Abstract: The present invention discloses an image processing apparatus for processing an image. The image processing apparatus includes a line-pattern detecting module and an image processing module. The line-pattern detecting module examines how a first plurality of pixels of a first pixel line change and how a second plurality of pixels of a second pixel line change so as to determine which pattern an area of the image corresponds to. The image processing module selectively performs at least one of a plurality of image processing operations according to the pattern the image area corresponds to. The first and the second pixel lines correspond to the image area.

Abstract: A method for rendering a visible portion of an image that includes a plurality of graphics primitives. The size of the graphics primitives may be large and require the use of floating point numbers to represent the vertices. When the graphics primitives have a common vertex that is visible, the edge functions for the primitive are computed so as to avoid the common vertex becoming different for the different primitives. If the other vertices of the graphics primitives lie outside a bounding rectangle, then a vertex is formed at the intersection of the bounding rectangle and the graphics primitive. Fixed point numbers for the common vertex and other vertices including intersection vertices are then used to compute edge functions of the primitive and the primitive is rendered using the edge functions. If the common vertex is not visible, then floating point numbers are used to compute the edge functions.

Abstract: An automated symbolic recognition system and method includes multiple representations of each alphanumeric in the database by identifying a finite number of exemplars per alphanumeric symbol.

Abstract: Methods for communicating between an application and an ink divider object (which stores ink strokes to be divided into groups) may include: (a) issuing a divide request to the ink divider object, optionally by the application; (b) in response to the divide request, calling a divide method, which groups the stored ink strokes into one or more groupings of strokes having a first predetermined granularity (e.g., words, lines, paragraphs, sentences, drawings, etc.); and (c) making information regarding the one or more groupings of strokes available to the application. This “information” made available to the application may include, for example, the actual groupings of the strokes, the number of stroke groupings having the first predetermined granularity, machine generated text corresponding to the stroke groupings, or the like. The results of the divide method may be stored in an ink division result object.

Abstract: An implementation of Hough transform is described. According to one aspect, the Hough transform is used for line detection in an image based on a one-dimensional voting array.

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 and method for rendering a non-zero thickness line on a pixel-limited output device such that aliasing of the line is reduced. The edges defining a line segment are expanded to insure that any pixel touched by the line segment has its center included in the bounds of the line segment. The area of any pixel partially or fully covered by the expanded line is determined. If one edge of the line traverses the pixel, the area is determined according to whether a triangular or triangular plus parallelogram area is covered. If more than one edge of the line segment traverses a pixel, the area covered is computed based on the single edge case. With the area covered by the line segment known, the color or shading of the pixel is determined by linear interpolation between the line and the background.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus extracts a plurality of strokes from a multilevel image, and generates a stroke binary image. Next, the image processing apparatus extracts feature amounts indicating the thickness and the smoothed graylevel of a stroke in a neighboring region of a target pixel by using each pixel belonging to each of the strokes as the target pixel. Then, the apparatus generates a target stroke binary image from the stroke binary image based on the distribution of the extracted feature amounts.

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: An implementation of Hough transform is described. According to one aspect, the Hough transform is used to perform motion analysis of patterns in a video using two-dimensional primary data items and a two-dimensional voting array.

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 technique which can generate stable virtual page marks even in a non-OCR form to stably identify the form. Key segments which can be stably detected within a form are predefined for the detection of virtual page marks, and the virtual page marks (circumscribed rectangle) are generated on the basis of the key segments. Redundancy is bestowed on the detection of the key segments, and substitute segments are defined so as to generate the virtual page marks on the basis of them even in a case where the key segment has failed to be detected due to a stain, a partial lack or the like.

Abstract: Frames such as boxes or rectangles are recognized in image document data. A first determination process initially screens frames by applying a first set of criteria to select frame candidates. The first set of criteria includes a comparison of a dimension to a predetermined threshold value. A second determination process then further determines whether or not the selected frame candidates are true frames based upon a second set of criteria. For each frame candidate, a pair of a black pixel rectangle and a white pixel rectangle is determined. The second set of criteria includes at least some information on the black pixel rectangle and the white pixel rectangle.

Abstract: A stroke data editing device, for editing stroke data, indicating at least one stroke of a coordinate input device, comprising, a stroke data storage unit that stores stroke data, each piece of the stroke data corresponding to one stroke of a coordinate input device, a stroke data retrieving unit that retrieves, according to a predetermined condition, at least one piece of the stroke data from the stroke data storage unit so that the retrieved stroke data corresponds to at least one stroke included in a predetermined area, and a stroke data editing unit that edits at least one piece of the stroke data retrieved by the stroke retrieving unit on a stroke basis.

Abstract: A ruled line extracting apparatus obtains circumscribed rectangles of pixel concatenation regions included in an input pattern, and calculates the most frequent value of their heights. Additionally, the apparatus integrates segments by ignoring a wild card segment, and calculates the most frequent value of height/width of extracted straight lines and segments structuring the straight line. Next, it performs a process for integrating/deleting straight lines using each threshold value based on the highest frequency value. Then, it checks/deletes a straight line according to a distribution of black pixels around the straight line, and recognizes the remaining straight lines as ruled line candidates.

Abstract: A digital ink environment is provided for non-native ink application programs to create independent ink services for sharing between different application programs and transmission. The digital ink environment is provided for interacting with embedded or linked ink words or other ink data in a compound ink document. The user is provided with the freedom to input digital ink so they can write anywhere in the ink environment, in any orientation, and using any desired stroke size provided by the ink environment. The ink environment is provided in an activated state for in-situ user interaction and manipulation in a computing environment, for example a pen-based environment.

Abstract: A ruled line extracting apparatus obtains circumscribed rectangles of pixel concatenation regions included in an input pattern, and calculates the most frequent value of their heights. Additionally, the apparatus integrates segments by ignoring a wild card segment, and calculates the most frequent value of height/width of extracted straight lines and segments structuring the straight line. Next, it performs a process for integrating/deleting straight lines using each threshold value based on the highest frequency value. Then, it checks/deletes a straight line according to a distribution of black pixels around the straight line, and recognizes the remaining straight lines as ruled line candidates.

Abstract: A recognition process for handwritten characters, including generating sub-segments representing at least one character stroke, the sub-segments each having a boundary enclosing the at least one stroke of the sub-segment, merging the sub-segments when the distance between centroids of the sub-segments are less than a predetermined threshold, and generating segments representing possible characters from the sub-segments.

Abstract: A method for electronic imaging, consisting of forming an image having a background color and a non-background color on a plurality of pixels in a color mosaic image sensor, and receiving from each of the plurality of pixels a respective initial signal responsive to the image. The method further includes determining the background color of the image responsive to the initial signals, determining the non-background color of the image responsive to the initial signals, and calculating an adjusted signal for each pixel of the plurality of pixels responsive to the initial signal of the pixel and to at least one of the background color and the non-background color.

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 method for automatic removal of vertical streaks involves a comparison between image data for a pixel and its neighbor pixels to determine whether the pixel is non-homogenous. In a preferred method, the comparison employs an adaptive threshold against which a difference between the pixel and its neighbor pixels is compared, with the adaptive threshold taking into account accumulative information pertaining to pixels generated by a common optical sensor element. A preferred method also includes the step of considering locations of non-homogenous pixels in the image to determine whether the image data associated with the non-homogenous pixels needs to be changed or modified. A preferred method also includes the step of associating the non-homogenous pixels with different image data.

Abstract: A digital ink environment is provided for non-native ink application programs to create independent ink services for sharing between different application programs and transmission. The digital ink environment is provided for interacting with embedded or linked ink words or other ink data in a compound ink document. The user is provided with the freedom to input digital ink so they can write anywhere in the ink environment, in any orientation, and using any desired stroke size provided by the ink environment. The ink environment is provided in an activated state for in-situ user interaction and manipulation in a computing environment, for example a pen-based environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for remote monitoring of an analog meter is set out which employs a Hough Transform on the edge points of the meter scale to obtain the center of the scale. The graduation marks and the needle are detected from the intensity profile along various radii. Thereby, the meter reading can be flexibly adopted to different meter scales during an easy training process. The method can be modified for oblique reading of the scale.

Abstract: A system and method are provided which are capable of reliably and effectively detecting a white line in an upper region of a road image by dividing the road image into, at least, two regions positioned up and down and using a result from a detection of the white line in a lowest region where the road image is less affected by noise. When a road surface is planar, both intersections of straight lines, by which left and right white lines are approximated, in a lowest region out of regions, positioned up and down, obtained by dividing a road image containing left and right white lines drawn in parallel on the road surface and intersections of straight lines, by which left and right white lines are approximated in an upper region of out of the two regions existing on one horizontal line.

Abstract: Only points on a linear mark image is detected as linear mark characteristic points without influence of surrounding structures and noise, so that reliability is improved on detecting a linear mark. As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is provided with a white-line inside/outside luminance difference computing means 102, a white-line end edge intensity computing means 103, a white-line internal luminance uniformity computing means 104, and a white-line characteristic integrating means 105. A plurality of characteristics including a difference in luminance between the inside and the outside of a white line, edge intensity, and uniformity of luminance in a white line are integrated to compute a likelihood of a white-line.

Abstract: In the document identification apparatus, a ruled line feature extraction section determines a black pixel ratio of a document to be identified, and adds the black pixel ratio for each block to extract a ruled line feature. A ruled line feature verification section verifies the ruled line feature with a ruled line feature already registered in a ruled line feature dictionary to thereby identify the document. If identification is not possible with this procedure, a details judgment section verifies the image data in a specific area with the image data (characters or the like) registered in a specific area dictionary.

Abstract: A differential color or luminance signal is used to embed a binary message in selected stroke segments in the text of a document and for extracting a message so embedded. The bits representing the message are embedded in the stroke segments by modifying a color or luminance value of pixels in one region of a selected stroke with respect to such a value of pixels in a second region of that stroke. To determine whether a bit is embedded in a stroke segment, a value representative of the luminance or color of pixels in the one region is compared with a value representative of the luminance or color of pixels in the second region. The presence or absence of a bit is determined by whether the difference between the two values is greater than a minimum predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus and method that enables extraction of line segments of an arbitrary width from multi-valued images not uniform in background. To extract line segment data constituting a line segment, image data is scanned using a line segment basic element to extract line segment data from the image data. In other words, pixel data included in the line segment basic element is used as one unit and it is judged for each unit whether the pixel data corresponds to line segment data. Thereby, even if the densities of pixel data corresponding to, e.g., backgrounds are not uniform, by judging the line segment basic element as one unit, line segment data of a line segment width to be extracted can be extracted free of the influence of the densities being not uniform.

Abstract: A method for recognizing handwritten Chinese characters based on stroke recognition comprises steps of: recognizing handwritten strokes, updating stroke code sequences; retrieving in dictionaries/lexicons at least one corresponding character/phrase entry so as to obtain at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; dynamically displaying the at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; jumping to the step of recognizing strokes if it is judged that a next stroke is being written; inputting a displayed Chinese character/phrase into computers as the result of recognition if this character/phase is selected by the user.

Abstract: A method or apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention allows for entry of multi-stroke characters via a natural drawing interface and without requiring an expensive stylus-drawing surface combination.

Abstract: The character recognition apparatus incorporates a table recognition section. This table recognition section extracts circumscribing rectangles from connected components of black pixels on a whole surface of the image as an area where read image data are desired to be processed, sorts rectangles of character candidates and rectangles of frame candidates from the extracted circumscribing rectangles, fills the rectangles sorted as the character candidates with white pixels, recognizes and extracts frames as ruled lines from the rectangles which remain as the frame candidates.

Abstract: A method of determining a vanishing point related to an image, the method includes the steps of: detecting line segments in the image; determining intersections from pairs of line segments; assigning a probability to each intersection of the pairs of line segments; determining a local maximum corresponding to a plurality of probabilities; and outputting an estimated vanishing point vector &ngr;E that corresponds to the determined local maximum such that an estimated location of the vanishing point about the estimated vanishing point vector &ngr;E results.

Abstract: A ruled line extracting apparatus obtains circumscribed rectangles of pixel concatenation regions included in an input pattern, and calculates the most frequent value of their heights. Additionally, the apparatus integrates segments by ignoring a wild card segment, and calculates the most frequent value of height/width of extracted straight lines and segments structuring the straight line. Next, it performs a process for integrating/deleting straight lines using each threshold value based on the highest frequency value. Then, it checks/deletes a straight line according to a distribution of black pixels around the straight line, and recognizes the remaining straight lines as ruled line candidates.

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 pattern inspection method and apparatus, wherein the target area is limited to a line part, having a simplified configuration and capable of detecting a killer defect as a defect candidate and considerably reducing the number of non-killer defects to be detected as defect candidates, have been disclosed. The present invention relates to a pattern inspection method and apparatus for judging non-matching parts to be defects by making a comparison between the same patterns having a line part in which a line extending in the longitudinal or transverse direction appears repetitively at a fixed pitch, wherein an average level of gray level data is calculated for each pixel columns in the direction in which the line extends, a type of the area of each pixel columns is classified into groups, a threshold value is determined for each area according to the statistical processing result of the type and the difference data of each pixel column, and the difference data is judged based on the threshold value.

Abstract: A points based handwriting recognition system is suitable for hand held processor implemented devices with small touch pad writing surfaces. The writing surface is divided into a grid by a number of spaced discrete points. The user is instructed to write, as by a stylus, characters such as letters, numbers or symbols with the writing path extending through a predetermined sequence of the points which define the grid. The stylus must pass sequentially within a specified distance of mandatory points for processor recognition of each written character and may additionally pass within a predetermined distance of optional points.

Abstract: An “activity”-based system and method for on-line character recognition that requires reduced amounts of memory for code or data, is alphabet-independent, and can be trained by entering the alphabet once. The alphabet-independent nature of the algorithm, as well as the ease with which recognition may be optimized dynamically, makes it particularly well suited for writing in noisy environments (e.g., mobile or on a subway) or by persons with impaired motor skills or nervous conditions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing a boundary of an object. An embodiment for determining defects of a boundary to sub-pixel precision and an embodiment for fast correlation scoring are disclosed. The boundary is analyzed by matching a first boundary, such as a model of an ideal object boundary, to a second boundary, such as the boundary of an object being produced at a factory. The boundaries are represented as a set of indexed vertices, which are generated by parsing the boundaries into a set of segments. One embodiment refines the parse through merging segments and reassigning data points near the endpoints of the segments. The model produced is very accurate and is useful in other applications. To analyze the boundaries, the sets of indexed vertices are matched, and optionally the segmentation of the second boundary is refined to increase the extent of matching.

Abstract: A process for detection of straight-line segments in a stream of digital data that are representative of an image (m, n) in which the contour points of said image each defined by the modulus and the orientation &thgr; of their gradient in relation to a horizontal axis are identified. The stream of digital data is stored in the form of two successive lines, each of n points P(i, j), for each of the lines the n points of said line are extracted successively, and for each point Pc(i, j) extracted, the so-called current point, the three points having inferior coordinates Pa(i−1, j−1), Pb(i, j−1), Pd(i−1, j) directly neighbouring said current point are extracted, successively the value of the orientation of the current point Pc is compared with that of the neighbouring points Pa, Pb and Pd. The values of the orientations of the points Pb and Pd are compared, the result of a comparison is validated if the points are contour points and if the values of their orientation are close.

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: We disclose a trainable recognizer for multi-stroke symbols. Pen speed and the curvature are examined to segment a stroke into the constituent primitives. The primitives are determined to be lines or arcs using, for example, a least squares best fit method. Symbol recognition (training) results in the construction of definitions consisting of the constituent geometric primitives (lines and arcs), the properties of individual primitives, and the geometric relationships between them. A definition is learned by examining a few examples of a symbol and identifying which properties and relationships occur frequently. Thereafter, during symbol recognition (matching), an unknown symbol is identified by determining which definition matches the unknown with the least error. We disclose two recognition methods. One assumes that the primitives of a symbol are always drawn in the same order. This method is fast, but requires some care from the drawer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting edges by which the detection of the edges of a natural image from an image obtained by mixing the graphic or text and the natural image is suppressed, to thereby stably detect edges of the graphic or the text, are disclosed. In this method, the differences in pixel value between the first pixel of sequentially input images and eight pixels adjacent to the first pixel are obtained. If all of the differences between the first pixel and the eight pixels adjacent to the first pixel are greater than a maximum threshold value or less than a minimum threshold value, the first pixel is determined to be an edge pixel. Likewise, determinations are made as to whether a second pixel, positioned adjacent the first pixel along a first dimension (for example to the left of the first pixel), is an edge pixel and whether a third pixel, positioned adjacent the first pixel along a second dimension (for example above the first pixel), is an edge pixel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for recognizing multi-language printed documents, a method for extracting character features according to the present invention, the method comprising the steps of: a) normalizing characters to a fixed size; b) converting the size-fixed characters into mesh-type characters; c) extracting stroke features of each of the mesh-type characters; d) extracting non-stroke features of each of the mesh-type characters; and e) extracting the character features using the stroke features and the non-stroke features. The present invention provides a high recognition rate irrespective of the size and modification of the characters, by extracting the character feature from the stroke and non-stroke in the mesh block.

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 method, apparatus, and system are provided for selecting a symbol using a user interface having at least one selectable button adjacent a surface actuated when contacted by a pointing device. Initially, the method and system receives stroke information based on a stroke on the surface adjacent at least one selectable button on the user interface, identifies a symbol based on the stroke information, provides the symbol for further processing.

Abstract: Generally a method and apparatus for determining a position of an object is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a locating plate, a window and a camera. The camera is positioned to view the target through the window disposed in the locating plate. The position of an object viewed by the camera through the window by be resolved relative to the position of the locating plate. In other embodiments, the apparatus may be disposed in a processing system such as a chemical mechanical polisher to align components such as robots, load cups and polishing heads.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inputting a hand-generated character into a computer. A user draws a character using a drawing apparatus. As the user draws, movement of the apparatus and characteristics of such movement are detected. The apparatus generates a code for the character being drawn as a time dependent sequence of signals by comparing the characteristics of the movement as the character is drawn with a predetermined set of characteristics, with each signal corresponding to the predetermined characteristic closest to the actual characteristic detected at each successive step of movement. The apparatus provides visual feedback to the user by displaying in sequence each component of a character that is being drawn positionally independently of the movement of the drawing apparatus.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for creating a three-dimensional model of an object, images of the object taken from different, unknown positions are processed to identify the points in the images which correspond to the same point on the actual object (that is “matching” points), the matching points are used to determine the relative positions from which the images were taken, and the matching points and calculated positions are used to calculate points in a three-dimensional space representing points on the object. A number of different techniques are used to identify the matching points, and a number of solutions are calculated and tested for the relative positions.

Abstract: Methods, and apparatus implementing the methods, that provide useful resolution-independent representations of the perimeter of a bitmap object. The methods find the boundary pixels in a bitmap and identify each boundary pixel edge that actually contributes to the object perimeter. The methods distinguish objects that appear to share a common edge because they share boundary pixels, when in fact the objects are separated by a pixel width. The polygon can be encoded in a digital, compact, compressible format, and can be used to define traps in a vector-based trapping environment. A finite state machine for generating the polygon is disclosed. A bitmap object is encode by calculating a sequence of direction codes based on tracing around the bitmap object along the boundary, where each direction code represents a direction from an eight-connected pixel to an adjacent eight-connected pixel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reordering unconstrained handwriting data using both spatial and temporal interrelationships prior to recognition, and for spatially organizing and formatting machine recognized transcription results. The present invention allows a machine recognizer to generate and present a full and accurate transcription of unconstrained handwriting in its correct spatial context such that the transcription output can appear to “mirror” the corresponding handwriting.