Abstract: Methods for chromogen separation-based image analysis are provided, with such methods being directed to quantitative video-microscopy techniques in cellular biology and pathology applications.

Abstract: This invention relates to an information processing apparatus which assists diagnosis based on a tissue sample image obtained by staining and capturing a tissue. The information processing apparatus receives and analyzes lower magnification image data among a plurality of image data obtained at different magnifications for an area image selected in the tissue sample image. Based on the analysis result, the information processing apparatus determines whether analysis based on higher magnification image data is necessary. When analysis based on the higher magnification image data is necessary, the information processing apparatus notifies a request of transmitting the higher magnification image data for the area image, receives and analyzes the higher magnification image data transmitted in response to the transmission request, and transmits the analysis result.

Abstract: A variation of a method for estimating a quantity of a blood component in a fluid canister includes: within an image of a canister, identifying a reference marker on the canister; selecting an area of the image based on the reference marker; correlating a portion of the selected area with a fluid level within the canister; estimating a volume of fluid within the canister based on the fluid level; extracting a feature from the selected area; correlating the extracted featured with a concentration of a blood component within the canister; and estimating a quantity of the blood component within the canister based on the estimated volume and the concentration of the blood component within the canister.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for designating a portion of a machine-vision analysis to be performed on a worker. A set of machine-vision algorithms is obtained for analyzing a digital image of a product. An overall time estimate is determined that represents the processing time to analyze the digital image using the entire set of machine-vision algorithms. If the overall time estimate is greater than a threshold value, then an algorithm time estimate for each of two or more algorithms of the set of machine-vision algorithms is obtained. A rank associated with each of the two or more algorithms is computed based on the algorithm time estimates. A designated algorithm to be performed on the worker is selected based on the rank associated with each of the two or more algorithms. The digital image may then be analyzed on the worker using the designated algorithm.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a wafer includes performing a fabricating process on a wafer, irradiating broadband light on the wafer, such that the light is reflected from the wafer, generating a spectral cube by using the light reflected from the wafer, extracting a spectrum of a desired wafer inspection region from the spectral cube, and inspecting the desired wafer inspection region by analyzing the extracted spectrum.

Abstract: A visual inspection apparatus photographs an inspection object using a camera to determine whether the inspection object is defective, and comprises: a stage part on which an inspection object is seated; a camera part including a lens and an image detection part, wherein the camera part photographs an image of the inspection object; an illumination part for illuminating the inspection object; and a visual processing part that reads the image photographed by the camera part to determine whether the inspection object is defective or not. Within a lateral camera of the camera part, which is slopingly installed with respect to a line perpendicular to a plane on which the inspection object is seated, a surface of the image detection part is slopingly installed at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to a line of connecting a center of the inspection object to a center of the camera lens of the lateral camera.

Abstract: A system includes a computation device having an input module adapted to receive data defining a single two dimensional image, an image analyzing module configured to receive the data and analyze the single two dimensional image to determine a two dimensional orientation representative of a three dimensional orientation and position, a position calculating module configured to receive the two dimensional orientation from the image analyzing module and determine the three dimensional orientation and position of the object, and an output module adapted to send information relating to the three dimensional orientation and position of the object.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for reconstructing a three-dimensional (3D) face based on multiple cameras. The apparatus includes a multi-image analysis unit, a texture image separation unit, a reconstruction image automatic synchronization unit, a 3D appearance reconstruction unit, and a texture processing unit. The multi-image analysis unit determines the resolution information of images received from a plurality of cameras, and determines whether the images have been synchronized with each other. The texture image separation unit separates a texture processing image by comparing the resolutions of the received images. The reconstruction image automatic synchronization unit synchronizes images that are determined to be asynchronous images by the multi-image analysis unit. The 3D appearance reconstruction unit computes the 3D coordinate values of the synchronized images, and reconstructs a 3D appearance image.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing three-dimensional (3D) information is described. The 3D information processing apparatus may measure first depth information of an object using a sensor apparatus such as a depth camera, may estimate a foreground depth of the object, a background depth of a background, and a degree of transparency of the object, may estimate second depth information of the object based on the estimated foreground depth, background depth, and degree of transparency, and may determine the foreground depth, the background depth, and the degree of transparency through comparison between the measured first depth information and the estimated second depth information.

Abstract: A method of acquiring geometry of a specular object is provided. Based on a single-view depth image, the method may include receiving an input of a depth image, estimating a missing depth value based on connectivity with a neighboring value in a local area of the depth image, and correcting the missing depth value. Based on a composite image, the method may include receiving an input of a composite image, calibrating the composite image, detecting an error area in the calibrated composite image, and correcting a missing depth value of the error area.

Abstract: This three-dimensional shape measurement method comprises: a projection step for projecting an interference fringe pattern (F) having a single spatial frequency (fi) onto an object surface; a recording step for recording the pattern (F) as a digital hologram; and a measurement step for generating a plurality of reconstructed images having different focal distances from the hologram, and deriving the distance to each point on the object surface by applying a focusing method to the pattern (F) on each of the reconstructed images. The measurement step extracts the component of the single spatial frequency (fi) corresponding to the pattern (F) from each of the reconstructed images by spatial frequency filtering, upon applying the focusing method, and makes it possible to achieve a highly accurate measurement in which the adverse effect of speckles is reduced and the advantage of a free-focus image reconstruction with holography is used effectively.

Abstract: A computer system may elicit from a human observer ground truth data useful in automatically detecting one or more features in images. The elicitation may include presenting an image to a human observer that has a visual indicator in an image, the visual indicator indicating having a location and orientation with respect to the image; asking the human observer to judge whether a particular image feature is present in the image at the location and orientation indicated by the visual indicator; receiving input from the human observer indicative of whether the particular image feature is present at the location and orientation indicated by the visual indicator; storing the input received from the human observer as part of the human-labeled ground truth data; and repeating the process described above one or more times in connection with a visual indicator that has a different location or orientation with respect to the image or that uses a different image.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting body parts, the method including identifying a group of sub-images relevant to a body part in an image to be detected, assigning a reliability coefficient for the body part to the sub-images in the group of sub-images based on a basic vision feature of the sub-images and an extension feature of the sub-images to neighboring regions, and detecting a location of the body part by overlaying sub-images having reliability coefficients higher than a threshold value.

Abstract: An image enhancement system may generate a net signed fractional modulation value at each location in an image using a modulation strength map (MSM) in combination with a modulation kernel F(?). The system may scale an image value at each location using the net signed fractional modulation value at each location. Application of the algorithm may not result in systematic clipping of peri-edge locations to maximum or minimum brightness values, or any other form of systematic homogenization of values at peri-edge locations.

Abstract: Methods for selecting metrics for substrate classification, and apparatus to perform such methods. The methods include determining a value of a metric from an image of a substrate sample for each substrate sample of a plurality of substrate samples, wherein the metric is indicative of a surface texture of each substrate sample and iteratively assigning substrate samples of the plurality of substrate samples to an aggregate of a particular number of aggregates in response to a value of the metric for each substrate sample until a convergence of clustering is deemed achieved, then determining an indication of cluster tightness of the particular number of aggregates. The methods further include selecting or ignoring the metric for substrate classification in response to the indication of cluster tightness of the particular number of aggregates.

Abstract: Image feature extraction includes extracting an cutout image that includes an object from an original image; filling borders of the cutout image with a single color as a background to generate a minimum square image; resizing the minimum square image into a resized square image having a first predetermined size; dividing the resized square image into sub-image blocks having a second predetermined size; computing luminosity derivatives of neighboring pixels in horizontal, vertical, positive 45°, and negative 45° directions for the sub-image blocks; obtaining a quintuplet characteristic vector for the sub-image block; and forming an image characteristic vector of the original image using the quintuplet characteristic vectors of the sub-image blocks.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to measure geographical features using an image of a geographical location are disclosed. An example method includes identifying first features of a first open market from a first image of a first geographic area, identifying second features of a second image of a second geographic area, comparing the first features to the second features, and identifying a second open market in the second image based on the comparison.

Abstract: Techniques are described to employ image recognition techniques to content. In an implementation, one or more images are identified in content using a signature derived from the one or more images. Metadata associated with the content is then supplemented based on the identified one or more images.

Abstract: An image processing technique includes acquiring a main image of a scene and determining one or more facial regions in the main image. The facial regions are analysed to determine if any of the facial regions includes a defect. A sequence of relatively low resolution images nominally of the same scene is also acquired. One or more sets of low resolution facial regions in the sequence of low resolution images are determined and analysed for defects. Defect free facial regions of a set are combined to provide a high quality defect free facial region. At least a portion of any defective facial regions of the main image are corrected with image information from a corresponding high quality defect free facial region.

Abstract: A system, platform, application and method are provided to enable automated video and image background segmentation and replacement, wherein the platform includes a video background segmentation and replacement module including a segmentation and replacement engine and engine processing script(s); a program interface for allowing data provision to the segmentation and replacement module; and a remote device providing remote user access to the server, wherein the remote device runs code to enable automatic placement of a frame(s) foreground with a replaced background on a viewing platform.

Abstract: A method for serving content based on a selection feature for a campaign includes receiving an image associated with particular content and analyzing the image content of the image to derive a selection feature from the image. The selection feature is descriptive of image content. The method further includes identifying at least one keyword based on the selection feature. The method further includes associating the at least one keyword with the particular content and storing the particular content and its associated at least one keyword for serving in response to a content request.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program product for processing the output of an OCR are disclosed. The system receives a first character sequence from the OCR. A first set of characters from the first character sequence are converted to a corresponding second set of characters to generate a second character sequence based on a look-up table and language scores.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a device includes a search module configured to search handwriting information stored in a storage medium for a first handwriting information part whose degree of a similarity with a specific handwriting information part specified as a search key is greater than or equal to a reference value, the handwriting information includes a plurality of stroke data corresponding to a plurality of strokes, and a display processing module configured to display, on a touchscreen display, one or more thumbnail corresponding to handwriting information includes the first handwriting information part and a first user interface for changing the reference value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data processing system includes a touchscreen display, a recorder, and a processor. The recorder is configured to record a plurality of stroke data indicating loci handwritten on the touchscreen display and times respectively. The processor is configured to execute data processing using a first time indicated by first stroke data associated with first data and a second time indicated by second stroke data associated with second data.

Abstract: An accessory for use with a microscope arranged to carry out ATR measurements has a support (40) which can be mounted on the moveable stage (20) of the microscope. A mounting (100) for an ATR crystal is carried on the support. The mounting (100) is preferably pivotally mounted on the support (40) so that it can be pivoted from a position in which the crystal lines on the axis of the microscope to a position in which a sample carried on the support can be observed visually. The mounting is arranged such that it can be returned reliably and reproducibly to its original position with the crystal on the axis.

Abstract: A method of image processing. A band-averaged spectral radiance is measured using at least one optical filter upon scanning a plurality of original radiances. The measured band-averaged spectral radiance includes a measured in-band-averaged spectral radiance and a measured band-gap-averaged spectral radiance. A multispectral radiance vector is generated from the measured band-averaged spectral radiance. The multispectral radiance vector and an out-of-band correction transform matrix corresponding to the at least one optical filter are matrix-multiplied to generate a band-averaged spectral radiances image vector representing a plurality of recovered band-averaged spectral radiances. The plurality of recovered band-averaged spectral radiances is analyzed for a presence of a target.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including an input image acquisition portion that acquires an input image, a past image acquisition portion that acquires a past image of a photographic subject in the input image, a mode selection portion that selects one of modes, using the input image, from among a plurality of modes including a first mode in which the photographic subject in the past image is overlapped with the photographic subject in the input image and a second mode in which the photographic subject in the past image is arranged side by side with the photographic subject in the input image, and a display control portion that superimposes the past image on the input image in accordance with the mode selected by the mode selection portion.

Abstract: A system and method for computer vision based tracking of a hand may include receiving a sequence of images, the images including at least one object having a shape of a hand. A first selected feature is tracked from within the hand shaped object. Shape recognition algorithms are applied at a suspected location of the hand shaped object in an image from the sequence of images to detect a shape of a hand in the image and a second feature from within the detected shape of the hand is then selected and tracked, thereby providing verification and updating of the location of the hand shaped object.

Abstract: A method of identifying anomalies in images produced using an imaging device (70). The method comprises receiving (10), (12) first and second pluralities of candidate anomalies, the candidate anomalies being identified in subsequent images produced with an imaging device. A constellation match (14), (16), (18), (19) is carried out between the first and second pluralities of candidate anomalies to identify a correlation therebetween, represented by a constellation match value. A plurality of constellation match values is determined with a different relative x-y shift between the first and second pluralities of candidate images. If a good correlation is found at a particular x-y shift then the candidate anomalies are common between the first and second images, which is indicative of the first and second images including anomalies.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the reliability of shift vectors between two images comprises an image compensation unit for compensating local shifts between a first image and a second image and to obtain a compensated second image. A similarity estimation unit is provided for determining a similarity information by determining one or more similarity measures between said first image and said compensated second image. A vector consistency check device for comparing shift vectors describing the shift between said first image and said second image from different shift estimation directions to obtain a consistency weight information, and a combination unit for combining said similarity information and said consistency weight information to obtain a reliability information describing the reliability of said shift vectors are provided.

Abstract: A measuring device has a first, second and third references, which correspond to a first, second and third edges of a target object. A geometric characteristic of the target object is estimated by acquiring an image of the measuring device and the target object, extracting comparative length information from the image, and calculating the geometric characteristic based on the comparative length information and the lengths of the first, second and third references.

Abstract: A hardware coprocessor architecture calculates the Difference-of-Gaussian (DoG) pyramid of an input image and extracts from this the interest points to be used in several image detection algorithms. Advantages of the architecture include the possibility to process the image by stripes, namely by blocks having one dimension coincident with the input image width, in the absence of an input frame buffer and the possibility to avoid RAM memory. The coprocessor is suitable to be tightly coupled with raw image sources like sensors.

Abstract: Apparatus for matching a query image against a catalog of images, comprises: a feature extraction unit operative for extracting principle features from said query image; a relationship unit operative for establishing relationships between a given principle feature and other features in the image, and adding said relationships as relationship information alongside said principle features; and a first comparison unit operative for comparing principle features and associated relationship information of said query image with principle features and associated relationship information of images of said catalog to find candidate matches.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for deriving from an arbitrary local image descriptor a descriptor that is invariant under arbitrary mirror symmetries. For a point of interest, pi, for which the descriptor is to be determined a direction, ODi is determined. The local patch from which the descriptor is to be extracted is mirrored along ODi if a “smaller than” relation does not hold a feature extracted from the left half of the local image patch, in regard of ODi, compared to the right half of the local image patch. Thereby, the local patch is brought into a normalized intrinsic orientation. Thereafter, the descriptor is extracted. Examples include a mirror symmetry invariant version of Lowe's SIFT.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved robustness in upscaling the resolution of regularly sampled multi-dimensional signals, where a single low-resolution signal is available. These methods are referred to as example-based super-resolution or single-image super-resolution. A method for super-resolving a single image comprises three stages. First, an interpolation-based up-scaling of the input image is performed, followed by a Local De-noising step in contour regions. The second stage comprises extrapolation through cross-scale block matching, wherein an extrapolated high-frequency band is obtained that is de-noised through regularization in the same contour regions. The third stage comprises adding the contributions of the low-frequency band of the high-resolution image and the extrapolated high-frequency band.

Abstract: A method of making an image-based product includes providing an image collection having a plurality of digital images, each digital image having an image type; providing one or more image-type distributions, each image-type distribution corresponding to a theme and including a distribution of image types related to the theme; using a processor to automatically compare the image types of the digital images in the image collection to the image types in the image-type distribution; using the processor to automatically determine a match between the image types in the image collection and the image types in the image-type distribution; and selecting a group of digital images from the image collection having a distribution of image types specified by the determined matching image-type distribution. The method further includes assembling the digital images in the selected group of images into an image-based product and causing the construction of the image-based product.

Abstract: A user may submit an image and request from a server one or more images that are similar to the submitted image. The server may generate an image signature based on the content of the submitted image. The server may conduct a Hash operation to the image signature to generate one or more Hash values. These Hash values may be used to identify one or more candidate images similar to the image in a Hash table. These candidate images may be sorted and outputted to the user based on similarity. The similarity between each of the candidate images and the image may be determined using at least one of Hamming distance or Euclidean distance.

Abstract: A technique for use in automatic validation of a media item involves accessing a template that comprises multiple one-class classifiers, each corresponding to one of multiple classes to which the media item might belong, and then applying each of the one-class classifiers to an image of the media item to generate a result set for each of the multiple classes. The result set for each media class is then analyzed to assess whether the media item belongs to that class.

Abstract: A method, a data network arrangement and a computer program product by which a comparator can be implemented in a data network. The user of the comparator stores his evaluation of the properties included in the targets to be evaluated in a database in the server in the data network using a graphic one- or two-dimensional evaluation frame. In the comparator the comparator user's evaluations are compared to property evaluations given by a reference user. When calculating the total accuracy percentage of the comparison the evaluations given by the comparator user are weighted with a weighting coefficient, which is obtained by normalising first the importance evaluations of all the properties given by the reference user and by using the normalised importance evaluation of a certain property as the weighting coefficient for this property.

Abstract: A human photo search system is provided. A user can search for a human photo using a canvas interactive interface on a user device, such as a touch panel or a computer. The user composes his/her impression of a desired photo on a query canvas to generate query semantics, which are then sent to a photo search server. The photo search server then searches a human photo database for candidate photos corresponding to the query semantics, and ranks the candidate photos according to relevance. Finally, the photo search server sends the sorted candidate photos back to the user device for display. Accordingly, the human photo search system of the present invention can search possible photos by the positions, the sizes, and the human attributes of the people in the desired photo, for which the user composes his/her impression on the query canvas without entering any text tags.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus, including an event information analyzing section which analyzes event information related to an event in which a person participates, a person image group analyzing section which analyzes, for the person participating in the event, a person image group including one or a plurality of person images including the person, and a profile estimation section which estimates a profile of the person participating in the event based on a result obtained by analyzing the person image group and a result obtained by analyzing the event information.

Abstract: A method for image data compression of a to-be-encoded image block includes: determining one of a plurality of preset encoding modes as an encoding mode based upon attributes of pixels of the to-be-encoded image block; and compressing image data of the to-be-encoded image block according to the encoding mode thus determined so as to obtain encoded data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and method which enable encoding efficiency in intra prediction to be improved. In the event that the optimal intra prediction mode is mode 0, adjacent pixels to be used for prediction of the current block are pixels A0, A1, A2, and A3. According to these pixels and a 6-tap FIR filter, pixels a?0.5, a+0.5, and so on with ½ pixel precision are generated, and further, pixels a?0.75, a?0.25, a+0.25, and a+0.75 with ¼ pixel precision are generated by linear interpolation. Subsequently, the optimal shift amount is determined with a value of ?0.75 through +0.75 that is phase difference between an integer pixel and generated fractional pixel precision serving as a candidate of the shift amount in the horizontal direction. The present invention may be applied to an image encoding device which performs encoding using the H.264/AVC system, for example.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and method whereby deterioration of effects of filter processing due to local control of filter processing when encoding or decoding can be suppressed. A boundary control flag generating unit 132 of a control information generating unit 112 generates boundary control flags based on system specification information which a system specification managing unit 141 manages. A control unit 171 of an adaptive filter processing unit 113 determines a processing method for filter processing to be performed as to pixels nearby a slice boundary following the value of the boundary control flag. For example, selection is made to perform filter processing straddling slices or to perform filter processing closed at the present slice. The present invention can be applied to an image processing device, for example.

Abstract: An image encoding method of encoding units that are included in a picture is provided. The image encoding method generates a first flag which indicates whether or not a removal time of encoded data from a buffer by a hypothetical decoder is set per unit. The buffer is for storing the encoded data. The image encoding method further generates a second flag indicating whether an interval between removal times of the units is constant or arbitrary when the removal times are set per unit, and also generates an encoded bitstream which includes the encoded data, the first flag, and the second flag.

Abstract: Disclosed is an entropy coding method using an index mapping table, and an apparatus using the method. An imagedecoding method comprises: a step of mapping an inputted codeword to a code number with reference to an inverse codeword mapping table, and calculating the mapped code number in a table index; and a step of updating the inverse mapping table based on the accumulated number of occurrences of the code number, the number of sequential occurrences of the code number, neighbor block encoding/decoding information, and/or threshold value information for updating the inverse index mapping table. According to the present invention, an index mapping table is realigned based on a certain condition, thereby improving encoding/decoding efficiency.

Abstract: A technique for controlling the quality of one or more compressed images. The technique allows, for example, the selection of a target quality metric(s) and the compression of the image(s) such the compressed image(s) meets the metric(s). Alternatively, a target quality metric can be specified, and the image(s) compressed using parameters estimated to achieve the target quality. Optionally, the quality metric can also be made available to, for example, a user on an image processing system. The quality metrics can be, for example, for one or more layers, one or more images and/or one or more image sequences.

Abstract: Computer processor hardware receives image data specifying element settings for each image of multiple original images in a sequence. The computer processor hardware analyzes the element settings across the multiple original images. The computer processor hardware then utilizes the element settings of the multiple original images in the sequence to produce first encoded image data specifying a set of common image element settings, the set of common image element settings being a baseline to substantially reproduce each of the original images in the sequence.

Abstract: A method for a creating a virtual makeover includes inputting an initial digital Image into and initiating a virtual makeover at a local processor. Instructions are transmitted from the main server to the local processor. Positions of facial features are isolated within the digital image at the local processor. Facial regions within the digital image are defined based on the positions of the facial features at the local processor. After receiving input, cosmetic enhancements or the accessorial enhancement are applied to the digital image at the local processor. A final digital image is generated including the enhancements. The final digital image is then displayed. At least the defining, applying, and generating steps include instructions written in a non-flash format for execution in a flash-based wrapper.

Abstract: A system for controlling effects performed on an image includes a digital camera having a display that displays the image. Masking tools position graphical representations on the display to define a portion of the image that is altered when the effects are subsequently applied to the image. The several masking tools may be combined to form a single masking tool.