Abstract: An inspection system comprises a beam generator module for deflecting spots across scan portions of a specimen. The system also includes detection channels for sensing light emanating from a specimen in response to an incident beam directed towards such specimen and generating a detected image for each scan portion. The system comprises a synchronization system comprising clock generator modules for generating timing signals for deflectors of the beam generator module to scan the spots across the scan portions at a specified frequency and each of the detection channels to generate the corresponding detected image at a specified sampling rate. The timing signals are generated based on a common system clock and cause the deflectors to scan the spots and the detection channels to generate a detected image at a synchronized timing so as to minimize jitter between the scan portions in the response image.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to systems, methods and apparatus for image-based automatic detection of a defective area in a flat panel display and classification of the defect type and the cause of the detected defect.

Abstract: A defect image processing apparatus uses a normalized cross correlation to image-match a layout image (52) acquired from a design data with an image acquired by removing, from a defect image (53), the defect area portions thereof, and displays, as a result of that matching, a layout image and defect image (54) on the display device. In the displayed layout image & defect image (54), not only the layout image, the layer of which is the same as that of the defect image (53), but also a layout image of another layer is displayed superimposed on the defect image (53). This makes it easier to analyze the factor of a systematic defect having occurred due to a positional relationship with another layer.

Abstract: A method is provided for enhancing edge detection for edges of irregular surfaces in a machine vision inspection system. The inspection system comprises an edge feature video tool configured to determine profile data for an edge feature based on a plurality of differently focused images. An edge-referenced alignment compensation is provided related to substantially minimizing a respective offset amount of the edge feature at respective locations along a directional filtering direction used for directionally filtering the plurality of differently focused images prior to determining the profile data for the edge feature. In some embodiments, the plurality of differently focused images may be directionally filtered using a directional filtering sub region (DFS) defined relative to a point corresponding to a PFF basis pixel location in each of the plurality of images, each DFS having a relatively longer dimension along the directional filtering direction.

Abstract: There is provided an image composition apparatus including a parallax deriving unit configured to derive a parallax of one area in a background image, the one area corresponding to one object in the background image, an image selection unit configured to select an image which has a parallax different from the parallax of the one area in the background image, as a material image, from a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner, and an image composition unit configured to superpose the material image selected by the image selection unit on the background image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for virtually expanding and enriching the field of view of the current image of a scene described by a video including several images. This method includes the following steps of: a—expanding said field of view by at least one mosaic obtained from said images and by inserting at least one contextual datum in the reference frame of the current image of said scene, b—enriching said field of view by at least one piece of information referenced in said contextual datum.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system for making 3D contents provided with visual fatigue minimization and a method of the same. More particularly, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a system for making 3D contents including: a human factor information unit generating guide information for making 3D contents by considering factors causing visual fatigue of the 3D contents; and a 3D contents making unit applying guide information generated by the human factor information unit to 3D contents data inputted for making the 3D contents to make the 3D contents, and a method of making 3D contents.

Abstract: Provided is a stereo distance measurement apparatus wherein a camera image itself is adjusted to correct the blur, thereby preventing the distance measurement time from being long, while improving the precision of disparity detection. In the apparatus (100), a blur adjusting unit (102) uses a filter to tailor the blur of one of two images used by a disparity measuring unit (103), to the blur of the other which is weaker. A camera image itself is adjusted, whereby the blur can be corrected. Moreover, tailoring the blur of the one image to the blur of the other image which is weaker allows an application of the filter, which is a simple processing, to cause the blurs of the images used in the disparity detection, to coincide with each other. Therefore, the precision of disparity detection can be improved, while the distance measurement can be performed at a high speed.

Abstract: What is disclosed a system and method for estimating a position (or pose) of a camera relative to a surface upon which an object rests in an image captured by that camera such that a volume can be estimated for that object. In one embodiment, a matrix K is determined from parameters intrinsic to a camera used to capture image. An amount of a camera translation T is determined with respect to a set of real-world coordinates in (X,Y,Z). An amount of a camera rotation matrix R is determined from camera angles measured with respect to the real-world coordinates. A distance Zc of the camera at location (i,j) can then be estimated. A volume of the object in an image of that object can be estimated from the camera pose.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a two-dimensional to stereoscopic conversion method, comprising: estimating a local motion region in a first image relative to one or more second images, the first and the one or more second images comprising two-dimensional images; generating a color model based on the local motion region; calculating a similarity value for each of at least one image pixel selected from the first image based on the color model; and assigning a depth value for each of the at least one image pixel selected from the first image based on the calculated similarity value to generate a stereoscopic image, the method performed by one or more processors.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described for processing 3D vision algorithms. A 3D vision processor device comprises one or more 3D vision processing cores. Each 3D vision processing core includes one or more memory blocks for storing location values associated with 3D point cloud images and an arithmetic logic unit coupled to the one or more memory modules. The arithmetic logic unit includes a plurality of memory registers for temporarily storing location values associated with a point in a 3D point cloud image and a processing unit coupled to the plurality of memory registers for performing arithmetic operations on the location values stored in the memory registers, the arithmetic operations used for 3D vision processing algorithms. The 3D vision processing core also includes a communication link for transferring data between the arithmetic logic unit and the memory modules.

Abstract: Automatic roof identification systems and methods are described. Example embodiments include a roof estimation system configured to automatically detect a roof in a target image of a building having a roof. In one embodiment, automatically detecting a roof in a target image includes training one or more artificial intelligence systems to identify likely roof sections of an image. The artificial intelligence systems are trained on historical image data or an operator-specified region of interest within the target image. Then, a likely outline of the roof in the target image can be determined based on the trained artificial intelligence systems. The likely roof outline can be used to generate a roof estimate report. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method for filtering descriptors for visual object recognition is provided. The method includes identifying false positive descriptors having a local match confidence that exceeds a predetermined threshold and a global image match confidence that is less than a second threshold. The method also includes training at least one classifier to discriminate between the false positive descriptors and other descriptors. The method further includes filtering feature point matches using the at least one classifier. According to another embodiment, the filtering step may further include removing one or more feature point matches from a result set. According to a further embodiment, a system for filtering feature point matches for visual object recognition is provided. The system includes a hard false positive identifier, a classifier trainer and a hard false positive filter.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method. The image processing apparatus comprises a matching degree calculation unit configured to calculate respective matching degrees between an image waiting for processing and plural training images whose Kansei scores are pre-designated; and a Kansei score calculation unit configured to extract, from the plural training images, a predetermined number of training images corresponding to the maximum matching degree, and then based on the Kansei scores of the extracted training images with regard to a selected Kansei type, calculate a Kansei score of the image waiting for processing.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for coloring a cosmetic covering. The apparatus includes image acquisition apparatus (18) operative to acquire an image of a part of a human or animal body to provide a digital color image, processing apparatus (20) operative to determine a calibration transform for colors of an image acquired by the image acquisition apparatus, the processing apparatus being further operative to transform the digital color image with the calibration transform to provide a color compensated digital color image, pigment mixing apparatus (26) operative to mix a plurality of pigments of different colors in dependence on at least one color characteristic of at least one color within the color compensated digital color image to produce at least one mixed pigment, and pigment applying apparatus (24) operative to apply the at least one mixed pigment to a cosmetic covering.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a division unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of color regions based on a color difference; a color gradient information calculation unit configured to calculate color gradient information at a boundary between the divided color regions from color information of the input image; an attribute determination unit configured to determine a gradation attribute representing a characteristic of a color gradient at the boundary using the color gradient information; and a vectorization target determination unit configured to determine, based on the gradation attribute of the boundary determined by the attribute determination unit, whether the input image is a vectorization target.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a color displacement calculation unit, a distribution obtaining unit, and a similarity calculation unit. The color displacement calculation unit calculates local color displacements that are color displacements locally occurring in individual regions of interest of a given image. The distribution obtaining unit obtains distribution of the local color displacements with respect to an extracted-color displacement that is a displacement of a color preset in a reference region set for the regions of interest. The similarity calculation unit calculates similarity to the extracted-color displacement for the regions of interest using the distribution.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein facilitate determining compression methods to use on an image. A client is in communication with a server that is configured to separate an image into a plurality of regions. The server is also configured to determine a first data compression method for a first set of the regions and a second data compression method for a second set of the regions, wherein the second data compression method is different from the first data compression method. Further, the server is configured to compress the first set and the second set of the regions by using the first data compression method and the second data compression method, respectively. The server is also configured to transmit the first set and the second set of the regions that have been compressed to the client.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention reduce the compression time in order to achieve a faster texture compression. That is achieved by guessing, i.e. estimating the best table or tables (e.g. from tables 0 to 7) representing luminance information, and to only execute the compression for the table(s) estimated to provide the best luminance information.

Abstract: A digital image processing apparatus and method are provided. The digital image processing apparatus includes: a Y component processing unit receiving a Y component and performing edge enhancement processing and first noise reduction processing on the Y component by using a memory allocated to the Y component; and a CbCr processing unit receiving a Cb component and a Cr component, and performing false color suppression processing and second noise reduction processing on the Cb component and the Cr component by using a memory allocated to the Cb component and the Cr component, where the Y component, the Cb component and the Cr component are variables of the YCbCr color space.

Abstract: An image processing module is provided. A de-mosaic unit in the image processing module includes an edge direction detection unit and a multi-pixel directional interpolation unit. The edge direction detection unit is used to determine a first color row luminance difference according to a plurality of first color pixels of a pixel row of raw data, and determine a first color column luminance difference according to a plurality of first color pixels of a pixel column of raw data. The multi-pixels directional interpolation unit is used to determine pixel luminance of a third color array according to the first color column luminance difference, the first color row luminance difference, the third color pixels adjacent to a first color pixel and the third color pixels adjacent to a second color pixel.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for retrieving and displaying multimedia information. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided that displays multimedia information that may be stored in a multimedia document. According to the teachings of the present invention, the GUI enables a user to navigate through multimedia information stored in a multimedia document. The GUI provides both a focused and a contextual view of the contents of the multimedia document.

Abstract: A method for processing data of a scanned book having a plurality of pages is disclosed. The method includes obtaining page image data from a page. The method further includes segmenting and recognizing the page image data to obtain locations of rectangular boxes corresponding to the respective characters and text codes for the respective characters. The method also includes obtaining respective aggregated character line information for each line of characters. The method further includes adjusting the rectangular boxes in accordance with the obtained aggregated character line information.

Abstract: A method of obtaining contact information for a person or an entity is disclosed. The method comprises detecting a name of the person or the entity in a frame from a screen of a device; determining a presence status for the detected name based on one or more connectivity status for the detected name in one or more communication applications and/or one or more databases, where the one or more communication applications operate on the device from which the frame originates and where the one or more databases are accessible on the device; displaying the presence status on the screen of the device.

Abstract: Performing word recognition operations to determine what an image of a word represents. The method includes accessing a first image. The first image represents an image version of a word. The method further includes accessing a second image. The second image also represents an image version of a word. Using a warp mesh, the method includes warping the second image to cause the second image to approximately match the first image by applying a mesh to the second image and moving vertices of the mesh to warp the second image. The difference between the warped second image and the unwarped first image are determined.

Abstract: Implementations for identifying duplicate images in an image space are described. An image space is partitioned into a plurality of coarse clusters based on signatures of the images within the image space. The signatures are determined from compact descriptors of the images. Refined clusters that include one or more images of an individual coarse cluster are created based on pair-wise comparisons of the compact descriptors of images in the coarse cluster, and the refined clusters are identified as sets of duplicate images. The refined clusters are grown by searching in similar coarse clusters for images to add to the refined clusters.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a face detection technology in which image data is classified as being a non-face image or a face image. Image data is processed into an image pyramid. Features, comprising pixel pairs of the image pyramid, are provided to stages of a cascading classifier to remove sub-window candidates that are classified as non-face sub-windows within each stage. The face detection technology continues with one or more subsequent stages to output a result as to whether the image contains a face.

Abstract: An image measurement apparatus includes: an imager section, an obtainment section, an outline detection section, a setting section, and a measurement section. The imager section takes an image of a subject to be measured. The obtainment section obtains a taken image of the subject taken by the imager section. The outline detection section detects, by a Hough transformation, outline of a graphic included in the image obtained by the obtainment section. The setting section sets an edge detection tool on the outline detected by the outline detection section. The measurement section measures, by the edge detection tool set by the setting section, graphic information concerning the graphic.

Abstract: A method for automated document recognition, identification, and data extraction is described herein. The method comprises receiving, by the processor, an image of a document associated with a user. The image is analyzed using optical character recognition to obtain image data, wherein the image data includes text zones. Based on the image data, the image is compared to one or more document templates. Based on the comparison, a document template having the highest degree of coincidence with the image is determined. The text zones of the image are associated with text zones of the document template to determine a type of data in each text zone. The data is structured into a standard format to obtain structured data.

Abstract: A photo spam detector detects illegitimate non-natively captured images through extracting image features and feeding the extracted features into a probabilistic model. The probabilistic model categorizes the photo as legitimate or illegitimate. Requests to tag one or more users in a photo are analyzed by a tag analyzer that assesses relationships between the tag requests themselves, social relationships between the tagged users, and the presence or absence of faces within the regions specified by the tag requests. Based on the classification of images or tags as illegitimate, a social networking system applies one or more social media distribution policies to the image or tags to suppress or prohibit distribution.

Abstract: An adaptive filter includes: an edge direction detection section which discriminates directionality of an input image in each of a plurality of unit regions constituting the input image; a region classification section which classifies the each of the plurality of unit regions into one of a plurality of unit region groups in accordance with to which of a plurality of predetermined groups the directionality of the input image in the each of the plurality of unit regions belongs, the directionality having been discriminated by the edge direction detection section; and a filter process section which calculates a pixel value of the each pixel of an output image by use of a filter coefficient group optimized for a unit region group to which a unit region including the each pixel belongs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image registration apparatus for registering a first image and a second image with respect to each other. A model, which has a fixed topology, is adapted to the first image for generating a first adapted model and to the second image for generating a second adapted model, and corresponding image elements (40, 48, 49; 50, 58, 9) are determined in the first image and in the second image based on spatial positions of first image elements in the first image with respect to the first adapted model and spatial positions of second image elements in the second image with respect to the second adapted model. Since the model has a fixed topology, corresponding image elements can relatively reliably be found based on the adapted models, even if the first and second images show objects having complex properties like a heart, thereby improving the registration quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for encoding/decoding high resolution images, which involve setting the size of the prediction unit to be encoded to an expanded macro-block size in accordance with the temporal frequency characteristics or spatial frequency characteristics among pictures to be encoded, and performing motion prediction motion compensation, and transformation on the basis of a set prediction unit size. In addition, the methods and the apparatuses of the present invention involve dividing a macro-block having a pixel size of 32*32 or 64*64 into at least one partition on the basis of an edge, and performing encoding processes for each partition. Accordingly, encoding efficiency can be improved for high definition (HD) or higher resolution high-resolution images.

Abstract: Generating a prediction image by performing motion compensation by using a motion vector of an encoded image, with a frame formed of a decoded image serving as a reference frame, to generate a first motion compensation image corresponding to a prediction image; and generating the prediction image by performing a filtering process on at least two motion-compensated images by using a correlation in a time direction included in the first motion compensation image and a second motion compensation image.

Abstract: A method for creating a binary mask image from an inputted digital image of a scanned document, including the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, including the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deblurring a non-uniform motion blur using a multi-frame including a blurred image and a noise image is provided. The apparatus may provide a clearer image by estimating non-uniform motion blur information of the blurred image using the multi-frame, and performing estimation of the non-uniform motion blur information and obtaining of a latent image iteratively, thereby improving accuracy for estimating the non-uniform motion blur information, and reducing a processing time.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for a system, method, and computer program product for performing an process on an original image, the process being implemented by a computer system performs a comprising the at least one computer: performing an process on an image that renders the processed image legible than then the original image, wherein the analysis segregates dark pixels of the image from light pixels of the image. The method can comprise: first converting the image into a grayscale image. The method comprises processing a pixel area for each pixel of the image is a dark pixel or a light pixel and determining if a pixel is proximate to an edge.

Abstract: In photography, High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology typically consists of (1) acquiring a wide dynamic range image and (2) adapting the wide dynamic range image to fit to the display range of the device. The first part can be achieved by using a special sensor or by combining two or more images with same or different exposures, and is optional. The second part, contrast adaptation, locally adapts the tone mapping function thus effectively re-using the available range. Described is a system and method that enables a user to create a new image by selectively combining contrast adapted and non-contrast adapted versions of the same image. The new image can retain the natural quality of the well illuminated areas and enhance salient features as selected by the user.

Abstract: A structure descriptor for an m×n pixel block of an image may be determined. The m×n pixel block may contain a primary pixel having a primary pixel value and a plurality of secondary pixels having respective secondary pixel values. The structure descriptor may include a plurality of structure indicators each associated with a respective secondary pixel. The respective structure indicators may be based on the primary pixel value and the respective secondary pixel value of the associated secondary pixel. Based on the structure descriptor, a structure value for the m×n pixel block may be determined. Based on the structure value, image processing may be applied to the m×n pixel block.

Abstract: In various embodiments, the present invention relates to methods, systems, architectures, algorithms, designs, and user interfaces for capturing, processing, analyzing, displaying, annotating, modifying, and/or interacting with light-field data on a light-field capture device. In at least one embodiment, the light-field capture device communicates to the user information about the scene during live-view to aid him or her in capturing light-field images that provide increased refocusing ability, increased parallax and perspective shifting ability, increased stereo disparity, and/or more dramatic post-capture effects. Additional embodiments present a standard 2D camera interface to software running on the light-field capture device to enable such software to function normally even though the device is actually capturing light-field data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of appropriately arranging a plurality of images of an output target in an output region is provided. For example, when the plurality of images is arranged in rows and columns by the arrangement unit, if there is a row or a column in which a number of images is less than a predetermined number of images, the number of images in the row or column is identified. Then, from the plurality of combinations, based on the number of images identified by the identification unit, for each of a plurality of combinations of number of rows and number of columns when the plurality of imaged is arranged, a combination of the number of rows and the number of columns is determined.

Abstract: Reference-free compensated imaging makes an estimation of the Fourier phase of a series of images of a target. The Fourier magnitude of the series of images is obtained by dividing the power spectral density of the series of images by an estimate of the power spectral density of atmospheric turbulence from a series of scene based wave front sensor (SBWFS) measurements of the target. A high-resolution image of the target is recovered from the Fourier phase and the Fourier magnitude.

Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for selecting source imagery for a planar panorama comprising a curved path. The curved path can be identified in a block of source imagery, where the source imagery comprises inside-curve source imagery for an inside curve of the curved path. Image data from a first source image from the inside-curve source imagery can be compared with image data from a second source image from the inside-curve source imagery. If image data of the first source image sufficiently overlaps image data of the second source image the first source image can selected for inclusion in a set of images to be used for the planar panorama, while the second source image may not be so selected (e.g., to mitigate artifacts, object overlap, repeated objects, etc. in the planar panorama).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to collaging image data to form a large image using high-performance computing in a parallel computing environment. The collaging of the image data includes performing an intra-node merge operation on image data such that the merged intra-node data is not written to the file system, but instead maintained in volatile processor memory. The intra-node merged data is may then be communicated in a memory-to-memory manner over a high-speed network to another node in the system for an inter-node merge operation, which limits the number of intermediate system I/O operations to perform the collaging process. Following the intra-node and inter-node merge operations, tiles representing the collaged image may be written to a file system memory for persistent storage.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of image processing in digital pathology. It notably proposes a method for processing a first digital image, representing a sample in a region, and which image has been acquired from the sample by means of a microscopic imaging system (1) and is stored in a multi-resolution image data structure (80), comprising the steps of:—retrieving (104) a sub-region of the first digital image at a first resolution, —executing (105) a transform function on the retrieved sub-region, the transform function modifying a content of the sub-region according to at least one metric derived from a second resolution representation of the first digital image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.

Abstract: A digital camera includes: a horizontal reduction (resizing) processor 301 for reducing a RAW image from single-sensor color imaging device to an image corresponding to a video recording size in an input line direction; a memory section 303 storing horizontally resized image data; a plurality of vertical reduction (resizing) processors 304, 306, and 308 reducing (resizing), in a vertical direction orthogonal to the input line direction, a plurality of pieces of reduced line data read out from the memory section 303; and horizontal reduction (resizing) processors 310 and 312 reducing a plurality of images reduced (resized) in the horizontal and vertical directions back into images of a display size and a face detection size in the input line direction.

Abstract: In some approaches, super-resolution of static and moving objects can be performed. Results of moving object super-resolution may be improved by means of performing image co-registration. The quality of images of moving objects in an automated form may be improved. A sequence of images may be processed wherein objects can be detected and tracked in succeeding frames. A small region around a tracked object may be extracted in each frame. These regions may be co-registered to each other using frequency domain techniques. A set of co-registered images may be used to perform super-resolution of the tracked object. Also described are image processing systems and articles of manufacture having a machine readable storage medium and executable program instructions.

Abstract: An image processor comprises a plurality of processing modules coupled together in series. Each of at least two of the processing modules includes an image data input to receive at least one of i) an original image or ii) image data output by a previous processing module in the series. Each of the at least two of the processing modules also includes a processing unit configured to i) detect that image data is to be generated and ii) process image data received via the at least one image data input to generate image data. Each of the at least two of the processing modules also includes a memory to store image data generated by the processing unit.

Abstract: Textual errors in digital volumes in a corpus are corrected by comparing a set of similar digital volumes, the set including a basis volume and a plurality of comparison volumes. The basis volume is compared with the comparison volumes to identify sequences of text that are identical across all of the candidate volumes and mismatched sequences of text that contain different text in at least one of the candidate volumes. The correct text for at least some of the mismatched sequences is resolved by comparing the different text in the different candidate volumes. The mismatched sequences are replaced by the resolved correct text, thereby correcting errors in the candidate volumes.