Abstract: An image processing device is structured such that an appropriate judgement of an image, at which blurring or disappearance or the like will occur, is possible. When pixels, which form a line image at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur at the time of printing by using a printing plate, are extracted, a line image warning function gives notice by displaying a warning message on a monitor of a client terminal. Thereafter, image converting and print setting are carried out such that an extracted line image is clarified. In this way, when a proof is prepared, an image, at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur on a printed matter obtained by using a printing plate, is clarified, and appropriate proofing is possible.

Abstract: A method to manage objects in an information lifecycle management system is provided. The method includes determining a score for each of the objects based on a score of at least one feature within respective ones of each of the objects where the score of the at least one feature being associated with a valuation of the at least one feature. The method also includes managing each of the objects based on the score for each of the objects wherein higher scored objects are managed preferentially.

Abstract: A method (1100) of creating an editable document is disclosed. The method analyses a bitmap image to detect at least one bit map representation of a graphical object and a bitmap representation of a line object. The method matches the graphical object with one of a plurality of predetermined template shapes (e.g., 420), the template shape having one or more predetermined non-contiguous connection points. The method selects one of the predetermined connection points for the line object if at least one end of the line object is within a predetermined distance of the selected connection point and associates the line object with the selected connection point. The method creates an editable document comprising the template shape with the line object connected thereto, wherein the line object remains associated with the selected connection point upon the template shape being modified within the document such that the line object remains dynamically connected to the template shape.

Abstract: An outline definition apparatus includes an edge detection unit detecting pixels at edge positions, each of the pixels at the edge positions having a data value between a value representing a first level and a value representing a second level, a pixel extraction unit extracting the pixels at the edge positions and extracting pixels in the vicinity thereof, a boundary-line generation unit generating a boundary line indicating a boundary between a region of the first level and a region of the second level in each of the pixels at the edge positions, and a link-processing unit obtaining an outline indicating a boundary between a region of the first level and a region of the second level in the still image by linking the boundary lines which are generated in the boundary-line generation unit and which are generated for the pixels which are located at the edge positions.

Abstract: A renderer allows for a flexible and temporally coherent ordering of strokes in the context of stroke-based animation. The relative order of the strokes is specified by the artist or inferred from geometric properties of the scene, such as occlusion, for each frame of a sequence, as a set of stroke pair-wise constraints. Using the received constraints, the strokes are partially ordered for each of the frames. Based on these partial orderings, for each frame, a permutation of the strokes is selected amongst the ones consistent with the frame's partial order, so as to globally improve the perceived temporal coherence of the animation. The sequence of frames can then, for instance, be rendered by ordering the strokes according to the selected set of permutations for the sequence of frames.

Abstract: An image processing device is structured such that an appropriate judgement of an image, at which blurring or disappearance or the like will occur, is possible. When pixels, which form a line image at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur at the time of printing by using a printing plate, are extracted, a line image warning function gives notice by displaying a warning message on a monitor of a client terminal. Thereafter, image converting and print setting are carried out such that an extracted line image is clarified. In this way, when a proof is prepared, an image, at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur on a printed matter obtained by using a printing plate, is clarified, and appropriate proofing is possible.

Abstract: A system for line extraction in digital ink. The digital ink represents handwritten input and is comprised of a stroke sequence. The system comprises a processor configured for: receiving the digital ink from a pen device; segmenting the strokes into a sequence of substrokes; grouping substrokes about a selected substroke into a temporally preceding group of substrokes and a temporally subsequent group of substrokes; calculating a centroid for each substroke or group of substrokes; calculating angular differences between the selected substroke and its temporally neighbouring groups of substrokes; and determining positions of extrema of the angular differences. The extrema correspond to substrokes at line breaks, thereby enabling line extraction in the stroke sequence.

Abstract: Disclosed is a detection system including a stripe pattern foreground filtering unit, a stripe pattern background filtering unit, a stripe pattern integration filtering unit, an isolated feature point removal unit, a stripe pattern area detection unit and a stripe pattern area outputting unit. The detection system utilizes a stripe pattern area filter value that directly exploits the shape of the stripe pattern in the local processing of each pixel in an image to detect the stripe pattern area.

Abstract: Methods and systems for classifying markings on images in a document are undertaken according to marking types. The document containing the images is supplied to a segmenter which breaks the images into fragments of foreground pixel structures that are identified as being likely to be of the same marking type by finding connected components, extracting near-horizontal or -vertical rule lines and subdividing some connected components to obtain the fragments. The fragments are then supplied to a classifier, where the classifier provides a category score for each fragment, wherein the classifier is trained from the groundtruth images whose pixels are labeled according to known marking types. Thereafter, a same label is assigned to all pixels in a particular fragment, when the fragment is classified by the classifier.

Abstract: An image processing device has a division determination unit. The division determination unit determines the partition number of an image in input image data. The division determination unit calculates the image features of the image in the image data, the features existing in reference areas, and, on the basis of the image features, determines the partition number of the image in the image data.

Abstract: A ridge direction extraction device capable of extracting ridge directions accurately even in direction unstable areas is provided. In the ridge direction extraction device, a zone direction extractor calculates ridge directions and direction confidence of each zone, and a high confidence zone area determiner determines a high confidence zone area. A direction expectation calculator selects a propagation candidate zone and a reference zone, and calculates direction expectation of the ridge direction of the propagation candidate zone based on the ridge direction and distance of the reference zone. A propagation zone direction extractor recalculates the direction confidence calculated by the zone direction extractor based on the direction expectation of each propagation candidate zone, and extracts the ridge direction of a propagation candidate zone based on the direction confidence recalculated.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes thresholding a window of pixels using a first set of thresholds established in the contone domain, and then counting and thresholding the binary pixels using a second set of thresholds. The processing in the contone and binary domain are used to determine if a thin line exists and if a pixel of interest in the window is an edge pixel that is part of a thin line. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.

Abstract: A method for synchronization of a media signal computes features of the media signal and determines redundancy of the features to establish synchronization. The synchronization method is adapted for both temporal and spatial synchronization. For spatial synchronization, spatial redundancy is used to detect geometric distortion of a signal using an autocorrelation method to detect peaks caused by the redundancy of features of the signal. These peaks are then analyzed with a histogram method to detect rotation and scaling of the host media signal. The spatial synchronization process is applied for both intra-coded frames of video (I-frames) as well as still images.

Abstract: Flexible and efficient systems and methods for organizing, analyzing, and processing digital ink incrementally analyze input data (e.g., representing ink strokes) as the user continues to add to, edit, or modify the data. In this manner, processing is performed promptly as the ink is entered, and the processing system and method can effectively keep up with the user. This prevents long processing delays, because the systems and methods need not first process a large volume of ink data present after the user has entered has completely filled a page with ink.

Abstract: Using an image region detection method according to the present invention, the detection of sides in the four directions (vertical and horizontal directions) is performed on the basis of results of edge detection performed on lines having a particular width, starting from an inner point toward the periphery of the quadrangular region in an input image, and the shape and the four corners of the quadrangle formed by the detected four sides are verified. Thereby, when there is a side that has been falsely detected, redetection on sides that are closer to the periphery than the side that has been detected falsely is performed, such that the quadrangular region can be formed at high speed.

Abstract: A technique is described for table grid detection and separation during the analysis and recognition of documents containing table contents. The technique includes the steps of table detection, grid separation, and table cell extraction. The technique is characterized by the steps of detecting the grid lines of a table using, for example, inverse cell detection, separating noise and touching text from the grid lines, and extracting the cell contents for OCR recognition.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for character recognition that analyze three-dimensional motion of a user using an acceleration sensor and thereby perform character input and character recognition. The apparatus and method easily discern each stroke on the basis of a direction of motion at the beginning portion and end portion of the stroke, and recognize a character using a combination of the strokes, thereby enabling realization of a small-sized motion-based character input system.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a ruled line extracting unit that counts the number of pixels within an image, compares the counted number of pixels with a threshold value, and extracts a ruled line based on a result of the comparison; and an identifying unit that identifies a noise component in the ruled line extracted by the ruled line extracting unit based on thickness of the ruled line extracted by the ruled line extracting unit and the threshold value.

Abstract: A binary resolution conversion apparatus and method is provided. According to one exemplary embodiment, a binary resolution conversion method includes an image processing method comprising a data processing process comprising a first video data input process receiving a first video data group associated with one or more horizontal and vertical edges of an image, and one or more horizontal and vertical thin lines of the image; a second video data input process receiving a second video data group associated with one or more slanted edges and one or more slanted lines of the image, and one or more objects of the image; a tag data input process receiving tag data associated with image edge and image thin line detection data; and a first video data input providing the video data output to a first video data output if the tag data input indicates an image edge or image thin line, otherwise a second video data input providing the video data output.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and a data processing system for performing handwriting recognition of a language having character stroke order rules. A stroke parameter set describing attributes of a handwritten stroke is calculated, and a user input indicates a stroke order knowledge. A reference character dictionary includes a record having a plurality of reference parameter sets each defining attributes of reference character strokes. A stroke sequence number of the stroke parameter set is identified and at least one of the reference parameter sets are excluded from a comparison with the stroke parameter set based on the stroke sequence number.

Abstract: A 2-dimensional pattern matching method contains a process of extracting a query feature data by projecting a vector representation of either of a query 2-dimensional pattern and a transformed query 2-dimensional pattern which is generated by transforming the query 2-dimensional pattern, to a feature space. An enrollment feature data as previously enrolled and a query feature data are inversely projected to the 2-dimensional pattern representation space which has the dimension of the vector representation and the similarity is calculated. The data size of a feature amount is small and a matching technique robust to the positional displacement and the image distortion is provided.

Abstract: A method for retrieving a desired postal address from a plurality of postal addresses. The invention can feature receiving input data having input terms for finding the desired postal address from a first database of postal addresses where each postal address is formed of a plurality of postal address elements, searching a dictionary for entries in the dictionary corresponding to the input terms, determining that each entry in the dictionary that corresponds to the input terms corresponds to postal address elements of one or more postal addresses in the first database, and outputting data representing the desired postal address. The desired postal address is found in the first database if an address in that database has postal address elements that correspond with each of the entries of the dictionary that corresponds to one or more of the input terms.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a line segment detecting unit configured to detect vertical line segments and horizontal line segments in an image; a facing-lines candidate generating unit configured to generate vertical and horizontal facing-lines candidates from the vertical and horizontal line segments, the vertical and horizontal facing-lines candidates being candidates for pairs of facing lines configuring quadrangle areas in the image; a rectangle candidate generating unit configured to generate a plurality of pairs of one of the vertical facing-lines candidates and one of the horizontal facing-lines candidates, and to generate the quadrangle areas as rectangle candidates; and a calculating unit configured to calculate likelihood of each of the rectangle candidates based on a relationship between line segments constituting the vertical facing-lines candidates and the horizontal facing-lines candidates and the rectangle candidates.

Abstract: Computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions and apparatuses detect a structured handwritten object is detected in a handwritten document. A primitive structure, which is associated with a set of component objects, is formed. A candidate handwritten object is identified by detecting a corresponding logical structure. A classifier for the candidate handwritten object is determined. Consequently, the candidate handwritten object is validated from the classifier.

Abstract: Automatic conflation systems and techniques which provide vector-imagery conflation and map-imagery conflation. Vector-imagery conflation is an efficient approach that exploits knowledge from multiple data sources to identify a set of accurate control points. Vector-imagery conflation provides automatic and accurate alignment of various vector datasets and imagery, and is appropriate for GIS applications, for example, requiring alignment of vector data and imagery over large geographical regions. Map-imagery conflation utilizes common vector datasets as “glue” to automatically integrate street maps with imagery. This approach provides automatic, accurate, and intelligent images that combine the visual appeal and accuracy of imagery with the detailed attribution information often contained in such diverse maps. Both conflation approaches are applicable for GIS applications requiring, for example, alignment of vector data, raster maps, and imagery.

Abstract: The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed to a system for stylizing video, such as interactively transforming video to a cartoon-like style. Briefly stated, the techniques include determining a set of volumetric objects within a video, each volumetric object being a segment. Mean shift video segmentation may be used for this step. With that segmentation information, the technique further includes indicating on a limited number of keyframes of the video how segments should be merged into a semantic region. Finally, a contiguous volume is created by interpolating between keyframes by a mean shift constrained interpolation technique to propagate the semantic regions between keyframes.

Abstract: A method of determining a ground line from an input image. The method includes determining a plurality of ground line candidates from the image, determining a certain band a central-line of which is a boundary between a G region and other regions in a Ground Building Sky (GBS) map of the image, and determining the ground line of the image by selecting a ground line candidate, among the plurality of ground line candidates, having the greatest extent crossing the certain band.

Abstract: A display for displaying an image on the basis of input image data includes an image adjusting unit configured to perform adjustment processing on the input image data and an image detecting unit configured to detect a first image data segment matching a predetermined condition in the input image data. The image detecting unit performs the adjustment processing on the basis of the first image data segment.

Abstract: A contour pixel is extracted from binarized image data. The contour of the image data is approximated to a straight line based on the extracted contour pixel. It is determined whether a first straight line in the contour obtained by the straight-line approximation includes a portion to be kept straight in the curved-line approximation, based on the relationship between the first straight line and a second straight line connected to the first straight line. In a case where it is determined that the first straight line includes a portion to be kept straight, curved-line approximation is performed by setting a control point on the first straight line at a position closer to an end of the first straight line connected to the second straight line with respect to a midpoint of the first straight line.

Abstract: A method and system of line extraction in a digital ink sequence of handwritten text data points is provided in which a stroke sequence comprised of a sequence of strokes is obtained, the strokes are segmented into a sequence of substrokes by applying a stroke segmentation algorithm, angular differences between neighboring groups of substrokes, in the sequence of substrokes, are calculated, and the positions of the extrema of the angular differences are determined, thereby identifying the substrokes at line breaks and enabling line extraction.

Abstract: In a method and system to extract data from handwritten information when the information is captured as sequences of strokes, vectors, or marks, temporal data is stored within the color or gray-scale encoding of pixel values within a bitmapped image. A bitmapped image is used to create a derived image suitable for data extraction and a method of analyzing the image, including the encoded temporal data, to yield an adjusted image that better reflects the intent of the person who created the handwriting. While the primary application of the invention is in processing handwritten responses to assessment items, the system and method can be advantageously used to extract data from or to improve the presentation of information from an electronic representation of temporal human marks in many applications. Additionally, the system and method can be advantageously used to store and process other types of data within a bitmapped image.

Abstract: A recognition system of this invention has feature point detection means (120), Hough transform means (130), and specific pattern output means (140). In the Hough transform means (130), a Hough space is designed so that a magnitude relation of a distance between points in the Hough space is equivalent to a predetermined magnitude relation of an inter-specific-pattern distance indicative of a difference between specific patterns. The recognition system detects the specific patterns using the Hough space. By adopting such a structure to express more similar specific patterns in an image as closer points also in the Hough space, it is possible to achieve an object of this invention.

Abstract: Computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions and apparatuses detect a table in a handwritten document. Line segments are derived from drawing strokes so that a bounding frame of a candidate table is obtained. An associated table structure is consequently recognized from the bounding frame, lines segments within the bounding frame, and their intersection points. A classifier that reflects at least one table characteristic is determined, and the candidate table is consequently validated or rejected.

Abstract: A device for detecting a road traveling lane, which is capable of stably defining a position of a boundary of a traveling lane. The device has edge point detection means (ED) for detecting a plurality of edge points in a contour on an image, edge histogram producing means (HD) for producing a vertical edge histogram for horizontal elements of the plurality of edge points, block marking line determination means (BD) for determining presence and absence of a block-like marking line on the basis of periodicity of distribution and a combination of distributions of plus edges and minus edges in the vertical edge histogram, and lane boundary edge detection means (MD) for detecting vertical edge points present outside (relative to the center of the traveling lane) of a region where the block-like marking line is present.

Abstract: A method (2500) of converting a monotonic curve into edge information is disclosed. A method (2800A) of determining an integer edge crossing value, Xi, for a new edge crossed by a scanline (i.e., an inactive edge being crossed by the scanline for the first time) is also disclosed. Further, a method (2800B) of determining an integer edge crossing value, Xi, for an active edge crossed by a scanline, is also disclosed. The disclosed methods have general application in the representation of monotonic curves. The described methods allow monotonic curves to be accurately represented in terms of edges where the original curve can be reconstructed from the edges. Furthermore, the methods allow edge tracking to be performed such that any resulting error is restricted to a fixed-point division error. At transition points between adjoining segments, an original edge crossing point may be determined to avoid accumulated error.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for analyzing image attachments to email messages and reliably determines whether the image includes spam, so that the message can be blocked. A method for processing email messages comprises processing an image included in or attached to an email message to determine whether the image includes features that indicate whether the image is spam and determining whether the image is spam based on the included features that indicate whether the image is spam.

Abstract: A method and system of line extraction in a digital ink sequence of handwritten text data points, the method including the steps of: obtaining are provided in which a stroke sequence comprised of a sequence of are strokes is obtained, the strokes are segmented into a sequence of substrokes by applying a stroke segmentation algorithm angular differences are calculated between neighboring groups of substrokes, in the sequence of substrokes, and the positions of the extrema of the angular differences are determined, thereby indentifying the substrokes at line breaks and enabling line extraction.

Abstract: The present invention employs the notion of a Chinese writing brush in moving a geometric figure to produce a style of calligraphy, where the area of the geometric figure is large or small, then the strokes of a character are thick or thin. Hence the purpose is that the variance of the strokes of a character can be achieved using the present invention. The present invention only decides a moving path for the strokes of a character and the size of a geometric figure at starting points and end points, and then moves the geometric figure along the moving path, where the area the geometric figure passes is the style of calligraphy.

Abstract: An image processing device is structured such that an appropriate judgement of an image, at which blurring or disappearance or the like will occur, is possible. When pixels, which form a line image at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur at the time of printing by using a printing plate, are extracted, a line image warning function gives notice by displaying a warning message on a monitor of a client terminal. Thereafter, image converting and print setting are carried out such that an extracted line image is clarified. In this way, when a proof is prepared, an image, at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur on a printed matter obtained by using a printing plate, is clarified, and appropriate proofing is possible.

Abstract: A discriminative machine learning system for labels text and non-text strokes in digital ink. The learning system considers stroke features and the context of the strokes, such as temporal information about one or more strokes, in a probabilistic framework. The learning system can also consider gap features within the probabilistic framework to label associated strokes.

Abstract: An image processing device is structured such that an appropriate judgement of an image, at which blurring or disappearance or the like will occur, is possible. When pixels, which form a line image at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur at the time of printing by using a printing plate, are extracted, a line image warning function gives notice by displaying a warning message on a monitor of a client terminal. Thereafter, image converting and print setting are carried out such that an extracted line image is clarified. In this way, when a proof is prepared, an image, at which there is the possibility that blurring or disappearance will occur on a printed matter obtained by using a printing plate, is clarified, and appropriate proofing is possible.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of optical character recognition. First, text is received. Next all words in the text are identified and associated with the appropriate line in the document. The directional derivative of the pixellation density function defining the text is then taken, and the highest value points for each word are identified from this equation. These highest value points are used to calculate a baseline for each word. A median anticipated baseline is also calculated and used to verify each baseline, which is corrected as necessary. Each word is then parsed into feature regions, and the features are identified through a series of complex analyses. After identifying the main features, outlying ornaments are identified and associated with appropriate features. The results are then compared to a database to identify the features and then displayed.

Abstract: The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed to a system for stylizing video, such as interactively transforming video to a cartoon-like style. Briefly stated, the techniques include determining a set of volumetric objects within a video, each volumetric object being a segment. Mean shift video segmentation may be used for this step. With that segmentation information, the technique further includes indicating on a limited number of keyframes of the video how segments should be merged into a semantic region. Finally, a contiguous volume is created by interpolating between keyframes by a mean shift constrained interpolation technique to propagate the semantic regions between keyframes.

Abstract: The invention improves the appearance of freehand drawn lines and shapes in an electronic document by first recognizing freehand drawn lines and shapes and generating a line made up of sequential straight line segments for the freehand drawn line when the line does not form a closed line and generating a multiple straight-line-segment shape when the line forms a closed line. If a multiple segment shape is being reshaped, a basic shape is selected from reference ideal shapes as the basic shape of the multiple segment shape. The basic shape is adjusted to provide a specific shape as an improved shape for the freehand drawn shape. The recognition of the freehand drawn lines and shapes is accomplished by comparing source segments of a source freehand drawn line to a straight line and substituting a straight line segment for a source segment if the deviation between the source segment and the straight line is below a predetermined value.

Abstract: A sensing device for enabling interaction between a computer and a form printed on a surface. The form includes one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects. The form also includes coded data indicative of an identity of the form and of at least one reference point of the form, the coded data comprising a plurality of substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions. The sensing device is adapted to sense the coded data of a form when placed in an operative position relative to the form, the sensing device further being adapted to generate indicating data indicative of a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said form and to transmit the indicating data to the computer.

Abstract: The present application describes systems and methods for composing documents using a digital pointing instrument. In further configurations, a user utilizes a pen to trace a form serial number that is utilized to identify a form template that is used to process input data from a digital pen.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium and device are provided for freeing memory in a device with limited memory, in which a plurality of pen strokes have been recorded, in electronic form in the memory in association with a page address of one of a plurality of logical pages and a recording time. The method, computer readable medium and device provide for identifying page address for the plurality of pen strokes recorded in the device; identifying the recording time of the most recently recorded pen stroke associated with each of the identified page addresses; selecting the page address among the identified page addresses which has the oldest most recently recorded pen stroke; and deleting all the pen strokes associated with the selected page address.

Abstract: A computer readable medium storing thereon a program for encoding the conformation of a given curve is provided. The encoding program includes: a point selection module for selecting representative points on a given curve; an arrangement module for putting an elemental structure block which consists of a trunk and branches; a branch selection module for selecting a branch from each of the blocks arranged above; an adjustment module for adjusting spacial orientation of the elemental structure blocks arranged above, just after selection of the most appropriate branch of a block (current block) and before selection of the most appropriate branch of the block assigned to the next representative point (next block); and a code generator module for generating data which describe the conformation of the curve, using the code of the selected branches of the elemental structure blocks assigned to the representative points of the curve.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically extracting form information (document structure, elements, format, etc.) from electronic documents such as raster-based passive documents, and storing such form information in a file in accordance with a predetermined DTD (document type definition).

Abstract: The present invention includes a method to use a phase modulating micromirror array to create an intensity image that has high image fidelity, good stability through focus and good x-y symmetry. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.