Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating lens-related metadata for a light field imaging device. An image renderer generates a display image from a light field capture using a lens model. A metadata assembler then outputs parameters of the lens model used for generating the display image as lens-related metadata for the light field imaging device.

Abstract: In order to objectively and efficiently measure, visualize and evaluate the quality of images in terms of sharpness, a method for determining a sharpness metric (S) of an image is described. The method includes performing edge detection that results in gradients for the pixels of the image, determining a value representing a contrast metric C of the image, calculating at least three different thresholds (t1,t2,t3) from the image content, and classifying the pixels according to their gradient into at least four groups defined by the thresholds. The sharpness metric (S) is calculated from relationships between the amounts of pixels in the different groups and a multiplicative factor (m) between the at least three thresholds.

Abstract: In order to objectively and efficiently measure, visualize and evaluate the quality of images in terms of sharpness, a method for determining a sharpness metric (S) of an image is described. The method includes performing edge detection that results in gradients for the pixels of the image, determining a value representing a contrast metric C of the image, calculating at least three different thresholds (t1, t2,t3) from the image content, and classifying the pixels according to their gradient into at least four groups defined by the thresholds. The sharpness metric (S) is calculated from relationships between the amounts of pixels in the different groups and a multiplicative factor (m) between the at least three thresholds.

Abstract: Results of automatic detection of dirt or other non-steady defects in a sequence of digitized image frames can be unreliable. Here, a determination of a detection of a defective object to be replaced by a replacement pattern in a frame of a sequence of image frames as a misdetection is presented that comprises determining a value of a first similarity measure between a boundary of the detected defective object and a boundary of the replacement pattern and determining a value of a second similarity measure between the detected defective object and the replacement pattern. The detection of the defective object is determined as a misdetection if at least one of the following holds true: the value of the first similarity measure is outside of a corresponding first similarity acceptance range and the value of the second similarity measure is inside of a corresponding second similarity acceptance range.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for automatic restoration of an image or a sequence of images, e.g. motion picture films, are disclosed, which facilitate removal of artifacts within the image or the sequence of images. The restoration is split into a detection process, a quality control process, and a removal process. In the detection process artifacts in the image or the sequence of images are detected and information about the detected artifacts is stored in a metadata database. In the subsequent quality control process the information about the detected artifacts is reviewed by an operator. In the removal process one or more of the detected artifacts are removed from the image or the sequence of images based on the information about the detected artifacts stored in the metadata database.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating metadata for digital content are described, which allow to review the generated metadata already in course of ongoing generation of metadata. The metadata generation is split into a plurality of processing tasks, which are allocated to two or more processing nodes. The metadata generated by the two or more processing nodes is gathered and visualized on an output unit.

Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for measuring a quality parameter of an optical storage system comprising a non-diffraction-limited optical storage medium and a readout device, the method comprising the process of deriving an impulse response of the optical storage system, and the process of analyzing the impulse response to determine at least one of a width of the impulse response and a skewness of the impulse response as the quality parameter.

Abstract: The error correction capability of block codes can be doubled if error locations are known. Prior art approaches for error location detection always involve adding dedicated redundant data which then are evaluated to yield error location information. The present invention proposes and describes how error location information in the form of clues is derived from given DC control bits that are anyway present in a data stream.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for automatic restoration of an image or a sequence of images, e.g. motion picture films, are disclosed, which facilitate removal of artifacts within the image or the sequence of images. The restoration is split into a detection process, a quality control process, and a removal process. In the detection process artifacts in the image or the sequence of images are detected and information about the detected artifacts is stored in a metadata database. In the subsequent quality control process the information about the detected artifacts is reviewed by an operator. In the removal process one or more of the detected artifacts are removed from the image or the sequence of images based on the information about the detected artifacts stored in the metadata database.

Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for measuring a quality parameter of an optical storage system comprising a non-diffraction-limited optical storage medium and a readout device, the method comprising the process of deriving an impulse response of the optical storage system, and the process of analyzing the impulse response to determine at least one of a width of the impulse response and a skewness of the impulse response as the quality parameter.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for cycle slip detection for timing recovery of a received analog signal including asynchronously sampled digital data are implemented with a timing recovery control loop using a technique known as interpolated timing recovery and improved cycle slip detection as well as improved cycle slip correction based on said cycle slip detection. The method includes using an output signal of the loop filter in the control loop for timing recovery, generating averaged timing error values from said filtered timing error signal and accumulating changes of the averaged timing error values in adjacent blocks of samples which exceed a first threshold. Accumulated averaged timing error changes of adjacent blocks which exceed a second threshold are then declared as cycle slip and the number of cycle slips is determined by a third threshold being a tolerance threshold.

Abstract: For algebraic single symbol error correction and detection, a method is proposed which achieves correcting single symbol errors at unknown positions within codewords, identifying cases where multiple symbols within a codeword are uncorrectably corrupted, and identifying cases where a single symbol within a codeword is uncorrectably corrupted. The method comprises the steps of calculating a syndrome of a received word, splitting the syndrome into two parts, checking 3 integer weight quantities calculated from the two syndrome parts, converting the syndrome into a vector of integer valued “orthogonal bit error weights” associated to the received bits, and toggling those bits of the received word, where the associated “orthogonal bit error weight” is in the upper half of its possible value range.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for data processing comprising a central processing unit and a non volatile random access memory. The central processing unit and the non volatile random access memory are connected via a memory bus. The data related to an operating system for running said apparatus is at least partly stored in said non volatile random access memory and the memory used by the operating system for operating said apparatus is at least partly said non volatile memory.

Abstract: The error correction capability of block codes can be doubled if error locations are known. Prior art approaches for error location detection always involve adding dedicated redundant data which then are evaluated to yield error location information. The present invention proposes and describes how error location information in the form of clues is derived from given DC control bits that are anyway present in a data stream.

Abstract: For algebraic single symbol error correction and detection, a method is proposed which achieves correcting single symbol errors at unknown positions within codewords, identifiying cases where multiple symbols within a codeword are uncorrectably corrupted, and identifying cases where a single symbol within a codeword is uncorrectably corrupted. The method comprises the steps of calculating a syndrome of a received word, splitting the syndrome into two parts, checking 3 integer weight quantities calculated from the two syndrome parts, converting the syndrome into a vector of integer valued “orthogonal bit error weights” associated to the received bits, and toggling those bits of the received word, where the associated “orthogonal bit error weight” is in the upper half of its possible value range.

Abstract: For controlling the DC-content of a Run Length Limited RLL modulated channel bit stream organized in data blocks, control bits are periodically inserted into control blocks which are dynamically placed and sized near the data block boundaries in such a way as to enable independent dk-encoding of the data blocks body and the control blocks. Running digital sum differences are calculated. Control bit insertion is done in such a way that the d,k constraints of the RLL code are not violated, that the encoded dk sequence of the data block body is not altered, and that the running digital sum is minimized by eventually inverting the contribution of the data block body thereto. Compared to the number of data bits per data block, few control bits are sufficient to keep the digital sum variation DSV of the Running Digital Sum RDS small.

Abstract: In a channel encoder comprising a dk-encoder stage and a precoding stage, obeyance of a repeated minimum transition runlength constraint is achieved because, between the dk-encoder and the precoder, data are passed through an RMTR encoder which replaces occurrences of a forbidden pattern by a current replacement pattern having the same length as the forbidden pattern. By appropriately selecting current replacement patterns from a predefined set of two different replacement patterns, DC-control can be achieved for the encoder output. The corresponding decoder is described, which also employs pattern replacement. These results are provided by a method of channel encoding binary data, wherein the data is contained in a n input sequence of data tuples. An input sequence of constrained tuples is generated that obeys the relationships heretorfore set forth. A post encoding step is applied with NRZI modulation to be used in a channel as described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage medium having a first area and a second area. According to the invention, the first area is recorded in a predefined first physical format and contains a parity check matrix information about an error correction code of a second physical format. The second area is recorded in the second physical format. Methods according to the invention relate to reading data and to recording data.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for cycle slip detection for timing recovery of a received analog signal comprising asynchronously sampled digital data are recommended. More specifically a fully digital implementation of a timing recovery control loop using a technique known as interpolated timing recovery and improved cycle slip detection as well as improved cycle slip correction based on said cycle slip detection are recommended. The method comprises the steps of using an output signal of the loop filter in the control loop for timing recovery, generating averaged timing error values from said filtered timing error signal and accumulating changes of the averaged timing error values in adjacent blocks of samples which exceed a first threshold. Accumulated averaged timing error changes of adjacent blocks which exceed a second threshold are then declared as cycle slip and the number of cycle slips is determined by a third threshold being a tolerance threshold.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for joint detection and channel decoding of binary data employing a trellis-based detector where the trellis describes RLL encoding, NRZI preceding, the influence of the channel, and PR equalization. In order to improve performance for the case of exchanging soft information with an outer soft-in soft-out channel decoder or ECC decoder under the presence of correlated noise, the trellis is extended to also comprise and model a Noise Prediction.