Abstract: A high directivity boundary microphone (10) is disclosed, build up of a normal unidirectional microphone element (12) with cardioid-directivity behavior. The microphone element (12) is placed on a holder plate (14), with a membrane(16) of the microphone element (12) facing a plane (18) where a holder (20), comprising the holder plate (14) and a holder feet (22), is placed upon. The holder (20) ensures that the microphone element (12) is aligned at an angle (24) of preferably 35° respective to the plane (18). In this position, the microphone element (12) can detect direct sound (26) in a defined speech area (28A, 28B) as well as delayed sound (30) that is reflected at the plane (18) beneath the microphone element (12). Outside the defined speech area (28A, 28B) the sensitivity is strongly reduced.

Abstract: The present invention is a headband that includes a base headband with two sides that is worn around a user's head, a pair of ear buds that provide music and sound to the user that are inserted into the user's ears while the headband is in use and a pair of sound wires with a proximal end and a distal end that are in communication with the ear buds. The headband also includes a slot with a front that includes a dear window disposed on the front of the slot that holds an audio playing device such as an MP3 player and a pair of storage apertures disposed on the base headband to store the ear buds.

Abstract: A restraint device for a pair of headphones having a pair of earphones, an audio plug, and a pair of wires coupling the pair of earphones to the audio plug, wherein the restraint device includes a body of a material, wherein the material includes an interior channel, wherein the interior channel is configured to have the pair of wires be slidably disposed therein, wherein the interior channel is configured to have the audio plug be removably disposed therein, wherein the interior channel is configured to restrain relative movement of the pair of wires with respect to the audio plug when the pair of wires and the audio plug are disposed adjacently within the interior channel.

Abstract: A casing for covering an outer yoke is provided; an acoustic cavity is formed by this casing; a diaphragm and the outer surface of a side wall of the outer yoke; a second elastic member is provided to join the outer circumferential edge of the casing to the outer circumferential edge of the diaphragm without any gap therebetween; this second elastic member includes pores formed by foaming and made of a material whose elastic modulus is smaller than that of a first elastic member; and pores communicating through from the back surface of the second elastic member, that is the inner side of the casing, to the front surface that is the opposite side of the back surface are eliminated.

Abstract: An adaptable system for configuring an audio reproduction system comprising a main element and one or more speaker elements which may move and output moving information. A processor receives the moving information and an audio signal and generates an adapted loudspeaker signal, taking into account the movement, to the speaker elements.

Abstract: A loudspeaker includes an outer frame with an annular magnet partially exposed from a bottom thereof; a voice coil located inside the annular magnet; a diaphragm glued to between an expanded front opening of the outer frame and the voice coil; a flexible suspension ring having an outer edge fixed to a stepped section of the outer frame and a central opening edge clearance-fitted to a middle/front portion of the annular magnet; and an inner frame having a front portion fitted around the voice coil, a rear portion located on the central opening edge of the flexible suspension ring, and legs extended between the front and rear portions to locate in front of slots formed on the annular magnet. Therefore, the loudspeaker has reduced depth and volume, increased vibration amplitude and stability, and high quality sound output.

Abstract: In configuring a magnetic circuit, by forming polarities of a magnet to be aligned along a vertical direction, and by optimizing a yoke providing a flow path of a magnetic flux, a vibration system is formed inside a magnetic circuit, so that a height of a speaker can be remarkably reduced. Additionally, by increasing a volume of the magnet and a diameter of a bobbin, a speaker with enhanced sound effect characteristics may be provided herein.

Abstract: A system and method for replacing a key is described herein. Specifically, a system for replacing a key can comprise a network, a server that receives a still photograph from a mobile device, wherein said still photograph is related to a key. In another embodiment, the system for replacing a key can also comprise a memory that stores an application, one or more locksmith record and one or more user profile comprising key data. The system for replacing a key can further comprise a processor that, at the direction of said application, determines edge location from said still photograph using a predetermined threshold, determine a key code from said edge location, and stores said key code into said memory.

Abstract: A method or apparatus for controlling a media device using gestures may include, for example, modifying media content to generate first updated media content according to a comparison of first information descriptive of a first environment of the source device to second information descriptive of a second environment of the recipient device, capturing images of a gesture, identifying a command from the gesture, and modifying the first updated media content to generate second updated media content according to the command. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A parking lot information system comprising a digital camera for obtaining an image of parking spaces in the parking lot where each parking space is marked with a visual identifier, a computer coupled to the digital camera for identifying available parking spaces by recognizing the identifiers marking the available parking spaces, and a display coupled to the computer for displaying information on the available parking spaces.

Abstract: A method is provided for image detection. The method includes measuring a temperature of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter of an imaging system during an imaging scan of an object, and correcting a gain of the A/D converter based on the measured temperature of the A/D converter.

Abstract: A motion detection method for complex scenes has steps of receiving an image frame including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixel including a first pixel information; performing a multi-background generation module based on the plurality of pixels; generating a plurality of background pixels based on the multi-background generation module; performing a moving object detection module; and deriving the background pixel based on the moving object detection module.

Abstract: A method for reducing complexity of a computer vision system and applying related computer vision applications includes: obtaining instruction information, wherein the instruction information is used for a computer vision application; obtaining image data from a camera module and defining at least one region of recognition corresponding to the image data by user gesture input on a touch-sensitive display; outputting a recognition result of the aforementioned at least one region of recognition; and searching at least one database according to the recognition result. Associated apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for optoelectronic detection and location of moving objects. The disclosed methods and systems capture one-dimensional images of a field of view through which objects may be moving, make measurements in those images, select from among those measurements those that are likely to correspond to objects in the field of view, make decisions responsive to various characteristics of the objects, and produce signals that indicate those decisions. The disclosed methods and systems provide excellent object discrimination, electronic setting of a reference point, no latency, high repeatability, and other advantages that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a character recognition unit configured to perform character recognition of a character region where characters exist in an image to generate character code, a detection unit configured to detect a region of the image where a feature change in the image is small, and a placement unit configured to place data obtained from the character code in the detected region.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples is a method, system and medium relating to determining a ball trajectory and bounce position on a playing surface. An example method includes recording a first and a second sequence of ball images before and after a ball bounce on the playing surface; constructing a composite image of the trajectory of the ball from the first and second sequences; and determining a bounce position of the ball from the composite image.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a light source, which includes at least one luminescence diode and emits light during operation. The portable electronic device also includes a device for detecting an object in the beam path of the light emitted by the light source during operation. The device is designed to reduce the luminous flux of the light emitted by the light source during operation if the object is identified for a minimum duration within a minimum distance from the light source in the beam path.

Abstract: There are provided an information providing device, an information providing processing program, and an information providing method which can efficiently recommend information related to a shooting spot matching a user's preference. An information providing server is configured to decide a coincidence between user object information included in image data registered by a given user, and representative object information of a location whose position can be specified, and notify location information associated with the representative object information, to the user based on a decision result of the coincidence.

Abstract: A robot system includes a robot having a movable section, an image capture unit provided on the movable section, an output unit that allows the image capture unit to capture a target object and a reference mark and outputs a captured image in which the reference mark is imaged as a locus image, an extraction unit that extracts the locus image from the captured image, an image acquisition unit that performs image transformation on the basis of the extracted locus image by using the point spread function so as to acquire an image after the transformation from the captured image, a computation unit that computes a position of the target object on the basis of the acquired image, and a control unit that controls the robot so as to move the movable section toward the target object in accordance with the computed position.

Abstract: Police officers are provided with client devices capable of capturing multimedia and streaming multimedia. The client devices can upload captured multimedia to a central server or share streams in real time. A network operation center can review the multimedia in real time or afterwards. Situational awareness is the provision of multimedia to a police officer as that officer approaches the location of an incident. The multimedia may be real time streams as the officer responds to a particular location, or the multimedia may be historical files as the officer familiarizes himself with incidents as he patrols a new neighborhood. Since the client device also reports real time reporting patterns, police officers can review high resolution and fidelity patrolling and incident reports to analyze the efficacy of patrol coverage. Since the client device may run supplementary applications, example applications are disclosed.

Abstract: In selected embodiments video footage is automatically analyzed to determine whether product stock levels at particular product locations are low. Video analytics may be employed to track product removal from shelves and determine approximate quantities of product remaining on each shelf based on product size and dedicated shelf area. In selected implementations an alarm notification is generated to alert store personnel that restocking is appropriate. Such an alarm notification optionally includes a still image of the area corresponding to the alarm together with data related to the product and projected quantities needed to restock the shelf. In some embodiments the system automatically identifies the store personnel who are currently located in areas near where the alarm event occurred and the notification is wirelessly distributed to their mobile devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of fog and raindrop detection on a windscreen (200), comprising a raindrop detection application (201) and a fog detection application (202), characterized in that said fog detection application (202) comprises a step (202b) in which an indication of the presence of raindrop is detected, said indication of raindrop presence triggering a switch from said fog detection application (202) to said raindrop detection application (201).

Abstract: A method for processing digital media is described. The method, in one example embodiment, includes identification of objects in a video stream by detecting, for each video frame, an object in the video frame and selectively associating the object with an object cluster. The method may further include comparing the object in the object cluster to a reference object and selectively associating object data of the reference object with all objects within the object cluster based on the comparing. The method may further include manually associating the object data of the reference object with all objects within the object duster having no associated reference object and populating a reference database with the reference object for the object cluster.

Abstract: An image reproduction apparatus for displaying images of image files including an image of a target point to be observed by using image files located adjacent to the target point. A method of reproducing an image of an image file on an electronic map including the image file so that position information of the image file matches position information on the electronic map includes: (a) selecting a target point to be observed on the electronic map and obtaining position information of the target point; (b) setting a search range of image files on the electronic map; (c) searching for image files including an image of the target point within the set search range; and (d) displaying images of the found image files on the electronic map.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for identifying a person in an image includes an image analyzer. The image analyzer determines the content of an image such as a person, location, and object shown in the image. A person in the image may be identified based on the content and event data stored in a database. Event data includes information concerning events and related people, locations, and objects determined from other images and information. Identification metadata is generated and linked to each analyzed image and comprises information determined during image analysis. Tags for images are generated based on identification metadata. The event database can be queried to identify particular people, locations, objects, and events depending on a user's request.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the generation of a facial composite from the genetic profile of a DNA-donor. The method comprises the steps of a) subjecting a biological sample to genotyping thereby generating a profile of genetic markers associated to numerical facial descriptors (NFD) for said sample, b) reverse engineer a NFD from the profile of the associated genetic variants and constructing a facial composite from the reverse engineered numerical facial descriptors (NFDs).

Abstract: A method to process medical image data has the following features. Immediately compressed raw data are acquired by an imaging medical technology apparatus. The compressed raw data are stored. In addition to the compressed raw data, processing data are stored which are provided to generate output data from the compressed raw data, wherein the file size of the compressed raw data and the processing data in total is less than the file size of the output data.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a patient-specific anatomical atlas, e.g., includes, for each patient of a patient population: obtaining a respective anatomical atlas, and registering, by a computer processor, the respective anatomical atlas to an anatomical image of a current patient to obtain a respective registered anatomical atlas, and further includes, determining, by the processor, an average of the registered anatomical atlases.

Abstract: Systems and methods for image segmentation in generating computer models of a joint to undergo arthroplasty are disclosed. Some embodiments may include a method of partitioning an image of a bone into a plurality of regions, where the method may include obtaining a plurality of volumetric image slices of the bone, generating a plurality of spline curves associated with the bone, verifying that at least one of the plurality of spline curves follow a surface of the bone, and creating a 3D mesh representation based upon the at least one of the plurality of spline curve.

Abstract: Methods and systems for retrieving and processing medical diagnostic images are provided, comprising using picture analysis prioritization visualization and reporting system (“PAPVR system”) to determine whether each of one or more images from an image database or imaging device is of medical interest to a reviewing physician, determine whether one or more of the images is representative of the images, and provide the one or more images to a display and analysis system for review by a reviewing physician. The PAPVR system can provide the one or more images with a Key Image that is representative of the images. In addition, the PAPVR system can detect whether a patient suffers from a particular ailment, and provide a reviewing physician quantitative information that is relevant to the patient's condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a blood flow parameter. More particularly a method is presented wherein a first concentration curve is deconvolved with a second concentration curve and wherein a characteristic frequency is determined by an analysis in the frequency domain, the characteristic frequency being a frequency above which noise dominates the result of said deconvolution. A filter having the characteristic frequency is applied on the result of the deconvolution so as to disregard high frequency components, and the filtered result of the deconvolution is processed into a blood flow parameter. In an advantageous embodiment, the characteristic frequency may be dependent on a shape and/or width of an arterial input function and/or other parameters. The invention furthermore relates to a computer program product and a system for obtaining a blood flow parameter.

Abstract: The invention relates to evaluating medical image information, in particular physical properties of an object (32). When preparing a surgical procedure e.g. a minimally invasive procedure, it may be beneficial to plan the procedure in detail before starting the operation. Thus, obtaining precise information about physical properties of an object (32), e.g. a diameter value (34, 36) of an anatomical structure may be beneficial. Accordingly, a method and a system for determining a physical property (34, 36) of an object (32) is provided, which employs local object context information (38) for determining a local physical property of the object (32).

Abstract: A 3D ultrasound image from a memory (20) is compared with a 3D diagnostic image from a memory (12) by a localizer and registration unit (30) which determines a baseline transform (Tbase) which registers the 3D diagnostic and ultrasound volume images. The target region continues to be examined by an ultrasound scanner (22) which generates a series of real-time 2D or 3D ultrasound or other lower resolution images. The localizer and registration unit (30) compares one or a group of the 2D ultrasound images with the 3D ultrasound image to determine a motion correction transform (Tmotion). An image adjustment processor or program (32) operates on the 3D diagnostic volume image with the baseline transform (Tbase) and the motion correction transform (Tmotion), to generate a motion corrected image that is displayed on an appropriate display (74).

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing metal artifacts in CT image datasets. An embodiment of the method includes reconstructing a first CT image dataset with and a second CT image dataset without metal artifact correction, weighted summation of a high-pass-filtered first and a high-pass-filtered second CT image dataset plus a low-pass-filtered second CT image dataset, wherein the weightings are dependent on the proximity to metal in the CT image datasets. A computing unit, a CT system and a C-arm system designed to execute the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography system is provided. The system includes an OCT imager; a two-dimensional transverse scanner coupled to the OCT imager, the two-dimensional transverse scanner receiving light from the light source and coupling reflected light from a sample into the OCT imager; a computer coupled to receive 3D OCT data from the OCT imager, the computer further processes the 3D OCT data; wherein the processing the 3D OCT data includes: correcting motion artifacts in baseline mode; generating reference data in baseline mode; performing segmentation to identify volumes of interest; extracting feature information, the feature information including reflectivity, texture, or the combination thereof.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for generating patient models from multiple imaging contrast sources which may be, for example from magnetic resonance imaging without computed tomography. The method includes: acquiring multiple sets of image data representing a volume of a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, wherein each set of image data is acquired in a different manner so as to create contrast amongst tissue types of the patient; classifying tissue in each voxel in the volume using the multiple sets of image data as input to a classification algorithm; and generating a patient model for the volume from probability distributions of the classes of tissue as derived from the classification algorithm.

Abstract: A method of registering a 4D contrast enhanced image data set, wherein the 4D contrast enhanced image data set includes image data of the same volume of interest acquired at different timeframes with changing contrast enhancement, the volume of interest includes moving structure, and the different timeframes correspond to a predetermined motion phase of interest in different motion cycles of the moving structure, the method, comprising: registering image data corresponding to a plurality of the different timeframes with reference image from one of the timeframes.

Abstract: An image processing device 100 divides a hollow organ 50 extracted from a volume image 40 using a plurality of planes 20 including an arbitrary eye vector 23 or a plurality of planes along the centerline of the hollow organ 50, transforms the coordinates of a point inside the hollow organ 50 along a predetermined convex surface set outside the hollow organ 50 on each plane 20, and gives a pixel value of an original position to a corresponding point after the coordinate transformation. Then, a folded volume image is generated by combining the respective planes 20 in a reverse procedure of the division procedure, and a shaded folded three-dimensional image 90 is generated by projecting the folded volume image to a projection surface from the arbitrary viewing direction and is displayed on a display device 107.

Abstract: In the present invention, an image capturing condition measurement unit measures image capturing conditions used when an object image is captured based on radiation that has passed through an object and calculates an added value based on the image capturing conditions. An X-ray signal reading unit generates image data containing the object image based on the radiation that has passed through the object. An offset correction unit performs an offset correction of the image data with using correction image data containing a dark current component and then performs an offset correction of the image data with using the added value.

Abstract: Employed is an image processing device including a fluorescence-image generating unit that images fluorescence generated at a subject irradiated with excitation light and generates a fluorescence image; a white-light-image generating unit that images white light returned from the subject irradiated with illumination light and generates a white-light image; a memory that converts the white-light image to a plurality of color signals constituting a color space; an image computing unit that corrects the plurality of color signals converted by the memory using at least one color signal among the plurality of the color signals and the fluorescence image; an image computing unit that generates a corrected image from the plurality of color signals corrected by the image computing unit; and an image combining unit that combines the fluorescence image generated by the fluorescence-image generating unit and the corrected image generated by the image computing unit.

Abstract: A method of generating an inspection program that does not have a gerber file is shown. To generate the inspection program, a first image information is acquired by scanning a bare board, a second image information is acquired by scanning a solder-pasted board that solder is pasted on a pad area of the bare board, and by analyzing the first image information and the second image information an inspection program is generated. The first image information and the second image information may include at least one of a two-dimensional image information and a three-dimensional image information. The step for generating an inspection program calculates a difference between the first image information and the second image information, after extracting a position and a size of an area in which the difference occurs, then generates the inspection program by using the extracted information.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a prescription imaging system for capturing, storing and displaying images of prescription bottles during the prescription fulfillment process to monitor the quality of the fulfillment process. The system includes one or more pill cameras for capturing images of pills dispensed into one or more prescription bottles and one or more label cameras for capturing images of the bottle labels. The images are stored on a storage device in a database record. The images can be used to verify that the pills in each bottle correspond with the associated prescription.

Abstract: A failure analysis apparatus 1A is provided with a voltage applying unit 14 for applying a bias voltage to a semiconductor device S, an imaging device 18 for acquiring an image, and an image processing unit 30 for performing image processing, and the imaging device 18 acquires a plurality of analysis images each including a thermal image in a voltage applied state and a plurality of background images in a voltage non-applied state. The image processing unit 30 includes an imaging position calculating section 32 for calculating an imaging position of each of the analysis images and the background images, an image classifying section 33 for classifying the analysis images and the background images into N image groups based on a region division unit prepared for the imaging position, and a difference image generating section 34 for generating difference images between the analysis images and the background images individually for N image groups.

Abstract: Methods and devices for coding of feature locations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of coding feature location information of an image includes generating a hexagonal grid, where the hexagonal grid includes a plurality of hexagonal cells, quantizing feature locations of an image using the hexagonal grid, generating a histogram to record occurrences of feature locations in each hexagonal cell, and encoding the histogram in accordance with the occurrences of feature locations in each hexagonal cell. The method of encoding the histogram includes applying context information of neighboring hexagonal cells to encode information of a subsequent hexagonal cell to be encoded in the histogram, where the context information includes context information from first order neighbors and context information from second order neighbors of the subsequent hexagonal cell to be encoded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to generate a volume-panorama image are provided. A method of generating a volume-panorama image includes receiving conversion relationships between volume images, one of the received conversion relationships being between a first volume image of the volume images and a second volume image of the volume images, the second volume image including an area that is common to an area of the first volume image, generating an optimized conversion relationship from the one of the received conversion relationships based on the received conversion relationships, and generating the volume-panorama image based on the generated optimized conversion relationship.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a separation unit that separates each of the left image and the right image into a background area and a foreground area, regarding a first three-dimensional image data acquired by a acquisition unit; a background image generation unit that generates data of a background image by executing image processing on at least one of the background area of the left image and the background area of the right image separated by the separation unit; and a three-dimensional image data generation unit that generates second three-dimensional image data composed of two images having a parallax between a left image and a right image, by combining data of the background image generated by the background image generation unit and data of foreground images regarding the foreground area separated from each of the left image and the right image by the separation unit.

Abstract: A method of compiling an image database for a three-dimensional object recognition including the steps of: when a plurality of images each showing an object from different viewpoint are inputted, extracting local features from each of the images, and expressing the local features using feature vectors; forming sets of the feature vectors, each set representing a same part of the object from a series of the viewpoints, and generating subspaces, each subspace representing a characteristic of each set; and storing each subspace to the image database with an identifier of the object to perform a recognition process that is realized by the steps of: when at least one image of an object is given as a query, extracting query feature vectors; determining the subspace most similar to each query feature vector; and executing a counting process to the identifiers to retrieve an object most similar to the query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus including computer program products for using extracted image text are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes receiving an input of one or more image search terms and identifying keywords from the received one or more image search terms. The method also includes searching a collection of keywords including keywords extracted from image text, retrieving an image associated with extracted image text corresponding to one or more of the image search terms, and presenting the image.

Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, assembling a feature vector for the image file, the feature vector containing information regarding a likelihood that a selected pair of regions of the image file are of a same intrinsic characteristic, providing a classifier derived from a computer learning technique, computing a classification score for the selected pair of regions of the image file, as a function of the feature vector and the classifier and classifying the regions as being of the same intrinsic characteristic, as a function of the classification score.

Abstract: Method and system for low complexity transcoding of images with near optimal quality for display on a terminal are presented. Generating effective transcoding parameters prior to transcoding and retrieving the transcoding parameters based on the features of the input image and the characteristics of the terminal, an output image quality close to that produced by optimal quality transcoding is achieved. The processing time is much smaller in comparison to that required for optimal quality transcoding.