Abstract: A system and related method for synthesizing natural color ground or landcover imagery for a predetermined project area, includes the steps of inputting a high-resolution natural color sample of a sample area contained within the project area. Next, a multispectral image of the sample area, where the multispectral image has a plurality of feature types, is also input. This generates a color palette for each of the plurality of feature types. The color palettes are applied to a multispectral image of the project area to generate a low-resolution natural color image which is then combined with a high resolution panchromatic image of the project area to generate a high-resolution natural color image of the project area.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for combining independent scene layers to form computer generated environments. The method includes the operation of constructing a terrain layer using stored terrain data. Another operation is generating a feature layer using feature layer data that is stored separately from the stored terrain data. The feature layer and the terrain layer can then be combined to form a composite scene.

Abstract: A method of polygonizing an object calculates indicators that points within a set (Q) of points within three space representing the object likely lie near a surface discontinuity of the object. A global mesh is formed around a point that likely does not lie near a surface discontinuity (i.e. a reliable point). Local meshes are formed about reliable points on the frontier of this global mesh. Each local mesh is combined with the global mesh, thereby adding to the global mesh and advancing the frontier. Once a local mesh has been formed about each reliable point on the frontier and added to the global mesh, a local mesh may be formed about a point on the frontier that is more likely to lie near a surface discontinuity. The formation of local meshes can be repeated until no frontiers are left, or until all points have been added to the global mesh.

Abstract: A method of compositing a plurality of ordered image layers which include a group of consecutive layers. The group has a shape effect and a composition effect. Any image layers under the group are composited to generate a first intermediate image. A first subset of the plurality of image layers is composited to generate a second intermediate image, the first intermediate image is composited with the second intermediate image according to the composition effect to generate a third intermediate image, and the third intermediate image is composited with a second subset of the plurality of image layer to generate a fourth intermediate image. The first intermediate image is cross-faded with the fourth intermediate image according to the shape effect to generate a fifth intermediate image. The fifth intermediate image is composited with any remaining image layers to generate a final image.

Abstract: A virtual makeover system and method are disclosed which allows users to apply beauty products to a personal photographic image, thereby creating a digitally enhanced image. The system includes a product catalog, a palette database, and an image database, all of which may be accessed by a user via a communications network or stored on the hard drive of a user's computer. Users can upload digital photographs of themselves or others, or can retrieve an image from the image database, and outline various features in the photograph. The user may apply selected beauty products available in the product catalog to the various features.

Abstract: A telestrator system is disclosed that allows a broadcaster to annotate video during or after an event. For example, while televising a sporting event, an announcer (or other user) can use the present invention to draw over the video of the event to highlight one or more actions, features, etc. In one embodiment, when the announcer draws over the video, it appears that the announcer is drawing on the field or location of the event. Such an appearance can be performed by mapping the pixels location from the user's drawing to three dimensional locations at the event. Other embodiments include drawing on the video without obscuring persons and/or other specified objects, and/or smoothing the drawings in real time.

Abstract: A method of displaying a window on a screen is described, in which the window has a background through which underlying objects are visible. Also described are methods of managing windows when drawing takes place in a window which lies under such a window.

Abstract: A CCD camera takes rearview images of a vehicle so as to input them into a superposing image displaying device, and a vehicle index database stores a vehicle index indicating a vehicles's protruding region such as a spare tire for displaying the protruding region over a rear end of a rear reference position such as a bumper of the vehicle in the rearview image. A superposed image displaying device superposes the vehicle index stored in the vehicle index database and the rearview image taken by the CCD camera so as to provide a monitoring device. Thus, a rearview monitoring apparatus for a vehicle for displaying the rearview image of the vehicle and information of the protruding region for occupants in the vehicle can be provided.

Abstract: A display method can achieve both a substantially high definition image display and high speed dynamic image display. The image displaying method of an image displaying apparatus having a display portion consisting of a plurality of pixels takes each of a predetermined number of pixels as one block unit and forms one screen image for display by combining a region for displaying the same information on a plurality of pixels in one block unit during one scanning period and a region for permitting display of respectively different information on the plurality of pixels in the one block unit.

Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool that allows a developer to animate the execution of compiled source code as a diagram. The developer may choose to stepwise animate one line of source code at a time. The developer may alternatively indicate at which line of source code the animation should end. In a further embodiment, the software development tool may end the animation when it detects an error.

Abstract: A digital video stream is digitally scaled to properly display on a device having a horizontal to vertical aspect ratio different than the source aspect ratio leaving a blank area on the device. Graphic data is digitally scaled separately to extend partially or completely into and therefore use the blank area. A compositing blender digitally combines the two prior to a display encoder which produces analog signals for driving the display device.

Abstract: A virtual environment for user interaction, and virtual objects for use therein, the virtual objects having an internal co-ordinate system with natural language definition to allow simplified inter-object relationships. The internal co-ordinate system is used to define docking positions for connecting to other objects to allow logical or natural positional relationships. A dynamically defined menu system allows pop-up menus for simple user entry of required relationships.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an image generating system and program which can generate such an image as in the real world with reduced processing load. The alpha-value for each pixel in the original image is set to a value corresponding to its Z-value. The set alpha-value is used to perform alpha-blending between the original image and a defocused image. As the difference between the Z-value of the focus and the depth value increases, the synthesis ratio of the defocused image is increased. The range of depth of field and defocusing effect are controlled by varying the corresponding relationship between the Z-value and the alpha-value. The alpha-value is set such that the alpha-value for an pixel located in an area AR1 between Z1 and Z2 will be set to ?1, the alpha-value for an pixel located in an area AR2 between Z2 and Z3 will be set to ?2 and so forth. The alpha-value is set by updating the alpha-value of a pixel located farther from an object when the object is drawn in a frame buffer.

Abstract: A method and device for viewing, archiving and transmitting a garment model over a computer network. The method comprises photographing a physical mannequin from several different directions, the mannequin being a copy of a virtual human model which is representative of the target consumer. The virtual mannequin viewing layers and the garment model are generated from digital images of the naked or clothed mannequin which is suspended from the photography stand. A laser beam is used to determine the exact position of the mannequin. Subsequently, crop marks and recorded reference lines can be used to merge the viewing layers and the model precisely. The data are archived in a base and transmitted over an intranet, an extranet or the Internet for the purpose of remote viewing. The method and device are particularly suitable for the design, manufacture and inspection of clothing samples in the clothing industry.

Abstract: A method and system for spatially compositing digital video images with a tile pattern library. Spatial compositing uses a graphics pipeline to render a portion (tile) of each overall frame of digital video images. This reduces the amount of data that each processor must act on and increases the rate at which an overall frame is rendered. Optimization of spatial compositing depends on balancing the processing load among the different pipelines. The processing load typically is a direct function of the size of a given tile and an inverse function of the rendering complexity for objects within this tile. Load balancing strives to measure these variables and adjust, from frame to frame, the number, sizes, and positions of the tiles. The cost of this approach is the necessity to communicate, in conjunction with each frame, the number, sizes, and positions of the tiles.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus and method for combining three or more texture maps 200–208 together to generate a single, combined texture map 220. The texture maps are repeatedly combined together in pairs, with each pair generating a larger texture map for subsequent combination with another texture map, until only one texture map remains containing all of the original texture maps.

Abstract: Techniques and systems that provide interactions between a 3D representation of a selected pair of glasses and a fully-textured 3D face model are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an interactive platform is displayed to allow a user to select a pair of glasses and try the selected glasses on a user-provided 3D face model. The interactions provided in the platform include spatial adjustments of the glasses around the face model, various perspective views of the 3D face with the glasses on and other cosmetic alternations to the selected glasses. According to one application, when the user finishes the try-on process, the information about the glasses can be transmitted to a business that can subsequently produce a pair of customized glasses for the user.

Abstract: To provide an integrated information processing unit that is capable of producing images and sounds of high quality. It includes a control unit, information processing units, and a merge unit. Each of the information processing units includes a counter for synchronization purpose. The information processing units performs a predetermined processing based on the measured value obtained by the counter for synchronization purpose. The control unit simultaneously provides a trigger of measurement of synchronization clocks to all counters for synchronization purpose and individually provides a reset signal to the counters for synchronization purpose which the reset signal is for initializing the measured value obtained by the counters for synchronization purpose. The merge unit merges information processed by the information processing units according to the unit of output (in frame) of, for example, a display device.

Abstract: The steps of obtaining three-dimensional shape data representing a three-dimensional shape model, designating a portion required to be corrected of the three-dimensional shape model, displaying a surface to be joined to the designated portion, modifying a shape of the surface corresponding to a change of a designated parameter of the surface, and re-displaying the modified surface are provided. Filling of a lack portion of a part of the tree-dimensional shape model is achieved by an easy input operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus thereof for generating a computer graphics image using quadrangle-shaped primitives formed by combining connected triangle-shaped primitives. In a computer graphics rendering process, a first triangle-shaped primitive and a second triangle-shaped primitive that are connected (that is, they share vertices and a side) are optionally combined to form a quadrangle-shaped primitive. When the first and second triangle-shaped primitives are combined, the resultant quadrangle-shaped primitive is forwarded to a quad-based rasterization process (e.g., a rasterizer or rasterizer subsystem). Otherwise, the first triangle-shaped primitive is forwarded to the rasterization process. The second triangle-shaped primitive may also be forwarded to the rasterization process separate from the first, or it may be used to form a quadrangle in combination with another triangle primitive connected to it.

Abstract: A background (sky box) in a video game or other virtual reality environment dynamically changes as a function of a parameter, producing a more realistic display. Luminance-only texture and color texture data are employed to create the background. The color texture data are provided as a lookup table in which one axis of the lookup table corresponds to time or another variable, and the other axis indicates the colors of pixels in the display as a function of the altitude or azimuth of the pixels. The luminance-only texture data are thus modulated by the chrominance values from the color texture data for pixels in the background. Optionally, one of a plurality of two-dimensional color textures can be selected as a function of the variable and applied to the luminance-only texture data.

Abstract: A method of supporting all raster-based image manipulations described in vector-based terms. The present invention has the benefits of providing clean transformation that vector-based manipulations yields, and providing a broad selection of all image transformation operations that raster-based manipulations yield. In one aspect of the invention a vector-defined shape is drawn on top of a raster-based image by replacing the contents of the vector image with the bits from the raster image. In another aspect of the present invention, a copy of the portion of the raster image that overlaps with the vector-defined portion is made, the transformation operation is performed on the copy, and then the portion of the raster image is replaced with the transformed copy.

Abstract: A live video feed is seamlessly inserted into a static background image while maintaining the proper positioning and scaling of the combined image. The current frame of the live video feed is first texturized onto a surface. The surface is a set of points that are translated to the location, e.g., latitude/longitude coordinates, of the live video source. A series of matrix transformations of the texturized surface coordinates is performed. First, the texturized surface is rotated to be tangential to the earth at the location of the live video source. Next, the texturized surface is rotated again to reflect the heading of the live video source. Lastly, the texturized surface is scaled to conform to the background image. The transformed live image is then inserted into the larger background image in its proper position and displayed.

Abstract: A preferred method includes the steps of receiving the active stereo video data containing the right channel pixel data and the left channel pixel data corresponding to the image to be rendered, re-sequencing the right channel pixel data and the left channel pixel data, and simultaneously outputting corresponding frames of the right channel pixel data and the left channel pixel data for displaying the image to be rendered in passive stereo. Devices also are provided.

Abstract: A method of creating an image is disclosed. The image is formed by rendering and compositing at least a plurality of graphical objects whereby each of the objects has a predetermined outline. The method comprises the following steps. Firstly, dividing a space in which the outlines are defined into a plurality of regions whereby each of the regions is defined by at least one region outline. The region outline substantially follows at least one of the predetermined outlines or parts thereof and is substantially formed by segments of a virtual grid encompassing the space. Secondly, manipulating the regions to determine a plurality of further regions whereby each of the further regions has a corresponding compositing expression. Fourthly, classifying the further regions according to at least one attribute of the graphical objects within the further regions.

Abstract: In order to improve expressiveness of a template, the template is generated by using editing descriptions comprising valid area information for generating a composite image by using the template, an image layout command for specifying an image to be laid out in the valid area, and an image processing command for specifying the content of image processing to be carried out on the composite image and for specifying an area in which the processing is carried out. A composite-image generating apparatus generates the composite image based on the editing descriptions of the template.

Abstract: An interactive karaoke system includes a microphone developing an audio input from at least one karaoke performer; a camera producing a series of video frames including the at least one karaoke performer; and a karaoke processor system including a video environment and a related audio environment for the karaoke performer. The karaoke processor system is coupled to the camera to create extracted images of the at least one karaoke performer from the series of video frames and to composite the extracted images with a background derived from the video environment. The video environment is affected by at least one of a position and a movement of the at least one karaoke performer. A karaoke network includes a local area network, a local karaoke server coupled to the local area network and storing local karaoke content; and a number of karaoke systems coupled to the local area network, each of which can request karaoke content from the local karaoke server.

Abstract: In an apparatus for composing image data of a main picture and image data of a sub-picture by a chroma key process, an attribute of an image contained in the sub-picture is detected, a partial area of the sub-picture is set as a chroma key mask area in accordance with the attribute detection result, and composing the image data of the main picture and the image data of the sub-picture by executing the chroma key process for an area other than the chroma key mask area without executing the chroma key process for the chroma key mask area in the sub-picture.

Abstract: The electrical scan which applies data for one of the red, green and blue colors of a liquid crystal display (LCD) to the pixels of each row of the display and the optical scan of the panel with the color stripe of that color are synchronized to ensure sufficient time for the switching of the pixel from one color value to another. Synchronizing the electrical and optical scans creates a better color rendition of the displayed image without any inter-color mixing artifacts. Arrays or groups of photosensors are positioned laterally adjacent the active portion of the panel and each array is covered by a filter which passes light of only one of the three colors (red, green and blue) used in the display.

Abstract: A method, system and program product to verify a data preparation employed on a plurality of design layers that make up an article. An instruction algorithm representative of the data preparation is restated in terms of fundamental algorithms having corresponding graphical representations. The graphical representations can be combined to form a combination graphical representation that is used to determine whether the data preparation is correct. The invention can be used to verify correct data preparation of highly complex articles.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for processing a computer graphics illustration, the computer graphics illustration having overlapping objects. At least a region of the computer graphics illustration is broken up into tiles, without regard to the overlapping objects. The objects in each tile are processed to create vector output representing the tiled region of the computer graphics illustration. In one implementation, the boundaries of the tiles overlap. In an alternative implementation, the tiles are adjacent. In the latter implementation, information is obtained about physical pixel boundaries in an output device space, and each tile includes only pixels of the output device space that are wholly within the tile.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for mosaicing multiple input images, captured by one or more remote sensors, into a seamless mosaic of an area of interest. Each set of input images captured by the remote sensors within a capture interval are ortho-rectified and mosaiced together into a composite image. Successive composite images, along a given flight path, are then mosaiced together to form a strip. Adjacent strips are then mosaiced together to form a final image of the area of interest.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an image generating system and program which can generate such an image as in the real world with reduced processing load. The alpha-value for each pixel in the original image is set to a value corresponding to its Z-value. The set alpha-value is used to perform alpha-blending between the original image and a defocused image. As the difference between the Z-value of the focus and the depth value increases, the synthesis ratio of the defocused image is increased. The range of depth of field and defocusing effect are controlled by varying the corresponding relationship between the Z-value and the alpha-value. The alpha-value is set such that the alpha-value for an pixel located in an area AR1 between Z1 and Z2 will be set to ?1, the alpha-value for an pixel located in an area AR2 between Z2 and Z3 will be set to ?2 and so forth. The alpha-value is set by updating the alpha-value of a pixel located farther from an object when the object is drawn in a frame buffer.

Abstract: A method of comparing two rectangles of a circuit design structure for overlap is provided. The two rectangles being compared are modified conceptually in such a way as to reduce the amount of computation necessary to determine if the two rectangles overlap. In one embodiment, a first rectangle is reduced in both x- and y-directions to a single point residing in the center of that rectangle, while the size of the second rectangle is expanded in both x- and y-directions by the same amount, resulting in an enlarged rectangle. A determination of whether the single point resides within the enlarged rectangle thus indicates if the two original rectangles overlap. Similarly, in another embodiment, a first rectangle is reduced in the x-direction only, resulting in a y-directed line segment, while a second rectangle is reduced in the y-direction, resulting in an x-directed line segment.

Abstract: Digital circuitry for imparting halftone to that portion of a video image over which an on-screen-display (OSD) window is superimposed.

Abstract: To draw fine facial expressions in the portrait by using portrait parts stored in a memory.

Abstract: A system and method for generating and utilizing a computer model of the craniofacial features of a patient is claimed. To create the computer model, three-dimentional data regarding the patient's facial features, dental features and skeletal features is collected. Data regarding facial features is acquired using laser scanning and digital photograph. Data regarding dental features are acquired by physically modeling the teeth and laser scanning the models. Lastly, data regarding the skeletal features is obtained from radiographs. The data are combined into a single computer model that can be manipulated and viewed in the three-dimensions. The model also has the ability to be animated between the current modeled craniofacial features and theoretical craniofacial features.

Abstract: Featured is a device for generating a 3-D model of a target object detects size, position, and direction of the target object in an input image. The device calculates the position of each vertex of a 3-D rough geometric model projected onto a 2-D plane in the detected size, position, and direction, as well as onto a 2-D plane in a predetermined size, position, and direction. The device also modifies the input image based on a correspondence relationship between the position of each vertex of the 3-D rough geometric model calculated by the first calculation means and the position of each vertex of the 3-D rough geometric model calculated by the second calculation means to generate a texture images and maps the texture image to the 3-D rough geometric model.

Abstract: A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, and graphics input. The chip includes a single polyphase filter that preferably provides both anti-flutter filtering and scaling of graphics. Anti-flutter filtering may help reduce display flicker due to the interlaced nature of television displays. The scaling of graphics may be used to convert the normally square pixel aspect ratio of graphics to the normally rectangular pixel aspect ratio of video.

Abstract: A method generates a detail directed hierarchical representation of orientations of a surface of a graphics model. The surface of the graphics model is partitioned into surface cells, each surface cell enclosing a portion of the surface. The surface cells are stored in a hierarchical data structure having levels, wherein the number of levels for a particular portion of the surface is determined by surface detail of the particular portion. A visibility element of the enclosed portion of the surface is determined for each surface cell, the visibility element specifying an axis and a spread defining a range of normal values of the enclosed portion of the surface. The visibility element is stored with the associated surface cell. The surface detail of the particular portion can be determined by a degree of curvature and shading parameters of the surface of the particular portion.

Abstract: A display engine of a video and graphics system includes one or more processing elements and receives graphics from a memory. The graphics data define multiple graphics layers, and the processing elements process two or more graphics layers in parallel to generate blended graphics. Alpha values may be used while blending graphics. The processing elements may be integrated on an integrated circuit chip with an input for receiving the graphics data and other video and graphics components. The display engine may also include a graphics controller for receiving two or more graphics layers in parallel, for arranging the graphics layers in an order suitable for parallel processing, and for providing the arranged graphics layers to the processing elements. The blended graphics may be blended with HDTV video or SDTV video, which may be extracted from compressed data streams such as an MPEG Transport stream.

Abstract: An image processing application employs the concept of integral pre-multiplied alpha channel, and combines the techniques of multi-resolution representation, graph-structured representation, and automatic and intelligent data type conversion in order to permit a computer user to mix and manipulate both raster and vector based images in a single user interface while remaining unaware of the different data types underlying the images.

Abstract: A method for displaying a substantially realistic image of an object for a plurality of viewers located in different positions includes defining a particular position in a room for each viewer and generating, based on the position, an image of the object representing the perspective view of the particular viewer.

Abstract: To provide a more flexible and higher level visualization technique for combining a plurality of analysis methods and visual representations, a view composition system, for combining a plurality of visual representations, includes a view manager for managing as a view a set of data for individual visual representation, a view retriever for retrieving from a plurality of views those views that can be combined, and a view composer for combining the views obtained by the view retriever. Optionally, a view displayer, displays the view produced by the view composer. The view composition system can combine a plurality of views using the superimposition of views and neighboring dimensions that have compatible domains.

Abstract: In an apparatus for composing image data of a main picture and image data of a sub-picture by a chroma key process, an attribute of an image contained in the sub-picture is detected, a partial area of the sub-picture is set as a chroma key mask area in accordance with the attribute detection result, and composing the image data of the main picture and the image data of the sub-picturee by executing the chroma key process for an area other than the chroma key mask area without executing the chroma key process for the chroma key mask area in the sub-picture.

Abstract: A Graphical User Interface or “GUI” for use with a computer operating systems that operates dynamically according to the user's preferences. Each element of the GUI is surrounded by a dynamic edge which allows the user to combine two or more elements together to create a visually coherent unit in real time. Users can merge or fuse together two or more edges together thus creating a combined group that has aspects and qualities from the constituent elements. Particular colors and color combinations can be created by the user along with the user selected shapes and sizes of individual elements selected from a library of element shapes and sizes. The grouped elements can then be separated back to the individual elements for use in different applications or other groupings as later desired by the user.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system-and method for accurately displaying superimposed images on a display screen of a computer. The method includes storing a base image having a first feature and a second feature in a storage device of a computer. Data is received which is indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first feature and the second feature. The base image is scaled to have a predefined dimension between the first feature and the second feature when displayed. An accessory image is scaled based upon at least a ratio between the predefined dimension and the full-scale dimension. The scaled accessory image is superimposed onto the scaled base image and displayed to a system user.

Abstract: A method of acquiring a graphic prescription from an operator of an imaging device comprises displaying a first two-dimensional view of a first localizer image and a second two-dimensional view of a second localizer image, and displaying a three-dimensional view of the first and second localizer images. The first and second two-dimensional views of the first and second localizer images are displayed in first and second viewing regions of a graphic prescription interface. The three-dimensional view shows the first and second localizer images relative to each other in overlapping fashion in a common viewing region of the graphic prescription interface. The method also allows a previous prescription to be displayed as a cross reference, and allows a prescription to fallback to any localizer image in a sequence of localizer images.

Abstract: A method of PROTO implementation in MPEG-4 is provided, including the steps of: defining a PROTO object class, instantiating a PROTO object, calling the PROTO object into an MPEG-4 scene graph, and rendering the PROTO object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a hair colour consultation or a hair colour simulation. According to the inventive method, a selection of a person's (11) desired hair colours (36) is represented on a display screen (14,15) or a touch screen (22,23), by means of a video camera (12), a computer (13) and at least one display screen or touch screen. Actual individual images (21) of the person (11) are continuously recorded by means of the video camera (12) and are transmitted into the computer (13) in real time, in a continuous image sequence. Automatic image editing and image processing is carried out for each individual image (21) by means of a device (31) wherein the computer identifies (13) the person's (11) hair region (32), changes the hair colour (33) of said hair region (32) according to pre-determined specifications, and the modified individual images (21) are represented in real time again on at least one display screen (14, 15) and/or touch screen (22,23).