Abstract: A method and apparatus for localizing an area in relative movement and for determining the speed and direction thereof in real time is disclosed. Each pixel of an image is smoothed using its own time constant. A binary value corresponding to the existence of a significant variation in the amplitude of the smoothed pixel from the prior frame, and the amplitude of the variation, are determined, and the time constant for the pixel is updated. For each particular pixel, two matrices are formed that include a subset of the pixels spatially related to the particular pixel. The first matrix contains the binary values of the subset of pixels. The second matrix contains the amplitude of the variation of the subset of pixels.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has an image analyzer including a feature detector, a feature combiner, and a resolution discrimination signal generator. For each pixel in a prescribed area of an input image, the feature detector outputs a representative difference value obtained from the pixel values of pixels positioned, with reference to that pixel, at prescribed intervals. The feature combiner outputs a combined feature value obtained from the representative difference values obtained for each pixel in the described area. The resolution discrimination signal generator outputs a resolution discrimination signal obtained from the combined feature value. The resolution discrimination signal has a monotonic non-decreasing relationship to the combined feature value. The resolution discrimination signal indicates an extent to which the input image includes signal components with frequencies equal to or greater than a particular frequency determined by the prescribed intervals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and compensating for a backlight frame are provided. The method includes receiving data regarding a current frame comprising pixels that are expressed by a luminance component and one or more chrominance components; and determining whether the current frame is a backlight frame based on values of the one or more chrominance components of the pixels.

Abstract: There are provided an image processing method and an imaging device module capable of properly calculating a black level when brightness on the positive maximum value side in a brightness histogram of an optical black region are clipped to an upper limit brightness, that is, when brightness on the positive maximum value side in a brightness histogram of an optical black region exceed an upper limit brightness. An image processing method includes forming a brightness histogram of pixels in an optical black region of an imaging face of an imaging device; shifting the brightness histogram toward where a brightness pixel value is zero until a peak value of the brightness histogram becomes smaller than an upper limit of a pixel value, when the peak value is equal to or larger than the upper limit brightness of the pixel value; and calculating a black level based on a peak value which became smaller than the upper limit.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus (100) creates a toner pattern on intermediate transfer belt (11) as a preprocessing of gradation correction, and calculates a cycle at which density unevenness is largest. Then, a toner image for gradation correction is formed so as to cancel cyclic unevenness at a cycle at which the largest density unevenness occurs. As a result of this, it becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of density detection accuracy and perform a highly accurate gradation correction even if density unevenness of any cycle occurs.

Abstract: A method for correcting colors and an apparatus using the same are provided. A method for correcting colors includes generating a luminance histogram using an image signal; determining a color matrix corresponding to luminance information of the luminance histogram; and converting the image signal from a color space to another color space using the determined color matrix, and outputting a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) signal. Accordingly, the advantage of a reduction in color noise is achieved.

Abstract: One dimensional (1D) histograms, one for each row of an image, are determined simultaneously and in parallel with each other to achieve an O(1) time complexity, and are then added to determine a two dimensional (2D) histogram from which desired characteristic values such as median, minimum, and maximum can be determined exactly as opposed to merely being estimated. The characteristic value can be applied to the image to reduce noise or to achieve artistic effects in the image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing one or more images, e.g., images representing pages including text, to detect and in some instances correct the orientation of the page. In some embodiments the methods and apparatus for processing image data comprise generating a histogram of foreground pixel counts corresponding to a current line of text of the image being processed with the foreground pixel counts corresponding to different rows of pixels corresponding to the current line of text and identifying based on statistical analysis of the generated histogram whether the current page of text is oriented in an inverted or non-inverted position. In some embodiments analysis is performed on multiple lines of text with cumulative statistics being used in to determine the orientation of the page. In some embodiments, a page whose orientation is determined to be upside down is re-oriented to be right-side up.

Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, determining intrinsic component information as a function of spatio-spectral information for the image, and calculating analytical information, as a function of the intrinsic component information.

Abstract: A method adjusts an auto exposure target in an auto-exposure operation on a sequence of images, such as a sequence of infrared images. The method comprises: obtaining a histogram of at least one of the images; applying a weighted histogram table to the histogram to obtain weighted histogram bins wherein at least some bins in the histogram containing saturated pixels are assigned a higher weighting value and at least some bins in the histogram containing unsaturated pixels are assigned a lower weighting value, and summing the weighted histogram bins to obtain a saturation score and decreasing an auto exposure target for an auto exposure operation when the saturation score exceeds a first threshold value, and increasing the auto-exposure target when the saturation score is below the first threshold value and the image is underexposed.

Abstract: A process for detecting the edges of collimator blades in digital radiography images in the first pass detects the edges of the collimator blades using original image, and the in the second pass repeats edge detection using an image enhanced by a histogram matching technique, for example. The edge detection using an enhanced image may also be repeated any number of times in cases of complex anatomy or when selected radiographic techniques does do not provide sufficient imaging data. The results of the second pass, or the collection of the results of multiple second passes, are then combined with the result from the first pass to form a list of the potential blade edge candidates. A desirable number of edges are then selected from the combined list to form a polygon which encloses the target area of the image, thereby providing the shutter area.

Abstract: A tone-mapping method for adjusting a contrast of an image includes generating a luminance histogram of the image according to a luminance and a sharpness of the image; performing histogram equalization on the luminance histogram, to generate a luminance mapping function corresponding to the image; performing a weighted operation on the luminance mapping function and a linear function, to generate a weighted luminance mapping function corresponding to the image; generating a tone-mapping look-up table corresponding to the image according to the weighted luminance mapping function; and adjusting the luminance of the image according to the tone-mapping look-up table, so as to adjust the contrast of the image.

Abstract: A noise estimation apparatus for calculating a noise estimation value of a frame of an image is provided. The noise estimation apparatus includes a distribution calculation unit, a variance calculation unit, a distribution curve generation module and a noise estimation unit. The distribution calculation unit generates a pixel distribution according to multiple pixel data of an ith block of the frame and multiple previous pixel data of the ith block of a previous frame. The variance calculation unit combines the pixel data and the previous pixel data to generate a variance value. The curve distribution generation module generates a curve distribution according to the variance value, and compares the pixel distribution with the curve distribution to generate a weighting value. The noise estimation unit outputs the noise estimation value according to the weighting value and the variance value corresponding to each of the blocks of the frame.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an input unit for inputting image data, an attribute information generation unit for generating attribute information about each pixel of the image data, a block division unit for dividing the image data into a plurality of blocks of a predetermined size, a histogram generation unit for generating a histogram of colors and the number of pixels of each color existing in a focused block divided by the division unit, and a color replacement unit, if it is not determined that the area having the focused color is a significant area, for replacing a color of a pixel existing within the area having the focused color with a different color so that the color of the area having the focused color becomes the same as the color of another area contacting the area having the focused color and having the different color according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A method of enhancing an image includes: dividing the input image into multiple tiles; and constructing a respective histogram for each respective multiple tile. The method further includes: dividing each respective histogram into multiple portions, in which each portion represents a count of pixels spanning across pixel intensity value bands. The method also includes: constructing a respective cumulative distribution function (CDF) for each of the multiple portions; and transforming each of the multiple portions using the respective CDF. Each histogram may be divided, as an example, into two portions.

Abstract: Nuclear image data generated by a multimodal imaging device, such as a combined position emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (12, 14), is attenuation-corrected with a combined patient-specific attenuation correction (AC) map and an AC map template (70) for an MR coil (72) that is present in both the nuclear and MR scanning procedures. A template library (46) contains templates for each of a plurality of MR coils and other accessories. Each template is generated on one of two manners. The coil may be imaged inside the PET scanner 14 with the transmission source 16 (e.g., Ge-68 or Cs-137). A transmission image 48 is reconstructed using the known algorithms and may be used as the AC template directly. Alternatively, the template can be generated by creating a global histogram of the transmission image and identifying segments of the coil or other accessory. An average linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) value is determined from the distribution of the histogram.

Abstract: A method of enhancing an image. This includes the steps of: dividing the image into multiple tiles and constructing a histogram for each tile, wherein the histogram represents a distribution of pixel intensity values in each tile. In addition, the method applies a bias value to the histogram and a plateau value to the histogram. A cumulative histogram is constructed after applying the bias value and the plateau value to the histogram. The method transforms each pixel in the image, by weighing four cumulative histograms, respectively, in four adjacent and closest tiles to the pixel under consideration. The pixel under consideration is modified based on a weighted cumulative histogram.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus which can suppress degradation of an image quality in a recording material save mode processing and obtain an effect of consumption amount reduction of recording material desired by a user at low costs. A recording material consumption amount at the time of applying first color conversion processing unit is predicted corresponding to inputted image data. The setting of a second color conversion processing is changed from a prediction value and a target value of the recording material consumption amount.

Abstract: There is provided a video processing apparatus comprising a motion vector detection unit for detecting data on the motions of objects by using at least two frames, an interpolation frame generation unit for generating interpolation frames in the horizontal/vertical and temporal directions in accordance with the motion vectors obtained by the motion vector detection unit, and an image feature detection unit for detecting the features of motions extended over the at least two frames, wherein the procedures, performed by the image feature detection unit, of generating interpolation frames in the horizontal/vertical and temporal directions are switched over in accordance with the features of motions.

Abstract: An image processing device separates an original image signal into a plurality of components including a first component serving as a skeleton component and a second component obtained after the first component is separated from the original image signal, obtains a signal level of the first component or the original image signal, sets a tone conversion coefficient to be applied during tone conversion based on the signal level of the first component or the original image signal, performs tone conversion processing on the first component using the tone conversion coefficient, obtains the signal level of the first component, sets a noise reduction processing parameter on the basis of the signal level of the first component, and reduces a noise of the second component using the noise reduction processing parameter and the tone conversion coefficient.

Abstract: A multidimensional histogram is used to characterize an image (or object), and is used to identify candidate matches with one or more reference images (or objects). An exemplary implementation employs hue information for two of the dimensions, and a second derivative function based on luminance for a third dimension. The simplicity and speed of the detailed arrangements make them well suited for use with cell phones and other mobile devices, which can use the technology for image/object recognition, e.g., in visual search applications.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing bilateral filtering operation, by segmenting an image based on predetermined ranges of colors, and reiteratively blurring the image based on each color. In one aspect, colors associated with pixels that are located in such compartment are substantially similar. A blurring procedure(s) can subsequently be applied to each compartment, wherein pixels on the image that have more color similarity to a color of the compartment are weighted more, as compared to pixels that have less color similarity to the color of such compartment.

Abstract: A highly accurate reproduction of visual intensity and contrast rather than the conventional 8-bit color depth is more and more used, motivating the development of an enhanced dynamic range called high bit-depth. A method for encoding a first, low bit-depth image of M bit RGB pixels and a second, high bit-depth video image of N bit RGB pixels, M<N, both having same spatial resolution, comprises generating a first transfer function based on color histograms of the first and the second video image, generating a second transfer function based on the first transfer function, applying the second transfer function to the first video image, wherein a transformed first video image is generated, calculating and encoding the residual, encoding the first video image and transmitting the encoded first video image, the second transfer function and the encoded difference.

Abstract: A method of measuring a step height of a device using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the method may include providing a device which comprises a first region and a second region, wherein a step is formed between the first region and the second region, obtaining a SEM image of the device by photographing the device using a SEM, wherein the SEM image comprises a first SEM image region for the first region and a second SEM image region for the second region, converting the SEM image into a gray-level histogram and calculating a first peak value related to the first SEM image region and a second peak value related to the second SEM image region, wherein the first peak value and the second peak value are repeatedly calculated by varying a focal length of the SEM, and determining a height of the step by analyzing a trend of changes in the first peak value according to changes in the focal length and a trend of changes in the second peak value according to the changes in the focal length.

Abstract: The present invention generates a color template design to format a presentation. According to one aspect, a plurality of template designs are provided on a visual display. A selection of one of the plurality of template designs is received from a user. A plurality of source images that are separate from the plurality of template designs are provided on the visual display. A selection of a color from one of the plurality of source images is received from the user. Colors of the selected template design are automatically adjusted to match the selected the color from the source image. The selected template design may include framing, mat, background, and foreground portions, at least one of which is adjusted. After automatically adjusting the colors, the selected template design may be displayed and/or stored for use as a template.

Abstract: A technique is provided for enhancing the background of an original document image. In the case of a black-and-white image, the background color of the original document image is detected, the desired enhanced background color of the original document image is determined from a background pixel value Pb that is in the center of the background color range, and the original document image is enhanced to the desired enhanced background color. However, if the background of the original document image is in color, the technique further includes obtaining color image histograms of red, blue and green colors of the original document image, smoothing the histograms, and comparing the histograms to determine if they have the same shape.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for processing a digital image signal, and a recording medium having recorded thereon the method, in which an image including a subject is generated, a subject region is formed by detecting the subject from the image, the subject region is divided into at least two regions, histograms for the at least two regions are generated, respectively, and it is determined whether a light direction is side lighting by analyzing the histograms for the at least two regions.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus and method obtains an original image, converts the original image into gray level to determine a gray level distribution of the original image, and defines a fuzzy region and a flat region and a fuzzy region according to the gray level distribution and a binary threshold. The electronic apparatus and method compares the pixel gray values in the fuzzy region with pixel gray values in the flat region to re-define the pixel gray values in the fuzzy region according to the comparison and a formula, and binarizes the original image to output an binarized image.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus to enhance the image contrast of a digital image device, while simultaneously compensating for image intensity inhomogeneity, regardless of the source, correcting intensity inhomogeneities, and producing a more uniform image appearance. Also, the image is enhanced through increased contrast, e.g., tissue contrast in a medical image. In the method, the error between the histogram of the spatially-weighted original image and a specified histogram is minimized. The specified histogram may be selected to increase contrast for accentuation, e.g., on localized regions of interest. The weighting is preferably achieved by two-dimensional interpolation of a sparse grid of control points overlaying the image. A sparse grid is used rather than a dense one to compensate for slowly-varying image non-uniformity.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for detecting objects in images using color histograms are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises segmenting an image into sets of subregions, different sets having at least one of different subregion sizes or different subregion offsets relative to one another, determining a first comparison metric quantifying comparison of a first subregion with the object based on differences between bin values of a second color histogram corresponding to the object and adjusted bin values of a first color histogram corresponding to the first subregion, determining a second comparison metric quantifying comparison of a second subregion with the object, and comparing the first and second comparison metrics with a threshold to identify at least one of the subregions as being associated with a possible location of the object in the image.

Abstract: A system and method includes reception of a first image data value of a digital image, determination of a first index based on the first image data value, determination of a value stored in a first array of a first shared memory at the first index, and determination of whether the value stored in the first array of the first shared memory at the first index is equal to the first image data value. If the value stored in the first array of the first shared memory at the first index is equal to the first image data value, 1 is added to a count value stored in a second array of the first shared memory at the first index. If the value stored in the first array of the first shared memory at the first index is not equal to the first image data value a count value stored in a second shared memory in association with the first image data value is updated.

Abstract: Methods of collapsing volume data to a lower dimensional representation of the volume data are provided. The methods include collapsing volume data to a lower dimensional representation of the volume data using histogram projection. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: An image processing device (100) includes: a luminance distribution information preparation section (110) for preparing a luminance histogram in which each luminance range serves as a class, by counting the number of pixels belonging to each luminance range; a weight correction section (120) for generating, for each luminance range, a weighting value which is proportional to a corresponding class value; and an image processing section (140) for correcting a luminance value of each pixel so that a difference between a maximum luminance value and a minimum luminance value in the luminance range is determined by an increasing function with respect to both (i) a frequency of the luminance range and (ii) a weighting value of the luminance range.

Abstract: Processes such as image matching can be improved by utilizing a Polar Accumulated Signed Gradient (PASG), a feature descriptor vector that utilizes polar coordinates. Such an approach is efficient because it avoids the costly image rotation and resampling of conventional processes. Further, the gradients can be sampled over different regions in order to achieve effective weighting without analyzing all gradients and applying a weighting factor. Such efficiencies enable image matching to be performed on devices with limited computing capacity, such as smart phones and tablet computers.

Abstract: A method for toning mapping high dynamic range (HDR) video for display in low dynamic range display comprises accessing the HDR video; producing a luminance information for the individual frames; partitioning different consecutive groups of frames into segments responsive to the luminance information; classifying the segments into static luminance segments and transient luminance segments; producing a tone mapping parameter set for the static luminance segments; producing a tone mapping parameter set for at least one of the transient luminance segments responsive to the tone mapping parameter set of an adjacent static luminance segment; and tone mapping the static luminance segments and transient luminance segments according to the respective tone mapping parameter sets.

Abstract: A method of removing fog from the images/videos independent of the density or amount of the fog and free of user intervention and a system for carrying out such method of fog removal from images/videos are disclosed. The removal of fog from images and video involve airlight estimation and airlight map refinement based restoration of foggy images and videos. Advantageously, removal of fog from images and videos of this invention would require less execution time and yet achieve high perceptual image quality with reduced noise and enhanced contrast. The proposed method is adapted for RGB Colour model and advantageously also for HSI colour model involving reduced computational requirements and be user friendly and supposed to have wide application and use.

Abstract: A method for determining an estimated clutter level of an input digital image based on an inequality index. The inequality index is determined by partitioning the input digital image into small sub-images and analyzing the sub-images to determine a set of image features. The image features are associated with a set of designated reference features, and the inequality index is determined based on the statistical variation of the reference features. The inequality index is compared to a predefined threshold to classify the input digital image as a rich-content image or a low-content image. For rich-content images, the estimated clutter level is determined responsive to a set of scene content features relating to spatial structures or semantic content of the input digital image is determined by analyzing the input digital image. For low-content images, the estimated clutter level is determined responsive to an overall luminance level.

Abstract: The adaptive contrast enhancer uses an adaptive histogram equalization-based approach to improve contrast in a video signal. For each video frame, the histogram of the pixel luminance values is calculated. The calculated histogram is divided into three regions that are equalized independently of the other. The equalized values are averaged with the original pixel values with a weighting factor that depends on the shape of the histogram. The weighting factors can be also chosen differently for the three regions to enhance the darker regions more than the brighter ones. The statistics calculated from one frame are used to enhance the next frame such that frame buffers are not required. Many of the calculations are done in the inactive time between two frames.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for identifying lawn grass which includes capturing an image of the terrain in front of a mower, segmenting the image into neighborhoods, calculating at least two image statistics for each of the neighborhoods, generating a binary representation of each image statistic. The binary representation of each image statistic is generated by comparing the calculated image statistic values to predetermined image statistic values for grass. The method further includes weighting each of the binary representations of each image statistic, and summing corresponding neighborhoods for all image statistics. A binary threshold is applied to each of the summed neighborhoods to generate a binary map representing grass containing areas and non-grass containing areas.

Abstract: Provided are an image brightness control device and an image brightness control method for improving the definition of brightness of the entire image and/or improving the definition of brightness of local areas using local brightness information. The image brightness controlling device includes: a preprocessing unit acquiring an offset table for controlling a dynamic range corresponding to an image range of an input image using brightness values of color data of the input image; and a tone mapping unit mapping the offset table onto the color data. It is possible to improve the definition of brightness so as to correspond to the characteristic of the input image, by automatically considering how to reflect a distribution characteristic of an image.

Abstract: A picture quality controlling device (10) that controls a picture quality for an image signal which is input including: a histogram generation unit (14) generating a histogram for at least one of brightness, chromaticity, color, and frequency information pieces from an image contained in the image signal; a threshold value comparing unit (17) comparing the histogram with a threshold value previously set for the histogram in order to determine whether control of the picture quality for the image signal is necessary; and a picture quality controlling unit (18) extracting a histogram pattern corresponding to the histogram from a reference table including plural predetermined histogram patterns, and controlling the picture quality based on a controlled parameter corresponding to the extracted histogram pattern if the control is determined to be necessary based on a result obtained by the threshold value comparing unit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for color grading stereoscopic and autostereoscopic (multi-view) view video content are provided. Video content for one view is adjusted so that a histogram of the adjusted video data is more similar to a target histogram than the original, unadjusted video content for the one view. The adjusted video content is automatically color graded based on a color grading of video content for another view. The target histogram may be calculated for the video content for the other view.

Abstract: A method is provided for training and using an object classifier to identify a class object from a captured image. A plurality of still images is obtained from training data and a feature generation technique is applied to the plurality of still images for identifying candidate features from each respective image. A subset of features is selected from the candidate features using a similarity comparison technique. Identifying candidate features and selecting a subset of features is iteratively repeated a predetermined number of times for generating a trained object classifier. An image is captured from an image capture device. Features are classified in the captured image using the trained object classifier. A determination is made whether the image contains a class object based on the trained object classifier associating an identified feature in the image with the class object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for temporal video registration of a target video with a master video comprising steps of automatic selection a plurality of key frames for target video and a plurality of key frames for master video; sparse registration of a plurality of key frames for target video with a plurality of key frames for master video; dense registration of frames of target video with frames of master video belonging to a temporal segment including registered key frames.

Abstract: Videos are received and indexed based on fingerprints generated for the videos, using lookup keys which correspond to sub portions of the reference fingerprints. Specifically, a set of lookup keys is selected such that the number of reference fingerprints such that the clumping associated with the associated each of the lookup keys is minimized. Clumping occurs when a number of reference identifiers associated with a lookup key exceeds a maximum value.

Abstract: Methods, storage mediums, and systems for image data processing are provided. Embodiments for the methods, storage mediums, and systems include configurations to perform one or more of the following steps: background signal measurement, particle identification using classification dye emission and cluster rejection, inter-image alignment, inter-image particle correlation, fluorescence integration of reporter emission, and image plane normalization.

Abstract: A video processor includes a video stream translation module configured to generate a translated luminance value for a pixel of a current frame of a video data stream. The translated luminance value is based on a first luminance value for the pixel and a first translation matrix for the current frame of the video data stream. The video processor includes a filter configured to generate an output luminance value for the pixel based on the translated luminance value and a target translated luminance value for the pixel. The output luminance value may be based on a weighted average of the translated luminance value and the target translated luminance value using a first weighting factor. The video processor may include a first weighting factor generator configured to generate the first weighting factor based on luminance values of the current frame of the video stream.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a blank document determination section determining whether or not input image data is image data of a blank document, regardless of a process mode set for setting a process with respect to the input image data; a storage device storing the input image data in association with a determination result made by the blank document determination section; and a control section (i) reading out the input image data from the storage device and (ii) excluding the input image data determined as image data of a blank document by the blank document determination section, from images to be displayed by the image display device, when the image display device carries out a preview display of the input image data. This configuration makes it possible to carry out a preview display in which a blank document (blank page document) is skipped, without reading the document again.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for determining a power spectral density (PSD) of a signal, in which modulation of the signal is employed to facilitate determination of one or more PSD values over a wide range of frequencies. In some implementations, the signal may represent a wide-sense stationary random process. In one example, the signal is measured/sampled during a plurality of measurement windows, during which an intensity of the signal is modulated at one or more modulation frequencies. A variance of a set of quantities determined from the signal samples is calculated and used to determine respective values of the power spectral density (PSD) for the signal at the one or more modulation frequencies. The one or more modulation frequencies may be chosen in excess of the Nyquist frequency of the sampling process, such that the signal may be characterized for one or more frequencies above the Nyquist limit.

Abstract: There are provided an apparatus and a method for estimating edge areas of pixels in a digital image to thereby prevent an edge sharpening algorithm from being applied to non-edge area of the digital image. Therefore, the apparatus can accurately determine whether each pixel is in an edge area or in a non-edge area, by generating a binary mask obtained by using a luminance difference average between each pixel and each of neighboring pixels in the digital image. Moreover, the determination of an edge-area or a non-edge area may be applied to various digital images, by adjusting a level of edge-area determination.