Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to track and estimate the accuracy of a visual inertial odometry (VIO) system. Various embodiments are able to receive one or more VIO feature measurements associated with a set of image frames from a VIO system and generate a plurality of feature models to estimate health values for the VIO system. The various embodiments determine a plurality of feature health values with the feature models based on the VIO feature measurements and compare the feature health values with ground truth health scores associated with the set of image frames to determine one or more errors. The feature model parameters are updated based on the comparison with the feature health values with ground truth health scores.

Abstract: Techniques for determining predictions on a top-down representation of an environment based on object movement are discussed herein. Sensors of a first vehicle (such as an autonomous vehicle) may capture sensor data of an environment, which may include object(s) separate from the first vehicle (e.g., a vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicycle). A multi-channel image representing a top-down view of the object(s) and the environment may be generated based in part on the sensor data. Environmental data (object extents, velocities, lane positions, crosswalks, etc.) may also be encoded in the image. Multiple images may be generated representing the environment over time and input into a prediction system configured to output a trajectory template (e.g., general intent for future movement) and a predicted trajectory (e.g., more accurate predicted movement) associated with each object. The prediction system may include a machine learned model configured to output the trajectory template(s) and the predicted trajector(ies).

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods of encoding a path, a stroking system for paths, a renderer that generates a stroked tessellation of a path, and a method of determining a type of link of a path from a data structure. The data structure can be an array of indexed links that compactly encode a path. The position of one or more index values, such as a null index value, within an indexed link can encode the link's type. In one example, a method of encoding includes: (1) receiving a path having multiple links, wherein the links include at least one segment and at least one junction, and (2) generating an encoded path by encoding the links based on positional information of the links, wherein the encoding employs a same data structure for each of the links.

Abstract: The disclosure introduces polar stroking for representing paths. A system, method, and apparatus are disclosed for representing and rendering stroked paths employing polar stroking. In one example, a method of approximating a link of a path is provided that includes: (1) determining tangent angle changes of a link of a path, (2) evaluating the link in steps based on the tangent angle changes, and (3) providing a polar stroked representation of the link employing the steps, wherein the evaluating is performed non-recursively. A polar stroking system is also disclosed. In one example, the polar stroking system includes: (1) a path processor configured to decompose a path into links, and (2) a polar stroking processor configured to determine polar stroking intermediates of the links from a characterization of the links and generate, employing the polar stroking intermediates, a polar stroked representation for each of the links.

Abstract: A method and system for visualization of a direction of a fluid flow in heterogeneous porous medium in hydrocarbon reservoirs based on the streamlines. The method allows for constructing the detailed and accurate model of a direction and a volume of the fluids being transferred between the wells and can be used for analysis of waterflooding and hydrodynamic connectivity between the wells used in oil and gas reservoirs with a large number of wells. The visualization method can be used both for analysis of instantaneous fluid flows at the current calculation step of hydrodynamic simulator and for analysis of fluid flows accumulated over several calculation steps.

Abstract: A technique for generating virtual models of plants in a field is described. Generally, this includes recording images of plants in-situ; generating point clouds from the images; generating skeleton segments from the point cloud; classifying a subset of skeleton segments as unique plant features using the images; and growing plant skeletons from skeleton segments classified as unique plant feature. The technique may be used to generate a virtual model of a single, real plant, a portion of a real plant field, and/or the entirety of the real plant field. The virtual model can be analyzed to determine or estimate a variety of individual plant or plant population parameters, which in turn can be used to identify potential treatments or thinning practices, or predict future values for yield, plant uniformity, or any other parameter can be determined from the projected results based on the virtual model.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of methods, devices and systems for performing a microseismic survey. According to some embodiments, microseismic signals are detected at seismic sensor stations deployed in two sets of seismic sensor lines, the seismic sensor lines within each set being substantially parallel to one another and the two sets of seismic sensor lines being mutually orthogonal. According to other embodiments, microseismic signals are detected at seismic sensor stations deployed in a hexagonal pattern. Such sensor geometries offer advantages over linear or radial arrays, including noise reduction, data acquisition flexibility as new wells are added to the survey area, and an improved distribution of data points above points in the subsurface.

Abstract: A method of determining relief markings on a tire's sidewall surface includes assigning, to each pixel of a three-dimensional image of the surface, a grey-level value proportional to an elevation point corresponding to the pixel, to obtain a starting image. Using linear structuring elements of successively increasing sizes and oriented circumferentially, a series of successive morphological openings is performed iteratively on the starting surface. An image value obtained after a morphological opening using a structuring element is subtracted from an image value obtained after a morphological opening using a structuring element of an immediately lower size, to obtain a succession of images flattened by differencing. A thresholding operation is performed on the images flattened by differencing, to obtain binary images. A set-theoretic union of values of each of the binary images is performed, to obtain a final binary image in which markings appear in relief.

Abstract: This invention provides an automatic tracing algorithm for quantitative analysis of continuous structures, such as the images of tree-like or network-like structures. The algorithm includes the steps of encoding 3-D image voxels by using a source field encoding methodology followed by a defined image threshold, tracing the codelets along encoded voxels such that the characteristic element of a 3-D image such as the center line of fiber, fiber branch, loop, and end point can be determined systematically, and achieving the automatic analysis without manual intervention. In addition, quantitative measurements are exquisitely calculated by the location and distance of these characteristic elements between coded voxels. The algorithm is more suitable to automatically analyze the 2D/3D images of complex neurons, blood vessels, collagens in skin tissue, and fibril morphology in polymeric materials.

Abstract: A method and system for generating strokes in real-time on an electronic paper display. A display device receives the stroke input, which is converted to binary code by a digitizer. A rendering engine renders the high-resolution stroke data in non-antialiased form to an ink buffer. The rendering engine then updates pixels based on the color or gray level of the background (unlinked) pixel and the amount of ink covering the pixel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a skeleton model using motion data and image data. The apparatus for generating the skeleton model may synchronize the image data and the motion data, and generate a three-dimensional (3D) skeleton model of an entire body of a user using a silhouette extracted from the image data and also using a position or orientation of a joint of the user extracted from the motion data. The skeleton model may be generated using the image data and the motion data, thereby improving accuracy of the skeleton model of the entire body of the user.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus that improves the visibility of a character and its background in different colors or of outline characters is provided. Specifically, outline character bold data is inverted and each of the pixels in the data is expanded to adjacent eight pixels. Then, the expanded outline character is processed into expanded inverted data. The logical AND of the inverted expanded data and K data on a background image is then calculated to generate K data with the outline character expanded. This results in an image with the outline character expanded. That is, the present invention enables characters with improved visibility and free from blurredness to be printed while preventing the adverse effect of bleeding on the outline character.

Abstract: Extracting a branch structure and a surrounding structure area in which a surrounding structure of the branch structure exists from a three-dimensional medical image, setting an attention branch structure in the branch structure, estimating an attention surrounding structure area functionally associated with the attention branch structure from the surrounding structure area based on the branch structure, obtaining an evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area, and generating a mapped image which is an image generated by mapping the evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area to a morphological image representing morphology of at least one of the attention branch structure and the attention surrounding structure area.

Abstract: A computing device in a system for motion detection comprises an image processing device to determine a motion of an object of interest, and a graphical user interface (GUI) module to drive a virtual role based on the motion determined by the image processing device.

Abstract: A forensically sound image of a computer readable storage medium can be transferred across a low bandwidth communications network. The method can include the step of scanning an image of the computer readable storage medium for redundant data, the redundant data duplicative of locally stored data. The method can also include generating a skeleton image based on the image of the computer readable storage medium by excluding the redundant data from the image of the computer readable storage medium. The method can include transmitting, by a transmitting device, the skeleton image over the communications network to a receiving device to enable reconstruction of an image copy of the computer readable storage medium using the skeleton image and the locally stored data. A receiving device can reconstruct a bit-for-bit copy of the image of the computer readable storage medium.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: a thinning process unit which extracts a core line by applying a thinning process; a line width estimation unit which estimates an original line width of each pixel of the core line; a core line division unit which divides the core line; a monospaced line determination unit which determines, based on line width information, whether or not each of core lines divided by the core line division unit is a monospaced line; a connection relation information generation unit which generates connection relation information with another core line in association with each of the core lines; and a core line modification unit which modifies the core lines, based on pieces of line width information of core line pixels, a monospaced line determination result, and pieces of connection relation information generated.

Abstract: The original image composed of pixels representing a sample of the alloy, the hydrides being represented by groupings of pixels (21), the method comprises steps of processing the image (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to obtain the skeleton of the groupings of pixels (21?) contained in the image, the skeletonization step (5) being followed by a step (6, 10) of analysis pertaining to the groupings thus skeletonised. The analysis step allows the determination of the hydrogen content as well as the morphological study of the hydrides so as to determine their danger.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image analysis method and an image analysis program having a feature of carrying out a panel display quality evaluation at low cost and short time with relieved influence of moire by treating a value, which is obtained by recognizing a coordinate of a panel pixel in a shot image based on an image for detecting a coordinate and positional information thereof with high accuracy and by calculating average luminance by panel pixel unit based on a center position of a coordinate, as representative luminance in each pixel of the panel, in a panel evaluation method of shooting an image display panel with a digital camera.

Abstract: An image processing system and method for comparing two monochromic images A2 and B2 is provided. The system and method thins objects in the monochromic image B2 so as to generate a skeleton image B3, thickens the objects in the monochromic image A2 to generate a bold image A4, and overlays the skeleton image B3 with the bold image A4 so as to generate an overlaid image AB1. The system and method further thins the objects in the monochromic image A2 so as to generate a skeleton image A3, thickens the objects in the monochromic image B2 to generate a bold image B4, and overlays the skeleton image A3 with the bold image B4 so as to generate an overlaid image AB2. The system and method outputs the overlaid images AB1 and AB2 on a display screen.

Abstract: An image processing method comprises receiving, from a camera, a camera captured image comprising a user drawn image. At least part of the user drawn image is within a field of view of the camera. The method comprises applying an image processing operation to the camera captured image so as to generate an image feature within the camera captured image which corresponds to the user drawn image, and thinning the image feature to a line width which is smaller than a line width associated with the image feature so as to generate a modified width image feature. The method further comprises generating vector data from pixels associated with the modified width image feature so that the vector data substantially represents the modified width image feature.

Abstract: A thinned output image is generated from an input image. Values of pixels surrounding a pixel of interest in the input image are determined, and first and second neighboring pixel patterns surrounding the pixel of interest are established based on the values of the pixels surrounding the pixel of interest. The first neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of purge patterns to determine whether to eliminate the pixel, and the second neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of conservation patterns to determine whether to conserve the pixel. The comparisons to the purge and conservation patterns are performed for each pixel independently, and in parallel for all pixels of the input image.

Abstract: A method up-samples images in a reduced resolution video, wherein each image I(x, y) stores depths d at pixel locations (x, y). each depth image is scaled up to produce a corresponding up-scaled image. Then, image dilation, a median filter, image erosion, and a min-max filter are applied in order to produce a corresponding up-sampled image.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for avoiding collision of a body segment with unconnected structures in an articulated system are described. A virtual surface is constructed surrounding an actual surface of the body segment. Distances between the body segment and unconnected structures are monitored. Responding to an unconnected structure penetrating the virtual surface, a redirected joint motion that prevents the unconnected structure from penetrating deeper into the virtual surface is determined. The body segment is redirected based on the redirected joint motion to avoid colliding with the unconnected structure.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a determination unit configured to determine a correlation value between a decoded frame and a reference frame and the number of iterations indicating the number of times signal separation calculation based on a TV method is iteratively performed on the decoded frame, based on a result of a motion search process, a generation unit configured to generate, as an initial gradient signal value, a zero vector or a gradient signal value obtained based on a motion vector determined in the motion search process, according to the correlation value, and a separation unit configured to iteratively perform the signal separation calculation on the decoded frame the number of iterations, using the initial gradient signal value as an initial value, and separate the decoded frame into a skeleton image signal and a texture image signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention utilize a variational framework for computing curve skeletons (CS) of objects whose cross section is not necessary tubular. Embodiments utilize an energy function, which is proportional to some medialness function, such that the minimum cost path between any two medial voxels in the shape is a curve skeleton. Different medialness functions include the Euclidean distance field and a modified version of the magnitude of the gradient vector flow (GVF), which results in two different energy functions. The first energy function controls the identification of the topological nodes of the shape from which curve skeletons start, while the second one controls the extraction of the curve skeletons. Preferred embodiments are completely automated since all parameters are analytically estimated.

Abstract: Labeling motion capture volume data includes: receiving a motion capture beat, the motion capture beat including unlabeled body points and unlabeled face points; labeling the unlabeled body points which have a valid fit to a predetermined body model template; verifying the labeled body points using stretch analysis; labeling unlabeled body points using a kinematic skeleton analysis; isolating the unlabeled face points; stabilizing the unlabeled face points; labeling the unlabeled face points; and merging the labeled face points and labeled body points.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that can represent an area of a raster image by a centerline. During operation, the system receives a planar map which represents a raster image that contains a region. Note that the region corresponds to a face in the planar map whose edges correspond to the boundaries of the region. Next, the system determines a centerline for a subregion within the region which is currently represented by an outline. The system then transforms the planar map so that the subregion is represented by the centerline.

Abstract: An imaging processing system adapted for use with a vehicle is provided in one aspect of the present invention. The system generally includes an image capturing device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is operable to capture an original image of a scene exterior to the vehicle. The captured original image is generally defined by a group of pixels. The image processing device is operable to receive the captured original image and morphologically process the captured original image to remove distortion from the captured original image to produce a final filtered image.

Abstract: A method of separating an image is provided. The method comprises: running a bitmap image of at least one polygon comprising a plurality of pixels through a distance filter; skeletonizing the polygon formed after filtering by modulo arithmetic; logically ANDing the skeletonized image with two masks separately consisting of horizontal and vertical lines of 1 bit thickness at a particular frequency to form an image of the horizontal edges and an image of the vertical edges; and filtering the resulting image through a particle filter eliminating particles of size greater than 2.

Abstract: A method for acquiring an image on an imaging system includes accessing at least first image data from a first imaging system, processing the first image data in accordance with a CAD algorithm, acquiring at least second image data based upon results of the CAD algorithm and processing the second image data in accordance with the CAD algorithm to confirm the results of the CAD algorithm regarding the first image data.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that can represent an area of a raster image by a centerline. During operation, the system receives a planar map which represents a raster image that contains a region. Note that the region corresponds to a face in the planar map whose edges correspond to the boundaries of the region. Next, the system determines a centerline for a subregion within the region which is currently represented by an outline. The system then transforms the planar map so that the subregion is represented by the centerline.

Abstract: A graphic processing apparatus makes a scan of graphic primitives of a target graphic object to search for an outermost closed figure, and displays the scanned graphic primitives, a search starting point, a turnaround point, and a region surrounded by the scanned graphic primitives and hatched for discernment from other regions. Thus, an operator can judge or not the outline of the target graphic object forms a closed figure. If the outline forms no closed figure, the operator can easily judge which graphic primitive is unconnected.

Abstract: A method for acquiring an image on an imaging system includes accessing at least first image data from a first imaging system, processing the first image data in accordance with a CAD algorithm, acquiring at least second image data based upon results of the CAD algorithm and processing the second image data in accordance with the CAD algorithm to confirm the results of the CAD algorithm regarding the first image data.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing a tree structure in medical image data is provided. The method comprises: segmenting the tree structure in the image data (230-265); coloring an exterior of the tree structure using data associated with interior components of the tree structure (270-290); and outputting an image of the tree structure colored by the interior components of the tree structure (295).

Abstract: A method for deforming a plurality of shapes is described wherein each of the shapes comprises a set of parametric curves. The method comprises: providing a parametric surface, and forming a deformed shape for each of the shapes by performing a symbolic composition between the parametric surface and each parametric curve from the set of parametric curves comprising the shape being deformed. The parametric surface is defined by two parameters varying over a parametric domain, such that each of the parametric curves comprising the shapes lies in the parametric domain of the surface.

Abstract: A method of separating an image is provided. The method comprises: running a bitmap image of at least one polygon comprising a plurality of pixels through a distance filter; skeletonizing the polygon formed after filtering by modulo arithmetic; logically ANDing the skeletonized image with two masks separately consisting of horizontal and vertical lines of 1 bit thickness at a particular frequency to form an image of the horizontal edges and an image of the vertical edges; and filtering the resulting image through a particle filter eliminating particles of size greater than 2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of analyzing an object data set in which a tubular structure having a plurality of branches and bifurcations occurs, wherein the object data set assigns data values to positions in a multi-dimensional space, which data values relate to an object to be examined. The invention relates further to a corresponding apparatus and computer program.

Abstract: Communication is an important issue in man-to-robot interaction. Signs can be used to interact with machines by providing user instructions or commands. Embodiment of the present invention include human detection, human body parts detection, hand shape analysis, trajectory analysis, orientation determination, gesture matching, and the like. Many types of shapes and gestures are recognized in a non-intrusive manner based on computer vision. A number of applications become feasible by this sign-understanding technology, including remote control of home devices, mouse-less (and touch-less) operation of computer consoles, gaming, and man-robot communication to give instructions among others. Active sensing hardware is used to capture a stream of depth images at a video rate, which is consequently analyzed for information extraction.

Abstract: Method is disclosed for the automatic creation of images in a “van Gogh” style. The method comprises locating portions of detail in an image an utilising the areas of detail to propagate brush strokes into areas of the image having lesser details. A number of modifications are also proposed including utilising refining brush strokes to process those areas of detail in an image.

Abstract: An image processing circuit reduces binary data of an original image. At least one line buffer stores data of each line of the original image. At least one line buffer stores data of each line of a reduced image. An operation part performs a logical operation based on data of focused pixels of the original image, data of a peripheral pixel of the focused pixels, and data of peripheral pixels of a pixel of the reduced image, the pixel of the reduced image corresponding to the focused pixels.

Abstract: A method, machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-readable code and automated system for assaying or monitoring the extent of joint or bone deformity reported by a summarized score that may include joint space narrowing, bone erosion and periarticular osteoporosis in a joint-degenerative or joint-damaging disease in a subject are disclosed. From a digitized image of one of the subject's straight bone terminated with a joint such as fingers, coordinates of right and left bone contours of a selected middle or proximal phalange are determined, and these coordinates are in turn used to determine the coordinates of a minimum width in the middle region of the phalange and one or more apices in a region adjacent at least one side of a joint of the selected phalange. These latter coordinates are used in selecting a reference joint contour representing normal-bone contour for that phalange, or the contour of the patient phalange from an earlier x-ray image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image correcting section. When an image of an object is input, the image correcting section performs correction processing for the input image including the object image and outputs the corrected image as an image required for authentication of the object. An image processing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a graphic processing method in which a first figure skeleton apart from an outline of a figure by each equal distance in a central direction of the figure is calculated using at least one of a medial axis and a chordal axis with respect to a figure representing the outline of the object shape reflected in a digital image by a set of points, branch lines to the skeleton from a vertex of the figure in the calculated first figure skeleton are removed to obtain a second figure skeleton, and a curve coordinate system is defined using the second figure skeleton as one coordinate axis and using a distance between the second figure skeleton and the outline of the figure as the other coordinate axis with respect to data obtained by one circulation of the outline of the figure using one end point of the second figure skeleton as a start point and using the other end point as a terminal point to transform the coordinate of points on the outline of the figure into the other coordinate axis of the curve

Abstract: A method for extracting from an image a shape descriptor which describes shape features of the image is provided. The shape descriptor extracting method includes: (a) extracting a skeleton from an input image, (b) obtaining a list of straight lines by connecting pixels based on the extracted skeleton, and (c) determining the regularized list of straight lines obtained by normalizing a list of straight lines as the shape descriptor. A shape descriptor extracted according to the shape descriptor extracting method possesses information of a schematic feature of a shape included in an image. Therefore, the shape descriptor extracting method effectively extracts a local motion in the data collection of the same category, and the number of extracted shapes is not limited to the number of objects.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a method of processing information contained in an image, including: a first processing (1-4), for defining an area of interest of the image (8), effecting an adaptive thresholding (1-8) of this area of interest in order to obtain a threshold image (10) of this area of interest, referred to as the first thresholded image, the segmentation (1-12) of the thresholded image, in order to obtain a first set of morphological layers (14-1, 14-2, 14-3, . . . ) of the thresholded image.

Abstract: Method is disclosed for the automatic creation of images in a “van Gogh” style. The method comprises locating portions of detail in an image an utilizing the area of detail to propagate brush strokes into areas of the image having lesser details. A number of modifications are also proposed including utilizing refining brush strokes to process those areas of detail in an image.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically determining a seed vigor index for a lot of seeds by analysis of a scanned image of a plurality of seedlings grown from lot of seeds, including automatically separating and analyzing overlapped seedlings. According to one aspect of the current invention, seedling analysis software is used to analyze an image of seedlings. The seedling analysis software preferably analyzes both hypocotyl and radicle lengths and thus determines the separation point between the two for each seedling. The seedling analysis software also preferably separates overlapped seedlings, preferably using a simulated annealing technique. According to another aspect of the present invention, a low-cost scanner placed in an inverted configuration in a scanner enclosure is used to generate high-quality, reproducible images of seedlings. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of using ordinary germination boxes, i.e.

Abstract: An image processing device detects the correlation between a pixel to be removed in thinning pixel blocks generated by using a delay in horizontal and vertical directions and an adjacent pixel. The device then determines a coefficient corresponding to the correlation. From the pixel to be removed and the adjacent pixel, pixel data is generated by using a predetermined calculation equation. Thinning and reduction of each pixel block in the horizontal and vertical directions thus occurs.

Abstract: A fingerprint recognition method includes iterative gamma correction that compensates moisture effect, feature extraction operations, directional morphological filtering that effectively links broken ridges and breaks smeared ridges, adaptive image alignment by local minutia matching, global matching by relaxed rigid transform, and statistical matching with Gaussian weighting functions.

Abstract: A process for producing a skeleton from a raster image by overlaying a plurality of tiles on the raster image, wherein each of the tiles identifies a sub-region of the raster image comprised of a plurality of pixels. The sub-regions are selectively skeletonized and then cached for subsequent access. Some or all of the cache is invalidated when one or more of the sub-regions are modified. Only those sub-regions that have been modified are re-skeletonized, on an “as needed” basis.