produce wireless scan data corresponding to the peer devices. A location server may then receive the wireless scan data for performing a location estimation calculation procedure with the wireless scan data to thereby determine location coordinates for effectively populating the mesh network model.

Abstract: One dimensional (1D) histograms, one for each row of an image, are determined simultaneously and in parallel with each other to achieve an O(1) time complexity, and are then added to determine a two dimensional (2D) histogram from which desired characteristic values such as median, minimum, and maximum can be determined exactly as opposed to merely being estimated. The characteristic value can be applied to the image to reduce noise or to achieve artistic effects in the image.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively supporting software distribution in an electronic network includes a software server and a network of client devices. The software server stores software items received from a software provider. The software items include various types of trial software that is provided to device users for temporary evaluation and potential purchase. A recommendation engine of the software server creates recommendation lists to identify optimal candidates from among the stored software items for performing an automatic and transparent software download procedures. The recommendation engine creates the recommendation lists by analyzing selectable software-ranking criteria related to device users of the client devices. The software server then downloads the optimal candidates from the stored software items to respective target devices during the software download procedures.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of electronic devices. The electronic devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of client devices. The client devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. An optimization module from a tracking server iteratively redistributes said content segments among the client devices to seek an optimal content segment configuration of said content segments for optimizing performance characteristics of content reassembly procedures. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

Abstract: Images are offloaded from a portable camera automatically to a network server at the time the images are taken, transparently to a user of the camera. The server executes processing functions on the images and returns the output of the processing over the network to the camera and/or other user-defined destination device to thereby relieve the camera processor of potentially complex processing chores.

Abstract: Images are offloaded from a portable camera automatically to a network server at the time the images are taken, transparently to a user of the camera. The server executes processing functions on the images and returns the output of the processing over the network to the camera and/or other user-defined destination device to thereby relieve the camera processor of potentially complex processing chores.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently performing image processing operations includes a camera device that is configured to automatically capture an image sequence of related offset images that correspond to a particular selected photographic target. The camera device then transmits the captured image sequence to an image processing server through an electronic network. The image processing server perform one or more processing-intensive operations upon the received image sequence to thereby produce an enhanced image that may then be transmitted to any appropriate image destination.

Abstract: A camera system includes an image sensor and a processing apparatus receiving image frames from the sensor before and after receipt of a user picture signal. The processing apparatus discards frames that do not meet a quality criterion such as under-exposed frames. Also, the processing apparatus compresses only a subset of remaining frames, specifically, those that meet a compression amount threshold. The remaining frames are presented to a user, who can select a representative frame as the “picture” that was taken.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting content distribution in an electronic network includes a peer-to-peer network of electronic devices. The electronic devices are initially preloaded in a distributed manner with various content segments from corresponding content items. When a system user selects a particular content item on a corresponding electronic device, a download manager of the electronic device may automatically generate content segment requests to other appropriate electronic devices in the peer-to-peer network. The download manager may then download and automatically reassemble the content segments to produce the selected content item for utilization by the system user.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively transferring electronic information includes a transmitter with an encoder that performs a parity encoding procedure. The encoder creates parity blocks for embedding in transmission packets. The parity blocks may be based upon data segments from one or more of the transmission packets. The system also includes a receiver with a decoder that utilizes the parity blocks for performing a packet validation procedure to identify corrupted packets from among the transmission packets. The decoder also performs a packet reconstruction procedure with selected ones of the data segments and the parity blocks to produce reconstructed data segments for the corrupted packets.