Abstract: An example provides a system and method of robust alignment and payload recovery for data-bearing images. The method includes digitizing a printed version of a stegatone, computing the transformation parameters of the stegatone, and processing individual local regions of the stegatone to determine local transformation parameters. The method also includes performing an alignment evaluation to compute a metric value that represents the quality of a local alignment between a reference halftone and the stegatone. Further, the method includes selecting alignment parameters based on optimization of the metric value, mapping the shift of clustered-dots in each cell in comparison to the reference halftone, and recovering the payload by decoding the stegatone.

Abstract: A blur resistant barcode is disclosed. The blur resistant barcode comprise a plurality of parallel lines and spaces where information is encoded in the barcode by variations in the thicknesses of the plurality of parallel lines and by variations in the spacing between the plurality of parallel lines. The blur resistant barcode has at least one blur resistant feature that has a thickness in an axis of motion greater than a maximum thickness of any one of the plurality of parallel lines. The axis of motion is perpendicular to the plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: A parallel test payload includes a bit sequence configured to be segmented into a plurality of sub-sequences having variable bit length carriers. Respective carriers are represented uniformly in each one of the plurality of sub-sequences.

Abstract: A payload recovery system includes a reference halftone image of a data-bearing halftone image and a reference map of the data-bearing halftone image. The system further includes a cell alignment system for receiving a scanned image of a hard copy of the data-bearing halftone image and for generating an aligned scan of the scanned image using the reference halftone image and the reference map. A raw payload recovery system determines possible shift positions of each carrier cell of the aligned scan using a shift rule and the reference map; and a reconstructed data-bearing halftone image is generated by the raw payload recovery system using the possible shift positions and the reference halftone. The system also includes a recovered raw payload generated by the raw payload recovery system using the shift rule and the reference map.

Abstract: A blur resistant barcode is disclosed. The blur resistant barcode comprise a plurality of parallel lines and spaces where information is encoded in the barcode by variations in the thicknesses of the plurality of parallel lines and by variations in the spacing between the plurality of parallel lines. The blur resistant barcode has at least one blur resistant feature that has a thickness in an axis of motion greater than a maximum thickness of any one of the plurality of parallel lines. The axis of motion is perpendicular to the plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: A blur resistant barcode is disclosed. The blur resistant barcode comprise a plurality of parallel lines and spaces where information is encoded in the barcode by variations in the thicknesses of the plurality of parallel lines and by variations in the spacing between the plurality of parallel lines. The blur resistant barcode has at least one blur resistant feature that has a thickness in an axis of motion greater than a maximum thickness of any one of the plurality of parallel lines. The axis of motion is perpendicular to the plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: An edge refinement system includes a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program having computer readable code for identifying carrier cells among shadow cells and highlight cells of a segmented image, computer readable code for determining if a predetermined edge condition is met by each of the identified carrier cells, and computer readable code for re-classifying the carrier cell as a non-carrier cell when the predetermined edge condition is met. The edge refinement system further includes memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory and to the computer-readable medium.

Abstract: A payload recovery system includes a reference halftone image of a data-bearing halftone image and a reference map of the data-bearing halftone image. The system further includes a cell alignment system for receiving a scanned image of a hard copy of the data-bearing halftone image and for generating an aligned scan of the scanned image using the reference halftone image and the reference map. A raw payload recovery system determines possible shift positions of each carrier cell of the aligned scan using a shift rule and the reference map; and a reconstructed data-bearing halftone image is generated by the raw payload recovery system using the possible shift positions and the reference halftone. The system also includes a recovered raw payload generated by the raw payload recovery system using the shift rule and the reference map.

Abstract: A blur resistant barcode is disclosed. The blur resistant barcode comprise a plurality of parallel lines and spaces where information is encoded in the barcode by variations in the thicknesses of the plurality of parallel lines and by variations in the spacing between the plurality of parallel lines. The blur resistant barcode has at least one blur resistant feature that has a thickness in an axis of motion greater than a maximum thickness of any one of the plurality of parallel lines. The axis of motion is perpendicular to the plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: A system for creating a data-bearing image can include a reference image generator configured to apply a clustered-dot halftone screen to a continuous-tone image. The resulting reference halftone image includes carrier cells in which a pixel cluster can be shifted to at least two shift positions in the carrier cell. The system also includes a payload encoder configured to segment the data payload and encode data segments into one of the carrier cells by shifting the cluster to one of the shift positions. The system also includes an output device configured to output the resulting data-bearing halftone image.

Abstract: A remote-controlled pointing system (32) includes a projector (36), an image sensor (34), and a controller (38). The projector (36) projects a beam (45) of light from a location in a projection plane (46) onto a scene (18). The image sensor (34) captures an image (54) of the scene (18) in a capture plane (50). The controller (38) performs operations that include transmitting the captured image (54) to a remote destination (14), receiving from the remote destination (14) a target beam location (44) in the capture plane (50), determining a location of the beam (45) in the capture plane (50), and changing the location in the projection plane (46) from which the beam (45) is projected based on the determined beam location and the target beam location (44).

Abstract: Candidate redeye areas (24) are determined in an input image (20). In this process, a respective set of one or more redeye metric values (28) is associated with each of the candidate redeye areas (24). Candidate face areas (30) are ascertained in the input image (20). In this process, a respective set of one or more face metric values (34) is associated with each of the candidate face areas (30). A respective joint metric vector (78) is assigned to each of the candidate redeye areas (24). The joint metric vector (78) includes metric values that are derived from the respective set of redeye metric values (28) and the set of face metric values (34) associated with a selected one of the candidate face areas (30). Each of one or more of the candidate redeye areas (24) is classified as either a redeye artifact or a non-redeye artifact based on the respective joint metric vector (78) assigned to the candidate redeye area (24).

Abstract: A camera-based document scanning system produces electronic versions of documents, based on a plurality of images of discrete portions of the documents. The system compares each pair of consecutive images and derives motion parameters that indicate the relative motion between each pair of consecutive images. The system utilizes the derived motion parameters to align and merge each image with respect to the previous images, thereby building a single, mosaic image of the document. In the illustrative embodiment, the motion parameters are derived by minimizing a sum of squared differences equation on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

Abstract: A system and method corrects luminance non-uniformity caused by images being obliquely projected onto a screen. A camera is used to record the geometry of the obliquely displayed image. Utilizing this recorded geometry, a homography is then derived that maps pixels between the projector's coordinate system and the screen's coordinate system. Utilizing the homography, the projector pixel that attends to the largest projected area on the screen is identified. Next, the ratio of each pixel's projected area to the largest projected area is computed. These ratios are then organized into an attenuation array that is used to produce “corrected” luminance information from input image data. The projector is then driven with the “corrected” luminance information.

Abstract: A camera-based document scanning system produces electronic versions of documents, based on a plurality of images of discrete portions of the documents. The system compares each pair of consecutive images and derives motion parameters that indicate the relative motion between each pair of consecutive images. The system utilizes the derived motion parameters to align and merge each image with respect to the previous images, thereby building a single, mosaic image of the document. In the illustrative embodiment, the motion parameters are derived by minimizing a sum of squared differences equation on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

Abstract: An apparatus generates one-dimensional dither values for dithering linear digital signals where each digital signal having an address and a signal value. The apparatus includes a counter incremented for each sequential address of the digital signals. A predetermined number of least significant bits from the current values of the counter are selected and reversed wired to generate dither values that are applied to the corresponding signal values.

Abstract: A method generates a one-dimensional dither array having a predetermined number of dither values stored at addresses of the array includes the steps of generating a choice size vector and a choice vector. Initializing an address of the dither array, a dither value, and a counter for indexing the choice size vector and the choice vector to zero. Determining if the dither value is equal to the size of the dither array, and terminating if true, otherwise if false continuing with assigning a step a value that is equal to the size of the dither array divided by a current value of the indexed choice size vector, and assigning an offset a value that is equal to the rounded-down integer value of the step divided by two. Assigning the address, modulus the step, equal to the address, plus the offset, plus the current value of the indexed choice vector multiplied by the step.

Abstract: An apparatus for dithering a signal such as a pixels of an image having multiple address dimensions. A predetermined number of least significant bits of a first address of the pixel are used to index a one-dimensional dither array. Indexing the array produces a first dither value. A predetermined least number of significant bits of a second address of the pixel are combined with the first dither value to index a second one-dimensional dither array. The indexing of the second array produces a final dither value that can be used to dither the pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus for dithering an input image to produce an output array for representation on an output device is described. The apparatus includes an input device to store input image pixels having a first plurality of chrominance or luminance levels; a dithering system including a dither template including an M by N matrix of integer threshold values, the uniform distribution of threshold values throughout the dither template possessing homogeneous attributes. The apparatus further includes a normalizer unit for normalizing the threshold values of the dither template for storage in a dither matrix according to the first plurality of chrominance or luminance levels of the input image pixels and a second plurality of chrominance or luminance levels of the output array and a summation unit to add the input image pixel chrominance or luminance values to the normalized threshold values of the dither matrix.

Abstract: An apparatus for dithering an input image to produce an output array for representation on an output device is described. The apparatus includes an input device to store input image pixels having a first plurality of chrominance or luminance levels; a dithering system including a dither template including an M by N matrix of integer threshold values, the uniform distribution of threshold values throughout the dither template possessing homogeneous attributes. The apparatus further includes a normalizer unit for normalizing the threshold values of the dither template for storage in a dither matrix according to the first plurality of chrominance or luminance levels of the input image pixels and a second plurality of chrominance or luminance levels of the output array and a summation unit to add the input image pixel chrominance or luminance values to the normalized threshold values of the dither matrix.