Abstract: An apparatus for reducing image noise with filter matrix comprises a first input unit for receiving input of an object image data for conversion; a second input unit for receiving input of a size data of a convention area; a first output unit for setting conversion unit matrixes movable in the conversion area in a predetermined direction relative to a standard matrix; a second output unit for outputting average values of image information of pixels corresponding to the conversion unit matrixes set by first output unit and outputting an average value of image information of pixels corresponding to the standard matrix; an arrangement unit for calculating difference values between the average value of the standard matrix and the average values of the conversion unit matrixes and arranging calculation (difference) values according to size; and a conversion unit for low-pass filtering the conversion unit matrixes having calculation values smaller than a predetermined ordinal number among the arranged calculation v

Abstract: An apparatus and method for image interpolation based on low pass filtering are provided. The apparatus includes an edge direction detector detecting an edge direction for a pixel nearest to a to-be-interpolated pixel among pixels and determining the edge direction of the to-be-interpolated pixel as the detected edge direction, a pixel value calculator calculating pixel values of interpolation points located in a lattice filtering window having a predetermined size by using pixel values of pixels located adjacent to the interpolation points, and a filtering unit performing low pass filtering on the to-be-located pixel according to a low pass filter corresponding to the determined edge direction of the to-be-interpolated pixel, the low pass filter being one of low pass filters corresponding to predetermined vertical, horizontal, left diagonal and right diagonal directions respectively.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent a problem that an image on a document sheet is erased due to misdetection of a line-shaped noise. A copy machine 1 compares RGB values of a target pixel with averaged RGB values (Step S103). If only one of the RGB values has a difference that is greater than a prescribed value Ref2 (Step S103: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to a line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in a line-shaped noise address storing area 49b. If two of the RGB values have differences (Step S103: NO, Step S104: YES) and a difference between these two of the RGB values is no greater than a prescribed value Ref3 (Step S105: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to the line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in the line-shaped noise address storing area 49b.

Abstract: Tunable Gaussian filters enable imaging effects to be applied to images and videos in orientations other than standard symmetric, 0 degree orientations and 90 degree orientations. The tunable Gaussian filters are able to be applied in any orientation such as 45 degrees, slightly less than 45 degrees and slightly more than 0 degrees.

Abstract: A method of reducing blurring in an image of size greater than M columns by N rows of pixels, comprises deriving a blur kernel k representing the blur in the image, and deriving an inverse blur kernel k?1. The inverse blur kernel is given by (I) where h(m) is the sum of the first m terms of the series (II) ? is the Dirac delta, m is greater than 1, and h(m) is a two dimensional matrix of size M×N. The two dimensional matrix h(m) is convolved with the image over the whole image in the image pixel domain to produce an image with reduced blur. The method may be applied to a video sequence allowing the sequence of images to be deblurred in real time.

Abstract: In a device and a method for detecting a letter box for an MPEG decoder, the method includes performing processing area filtering for selecting a processing area of an image used to detect the letter box; performing intra-macroblock filtering for determining the letter box area based on a change level of pixels in macroblocks in one line of the image from the processing area; performing impulse data filtering for excluding the line being detected a high frequency component from the determined letter box area; performing inter-macroblock filtering for determining the letter box area based on a change level of lines between macroblocks of the image; performing inter-line filtering for determining a boundary of the letter box based on an average of the pixel values of the lines; and performing inter-picture filtering for outputting a boundary value of the letter box that has the highest frequency number as the boundary of the letter box in successive images.

Abstract: An image projection apparatus includes a calculation unit, a band limiting unit, a reduction processing unit, and an edge enhancement unit. The calculation unit calculates a reduction ratio of an input image. The band limiting unit applies a low-pass filter to the input image. The reduction processing unit produces a reduced image by performing reduction processing with respect to the input image which has undergone an application of the low-pass filter by the band limiting unit using the reduction ratio calculated by the calculation unit. The edge enhancement unit sets a frequency characteristic of a bandpass filter based on a cutoff frequency used by the band limiting unit to apply a low-pass filter to the input image, and performs, using the frequency characteristic, edge enhancement processing with respect to the image reduced by the reduction processing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to save toner, which can increase the sharpness of printed data (for example, images or characters) on a printing medium while achieving toner saving, and a method to control the same. The image forming apparatus includes a determinator, a storage unit, and a halftoning processor. The determinator receives a command signal to print and then determines whether or not the received command signal is a command signal for a toner saving mode. The storage unit stores a halftone table in which an LPI higher than a normal LPI is set. If the received command signal is a command signal for the toner saving mode, the halftoning processor generates and outputs halftoning result by comparing gray level values corresponding to pixels of received input image data with grayscale values of the stored halftone table.

Abstract: An image processing device and method is provided to reduce color artifact. A smooth unit performs a smooth operation on color signal corresponding to a pixel and adjacent pixels to generate smooth color signal. A level shifter performs a level-shifting on the smooth color signal to obtain level-shifted color signal. A color strength unit calculates a color strength indicator based on the color signal. A gray level decision unit is connected to the color strength unit for deciding whether the pixel is in a gray level region or not based on the color strength indicators of the pixel and adjacent pixels to generate a gray level indicator. An adjustment unit adjusts the smooth color signal and the level-shifted color signal based on the gray level indicator to generate an output color signal.

Abstract: A video processor includes a video filter and a calculation circuit. The video filter performs a low-pass filtering operation on first frame data to obtain brightness distribution data. The calculation circuit obtains difference data between the brightness distribution data and second frame data. The calculation circuit multiplies the difference data and a weighting parameter together to obtain a product, and then summates the product and the second frame data together to generate processed frame data.

Abstract: There is described a system and method for automatically discriminating between different types of data with an image reader. In brief overview of one embodiment, the automatic discrimination feature of the present image reader allows a human operator to aim a hand-held image reader at a target that can contain a dataform and actuate the image reader. An autodiscrimination module in the image reader in one embodiment analyzes image data representative of the target and determines a type of data represented in the image data.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a frequency decomposition unit adapted to decompose an image signal into a high frequency component and a low frequency component, a high frequency separation unit adapted to separate the high frequency component into an invalid component caused by noise and other valid component, a conversion characteristic calculation unit adapted to calculate a conversion characteristic on the basis of the low frequency component, a gradation processing unit adapted to perform a gradation processing on the low frequency component and the valid component on the basis of the calculated conversion characteristic, and a frequency synthesis unit adapted to generate an image signal on which a gradation conversion has been performed by synthesizing the low frequency component on which the gradation conversion has been performed, the valid component on which a gradation conversion has been performed and the invalid component.

Abstract: A camera auto-focuses using computed blur differences between images of a three-dimensional scene. The camera computes the blur difference between two images of the scene acquired at two different picture numbers. The camera uses the computed blur difference to predict a third picture number, where the camera uses the third picture number to auto-focus a camera lens on the scene.

Abstract: An image filtering method, apparatus and system, wherein the method comprising the steps of detecting at least one portion of an edge, wherein the portion of the edge provides an indication that ringing artifact are probable; subjecting at least one portion of a pixel, related to the at least a portion of the edge, to a low pass filter to produce a filtered pixel; and blending the filtered pixel with a value relating to the filter prior to filtering to produce a filtered image.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for producing a rendered drawing or rendering from a detailed image of an object (e.g. photograph) resulting in a rendering that is photogrammetric and that preserves detail in the said image of said object. The combination of the metric nature and image detail preservation in a rendering resulting from the process enhances the usefulness of the rendering to users. The invention is useful in particular for large format renderings such as wire frame style drawings used for blueprints in the architecture, engineering and construction industry (AEC industry) when used for existing structures. The processes combine graphic arts techniques with photogrammetric techniques to preserve, fully or partially, information about an object as captured in image detail of said object and to present said information in photogrammetrically correct rendering, which rendering may be incorporated into drawings useful to and/or familiar to end users of said drawings.

Abstract: An image processor (24) includes an image processing section (04) which performs a blurring process on a given image data. The image processing section (04) is provided with an image data reduction part (04A), a spatial filter processing part (04B), and an image data expansion part (04C). The image data reduction part (04A) reduces the given image data at a predetermined reduction rate to generate a reduced image data. The spatial filter processing part (04B) performs a spatial filter process on the reduced image data reduced by the image data reduction part (04A) to generate a processed image data. An image data expansion part (04C) expands the processed image data processed by the spatial filter processing part (04B) at an expansion rate inverse of the reduction rate.

Abstract: Video sequence processing is described with various filtering rules applied to extract dominant features for content based video sequence identification. Active regions are determined in video frames of a video sequence. Video frames are selected in response to temporal statistical characteristics of the determined active regions. A two pass analysis is used to detect a set of initial interest points and interest regions in the selected video frames to reduce the effective area of images that are refined by complex filters that provide accurate region characterizations resistant to image distortion for identification of the video frames in the video sequence. Extracted features and descriptors are robust with respect to image scaling, aspect ratio change, rotation, camera viewpoint change, illumination and contrast change, video compression/decompression artifacts and noise.

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: There are provided with an image area setting unit which causes each pixel included in a photographed photograph-image to be a correction target pixel in order, and sets an image area including the correction target pixel and plural pixels existing near the correction target pixel, a prescribed value calculation processing unit which calculates a prescribed value based on brightness information of pixels included in the image area for every image area which has been set, and a brightness adjusting processing unit which divides a brightness target value of the whole photograph-image by the prescribed value to calculate a correction value, and multiplies the brightness information of the correction target pixel by the correction value to execute a brightness correction processing.

Abstract: An image decoding device includes an error detecting unit that detects a decoding error in each unit area in one frame of an image; an error compensating determining unit that determines an error compensating area for which error compensation should be performed for the decoding error; and an error compensating unit that performs error compensation to the error compensating area. The error compensating area determining unit determines a unit area where the decoding error occurs, and a predetermined area adjacent to the unit area, as the error compensating area.

Abstract: A method of processing image data comprises receiving input signals for specifying red, green and blue colors of the pixels of a display, performing a per-pixel low pass filtering of the input signals, the low pass filtering function being dependent on the chrominance variation between adjacent pixels, and providing the filtered output signals for use in driving the pixels of a display. This method essentially measures the chrominance variation of the incoming signal, in the form of the color change frequency, and depending on this variation, adaptively low-pass filters the incoming signal. This can be in such a way that the chrominance resolution of the outgoing signal is below the maximum chrominance resolution of the intended display, without errors in the average color of a small group of pixels.

Abstract: In the case where a digital camera is used for evaluating a display quality of an image display panel, moire is generated due to a shift of a pixel pitch between a pixel of a panel and a pixel of a digital camera, and thus, a great influence is given as measurement deviation. The present invention carries 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: A digital filter configuration for the filtration of a digital video signal, wherein the functions of a zoom filter, in the form of a low-pass filter, which is a polyphase filter, and of at least one peaking filter, in the form of a high-pass filter, are realized, wherein the functions of the two filters are realized in a combined filter (1-17) in an integrated circuit in a manner such that, for each phase of the zoom filter to be set, combined filter coefficients are calculated from filter coefficients stored for this phase of the zoom filter and from filter coefficients stored for the peaking filter, which combined filter coefficients are applied to the video data to be filtered in a filtration process, so that both filtration functions are executed with the combined filter coefficients in this filtration process.

Abstract: A noise cancellation device for an image signal processing system includes a receiving end for receiving image signals, a 3D filtering unit for adjusting a filtering parameter according to a motion estimation value, and filtering the image signals and a former filtering result for generating a current filtering result, a motion detection unit for comparing the former filtering result and the image signals, so as to generate a current motion factor and the motion estimation value according to a former motion factor, a memory unit for receiving and storing the current filter result and the current motion factor as the former filtering result and the former motion factor, and an output end for outputting the current filtering result provided by the 3D filtering unit.

Abstract: A first sigma filtering circuit sigma filters an image to produce a filtered image. An analysis circuit processes the sigma filtered image to produce an approximation part and a detail part. A second sigma filter circuit filters the approximation part to produce a sigma filtered approximation part. Another analysis circuit process the sigma filtered approximation part to produce a second approximation part and a second detail part. A third sigma filter circuit sigma filters the second approximation part to produce a sigma filtered second filtered approximation part. A first synthesizer synthesizes the sigma filtered second filtered approximation part and the second detailed part to produce a first reconstructed image, and a second synthesizer synthesizes the first reconstructed image and the first detail part to produce a final filtered image.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of recognizing image feature pixels is related to the recognizing method including receiving an image having a plurality of pixels; subsequent filtering the pixels at least once by detecting the edge pixels of objects in the received image based on pixel values of the pixels, so as to obtain a plurality of candidate pixels; and performing multiple difference of Gaussian (DOG) blurring operations on the candidate pixels to find the candidate pixels having a relative extreme value as a plurality of feature pixels. Therefore, the processing time of recognizing image feature pixels may be reduced.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of measuring a distance using structured light. The apparatus includes a binarization unit binarizing an image, an image identification unit identifying an image having connected pixels in the binarized image, a length ratio calculation unit obtaining the length ratio of the major axis of the image having the connected pixels to a minor axis perpendicular to the major axis, a pixel mean calculation unit obtaining the mean of pixel values of the image having the connected pixels, and an image extraction unit extracting an image formed by the light irradiated from the light source, from the images having connected pixels using the length ratio and the mean of the pixel values.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of removing a moire pattern of a digital imaging device are provided. It is determined whether or not a moire pattern is created based on an image frequency of a preview image and a spatial frequency of an image sensor, and when it is determined that a moire pattern is generated, an optical path of light incident to an image sensor is slightly changed to remove the moire pattern. Accordingly, image quality deterioration can be improved, and a problem of unnecessary filtering that causes deterioration of resolution even when there is no moire pattern can be enhanced.

Abstract: An image processing system having scaling and sharpness device and method thereof are described. The global frequency detecting unit calculates a vertical frequency level of the input pixels along a vertical direction and a horizontal frequency level along a horizontal direction. The gradient-calculating summation unit calculates a set of gradient brightness levels according to a portion of the input pixels along a set of directions respectively. The threshold-adjusting device adjusts a first threshold and a second threshold based on the relationship of the vertical frequency level and the horizontal frequency level.

Abstract: The invention provides a visual processing device that has a hardware configuration that does not depend on the visual processing to be achieved. A visual processing device 1 is provided with a spatial processing portion 2 and a visual processing portion 3. The spatial processing portion 2 performs predetermined processing with respect to an input signal IS that has been received as input, and outputs the result as an unsharp signal US. The visual processing portion 3 outputs an output signal OS, which is the input signal IS after visual processing, based on a two-dimensional LUT 4 that lists the relationship between the input signal IS that has been received as input and the unsharp signal US, and the output signal OS.

Abstract: A fast, accurate and efficient Gaussian filter implements a box filter implementation, applies the central limit theorem and uses an overflow implementation. By combining the box filter, central limit theorem and overflow, the filter is fast, accurate and efficient so that it is able to be implemented in hardware and/or software easily.

Abstract: Tomographically reconstructing a 3D image object corresponding to a data set includes for each step in a series of iteration steps, determining an updated object by performing a combined operation, which includes performing an update operation for updating an input object and performing a pixon smoothing operation, and following a last iteration, outputting one of the updated objects as the 3D image object.

Abstract: A suppression method that provides adaptive (i.e., selective) processing of an input picture to generate an enhanced output picture with ringing-like areas of the input picture suppressed. For each window in the input picture, if the window is detected as around a ringing-like area in the picture, then the output pixel for the position of the window comprises the low-pass filtered (i.e., smoothed) pixel in the input picture. If the window is not detected as around a ringing-like area, then the output pixel for the position of the window comprises essentially the unchanged window in the input picture. No blurring is introduced in areas where ringing-like patterns are not detected. The output picture is an enhanced version of the input picture comprising portions of the input picture where ringing-like patterns were not detected, and portions of the input picture with suppressed (i.e., smoothed) ringing-like patterns where detected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of correcting a digital mammogram of a breast containing an implant. According to the invention, brightnesses situated at and around the implant peak (PI) in the low frequency component of the image (XLP) are attenuated (ATT) as compared with a function (P1) that is applied to the other brightnesses, thereby attenuating the implant. The invention also provides a method of segmenting an implant in a radiographic image, the method being characterized by the following steps: smoothing the image by a noise-reducing lowpass filter, applying a non-directional spatial derivative filter, pixel thresholding, and selecting an outline to define the segmented portion of the image that corresponds to the implant.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for image enhancement. Some embodiments comprise color detection, color mapping and differential processing based on color characteristics. Some embodiments comprise tonescale processing. Some embodiments comprise application of dither pattern noise to an image to reduce contouring artifacts.

Abstract: A method of processing an image includes traversing pixels of an image in a single pass over the image. An inverting function is applied to the pixels. A recursive filter is applied to the inverted pixel values. The filter has parameters which are derived from previously traversed pixel values of the image. A pixel value is combined with a filter parameter for the pixel to provide a processed pixel value for a processed image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, includes: an information acquisition unit that obtains position information indicating a position of a first pixel group made up with pixels set along a predetermined direction among a plurality of pixels constituting an image; a smoothing processing unit that executes smoothing processing on pixel values indicated at the pixels in the first pixel group; and a control unit that controls the smoothing processing unit so that the smoothing processing unit executes the smoothing processing differently when using pixel values indicated at least at some pixels in the first pixel group during the smoothing processing and when using pixel values indicated at least at some pixels in a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels during the smoothing processing, the second pixel group being different from the first pixel group.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and a method thereof are introduced herein. In the method, an image is divided into a plurality of blocks, and a corresponding image processing ratio is set to each of the blocks, wherein each of the blocks includes a plurality of image unit data. Next, the image processing ratios are stored in a filter table, wherein the image unit data of each of the blocks has the corresponding image processing ratio. Next, the filter table is read out and decoded to generate a plurality of filter coefficients, and the corresponding image unit data is obtained according to each of the filter coefficients. Next, filter operation is performed to the corresponding image data and the filter coefficient for outputting a filter operated image data. The image processing ratio can be a zoon ratio or a blur ratio.

Abstract: There are provided an image generating apparatus and an image generating method, which are capable of generating an image with only a noise portion reliably deleted. A reduced image is generated by reducing the multi-valued image, smoothing processing is executed on the reduced image, an edge image is generated from the reduced image, edge angle information concerning edge angles is generated in pixel units from the edge image, a synthesizing rate of the multi-valued image and the smoothed reduced image is calculated in pixel units of the reduced image based upon the edge angle information. An enlarged image is generated by enlarging the smoothed reduced image to an identical scale, the synthesizing rate calculated in pixel units of the reduced image is converted into a synthesizing rate in pixel units of the enlarged image, and the multi-valued image and the enlarged image are synthesized based upon the converted synthesizing rate.

Abstract: A method and system for calculating a blur artifact in a video are disclosed. The video includes a series of frames captured at a predefined interval of time. The frames include one or more pixels. Calculating the blur artifact in the video includes identifying a focused area in a set of frames. Further, edges are detected in each of the frames. Furthermore, the blur artifact is calculated as a ratio of number of blurred pixels and total number edge pixels.

Abstract: An image adjustment amount determination device comprises: processing target image determination means for receiving an input video signal which comprises a plurality of frame images and which is input from the outside, for dividing the input video signal into the plurality of frame images, and for determining a processing target image which is to be the target of image processing and one or more neighboring images which are located in the vicinity of the processing target image in the display order, on the basis of a predetermined criterion from the plurality of frame images; image characteristic extraction means for extracting a feature quantity relating to the neighboring images thus determined; and image adjustment amount determination means for determining at least one adjustment amount of the amplitude and bandwidth of a spatial frequency component relating to the processing target image thus determined, on the basis of the feature quantity that relates to the neighboring images thus extracted.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus receives n-bit image data, carries out an ?-bit bit extension, and outputs (n+?)-bit image data, where n and ? are positive integers. The apparatus also performs an epsilon filtering operation that uses the additional gray levels provided by the bit extension to smooth out false edges caused by the bit extension without smoothing out real edges. The output image preserves both the smoothness of regions of gradual change and the sharpness of abrupt changes in the input image.

Abstract: An image stabilization method and an image stabilization device for processing a target image in a video stream are provided. A target accumulated global vector of the target image is first calculated. Then, a low-pass filtering procedure is performed on the target accumulated global vector to generate a final motion vector. Subsequently, the target image is adjusted based on the final motion vector. Thereby, the target image is stabilized.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method for processing an image. The method includes: detecting at least an edge in the image; determining at least a pixel window including the edge; detecting whether a mosquito noise exists in the pixel window; and filtering out the detected mosquito noise in the pixel window.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of generating an immersion is provided. The apparatus for generating the immersion includes: a foreground/background separation unit to separate an input image into a foreground area and a background area using lightness information of the input image; an edge classification unit to classify the foreground area into an edge area and a non-edge area using the lightness information; a detail enhancement unit to enhance detail of the edge area of the foreground area; and a blurring performing unit to perform blurring of the non-edge area and the background area.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus according to various aspects take as input image data in a lower-dynamic-range (LDR) format and produce as output enhanced image data having a dynamic range greater than that of the input image data (i.e. higher-dynamic range (HDR) image data). In some embodiments, the methods are applied to video data and are performed in real-time (i.e. processing of video frames to enhance the dynamic range of the video frames is completed at least on average at the frame rate of the video signal).

Abstract: Efficient and accurate estimation of the position and size of an object is achieved. Convolution of an image with a smoothing filter is repeated to generate a plurality of smoothed images L(x, y, ?i) of different scales. Then, a differential image G(x, y, ?i) between each pair of the smoothed images L(x, y, ?i) of scales ?i and ?i×2 is generated. Then, a combined image AP is generated by combining the differential images G(x, y, ?i), and a position estimating unit estimates the position of the object based on the combined image AP.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing false color artifacts in digital images. Aperture correction and color saturation values are determined for a portion of an image surrounding a subject pixel. A color attenuation value is determined based at least in part on the aperture correction and color saturation values. A color value of the subject pixel is adjusted by an amount based at least in part on the color attenuation value. In one exemplary embodiment, the method and apparatus operate in the YUV color space and adjust U and V values of the subject pixel proportionally to the color attenuation value.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to adequately remove a halo in an image processing method and apparatus for conversion of an image into an image suitable for image recording and displaying by compression of the dynamic range of the image. As means for solution, an image processing method that compresses the dynamic range of image data includes: an input process of inputting image data; a low frequency component calculation process of calculating, for each pixel, a low frequency component of image data inputted through the input process; an image processing process of calculating an image-processed value for each pixel, according to the below-described equation; and an output process of outputting image data including the image-processed value calculated by the image processing process.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for generating enhanced images of multiple dimensional data using a depth-buffer segmentation process. The method and system operate in a computer system modify the image by generating a reduced-dimensionality image data set from a multidimensional image by formulating a set of projection paths through image points selected from the multidimensional image, selecting an image point along each projection path, analyzing each image point to determine spatial similarities with at least one other point adjacent to the selected image point in a given dimension, and grouping the image point with the adjacent point or spatial similarities between the points is found thereby defining the data set.