Abstract: A computer-implemented method for initiating online collections that includes determining a current status of an account held by an account holder, determining a real-time financial profile of the account holder using information on the banking institution computer systems and third party information providers and displaying a customized status message based on the account holder's financial profile. The method provides remediation options to the account holder.

Abstract: Methods and systems for modifying resources equipped to manage loss events and processing associated therewith based on an analysis of real-time data. An insurance provider can maintain historical data that indicates resources usage data for managing previously-occurring loss events. The insurance provider can receive real-time first-party and third-party loss event data from a variety of sources, the loss event data being associated with a recent or forecasted loss event. The insurance provider can compare the received loss event data to the historical data to determine that resources configured to manage insurance claim processing resulting from the loss event may need to be modified. In embodiments, the resources may be hardware or software resources, a workforce, physical goods or supplies, or other resources. The insurance provider can facilitate the appropriate resource modification by interfacing with various components and entities.

Abstract: A system and method to manage, report and collect property tax information and data in real time, which may provide a means to transmit and communicate information from a plurality of tax information sources to a plurality of tax information targets.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of inferring attribute labels for a user in a social networking system based on the user's social connections and user-specified attribute labels in the social networking system. The method can include: establishing variational equations based on attribute labels of nodes in an ego network in a social graph of a social networking system; determining likelihood scores for at least a portion of the attribute labels of neighboring nodes from a focal user node in the ego network based on user-specified attribute labels from the social networking system; and calculating probability distributions of possible attribute labels for the focal user node of the ego network based on the variational equations and the likelihood scores.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a powder of polyamide PA (homopolyamide or copolyamide) derived at least partially from renewable materials, in which the particles have a nonspherical shape and a volume median diameter of less than or equal to 20 ?m. The present invention also relates to a process for preparing such a powder.

Abstract: In various embodiments, systems, methods, and techniques are disclosed for analyzing various entity data items including users, computing devices, and IP addresses, to detect malfeasance. The data and/or database items may be automatically analyzed to detect malfeasance, such as criminal activity to disguise the origins of illegal activities. Various money laundering indicators or rules may be applied to the entity data items to determine a likelihood that money laundering is occurring. Further, the system may determine one or more scores (and/or metascores) for each entity data item that may be indicative of a likelihood that it is involved in money laundering. Scores/metascores may be determined based on, for example, various money laundering scoring criteria and/or strategies. Account entities may be ranked based on their associated scores/metascores. Various embodiments may enable an analyst to discover various insights related to money laundering.

Abstract: A method and device for generating a set of graphical objects to be displayed by using OPC UA (Unified Architecture) specification. The method includes indicating, by using OPC UA nodes, graphical objects to be displayed, the graphical objects representing physical components of a monitored process. Further, the method includes indicating, by using OPC UA references, how an indicated graphical object should be interconnected to another indicated graphical object when displayed. Next, the respective OPC UA node is associated with a corresponding predetermined graphical object, the set of graphical objects is generated from the associations and the individual graphical objects of the set is interconnected in accordance with the indicated interconnections. Finally, the generated set of graphical objects is displayed.

Abstract: Consumer uses of mobile devices and electronic media are changing. Mobile devices include increased computational capabilities, mobile broadband access, better integrated sensors, and higher resolution screens. These enhanced features are driving increased consumption of media such as images, maps, e-books, audio, video, and games. As users become more accustomed to using mobile devices for media, opportunities arise for new digital watermarking usage models. For example, transient media, like images being displayed on screens, can be watermarked to provide a link between mobile devices, extending the reach of digital watermarking. Digital fingerprinting can also be employed. Applications based on these emerging usage models can provide richer user experiences and drive increased media consumption. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Abstract: A method for domain shading may include analyzing graphics state data, and generating all first primitives through a single-pass domain shading or generating only second primitives which are visible among the first primitives through a two-pass domain shading based on a result of the analysis.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of image processing module parts, a module arbiter part, and a DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) part. Each of the image processing module parts includes a module core for executing a predetermined image processing. The plurality of image processing module parts is connected to the module arbiter part. The module arbiter part arbitrates memory access which is given by the plurality of image processing module parts through a bus. The DMAC part is connected between the module arbiter part and the bus, and executes memory access related to the arbitration result obtained by the module arbiter part.

Abstract: Zmin and Zmax are determined for depth offset compression. Then a check determines whether Zmin is equal to Zmax. If so, only one of Zmin and Zmax is used for depth offset compression and no index mask may be used. The bits that are saved thereby may be used for other purposes, including improving precision.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reception unit, an acquisition unit, an enlarging/reducing unit, and a detector. The reception unit receives two image data to be compared. The acquisition unit acquires character sizes of characters contained in the two image data received by the reception unit. The enlarging/reducing unit enlarges or reduces the image data received by the reception unit such that the character sizes of the characters contained in the two image data acquired by the acquisition unit coincide with each other. The detector detects a difference between the two image data which have been enlarged or reduced by the enlarging/reducing unit such that the character sizes of the characters contained in the two image data coincide with each other.

Abstract: An image cropping technique includes detecting, at a computer system including one or more processors, faces within an image and evaluating, at the computer system, the faces to determine if any of the faces correspond to people within a user's online social network. The technique additionally includes defining, at the computer system, a first crop region including a subset of the faces when at least one face within the subset of the faces corresponds to a first person in the user's online social network and cropping, at the computer system, the image based on the first crop region.

Abstract: A method of determining an output frame rate includes receiving an input sequence of frames of image data at an input frame rate, performing motion vector calculations on the frames of image data to produce motion vectors and motion statistics, determining a motion level in the frames using the motion statistics, and interpolating frames of image data at the output frame rate, wherein the output frame rate is based upon the motion level.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image processing device for processing image data from a digital camera comprising an image sensor with a regular pixel arrangement and an associated color filter with a predetermined color pattern. Said image processing device is designed to carry out all image processing operations with respect to a pixel of interest using image data from a single predetermined environment comprising several pixels.

Abstract: A method, image processing apparatus, and computer readable medium for image enhancement are provided. In the method, a low-resolution image is received and upscaled to generate an upscaled image having first pixels. Edge detection is performed on the upscaled image to obtain edge information of the first pixels. Each piece of the edge information includes an edge direction and an edge intensity, and each of the edge directions includes a horizontal and vertical component having a constant summation. A non-edge region of the upscaled image is enhanced to generate a high-resolution detail image; based on unsharp masking sharpening methods, an edge region of the low-passed upscaled image is enhanced according to the horizontal and vertical components of the edge directions to generate a high-resolution edge image. Image fusion is performed on the high-resolution edge image and the high-resolution detail image according to the edge intensities to generate a super-resolution image.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for removing blemishes from a digital image by detecting pixels containing the blemishes and replacing or blending those pixels with other pixels in the image that have a relatively low probability of containing a blemish. A standard pixel mask includes a user-selected region of the image; an extended mask extends beyond the user-selected region; and a minimal output pixel mask corresponds to the user-selected region. The minimal mask increases the transparency of some regions in the standard mask while maintaining the opacity of the standard mask in the blemish areas. Colors in the extended mask are weighted and clustered, and pixels in the minimal mask are assigned varying shades of transparency as a function of the color frequency. A blemish removal algorithm is applied using the minimal mask, with semi-transparent regions receiving a blend of source and patch pixel colors according to the level of transparency.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic device for performing imaging, including a camera for creating image data (ID) from an imaging target (IT), the imaging target (IT) including at least one primary image object (I1) and at least one secondary image object (I2), an image-processing chain arranged in connection with the camera, for processing the image data created from the imaging target, and a focussing unit for focussing the camera on at least the primary image object. In addition, a blurring unit is arranged in the image-processing chain, to blur at least some of the said secondary image objects in the image data, and arranged to use the information produced by the focussing unit.

Abstract: A setting circuit sets a quantization value per input image on the basis of a noise value of the whole input image, and a quantization circuit performs quantization on first image data to generate second image data. Quantization value based on the noise value the whole input image can realize appropriate denoising depending on the noise level of the whole input image.

Abstract: Medical thermal image processing for vein or other subsurface element detection and related methods is provided. A method for thermal image processing to enhance thermal scene information includes taking an output of an infrared camera and coupling the output to a spatial high pass filter. An output of the spatial high pass filter is then applied to a scene-based noise suppression module.

Abstract: Motion de-blurring systems and methods are described herein. One motion de-blurring system includes an image sensing element, one or more motion sensors in an imaging device, a lens element that undergoes motion during a capture of an image by the sensing element, and a de-blurring element to de-blur the image captured by the sensing element via de-convolving a Point Spread Function (PSF).

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for processing digital images. An integrated grid, comprising one or more integrated values, may be generated based on processing of an image, with the generating comprising cumulatively integrating at least one value, of a cell in a bilateral grid generated based on the processed image, over the bilateral grid. A modified bilateral grid may then be generated, with generating comprising computing a sum of said at least one value over a portion of said bilateral grid, by using integrated values of said integrated grid corresponding to said portion of said bilateral grid. An output image may be generated based on the modified bilateral grid.

Abstract: A system and method includes reception of a color image comprising a plurality of color pixels, conversion of the color image to a monochromatic image comprising a plurality of monochromatic pixels, performance of M erosion operations on the monochromatic image to generate an eroded monochromatic image, where M is equal to or greater than one, performance of N dilation operations on the eroded monochromatic image to generate a mask image, where N is equal to or greater than one, identification of one or more regions of the mask image based on the mask image, and modification of regions of the color image corresponding to the identified regions of the mask image.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for enhancing an image are described herein. In some aspects, a device comprises a memory unit configured to store a left image and a right image. The left image and right image each depict a same scene from a different viewpoint. The device further comprises a coder configured to retrieve the left image and the right image from the memory unit. The coder is configured to determine a depth map based on a difference in spatial orientation between the left and right image. The device further comprises a processor coupled to the coder. The processor is configured to identify a portion of the left or right image selected by a user. The processor is further configured to determine an enhancement region surrounding the portion selected by the user based on the depth map. The processor is further configured to enhance the enhancement region.

Abstract: Automated systems, methods and tools that automatically extract and select portions of an image to automatically generate a premium finish mask specific to the image which require little or no human intervention are presented. Graphical user interface tools allowing a user to provide an image and to indicate regions of the image for application of premium finish are also presented.

Abstract: Visual task feedback for workstations in a materials handling facility may be implemented. Image data of a workstation surface may be obtained from image sensors. The image data may be evaluated with regard to the performance of an item-handling task at the workstation. The evaluation of the image data may identify items located on the workstation surface, determine a current state of the item-handling task, or recognize an agent gesture at the workstation. Based, at least in part on the evaluation, one or more visual task cues may be selected to project onto the workstation surface. The projection of the selected visual task cues onto the workstation surface may then be directed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific and multi-channel information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest (POI) formed on the wafer and a known defect of interest (DOI) occurring proximate to or in the POI. The method also includes detecting the known DOI in target candidates by identifying potential DOI locations based on images of the target candidates acquired by a first channel of an inspection system and applying one or more detection parameters to images of the potential DOI locations acquired by a second channel of the inspection system. Therefore, the image(s) used for locating potential DOI locations and the image(s) used for detecting defects can be different.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for predicting one or more characteristics of an individual, such as a human or non-human animal, by applying computational methods to image(s) of the individual to generate one or more metrics indicative of the characteristics. Embodiments determine predictors of characteristics by creating a sample library of individuals, determining facial measurements for each individual, determining relationships between facial measurements and additional library data, and selecting predictors from these relationships. Embodiments include methods for predicting characteristics of individuals not in the library. Embodiments include methods for predicting characteristics of groups using predicted characteristics of individuals. Embodiments determine suitability of a pair of individuals (from the same or different species) for a particular purpose, task, or relationship based on characteristics of individuals.

Abstract: A device includes an image data receiving component, a vegetation index generation component, a spatial structure variance generation component, a classification component and a water budget component. The image data receiving component receives multiband image data of a geographic region. The vegetation index generation component generates a vegetation index based on the received multiband image data. The spatial structure variance generation component generates a spatial structure variance image band based on the received multiband image data. The classification component generates a land cover classification based on the received multiband image data, the vegetation index and the spatial structure variance image band. The water budget component generates a water budget of a portion of the geographic region based on the land cover classification.

Abstract: Robust techniques for self-calibration of a moving camera observing a planar scene. Plane-based self-calibration techniques may take as input the homographies between images estimated from point correspondences and provide an estimate of the focal lengths of all the cameras. A plane-based self-calibration technique may be based on the enumeration of the inherently bounded space of the focal lengths. Each sample of the search space defines a plane in the 3D space and in turn produces a tentative Euclidean reconstruction of all the cameras that is then scored. The sample with the best score is chosen and the final focal lengths and camera motions are computed. Variations on this technique handle both constant focal length cases and varying focal length cases.

Abstract: A method of recognizing stairs in a 3D data image includes an image acquirer that acquires a 3D data image of a space in which stairs are located. An image processor calculates a riser height between two consecutive treads of the stairs in the 3D data image, identifies points located between the two consecutive treads according to the calculated riser height, and detects a riser located between the two consecutive treads through the points located between the two consecutive treads. Then, the image processor calculates a tread depth between two consecutive risers of the stairs in the 3D data image, identifies points located between the two consecutive risers according to the calculated tread depth, and detects a tread located between the two consecutive risers through the points located between the two consecutive risers.

Abstract: Disclosed is method of measuring the displacement between a reference region of a reference image and a sample region of a sample image. The method spatially varies the reference region using a one-dimensional filter having complex kernel values, wherein a length (radius) and direction (angle or tangent segment) of the filter is a function of position in the reference region. The method then measures a displacement between the reference region and the sample region by comparing the spatially varied reference region and the sample region.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for tracking an object using a feature descriptor and an apparatus and method for removing a garbage feature are disclosed. A feature descriptor generation unit generates a plurality of features descriptors indicating information of a plurality of features extracted from an input image from which an object of interest is desired to be detected. A matching unit matches the feature descriptors with feature descriptors of a target object stored in advance, and determines the feature descriptors of the object of interest corresponding to the target object. A feature point removal unit removes feature descriptors that do not meet a geometric comparison condition from among the feature descriptors of the object of interest, and establishes final feature descriptors of the object of interest.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to estimate a position of a part of an object in an image includes: an image receiver configured to receive the image; a reference point setter configured to set a reference point in the image; a controller configured to generate information about the reference point by repeating a process a predetermined number of times, the process comprising obtaining one piece of direction information about a probability and a direction that the reference point is to be moved to the part of the object by a classifier, and resetting the reference point by moving the reference point a predetermined distance based on the one piece of direction information; and a location estimator configured to estimate a position of the part of the object in the image by using the information about the reference point as the reference point is reset the predetermined number of times.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing a motion based on depth information are provided. The method includes: receiving event signals from a first vision sensor configured to generate at least one event signal by sensing at least a portion of an object in which a motion occurs; receiving a current frame from a second vision sensor configured to time-synchronously capture the object; synchronizing the received event signals and the received current frame; and obtaining depth information of the object based on the synchronized event signals and current frame.

Abstract: Representations of an object (110) in an image generated by an imaging apparatus (100) can comprise two or more separate sub-objects, producing a compound object (500). Compound objects can negatively affect the quality of object visualization and threat identification performance. As provided herein, a compound object (500) can be separated into sub-objects. Three-dimensional image data of a potential compound object (500) is projected into a two-dimensional manifold projection (504), and segmentation is performed on the two-dimensional manifold projection of the compound object to identify sub-objects. Once sub-objects are identified, the two-dimensional, segmented manifold projection (900) is projected into three-dimensional space (1104). A three-dimensional segmentation may then be performed to identify additional sub-objects of the compound object that were not identified by the two-dimensional segmentation.

Abstract: An image processing device has a first image input unit that inputs a visible light image of a target area imaged by a first camera, a second image input unit that inputs a temperature distribution image of the target area imaged by a second camera, a first image processing section that processes the visible light image input to the first image input unit, and detects an object imaged in the visible light image, a second image processing section that processes the temperature distribution image input to the second image input unit and detects an object imaged in the temperature distribution image, and an image region extracting unit that extracts an image region not suited for the detection of the object in the first image processing section for the visible light image of the target area input to the first image input unit.

Abstract: The detected movements of an object are analyzed. Each location record includes coordinates of a detected or assumed location of the object and time information. For a number of location records, there is calculated a location-record-specific descriptor value that becomes the more significant the more densely there are other location records around the location record for which the descriptor value is calculated. After selecting a location record that has the most significant descriptor value, those other location records are found that according to their time information are the latest and earliest in a certain environment. The analysis result is that the object stopped at the coordinates of the selected location record for a stopping time calculated from the time information of the latest and earliest location records.

Abstract: Described is a system for object tracking with integrated motion-based object detection and enhanced Kalman-type filtering. The system detects a location of a moving object in an image frame using an object detection MogS module, thereby generating an object detection. For each image frame in a sequence of image frames, the system predicts the location of the moving object in the next image frame using a Kalman filter prediction module to generate a predicted object location. The predicted object location is refined using a Kalman filter updating module, and the Kalman filter updating module is controlled by a controller module that monitors a similarity between the predicted object location and the moving object's location in a previous image frame. Finally, a set of detected moving object locations in the sequence of image frames is output.

Abstract: Image texture feature values are computed for a set of image texture features from an image of an anatomical feature of interest in a subject, and the subject is classified respective to a molecular feature of interest based on the computed image texture feature values. The image texture feature values may be computed from one or more gray level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), and the image texture features may include Haralick and/or Tamura image texture features. To train the classifier, reference image texture feature values are computed for at least the set of image texture features from images of the anatomical feature of interest in reference subjects. The reference image texture feature values are divided into different population groups representing different values of the molecular feature of interest, and the classifier is trained to distinguish between the different population groups based on the reference image texture feature values.

Abstract: The impression given by a background image is determined, wherein the background image represents the background of a location to be decorated with a picture frame into which a print has been inserted. A picture frame image that gives this impression is found. The image representing the print is corrected so as to give an impression closer to the impression that has been determined. The corrected image is combined with the found picture frame image and the resulting composite image is transmitted to a smartphone. When the composite image is checked and deemed suitable by the user, the print of the corrected image is inserted into an actual picture frame specified by the picture frame image and the picture frame with the inserted print is delivered to the user.

Abstract: A coke oven monitoring system capable of quantitatively monitoring changes in the state of the furnace walls in a coke oven with good accuracy has: an oven width measurement device (6) that measures the oven width; an in-furnace observation device (7) that photographs the oven walls; and a computer (10) that analyzes oven width data measured by the oven width measurement device, and oven wall image data captured by the in-furnace observation device.

Abstract: An image encoder includes an extreme value determiner, a floating point-to-integer converter and an encoder. The extreme value determiner determines minimal and maximal values of a floating point image value of each pixel of a part of an image, an image or a group of images. The floating point-to-integer converter maps the floating point image value of each pixel to an integer image value. The minimal floating point image value is mapped to a minimal integer image value of a predefined range of integer image values and the maximal floating point image value is mapped to a maximal integer image value of the predefined range of integer image values. The encoder encodes the integer image value of each pixel to obtain and provide encoded image data of the part of the image, the image or the group of images.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire a motion state of a real object, and a display control unit configured to display a virtual object according to the acquired motion state.

Abstract: Embodiments include techniques that use color-shifting and luminance for creation and display of spatio-temporal dithered images. In one embodiment, adjacent pixels are color-shifted with respect to each other and the color values of the adjacent pixels are temporally alternated with color values of pixels in the group. In another embodiment, the luminance of group of adjacent pixels is determined and the luminance of the group is made more homogenous, spatially and temporally, by distributing color variations over a larger number of pixels so as to reduce the luminance difference between the pixel with the least luminance and the pixel with the greatest luminance. Individual color components (e.g., red, green, blue) may also be separated and used so that the color-shifts associated with each color component may be simultaneously present in different pixels.

Abstract: There is described an image processing method in which a scene is repeatedly imaged to form a series of input images. For at least a subset of the input images, a color calibration procedure is conducted which populates a foreground color histogram with the frequency of occurrence of color values in a stencil area of the input image, and populates a background color histogram with the frequency of occurrence of color values outside of the stencil portion of the input image.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating an image-based color palette based on a color image. A color palette can be a collection of representative colors each associated with a weight or other metadata. A color palette may be generated based on palette generation criteria, which may facilitate or control a palette generation process. Illustratively, the palette generation process may include image pre-processing, color distribution generation, representative color identification, palette candidate generation and palette determination. Representative colors with associated weight can be identified from a distribution of colors depicted by the color image, multiple palette candidates corresponding to the same color image can be generated based on various palette generation criteria, and a color palette can be identified therefrom.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a mobile electronic device includes: an imaging unit for capturing a map image; a processing unit for acquiring information for a specific image corresponding to the map image based on information included in the map image captured by the imaging unit; and an image projecting unit for projecting the specific image to a projection area.

Abstract: A compressive sensing system for dynamic video acquisition. The system includes a video signal interface including a compressive imager configured to acquire compressive sensed video frame data from an object, a video processing unit including a processor and memory. The video processing unit is configured to receive the compressive sensed video frame data from the video signal interface. The memory comprises computer readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to generate a motion estimate from the compressive sensed video frame data and generate dynamical video frame data from the motion estimate and the compressive sensed video frame data. The dynamical video frame data may be output.

Abstract: Difference of resolution depending on imaging position in one reconstructed image generated in the FFS method is reduced to improve measurement accuracy. The X-ray CT device interpolates missing data of the projection data obtained by the FFS method with view direction interpolation processing using real data of the projection data lining up along the angular direction of the rotational movement, and channel direction interpolation processing using real data of the projection data lining up along the channel direction, and generates a reconstructed image, in which contribution ratios of the projection data having been subjected to the view direction interpolation processing and the projection data having been subjected to the channel direction interpolation processing differ according to position of pixel in the reconstructed image.