Abstract: Pre-processing techniques for processing an image to improve the distinctiveness of an information pattern captured in the image before the information pattern is analyzed in a decoding process. The brightness of an image first is normalized by dividing the image into blocks of areas, such as pixels. A brightness distribution value then is determined for each area of the image by fitting the brightness of its surrounding blocks using bilinear interpolation and extrapolation, and a normalized brightness value for each area can then be obtained by dividing the original brightness value by the brightness distribution value. Next, masks are created to distinguish the information pattern from content captured in the image. The masks may be generated based upon contrast differences between the brightness of pixels representing the information pattern, the brightness of pixels representing content, and the brightness of pixels representing the background of the writing medium.

Abstract: Described herein is technology for, among other things, accessing error report information. It involves various techniques and tools for analyzing and interrelating failure data contained in error reports and thereby facilitating developers to more easily and quickly solve programming bugs. Numerous parameters may also be specified for selecting and searching error reports. Several reliability metrics are provided to better track software reliability situations. The reliability metrics facilitate the tracking of the overall situation of failures that happen in the real word by providing metrics based on error reports (e.g., failure occurrence trends, failure distributions across different languages).

Abstract: An efficient technique is provided for determining a portion of a document corresponding to a captured image. Areas of a document in which the pattern is at least partially obscured are identified. A reference pixel in the image is selected, and an offset between the pixel and the pattern is determined. A pixel-by-pixel comparison is then made of the image with the document such that the reference pixel is only compared with locations in the document that are both within the identified areas and have the determined offset from the pattern. The comparison with the highest correspondence between the image pixels and the electronic document then identifies the position of the reference pixel relative to the electronic document.

Abstract: At least one image captured from a printed document and at least one image captured from a display surface other than a printed document are processed. A surface-type-identification module accepts as input both types of images and identifies, for a particular image, the type of surface from which the image was captured. A display-surface-preprocessing module preprocesses the at least one embedded-interaction-code image captured from a display surface other than a printed document. A printed-document-preprocessing module preprocesses the at least one embedded-interaction-code images captured from a printed document. An embedded-interaction-code-processing module outputs location information for at least one of the at least one image captured from a printed document and the at least one image captured from a display surface other than a printed document.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a user interface and techniques for an interactive graphical representation of large scale data on a display. The disclosure describes how large scale data may be viewed using multiple linked charts. In one implementation, a user interface comprises an overview chart. The user may use chart controller(s) to designate one or more portions of the overview chart viewable in subsequent charts. The user may navigate between the overview chart and the subsequent charts using the chart controller(s).

Abstract: A system and method for encoding a document image and finding a location based on that image are described. A document page is encoded into codes associated with various locations of the document page. The codes are assembled into a code book. Captured images may then be similarly encoded and searched against the codes in the codebook. One or more codes and associated locations may be returned, thereby providing one or more possible locations for the captured images.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which software instrumentation data collected during software program usage sessions is analyzed to identify potential problems with software program usage, such as based on frequency of problem occurrence during the usage sessions. Reliability metrics may be calculated from the information. Failure data additionally collected during the usage sessions may be accessed to derive details that correspond to the potential problems. In one example, the information may be analyzed to determine which alerts and/or asserts occurred most often, and/or to determine a relationship between user interface control operations (e.g., clicks and usage of commands) and alerts or asserts.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments of the invention relate to analyzing document images, which contain positionally encoded information, such as a maze-pattern watermark, and labeling the images based on a degree to which the document's content, such as text, occludes the position-encoding information. Depending on the degree of such occlusion, it may not be possible to extract enough position-encoding bits from a camera-captured image of the document to determine the camera-captured image's location within the document. An analysis-and-labeling module receives, as input, image data output by an image-generation-and-capturing module and off-line training data; performs analysis-and-labeling processing; and outputs image-label information. The results of document-analysis-and-labeling processing may be used for efficiently determining a location of a camera-captured image within a positionally encoded document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for capturing information encoded within a surface, such as location information or document metadata, and associating the information with a document is described. The captured information may be obtained by a camera associated with a pointing or writing device having a camera, such as an image-capturing pen.

Abstract: Systems and methods that determine a path of a pen tip as the pen tip is moved across a document are described. The document is watermarked with a maze pattern from which encoded position information is determined. A sequence of images is captured by a camera that is located in a pen. The path of the pen tip is determined by decoding the associated maze pattern and by matching the captured images with document images. If the position coordinates of any frame that is associated with a stroke cannot be determined from m-array decoding, the frames are transformed and then matched with an area of a document image. Once the position coordinates of at least one frame is determined, the position coordinates of other frames are determined by matching the frames in a neighboring area.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the invention, local metadata is embedded into an embedded interactive code document by combining a first m-array and a second m-array to generate a combined m-array with encoded local metadata such that a start position of the second m-array in the combined m-array is shifted, by an amount that is based on the local metadata, relative to a start position of the first m-array in the combined m-array. The first m-array and the second m-array may contain the same repeating bit sequence. Local metadata may be decoded from the embedded interactive code document by decoding the local metadata from the combined m-array by determining the amount by which the second m-array is shifted, relative to the first m-array, in the combined m-array.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the invention, global metadata, such as a document identifier, which may be a globally unique identifier, is embedded into an embedded interactive code document by combining a first m-array and a plurality of copies of the first m-array to generate a combined m-array with encoded global metadata such that respective start positions (xd,yd)i of the plurality of copies of the first m-array in the combined m-array are each shifted, by respective amounts that are based on respective portions of the global metadata, relative to a start position of the first m-array in the combined m-array. Global metadata may be decoded from the combined m-array by determining the respective amounts by which the plurality of copies of the first m-array are shifted, relative to the first m-array, in the combined m-array and by combining the respective amounts to produce a decoded value of the global metadata.

Abstract: A method and system for decoding data on a medium that is captured by an input device is described. The method decodes a symbol design, such as an embedded interaction code (EIC), on a display screen, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). An image that is captured by an input device, such as a universal pen-type input device with a camera, is received. The captured image is processed to output an extracted bit stream. Position data and/or metadata information is decoded from the extracted bit stream and a position of the captured image with respect to a screen of the LCD is determined based upon the decoded position data. The EIC pattern may be recognized from LCD pixel grids and a bit stream of EIC bits may be extracted based upon the recognized EIC pattern.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for determining a portion of a document corresponding to a captured image. A user employs a pen to create a stroke in a document, and images are captured by a camera mounted on the pen. The locations of some of the images are determined by, e.g., analyzing a pattern on the document captured by the image or by a pixel-by-pixel comparison of the image with the document. The locations of other images are determined by segmenting the sequence of images into groups corresponding to the shape of the stroke. Information relating to a located image in a segment is employed to determine the position of an unlocated image in the segment. This determined position is used for obtaining further information that may be used to determine the position of another unlocated image in the segment, and so on, until the segment is finished.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the invention, local metadata is embedded into, and extracted from, an embedded interaction code document. A plurality of local-metadata values are assigned, in accordance with a set of local-metadata conflict-resolution rules, via a plurality of respective partial-share channels, to a plurality of respective local-metadata fields. The local metadata is decoded by decoding the partial-share channels and by resolving potentially conflicting decoded local-metadata values according to the set of local-metadata conflict-resolution rules. A local metadata value of a region to the left may be smaller than a local metadata value of a potentially conflicting region to the right, and the values may be non-continuous. A local metadata value of an upper region may be smaller than a local metadata value of a potentially conflicting lower region, and the values may be continuous.

Abstract: Pre-processing techniques for processing an image to improve the distinctiveness of an information pattern captured in the image before the information pattern is analyzed in a decoding process. The brightness of an image first is normalized by dividing the image into blocks of areas, such as pixels. A brightness distribution value then is determined for each area of the image by fitting the brightness of its surrounding blocks using bilinear interpolation and extrapolation, and a normalized brightness value for each area can then be obtained by dividing the original brightness value by the brightness distribution value. Next, masks are created to distinguish the information pattern from content captured in the image. The masks may be generated based upon contrast differences between the brightness of pixels representing the information pattern, the brightness of pixels representing content, and the brightness of pixels representing the background of the writing medium.

Abstract: An efficient technique is provided for determining a portion of a document corresponding to a captured image. Areas of a document in which the pattern is at least partially obscured are identified. A reference pixel in the image is selected, and an offset between the pixel and the pattern is determined. A pixel-by-pixel comparison is then made of the image with the document such that the reference pixel is only compared with locations in the document that are both within the identified areas and have the determined offset from the pattern. The comparison with the highest correspondence between the image pixels and the electronic document then identifies the position of the reference pixel relative to the electronic document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing EIC pattern analysis is described. Pattern feature extraction is performed followed by EIC symbol segmentation. A system may later use the result from the pattern analysis to determine a location of a captured image in relation to a larger array of EIC symbols.

Abstract: Described herein is technology for, among other things, accessing error report information. It involves various techniques and tools for analyzing and interrelating failure data contained in error reports and thereby facilitating developers to more easily and quickly solve programming bugs. Numerous parameters may also be specified for selecting and searching error reports. Several reliability metrics are provided to better track software reliability situations. The reliability metrics facilitate the tracking of the overall situation of failures that happen in the real word by providing metrics based on error reports (e.g., failure occurrence trends, failure distributions across different languages).

Abstract: A method for identifying data related to a software security issue is provided. The method includes accessing a software security issue and determining one or more attributes associated with the software security issue. The method also includes accessing aggregated software security data retrieved from a plurality of on-line sources and searching the aggregated software security data for the attributes associated with the security issue. The method further includes associating a portion of the aggregated data with the security issue based on matching the attributes associated with the security issue with contents of the portion of the aggregated data.