Abstract: An image production method and apparatus are disclosed for a mobile terminal. The image production method includes selecting photographs and applying editing effects associated with color information of at least one of the selected photographs to image data of the selected photographs to produce an output image.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a first storage unit, a calculating unit, a second storage unit, and an interpolation calculating unit. The first storage unit is configured to store values at lattice points on a plurality of unit cubes to which a color space made up of the plurality of color components is segmentalized. The calculating unit is configured to calculate a difference between a first lattice-point value stored in the first storage unit and a color component value mapped to color coordinates of the first lattice point for each of the lattice points. The second storage unit is configured to store the calculated difference on a lattice-point-by-lattice-point basis. The interpolation calculating unit is configured to calculate a second image data by reading out the stored differences designated by a first image data and performing interpolation calculation using the read-out second lattice-point values.

Abstract: A method for distorting a digital image comprising receiving the coordinates of one or more than one image reference point defined by a user within the digital image, receiving one or more than one spatial offset assigned by the user and associated with the coordinates of the one or more than one defined image reference point, providing a mixing function algorithm embodied on a computer-readable medium for distorting the digital image, calculating an offset matrix by applying the mixing function algorithm based on the one or more than one spatial offset and the coordinates of the one or more than one defined image reference point; and distorting the digital image by application of the offset matrix. A graphic tag may be associated with each of the defined image reference points and displayed over the digital image, and the assignment of the spatial offset may be accomplished by movement of the graphic tag with the pointing device. Abstract image reference points may be used to limit distortion.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: receiving image data from a frame buffer, wherein each pixel of the image data has only one color information; estimating four second color information corresponding to up, down, left, and right sides of the target pixel respectively according to a first color information of the target pixel per se and color information of the neighboring pixels for a target pixel of the image data; calculating four color difference gradients corresponding to up, down, left, and right sides of the target pixel respectively according to the four second color information of the target pixel; determining an edge texture characteristic of the target pixel according to the four color difference gradients of the target pixel; and determining whether to modify the bit value of the first color information of the target pixel stored in a frame buffer according to an edge texture characteristic of the target pixel.

Abstract: A method of cropping an image based on a content of the image according to one example embodiment includes identifying image features in the content of the image, determining horizontal histogram frequencies and vertical histogram frequencies of the identified image features, determining borders of a document bounding box based on the determined horizontal histogram frequencies and vertical histogram frequencies, and cropping the image according to the document bounding box.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and recognizing an object using a vector histogram based on a local binary pattern are disclosed. The apparatus of detecting and recognizing an object using a local binary pattern includes: a feature map creator configured to extract an object area in which a moving object exists from an input image, to create a local binary pattern by designating a local area in the object area, and to create a vector component map including information about magnitude vector components and direction vector components using the local binary pattern; a feature map configuring unit configured to divide the object area into a plurality of blocks and to create a feature vector map through a histogram using the vector component map in a unit of the block; and an object detector configured to detect and classify the moving object based on the feature vector map.

Abstract: A method for comparing a first image with a second image. The method identifies first keypoints in the first image and second keypoints in the second image and associates each first keypoint with a corresponding second keypoint to form a corresponding keypoint match. For each pair of first keypoints, the method further calculates the distance therebetween for obtaining a corresponding first length. Similarly, for each pair of second keypoints, the method calculates the distance therebetween for obtaining a corresponding second length. The method further calculates a plurality of distance ratios; each distance ratio is based on a length ratio between a selected one between a first length and a second length and a corresponding selected one between a second length and a first length, respectively.

Abstract: A method of detection of numbered captions in a document includes receiving a document including a sequence of document pages and identifying illustrations on pages of the document. For each identified illustration, associated text is identified. An imitation page is generated for each of the identified illustrations, each imitation page comprising a single illustration and its associated text. For a sequence of the imitation pages, a sequence of terms is identified. Each term is derived from a text fragment of the associate text of a respective imitation page. The terms of a sequence complying with at least one predefined numbering scheme which defines a form and an incremental state of the terms in a sequence. The terms of the identified sequence of terms are construed as being at least a part of a numbered caption for a respective illustration in the document.

Abstract: A camera system (10) is provided for generating an image presegmented into regions (106a-b) of interest and of no interest, having an evaluation unit (20) which is designed to divide the raw image into part regions (106a-b) to calculate a contrast value for each part region (106a-b) and to decide with reference to the contrast value whether the respective part region (106a-b) is a region of interest (106a) or a region of no interest (106b). In this respect, the evaluation unit (20) has a preprocessing unit (22) which is implemented on an FPGA, which respectively accesses the pixels of a part region (106a-b) and generates summed values (a), b) for the respective part region (106a-b) and has a structure recognition unit (24) which calculates the contrast value of the part region (106a-b) from its summed values (a, b) without accessing pixels of the part region (106a-b).

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, sampling a variable effect distribution of viewing preference data to determine a first set of effects comprising a plurality of first distortion type effects associated with a first distortion type of a first image and to determine a second set of effects comprising a plurality of second distortion type effects associated with the second distortion type of a second image, calculating a preference estimate from a logistic regression model of the viewing preference data according to the first set of effects and the second set of effects, wherein the preference estimate comprises a probability that the first image is preferred over the second image, and selecting one of the first distortion type or the second distortion type according to the preference estimate. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Machines, systems and methods for character recognition disambiguation are provided. The method comprises selecting a first set of characters that match a first visual profile based on results of a character recognition process applied to target content; selecting a subset of the first set based on criteria associated with at least one of confidence level with which characters grouped in the subset are recognized or fragmentation associated with the characters grouped in the subset; and disambiguating recognition results for the characters grouped in the subset by displaying the characters along with context information, wherein reviewing two or more of the characters on a display screen along with context information associated with said two or more characters allows a human operator to select one or more suspect characters from among the two or more characters.

Abstract: A system and method for comparing a text image and a character string are provided. The method includes embedding a character string into a vectorial space by extracting a set of features from the character string and generating a character string representation based on the extracted features, such as a spatial pyramid bag of characters (SPBOC) representation. A text image is embedded into a vectorial space by extracting a set of features from the text image and generating a text image representation based on the text image extracted features. A compatibility between the text image representation and the character string representation is computed, which includes computing a function of the text image representation and character string representation.

Abstract: An identification method and apparatus of confusable character are provided. The method involves: the detected character image is identified to gain the initial character information which is corresponding to the character image; the step change times of the corresponding external outline of the character image are counted if the initial character information is the confusable character; the final character information corresponding to the character image is confirmed according to the step change times; The final character information of the character image can be known conveniently according to the step change times, therefore the corresponding correct character information of the character image can be identified more precisely. The possibility of wrong identification of the character image because of the appearing confusable character can be reduced, and the identification precision rate of the confusable character can be improved.

Abstract: In a character string extraction method, a character portion, a rim portion, a character frame, and a character string frame are set, a feature value of each image in the character portion and the rim portion is calculated for each character frame, a character string frame evaluation value is calculated based on the feature value for the character string frame, a position of the character string frame is moved on the paper sheet image, and the image in the character portion is extracted by using the character string frame at a position at which the character string frame evaluation value reaches a maximum.

Abstract: Information is arranged within a predetermined shape. The predetermined shape is captured in an image taken by a tangible image-capturing element of a device which captures images at the direction of a user. The device includes a tangible processor that analyzes the image captured by the image-capturing element to determine whether a predetermined shape is present in the image. The tangible processor determines an alignment of the predetermined shape when the predetermined shape is present in the image, and reads data within the predetermined shape in accordance with the determined alignment. The device automatically forwards a request for content over a communications network in accordance with the data read within the predetermined shape. The device receives the content over the network and displays the content.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for ordering images. The technique includes receiving a request, the request including keywords and parameters specifying desired image characteristics. Further, the technique includes identifying a set of images responsive to the request based on a match of the keywords to tags associated with objects depicted in the set of images. Finally, the technique includes determining an ordering of the identified set of images by comparing the received parameters with metadata fields associated with respective tags of the objects and returning an indication of the set of images and the determined ordering of the images.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a feature extraction device includes an obtaining unit that obtains image data having a plurality of pixels. The device includes a pixel feature calculation unit that calculates first pixel features and second pixel features of each of the pixels, which are different from each other, and a classification unit that classifies a pair of pixels by using the first features for at least some of the plurality of pixels. The device includes a co-occurrence frequency calculation unit that calculates a co-occurrence frequency representing a frequency of co-occurrence of the second pixel features of the first pixel and the second pixel features of the second pixel for the set for which a result of the classification by the classification unit is consistent.

Abstract: Embodiments enable searching of portions of objects in images, including programmatically analyzing each image in a collection in order to determine image data that, for individual images in the collection, represents one or more visual characteristics of a portion of an object shown in that image. A user is enabled to specify one or more search criteria that includes image data, and a search result may be determined based on one or more images in the collection that show a corresponding object that has a portion that satisfies a threshold. The threshold is defined at least in part by the one or more search criteria.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for modifying a digital image comprising identifying two or more individual regions in the digital image that each include a human face, and digitally defining at least one combined region that includes the two or more individual regions wherein at least one border of the at least one combined region is collinear with a border of one of the individual regions.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus sets a plurality of reference locations of data in information as one reference location pattern and acquires a feature amount obtained from a value of data of one of the plurality of pieces of reference information in one reference location pattern for each of a plurality of reference location patterns and the plurality of pieces of reference information. The apparatus extracts data included in the input information according to each of the plurality of reference location patterns, selects the reference location pattern for classification of the input information from the plurality of reference location patterns based on a value of data included in the extracted input information, and executes classification of the input information by using the feature amount in the selected reference location pattern and data included in the input information at a reference location indicated by the reference location pattern.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing device for associating images with objects appearing in the images, while reducing burden on the user. The image processing device: stores, for each of events, a photographic attribute indicating a photographic condition predicted to be met with respect to an image photographed in the event; stores an object predicted to appear in an image photographed in the event; extracts from a collection of photographed images a photographic attribute that is common among a predetermined number of photographed images in the collection, based on pieces of photography-related information of the respective photographed images; specifies an object stored for an event corresponding to the extracted photographic attribute; and conducts a process on the collection of photographed images to associate each photographed image containing the specified object with the object.

Abstract: A method of comparing two object poses, wherein each object pose is expressed in terms of position, orientation and scale with respect to a common coordinate system, the method comprising: calculating a distance between the two object poses, the distance being calculated using the distance function: d sRt ? ( X , Y ) = d s 2 ? ( X , Y ) ? s 2 + d r 2 ? ( X , Y ) ? r 2 + d t 2 ? ( X , Y ) ? t 2 .

Abstract: Disclosed are a component recognizing apparatus and a component recognizing method. The component recognizing apparatus includes: an image preprocessing unit configured to extract component edges from an input component image by using a plurality of edge detecting techniques, and detect a component region by using the extracted component edges; a feature extracting unit configured to extract a component feature from the detected component region, and create a feature vector by using the component feature; and a component recognizing unit configured to input the created feature vector to an artificial neural network which has learned in advance to recognize a component category through a plurality of component image samples, and recognize the component category according to a result.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating an ordered set of boundary data by transforming data from remotely sensed imagery of shorelines is provided. A feature data set and an edge data set are transformed into a set of 3-point boundary segments having a specific head and tail point and the segments are ordered from tail to head in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner relative to the water. Once the 3-point segments are created they are easily linked together into larger segments. These large multi-point segments in turn are linked together to create a closed loop in a predetermined direction, for example, but not limited to, the shorelines for rivers or coastal areas.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire images captured from a plurality of observation points for a predetermined object, a feature point extraction unit configured to extract a feature point in each of the images acquired by the image acquisition unit, a correspondence relationship acquisition unit configured to acquire a correspondence relationship of the feature points based on images from among adjacent observation points, and an information presentation unit configured to quantitatively present information about the correspondence relationship acquired by the correspondence relationship acquisition unit.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying regular geometric structures in a document page are disclosed. In the method, for a document page for which a set of page elements have been identified, the method includes identifying, where present, geometric relations among a subset of the page elements, from a predefined set of geometric relations, and a geometric structure comprising regular rows and regular columns, based on the identified geometric relations. Constraints of a definition of a regular geometric structure are applied to the identified geometric structure and, where the subset of page elements includes regular rows and regular columns forming a geometric structure which meets the constraints of the definition of a regular geometric structure, the subset of the page elements is identified as forming a regular geometric structure and may be labeled or tested to determine if it can be expanded by adding one or more rows or columns.

Abstract: This invention is a method for rectifying an input digital image including warped textual information. The method includes analyzing the input digital image to locate a plurality of local features, at least some of the local features including textual features. A sparse set of local image regions are located corresponding to reliable combinations of spatially-consecutive local features, and corresponding local orientations are determined. A global deformation function is formed by interpolating between the determined local orientations and is used to form a rectified image.

Abstract: A solid-state image capturing element includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each of which outputs an electric signal corresponding to an amount of received light; a plurality of column signal lines each of which is disposed for a corresponding one of columns of the pixels and sequentially transfers the electric signal provided from the corresponding one of the columns of the pixels; and a plurality of holding circuits each of which is disposed for a corresponding one of the column signal lines and holds the electric signal transferred via the corresponding one of the column signal lines. Each of the holding circuits includes a circuit element including an input capacitance, and holds the electric signal in the input capacitance.

Abstract: An interactive concept learning image search technique that allows end-users to quickly create their own rules for re-ranking images based on the image characteristics of the images. The image characteristics can include visual characteristics as well as semantic features or characteristics, or may include a combination of both. End-users can then rank or re-rank any current or future image search results according to their rule or rules. End-users provide examples of images each rule should match and examples of images the rule should reject. The technique learns the common image characteristics of the examples, and any current or future image search results can then be ranked or re-ranked according to the learned rules.

Abstract: A method and system for character recognition are described. In one embodiment, it may use matched sequences rather than character shape to determine a computer legible result.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for compression encoding/decoding an image based on the repetition of an access unit and the repetition of a residual value.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus samples an image signal to thin out pixel values used as adjacent pixels in intra-frame prediction according a size in a horizontal direction of an image to be coded or a size in a vertical direction of regions in a matrix into which the image is divided then performs interpolation using the sampled pixel values to reconstruct the adjacent pixels. A predicted image generation unit within the image processing apparatus performs intra-frame prediction using the reconstructed adjacent pixels and codes the resulting image thus reducing the amount of memory required for intra-frame prediction.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a preferred motion vector is provided, which may be used to estimate motion in a series of video image frames. The system may include a video encoder having a motion vector selector. The motion vector selector may include a first generator to generate a cost associated with motion vectors in a first direction, a selector to set a cross over point corresponding to a lowest cost motion vector in the first direction, a direction indicator to sample a set of motion vectors about the cross over point to select a preferred direction, and a second generator to generate a cost associated with the motion vectors in the preferred direction. The method may include determining a final motion vector having the lowest cost within a search window.

Abstract: An image encoding and/or decoding apparatus and method are provided. The image encoding apparatus includes: a transform unit removing spatial redundancy by transforming an original image being input; an allowable noise obtaining unit obtaining an allowable noise from the original image; a quantization parameter determination unit determining a quantization parameter by using the allowable noise; a quantization unit generating a quantized coefficient, by quantizing a transform coefficient provided from the transform unit by using the quantization parameter; and an entropy encoding unit entropy encoding the quantized coefficient to remove statistical redundancy.

Abstract: Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for the global quantitative characterization of patterns. In one representative embodiment, a method is provided in which fractal analysis is performed on a pattern to generate a global quantitative characterization of the pattern in a computer system.

Abstract: A method for deriving a blur kernel from a blurred image is provided herein. The method may include the following steps: obtaining a blurred image B, being a product of a blur kernel k applied to an original image I; calculating f?(x)=Rd*P?(B)(x) for every angle ?, wherein R denotes an autocorrelation operator, P? denotes a projection operator of based on angle ?, and d denotes a one dimensional differentiation filter; estimating spectral power of the blur kernel based on a given support parameter; estimating the blur kernel k using a phase retrieval algorithm, based on the estimated spectral power of the blur kernel; updating the support parameters; and repeating the estimating of the spectral power, the estimating of the kernel and the updating of the support parameters in an iterative, to yield the blur kernel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image obtaining device; an image dividing device that divides the image through a fine structure retrieving filter and a basic structure retrieving filter into a detail signal component and a basic signal component, the detail signal component including an edge component, a texture component, and a noise component, and the basic signal component being other than the detail signal component; an image correcting device that retrieves a focused picture cell, determines whether the focused picture cell represents the noise, corrects the detail signal component to reduce the noise component in the focused picture cell when the focused picture cell represents the noise; and an image synthesizing device that synthesizes a basic structure image provided by the basic signal component and a corrected fine structure image provided by the corrected detail signal component.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides a system and a method for adaptive MPEG noise reduction. In particular, the disclosed technology provides a system and a method for reducing blocking artifacts and mosquito noise in an MPEG video signal. An overall MPEG noise detector may be used to determine the presence of noise in one or more frames of a video signal. When a sufficient amount of noise is detected in the one or more frames of the video signal, portions of the video signal that contain noise may be located and filtered to reduce the amount of noise present in the video signal.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a smoothing processing unit which performs smoothing processing, a thinning processing unit which performs thinning processing, an edge direction determination unit which determines an edge direction with respect to each pixel of the image data and a blending processing unit which decides a pixel value of each pixel of when the thinning processing and the smoothing processing are realized at same time. In the image processing apparatus, the blending processing unit decides a pixel value of a target pixel of when the thinning processing and the smoothing processing are realized at the same time depending on a combination of whether the thinning processing is performed or not and whether the smoothing processing is performed or not on the target pixel.

Abstract: An RGB color image and an infrared intensity image of a live video are received. The RGB color image is converted to a colorspace image comprising a channel corresponding to a brightness value. Each pixel of the converted colorspace image is evaluated to determine whether the brightness channel of the pixel exceeds a threshold value. If the brightness channel of the pixel exceeds the threshold value, the infrared intensity value of a corresponding pixel from the infrared intensity image is mixed into the pixel's channel value that corresponds to brightness. The converted colorspace image is converted back to an RGB color image.

Abstract: Described herein are devices and techniques for providing adaptable Local Area Processing (LAP) contrast enhancement of imagery by redistributing pixel intensity values in a dynamic range of an imaging device according to a packed statistical distribution function, wherein the redistribution is achieved according to a recursive packing factor.

Abstract: A global spatial domain detail controlling method for an image processor includes adjusting at least one detail parameter corresponding to each pixel during an image processing according to each space position of the each pixel in an image; and performing the each pixel with the image processing according to the at least one detail parameter of the each pixel.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for automatic upright adjustment of digital images. An automatic upright adjustment technique is described that may provide an automated approach for straightening up slanted features in an input image to improve its perceptual quality. This correction may be referred to as upright adjustment. A set of criteria based on human perception may be used in the upright adjustment. A reprojection technique that implements an optimization framework is described that yields an optimal homography for adjustment based on the criteria and adjusts the image according to new camera parameters generated by the optimization. An optimization-based camera calibration technique is described that simultaneously estimates vanishing lines and points as well as camera parameters for an image; the calibration technique may, for example, be used to generate estimates of camera parameters and vanishing points and lines that are input to the reprojection technique.

Abstract: An image-processing technique implements image processing including division with high calculation precision using an image processing apparatus for executing image transformation processing for an input image including: a parameter calculation unit configured to calculate a plurality of transformation parameters each represented by a fixed point number having an n-bit length; and a calculation unit configured to perform calculation for coordinate conversion processing in the image transformation processing using the plurality of transformation parameters calculated by the parameter calculation unit.

Abstract: Featured are methods and systems for reslicing-based nonrigid registration of multiparametric and modality images or objects. In such registration methods, global motion is modeled by multiple affine transforms (rigid), while local motion and slices matching is estimated using non-uniform radial reslicing of RTV to search for best match between reference volume slices and resampled target volume (RTV), orthogonally re-sliced to higher spatial resolution compared to the spatial resolution of the reference volume. The reference and target volumes can be in any plane and the method presented in this invention transfers them to target plane which can be any of axial, coronal, or sagittal and there is no need for the original and target scanning planes to be the same.

Abstract: An image expansion apparatus includes a second order differential circuit, a multi-valued processing unit, a first determination unit, a selection unit, and an interpolation processing unit. The first determination unit compares respectively a plurality of fixed patterns, which is each assigned with an interpolation direction in accordance with an outline shape of an image, with spatial dispersion of an output of the multi-valued processing unit. The first determination unit determines a fixed pattern corresponding to the output. The first determination unit determines an interpolation direction assigned to the fixed pattern as a candidate of an interpolation direction for the outline shape. The selection unit selects an interpolation direction of a plurality of candidates of the interpolation direction for the outline shape. The interpolation processing unit generates an interpolation pixel to determine the pixel for the interpolation based on the interpolation direction selected by the selection unit.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for media data customization system are provided. In one embodiment, a media data customization system includes a resource allocator that receives media data and a media data customization request and that allocates customization resources for a service of the media data customization request, a pipe repository that stores pipe filter modules, and a pipe manager that retrieves pipe filter modules stored in the pipe repository based on the media data customization request, that integrates the retrieved pipe filter modules to form a pipe group, and that applies the pipe group to the media data using the customization resources to generate customized media data.

Abstract: An index is provided that holds information about each image content item in a collection of items, For each image content item, a first information item identifying the image content item and its location on a network, and at least one of (i) a second information item identifying a signature value of an object in the image content, or (ii) identification of a recognized object in the image content.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to computer implemented methods for sharing digital image edit operations. In one aspect, a method includes storing a first digital image edit stack, which includes at least one digital image edit operation performed by a first user of a social network upon a first digital image hosted on the social network. The method further includes receiving indication of a first request for the first digital image edit stack, based upon an operation performed by a second user of the social network. The method further includes providing the digital image edit stack for the second user, in response to the received indication.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes a first layer that is transparent or semitransparent over a range of optical wavelengths; a modulation layer made from nanoparticles embedded in a matrix; a first electrode and a second electrode that create an electrical field that passes through the modulation layer. A method for forming a nanoparticle modulator includes obtaining and preparing a substrate; forming sub-layers on the substrate; forming a nanoparticle modulator layer, where the nanoparticle modulator layer is an electrical insulator and has a thickness of less than the wavelength of light the nanoparticle QCSE modulator is designed to modulate.