Abstract: The present invention concerns a capacitor microphone comprising a microphone housing having a sound inlet opening, a diaphragm and a counterpart electrode which is associated with the diaphragm and which is arranged at a small spacing relative to the diaphragm. In order to be able to construct such a capacitor microphone with the smallest possible dimensions with at the same time a high signal-noise ratio and without worsening the electro-acoustic parameters, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the microphone housing has two housing portions of which the second housing portion is of a larger diameter than the first housing portion and the second housing portion is arranged in the form of a cap or sleeve over the first housing portion and the edge of the diaphragm is folded over the edge of the first housing portion and fixed to the outside of the first housing portion.

Abstract: A mobile phone and an acoustic box structure thereof are provided. The mobile phone includes a shell containing a printed circuit board (PCB) and a hidden antenna therein. The acoustic box structure is disposed between the PCB and the hidden antenna. The acoustic box structure includes a main body, a loudspeaker accommodated in the main body and a frame located between the PCB and the main body. Due to the design of the frame, a hermetic space is framed between the PCB and the main body, thereby preventing sound waves generated by the loudspeaker from leaking out via a gap between the main body and the PCB. Furthermore, the frame made of shockproof materials decreases the resonant transfer between the PCB and the loudspeaker. Consequently, the quality of the sound made by the mobile phone is improved.

Abstract: A loudspeaker with high power efficiency and low resonance frequency is achieved by having a damper directly or indirectly sleeving beside a coil on a voice coil so that gravity center of loudspeaker is low and stable and the voice coil does not dislocate easily to keep acoustic performance of the loudspeaker excellent without acoustic distortion and to shorten the length of the voice coil. Moreover, a U-yoke attaches a frame in form of an insertion combination to shorten the loudspeaker at joints. Thereby, the depth of the loudspeaker is significantly reduced in size.

Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a circular damper, a cone, and a cylindrical bobbin. The circular damper may include a centrally disposed cone attachment protuberance and a peripherally disposed top plate attachment section. The cone may have a central inner portion that may be attached to the cone attachment protuberance of the damper. The cone may be attached to the cylindrical bobbin, which may have a voice coil coupled thereto.

Abstract: The invention relates to a loudspeaker, particularly a so-called planar loudspeaker, the vibrating diaphragm of which is essentially planar and is attached by its edges to the body (3) of the loudspeaker. There is a resilient intermediate piece (2) between the diaphragm (1) and the body (3), there is a resilient intermediate piece (2), which is located essentially around the entire edge area of the diaphragm (1). The intermediate piece (2) may be, for example, of a resilient rubber or plastic-based material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for watermarking sensed data in a sensing device which senses a subject to obtain sensed data includes the sensing device temporarily storing the sensed data. The sensing device collects metadata associated with a user of the sensing device and temporarily stores the metadata. The sensing device generates watermarked data by watermarking the sensed data with the metadata.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, e.g., methods, sensors and apparatus that provide steganographic indicia or digital watermarking in image or video data. One implementation provides a method including: determining one or more operating characteristics of a device; based at least on the one or more operating characteristics, adjusting a steganographic embedding process associated with the device; steganographically embedding plural-bit auxiliary data in host content handled or processed by the device according to the adjusted steganographic embedding process. Another implementation provides an image sensor comprising: a controller; an image sensor array; at least one digital watermark detector co-located with the image senor array. The digital watermark detector operates to decode digital watermarks from imagery captured by the image sensor array.

Abstract: An apparatus for characterising a subject's visual response, comprising a data processor, a display and an input device, wherein the data processor is arranged to present evaluation images at different positions on the display such that they occur at different positions within the subject's field of view, and wherein each evaluation image comprises a contribution of at least two items selected from a list comprising: a base image, a test image, and a noise image, and wherein the data processor is responsive to the input device such that the subject can indicate whether they can see the test image in the evaluation image, and the data processor is further arranged to evaluate the subject's responses so as to give an indication of one or more of visual efficiency, internal noise and visual sensitivity as a function of position within the subjects field of view.

Abstract: A target searching device has an image capture unit that captures and outputs a captured image having I×J pixels, an image display unit that displays a displayed image having M×N pixels, and an image process unit that is coupled with the image capture unit and the image display unit. The target searching device can perform a method of displaying an image, which includes the steps of acquiring a captured image having I×J pixels, selecting a pre-set target from the captured image, dividing the captured image into a plurality of image blocks with reference to the pre-set target, resealing each image block by a set of zoom parameters to transform the captured image of I×J pixels into a displayed image having M×N pixels, and displaying the displayed image.

Abstract: A feature extraction unit (23) extracts features of an object of interest included in an image. A local region setting unit (24) sets a local region that includes a feature group required to obtain the shape of the object and a local region that includes a feature group required to obtain the positional relationship. A feature vector generation unit (25) calculates feature vector data in the set local regions. An object recognition unit (26) determines which of different objects the object of interest is, on the basis of the feature vectors.

Abstract: A true/false determining apparatus that can determine the genuineness of a material with high accuracy. Coherent light is radiated onto a surface of an object. Reflected light of the coherent light reflected by the object detecting unit is detected. A part to be used as a pattern sample from intensity distribution of the reflected light detected by the detecting unit is selected. Pattern data is generated from the intensity distribution of the reflected light in selected the part. The generated pattern data is matched against reference pattern data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for person identification. In one embodiment, a method for identifying an individual includes obtaining at least one image of the individual, where the image depicts at least a portion of the individual's hair, comparing the visual characteristics of the individual's hair to the visual characteristics of imaged hair in one or more stored images, and identifying the individual based on the comparison.

Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and program product for identifying an individual using biometric data based on the individual's brain. In one embodiment, the invention includes constructing a biometric signature based on at least one of: features within a two-dimensional scan of the individual's brain and a difference in features between at least two two-dimensional scans of the individual's brain.

Abstract: A face image read apparatus which reads the face image of a moving person by the time he or she arrives at a particular position, comprises first and second image capture units configured to capture an area where the moving person enters from first and second directions, respectively, a first detector unit configured to detect the face region of the moving person from an image captured by the first image capture unit, a second detector unit configured to detect whether the number of face regions detected by the first detector unit is one or more, and a switching control unit configured to, according to the result of detection by the second detector unit, switch between a first process based on an image captured by the first image capture unit and a second process based on images captured by the first and second image capture units.

Abstract: The image display apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an image input device which inputs an image signal; a particular target detection device which detects a particular target included in the image signal based on a particular target evaluation value indicating the feature of the particular target; a frame display information generation device which generates frame display information indicating a frame surrounding the detected particular target and which causes the frame to change continuously or by stages according to the particular target evaluation value; and a display device which displays the frame based on the generated frame display information. That is, by causing the frame to change continuously or by stages according to the evaluation value of a particular target, it is possible to avoid sudden change in the frame display.

Abstract: A method of embedding information in digital content representing media streams. The method includes (1) selecting a set of locations within that digital content representing the media stream to embed information, (2) selecting a set of possible alterations to make at those locations, and (3) making a subset of the possible alterations. The set of locations and possible alterations is herein sometimes called a “watermark.” The subset of actual alterations that are made is herein sometimes called a “fingerprint.” The method determines a set of locations at which there are alternative versions of digital content representing the same media stream, such as one being the original and one being an alternative version of the same digital content, herein sometimes called the “original movie” and the “alt-movie,” or herein sometimes called the “original block” and the “alt-block” for a particular block in the digital content representing the media stream.

Abstract: A method includes accessing image data regarding at least one vessel, and contouring the at least one vessel by defining a plurality of components of a histogram.

Abstract: A system and method for feature detection in ultrasound images is disclosed. The method estimates speckle distributions in windows on opposing sides of a pixel of an ultrasound image. The divergence is calculated for the pixel between the estimated speckle distributions in the windows. These steps are performed for each pixel in the ultrasound image, and a feature map is generated based on the divergence calculated between the estimated speckle distributions for each pixel.

Abstract: In a method for controlling the acquisition and/or evaluation operation of image data in medical examinations, using a statistical model of the target volume based on data about real anatomy, spatial information (in particular position, orientation and shape) of the target volume are automatically determined in a previously-acquired planning image data set wholly or partially showing a target volume, and the acquisition and/or evaluation operation is controlled using the spatial information.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for generation of magnetic resonance images, a number of three-dimensional volume data sets of a subject are acquired in k-space, with each three-dimensional volume data set being acquired with a non-constant density. Filtered three-dimensional volume data sets are generated in k-space, which are assembled from a number of the three-dimensional volume data sets. Three-dimensional image data sets are reconstructed on the basis of filtered three-dimensional volume data sets.

Abstract: An image reconstruction method for structuring planar images into three-dimension images is disclosed in the present invention. Conventional planar imaging of nuclear medicine can only obtain two-dimensional planar images.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method of displaying data is provided. The method comprises obtaining projection data of an object by exposing an object to radiation at a plurality of view angles and detecting at least some of the radiation exiting the object to form the projection data, operating a computer to reconstruct the projection data at a reconstruction resolution to form image data comprising a plurality of voxels representing locations within the object, each of the plurality of voxels being assigned an associated intensity indicative of a density of the subject matter at the respective location, determining a maximum resolution for display, above which variation in intensity between adjacent voxels is not supported by information in the projection data, the maximum resolution being less than the reconstruction resolution, and displaying the image data at or below the maximum resolution.

Abstract: An image processing method for automatically analyzing the spine in a radiograph. The methods includes the steps of acquiring the radiographic image in digital form; detecting the spine midline in the radiograph, locating vertebra and pedicle along the spine midline, and calculating geometrical data of the spine in the radiograph.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically counting a bundled group of metal rods, bars, angles or other items having discernible configuration portions includes a imaging device, such as digital camera, a computer and a computer algorithm that processes images form the imaging device and counts the number of discernible configurations in the image. The item count is generated by the computer algorithm whereby an inventory system, for tracking the stocked units of the discernible configuration is updated responsive to the output from the computer algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of computing fuel nozzle spray parameters comprising steps of using a virtual or physical information collector which is divided into a plurality of regions to collect information relating to a spray of a fuel nozzle and analyzing the information collected in the individual regions of the collector to determine quantitative values of the spray parameters of the fuel nozzle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to extract a dense three-dimensional model of an observed scene or object from one or more sequences of images acquired with an imaging device such as a camera or camcorder, or clusters of cameras and/or camcorders. In some embodiments the method includes capturing an image sequence by a camera moving with a translateral motion, for example moving on a straight path with a fixed orientation. The images in each sequence are captured at regularly spaced sites on the straight path. In some embodiments, a device projects structured light on the observed scene. Multiple image sequences can be acquired, on different cameras on straight paths. The captured image sequences are input to a computer. The 3D structure of the scene viewed by each image sequence is computed. Dense reconstruction from EPIs is performed by interpolating the EPIs after having detecting straight segments on the EPIs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for using stored data associated with simple actions to identify and classify an observed composite action which comprises a combination of simple actions. Image data comprising the composite action is received and used to generate a feature vector, such as a combination of a horizontal translation, a vertical translation, a scale value and a skin detection value, that is associated with the composite action. Baseline reference vectors representing combinations of simple actions represented by stored reference data are then generated. The generated feature vector is then preprocessed to modify the feature vector towards a baseline reference vector describing a combination of simple actions. Each of the baseline reference vectors is then compared to the modified feature vector to determine the baseline reference vector and corresponding combination of simple actions that most accurately describes the composite action.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and computer-readable medium for detecting flesh-tone regions in pictures, images, and videos. The method includes (a) defining a flesh-tone axis in a color space coordinate system, wherein the flesh-tone axis passes through both the center of a flesh-tone region and the origin of the color space coordinate system; (b) calculating a perpendicular point, wherein the perpendicular point is the point on the flesh-tone axis having the shortest distance to an input pixel; (c) calculating a first distance and a second distance based on the coordinates of the input pixel, the perpendicular point and the center of the flesh-tone region; and (d) determining whether the input pixel is in the flesh-tone region based on the first distance and second distance.

Abstract: The image processing device according to an aspect of the invention comprises an image input device for inputting image data representing a color image, a distance calculation device for calculating a distance on a color space between a noticed pixel of the inputted color image and each of peripheral pixels including the noticed pixel, a factor calculation device for calculating a weighting factor for each peripheral pixel in accordance with the calculated distance, and a weighted average processing device for calculating image data of the noticed pixel by obtaining a weighted average of image data of the peripheral pixels using the weighting factor calculated for each peripheral pixel.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus to recognize a predetermined model whose surface has a plurality of colors from an input color image that is obtained by capturing an image of a color object whose surface has a plurality of colors. The image processing apparatus includes a detecting unit configured to detect color areas from the input color image, each color area including adjoining pixels of the same color; and a recognizing unit configured to determine whether the color areas on the input color image detected by the detecting unit correspond to parts of the model to which color areas on a reference color image obtained by capturing an image of the model correspond, and determine whether the color object in the input color image is the model on the basis of the determination result.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to define automatically, in a pre-selected color space, at least one user-provided sample color. The method includes defining at least one target color within the color space to yield a standard color data set and providing a physical color swatch corresponding to the defined target color. The user then provides a digitized image comprising the user-provided sample color juxtaposed with the physical color swatch, to yield a sample color data set. The sample color data set is then compared to the standard color data set by means of a program stored on a programmable computer to determine a set of coordinates within the color space that defines the user-provided sample color.

Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method for generating an illumination invariant, chromaticity representation of an image is provided. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of providing an image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel having N band color values, transforming the N bands to log color space values in a log color space, generating a bi-illuminant chromaticity plane in the log color space and projecting the log color space values to the chromaticity the plane to provide chromaticity representation values corresponding to the pixels of the image.

Abstract: An image adjusting apparatus is provided, by which detailed and highly precise adjustments is performed on the basis of not only an image being displayed but also characteristics of the image being displayed when adjusting image quality of the image being displayed on a television or the like. The image adjusting apparatus includes: an adjusting device adjusting image quality parameters for an inputted image; a characteristic quantity extracting device extracting data indicating characteristic quantity of the inputted image from the inputted image, the characteristic quantity corresponding to the image quality parameters to be adjusted by the adjusting device; a composing device composing a display image simultaneously showing the data indicating the characteristic quantity extracted by the characteristic quantity extracting device and the inputted image; and a display device displaying the display image composed by the composing device.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention is directed to a system and method that identifies motional media content from the actual initially unknown program under review. Embodiments of the present invention identifies the content by searching a database to derive the relevant information about the owner, copyright holder and other pertinent facts such as copy and play permissions. It further provides methods for deriving the frame or picture count and time between shot or scene changes, the sequence of measurements or vectors having been already established from an original master or copy is provided. Embodiments of the present invention identifies pictures of widely varying brightness, rapid movement, or flicker that could cause errors in the detection of cuts, particularly for establishing the identity of a low quality sources. Methods, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, improve the operation of the system for these types of media.

Abstract: For segmenting in real time a first digital image of an observation area captured by an image capture device and transmitted to a data processing device, a second digital image each pixel of which is associated with a magnitude such as a distance relative to a point of the observation area is captured and transmitted by another image capture device to the data processing device. An image merging module establishes a correspondence between pixels of the first image and pixels of the second image and selects the pixels of the first image corresponding to the associated pixels of the second image as a function of magnitudes associated with the pixels of the second image. Only the selected pixels of the first image are displayed to form a segmented image.

Abstract: When image data of a partial image of a document that includes a plurality of process targets and a plurality of codes are input, a code included in the partial image is recognized, and relative position information that represents the relative position of a process target region to the code is obtained. Then, the position of the process target region within the partial image is identified by using the relative position information, and the image data of the process target is extracted from the identified process target region.

Abstract: This invention describes an efficient super-resolution method for image enhancement that leverages prior knowledge about the specific task for which detail information is recovered. The particular case of barcode scanning is considered. The barcode localization and decoding algorithm of the present invention employs a subpixel-accurate search algorithm which allows for estimating barcode bit values at a higher resolution than that available in the image data itself. It thus allows for the synthesis of image detail from multiple frames with the result containing more detail than any of the input frames. For efficiency, it leverages special properties of the quadrilateral target object as well as prior knowledge about constant patterns in the barcodes of interest. This allows for real-time software implementations on portable devices such as camera-equipped cell phones where super-resolution helps to overcome some of the typical camera resolution and processing power constraints.

Abstract: To estimate water depth, photos of shoaling ocean waves are analyzed in view of primary wave frequency and length, mean water level, and known error sources. Primary wave frequency and mean water level are found from independent surface-wave and tide-level hindcasting systems for the time and place of the photos. Primary wave length is calculated from the two-dimensional Fourier transform for various subregion sizes and maximizing the peak value as a function of subregion size. Error is reduced by analysis of the above parameters and also the noise of higher-frequency wind waves and other image artifacts such as fronts and slicks. Error residuals are reduced through statistical analysis, again using independent images. Robustness is significantly enhanced by collecting images on different days.

Abstract: A quantity (or dispersion value) of a distribution of edge position due to random noise is expected to be reduced statistically to 1/N when N edge position data items are averaged. Using this property, the single page image is averaged in a vertical direction with various values of parameter S, and then the edge roughness index is calculated. The S-dependence of the edge roughness index is analyzed and a term of a dispersion value directly proportional to 1/S is determined as being due to noise.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a position of a marker in an Augmented Reality System. After detection of the marking points of a marker in a captured image, marker vectors are determined using the marking points of the marker, and the distance of the marker from a capturing unit is calculated using the determined marker vectors. The determined distance and marker vectors are used in order to establish a rotation matrix reproducing an orientation of the marker in relation to the capturing unit, wherein the simplification that all marking points of the marker are located at the same distance from the capturing unit is valid and the signs of the rotation matrix are derived from substantially parallel marker vectors.

Abstract: A portable terminal that can execute the image matching without any special operation is provided. The portable terminal has an imaging means, and comprises a state detecting means that detects a state of the portable terminal, a matching information storing means that stores image information for matching, and a matching means that matches image information acquired by the imaging means with the image information stored in the matching information storing means. When the state detecting means detects that the state of the portable terminal is a predetermined state, the state detecting means judges that the terminal becomes to be in a checkable state and causes the imaging means to acquire image information.

Abstract: A system and method facilitating compression of bi-level images with explicit representation of ink clusters is provided. The present invention includes a cluster shape estimator that analyzes connected component information, extracts clusters and stores the cluster in a global dictionary, a page dictionary or a store of unclustered shapes. A bitmap estimation from clusters component determines dictionary positions for clusters stored in the global dictionary which are then encoded. A cluster position estimator determines page positions of clusters of the global dictionary and/or the page dictionary that are then encoded. Further, the global dictionary, the page dictionary and the store of unclustered shapes are also encoded.

Abstract: A code processing apparatus for generating a file including a JPEG 2000 codestream or a JPEG 2000 family format including the JPEG 2000 codestream is disclosed that includes a packet arranging part for arranging the order of a plurality of packets included in the JPEG 2000 codestream according to an extended progression order selected from a group of extended progression orders including “xTxxx”, “xxTxx”, “xxxTx”, and “xxxxT”. Each “x” in the extended progression orders represents one of a resolution level characteristic, a layer characteristic, a component characteristic, and a precinct characteristic. The leftmost “x” of each extended progression order corresponds to an outermost characteristic of the extended progression order. “T” represents a tile characteristic.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for decoding large images performed by a processing unit, comprises the following steps. A compressed bit stream of a minimum code unit (MCU) of an image is acquired. The acquired bit stream is decoded by performing a first stage of a image decoding procedure to generate a temporary decoding result of the acquired bit stream. It is determined whether the MCU requires display. If so, the generated temporary decoding result is decoded by performing a second stage of the image decoding procedure to generate display data of the acquired bit stream. The temporary decoding result of the acquired bit stream is utilized to decode another MCU of the bit stream.

Abstract: A process for improving the reconstruction of images compressed by the wavelet-based JPEG2000 specification. The basic reconstruction is followed by an edge-preserving filter (such as a sigma filter), another transform to the wavelet domain, an adjustment in the wavelet domain to yield the same quantized values as the compressed input image, and, finally, an inverse wavelet transform to yield the improved image. The process reduces the artifacts in sharp text and graphics documents, yielding images that would otherwise require larger files.

Abstract: Variable-length encoder 16 feeds a CBP as an input symbol H1 to variable-length code output part 30. Coded symbol memory 31 supplies CBPs in neighboring blocks as coding map table reference information H2 to coding map table provider 32. Coding map table provider 32 determines a coding map table used in coding of the CBP, based on these CBPs in the neighboring blocks, and provides a coding map table H4 to variable-length code output part 30. Variable-length coding table provider 33 feeds a variable-length coding table H5 to variable-length code output part 30. Then the coding target CBP is subjected to variable-length coding, and the resultant is outputted as coded data D9. This allows information source coding of coding symbols to be performed efficiently according to the coding condition and the property of image.

Abstract: A device for providing variable compression of data files includes a weighting module, a summing module, and a processing element. The weighting module is capable of assigning a weighting value to each coefficient of an array of j number of coefficients. Each weighting value defines a characteristic associated with each corresponding coefficient. The summing module is in communication with the weighting module and is capable of adding the magnitude of a weighted value of an ith coefficient to the absolute sum of weighted values of all previous coefficients, i being a value from 1 to j. The processing element is in communication with the summing module and is capable of comparing the absolute sum of the weighted values of the ith coefficient and the previous coefficients to a threshold. If the absolute sum of the weighted values of the ith coefficient and the previous coefficients is greater than the threshold then each of the previous coefficients are replaced with a zero.

Abstract: Introducing a further prediction stage, namely a prediction of the motion vectors or the prediction error of the first prediction stage, does indeed at first increase the encoding or compression effort and, correspondingly, also the decoding or decompression effort, but the prediction proposed here leads to a significant improvement of the compression gain in relation to the effort in most graphics model sequences due to the uniformity of the motion.

Abstract: A scalable encoding method for decomposing an image signal into signals assigned to layers so as to encode the image signal includes encoding an image signal of at least one target layer among the layers based on an amount of codes allocated to the target layer; outputting a residual signal of the target layer corresponding to a difference between the pre-encoded image signal and an image signal decoded from the encoded image signal; determining a target amount of codes allocated for encoding the residual signal based on the residual signal, an amount of codes allocated to an objective layer, and an image signal of the objective layer; encoding the residual signal based on the determined target amount of codes; revising the amount of codes allocated to the objective layer based on the target amount of codes; and encoding the image signal of the objective layer based on the revised amount.

Abstract: A block noise removal device classifies, into separate pixel groups, interpixel differential values by using a block size N (where N is an integer) of the decoded video signal or by using M which is an integer multiple of the block size N. The block noise removal device accumulates the interpixel differential values in the pixels disposed in the nth position (where n is 1 to N or 1 to M) in the respective pixel groups. This accumulation is performed for each of the first to Nth positions or the first to Mth positions in all the pixel groups. The results of the accumulation provide first to Nth block noise values or first to Mth block noise values. Then, the largest block noise value among the first to Nth block noise values or the first to Mth block noise values is found. A block boundary position signal is produced that represents, as a block boundary position, the pixel position in the pixel group that corresponds with the largest block noise value.