Abstract: Described are methods, systems, apparatus, and computer program products for determining the presence of an object on a target surface. A machine vision system includes a first image capture device configured to image a first portion of a target surface from a first viewpoint and a second image capture device configured to image a second portion of the target surface from a second viewpoint. The machine vision system is configured to acquire a first image from the first image capture device, a second image from the second image capture device, rectify the first image and second image, retrieve a disparity field, generate difference data by comparing, based on the mappings of the disparity field, image elements in the first rectified image and a second image elements in the second rectified image; and determine whether the difference data is indicative of an object on the target surface.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for implementing a mixed reality system with less power. In some examples, a passive state of the mixed reality system can have a GPU render predictable content that does not need to be processed by a CPU. In such examples, the predictable content can be identified and rendered by the GPU while the CPU is in a low-power mode. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide benefits not available with conventional techniques because a CPU may consume more power than a corresponding GPU. In some examples, the passive state can take advantage of the fact that predictable content can be identified and rendered without the use of the CPU. In such examples, the passive state can render predictable content that does not need to be processed by the CPU.

Abstract: An image processing method includes obtaining N frames of images, determining one of the N frames of images as a reference image, where the other N?1 frames of images are to-be-processed images, obtaining N?1 frames of ghost-free images based on the N?1 frames of to-be-processed images, and performing an averaging operation on the reference image and the N?1 frames of ghost-free images, to obtain a first target image.

Abstract: An image process apparatus includes an image capture device, a filter, a receiver, an input interface, a mixture unit, and an output interface. The image capture device captures an original image and generates a depth map corresponding to the original image, wherein the original image includes at least a first object within a first depth range of the depth map and the other objects not within the first depth range of the depth map. The receiver stores a value of the first depth range and the input interface receives an input image. The filter removes the other objects from the original image and generates a temporary image which includes the first object based on the value of the first depth range. The mixture unit combines the temporary image with the input image, and generates a blending image which is then outputted by the output interface to an external display.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus inspects a printed product by positioning a reading target image of the printed product relative to a reference image and collating the reading target image with the reference image includes a positioning unit configured to perform positioning processing for the reference image and the reading target image with a first precision, and a detection unit configured to detect an image defect candidate area by collating the reading target image with the reference image, which have been positioned by the positioning unit. The positioning unit newly performs the positioning processing for the reference image and the reading target image in the image defect candidate area with a second precision that is higher than the first precision. The detection unit detects an image defect by collating the reading target image with the reference image in an area having been newly subjected to the positioning processing using the second precision.

Abstract: An example method includes dividing the image into blocks of pixels of a predefined size; for each block, selecting one of a plurality of saturation patterns representing a binary value of one or more bits of digital watermark data corresponding to the block; and for each block, embedding the binary value of the one or more bits of corresponding digital watermark data into the block by adjusting the saturation of pixels within the block in accordance with the selected pattern.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a system for providing a natural language objective assessment of relative color quality between a reference and a source image. The system may include a color converter that receives a difference measurement between the reference image and source image and determines a color attribute change based on the difference measurement. The color attributes may include hue shift, saturation changes, and color variation, for instance. Additionally, a magnitude index facility determines a magnitude of the determined color attribute change. Further, a natural language selector maps the color attribute change and the magnitude of the change to natural language and generates a report of the color attribute change and the magnitude of the color attribute change. The output can then be communicated to a user in either text or audio form, or in both text and audio forms.

Abstract: An automatic process for calibrating the optical image exposure value to compensate for changes in machine vision systems to maintain optimal exposure of captured images and adjust for the different characteristics among cameras components, such as imaging sensor sensitivity, LED strength, external lighting, reflective functions of any background material, different external lighting conditions, possible changes or updates of the systems over the years, such as LED changes, and even the aging of camera sensor and LEDs over time. A series of images of a target are captured with a predetermined sequence of exposure values, the saturation exposure percentage of a region of interest is calculated in each of the images, and the saturation exposure percentages are compared to determine the exposure value that has a saturation exposure percentage that varies the least from the saturation exposure value of the preceding and following exposure values.

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

Abstract: The number of pixels in an identified pixel region is counted, a feature point of the pixel region is extracted and the number of the feature points is counted when the number of the pixels counted has been determined to be equal to or higher than a first threshold value, whether the counted number of the feature points is equal to or lower than a second threshold value is determined, features is calculated based on the feature point extracted from the pixel region when the number of the feature points has been determined to be above the second threshold value, and the first threshold value is changed when the number of the feature points has been determined to be equal to or lower than the second threshold value. Image similarity determination process can be stably performed without any degradation in determination accuracy.

Abstract: A method and system for mapping colors of an image. The method including the steps of: segmenting an image into a plurality of regions, so that pixels in each of the plurality of regions have a characteristic that meets a predetermined similarity; determining an initial contrast between adjacent regions in the plurality of regions; and transforming an initial color of each of the plurality of regions into a target color; where a target contrast between the adjacent regions in the plurality of regions is equal to or greater than the initial contrast or a difference between the target contrast and corresponding initial contrast is less than a predetermined threshold; and where at least one of the steps is carried out by a computer device.

Abstract: Systems and methods may automatically evaluate printed line weights in an image composition. An image composition may be received and the number of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels may be determined. The number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical rows may then be determined. An actual size of a pixel may be calculated. The actual size of a pixel may be multiplied by the number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows to determine a positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows. A predetermined minimum permissible positive line weight for the image composition may be identified and compared to the positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows.

Abstract: An auto-focus image system includes a focus signal generator and a pixel array coupled thereto that captures an image that includes a plurality of edges. The generator computes a focus signal from a plurality of edge-sharpness measures, each measured from and contributed by a different edge as a quantity with a unit that is a power of a unit of length. The generator reduces a relative weight of the contribution of an edge depending on a shape of a normalized gradient profile of the edge as identified by an n-tuple of values of n different shape measures (n?2). Each shape measure varies across normalized gradient profiles of different shapes. One shape measure may be the edge-sharpness measure itself. The weight may be zero if the n-tuple falls outside a predetermined region. At least one symmetrical shape that has perfect reflection symmetry receives reduced weight.

Abstract: Image fusion based on a modified method of frame averaging for noise removal by partly averaging over images having a smaller resolution than the desired resolution of the de-noised image. The set of images which are summed for averaging out noise consists of two subsets. The first set of images has a resolution (in terms of number of pixels) being smaller than the resolution of the images in the second set. The resolution of the images in the second set is the resolution of the ‘high-definition’ de-noised output image. The lower resolution images are up-sampled by scaling their pixel numbers to that desired output image. The gradation of the first set images is also adapted to avoid intensity saturation (flare) due to sommation. Image fusing is also done in fourier space using the high frequency components from the higher resolution images and the lower ones from the lower resolution images.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, an image processing apparatus includes a generating unit, a calculating unit, a receiving unit, and a changing unit. The generating unit generates a plurality of histograms of images with respect to each color based on an input image. The calculating unit calculates a plurality of first image densities of the images from the histograms. The receiving unit receives a content of image quality adjustment performed on the input image. The changing unit changes one of the histograms based on the content of the image quality adjustment. The one of the histogram corresponds to one of the images on which the image quality adjustment is performed. The calculating unit calculates a second image density corresponding to the one the images based on the one of the histogram changed by the changing unit.

Abstract: A dual-phase approach to red eye correction may prevent overly aggressive or overly conservative red eye reduction. The dual-phase approach may include detecting an eye portion in a digital image. Once the eye portion is detected, the dual-phase approach may include the performance of a strong red eye correction for the eye portion when the eye portion includes a strong red eye. Otherwise, the dual-phase approach may include the performance of a weak red eye correction for the eye portion when the eye portion includes a weak red eye. The weak red eye may be distinguished from the strong red eye based a redness threshold that shows the weak red eye as having less redness hue than the strong red eye.

Abstract: An available image area is recognized from information, including a read start position and a read end position of a document, a scaling for performing image processing, a processing object position, or the like. Subsequently, the number of chromatic pixels of one line is counted to output it to a memory, and when it is summed up to an end line of the available image area, a difference between a count number N1 in one previous line of the available image area and a count number N2 in the end line of the available image area is calculated to thereby compare the difference with a predetermined threshold value. When the difference is larger than the threshold, it is determined to be a chromatic image, whereas when the difference is smaller than the threshold, it is determined to be an achromatic image.

Abstract: A method for composing a global histogram of the values of the pixels of a hardcopy original includes a division of a detection area, which may be larger than the original, in stripes. For each of the stripes, a local histogram is made, which is added to a candidate histogram. If the decision is made from the values of the local histogram that a stripe belongs to the original, the candidate histogram is added to the global histogram. In this way, a representative histogram of the original is obtained, even if the white pixels from the original are indiscernible from the white pixels from the cover of the scanner. The method is embodied in an electronic component, including an application specific processing unit.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, an image processing apparatus includes a generating unit, a calculating unit, a receiving unit, and a changing unit. The generating unit generates a plurality of histograms of images with respect to each color based on an input image. The calculating unit calculates a plurality of first image densities of the images from the histograms. The receiving unit receives a content of image quality adjustment performed on the input image. The changing unit changes one of the histograms based on the content of the image quality adjustment. The one of the histogram corresponds to one of the images on which the image quality adjustment is performed. The calculating unit calculates a second image density corresponding to the one the images based on the one of the histogram changed by the changing unit.

Abstract: An image processor includes a reduced image forming unit, a first reflectance value calculating unit, a normalizing parameter determining unit, a second reflectance value calculating unit, a normalizing unit, a correcting unit, and a reducing information determining unit. The reduced image forming unit reduces an original image to form a reduced image. The first reflectance value calculating unit calculates a first reflectance value for each reduced pixel. The normalizing parameter determining unit determines a normalizing parameter based on a distribution of the first reflectance values. The second reflectance value calculating unit calculates a second reflectance value for each original pixel. The normalizing unit normalizes the second reflectance values based on the normalizing parameter to obtain normalized Retinex values. The correcting unit corrects the original pixel values based on the normalized Retinex values.

Abstract: Object detection and selection for use in a device having digital camera functionality is described. The mechanism detects the occurrence of a gesture by a pointing member in an image frame captured by an IR image sensor. The gesture is then recognized and an object pointed to is detected. The object detected is then selected as a result of the gesture recognition.

Abstract: An electronic visual aid is provided that includes an evaluating unit, which is supplied with a recording of an information carrier on which information standing out visibly from the background is displayed. The evaluating unit determines a brightness distribution of the recording and derives from the brightness distribution a brightness threshold value lying in the transition zone between a zone of the brightness distribution associated with the background and a zone of the brightness distribution associated with the information. The visual aid also includes an image processing unit which generates from the recording a binary image having only two different, predetermined brightness values, by respectively assigning to the pixels of the binary image the first of the two brightness values when the brightness of the corresponding pixel of the recording is below the brightness threshold value, and otherwise assigning the second brightness value.

Abstract: Converting images to binary image representations is part of an Optical Character Recognition program in a computer system. The method and system is using a relative threshold level to convert the image to its binary image representation.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a gradient calculator that calculates a direction and a magnitude of a gradient of each pixel in an input image using neighboring pixel values; a histogram calculator that calculates a Histogram of Oriented Gradients containing plural sampled directions from the directions and the magnitudes of the gradients calculated for the pixels in a region including the pixel being processed; a storing unit that stores plural smoothing filters and associated Histograms of Oriented Gradients; a search unit that calculates errors between Histogram of Oriented Gradients calculated for the pixel being processed and the Histograms of Oriented Gradients stored in the storing unit and searches the Histogram of Oriented Gradients that has the minimum error; and a filter processing unit that acquires one of the smoothing filters stored in association with the Histogram of Oriented Gradients having the minimum error and determines a corrected pixel value of the pixel being processed by filte

Abstract: Pixels of an image (200) are coded as color vectors specified by RGB values. The image (200) is filtered by calculating new color vectors for the pixels on a pixel by pixel basis. A new color vector for a subject pixel (201) is calculated from the average of neighbor pixels (203) in a window (202) around the subject pixel (201). A first threshold is calculated from the standard deviation of the color vectors of the neighbor pixels (203) in the window (202). A second threshold is calculated from the median maximum difference between the values defining the color vectors of the respective neighbor pixels (203) in the window (202) and the standard deviation of the values. Only neighbor pixels (203) having a color vector that differs from the color vector of the subject pixel (201) by less than or the same as the first and second thresholds are used in calculation of the new color vector for the subject pixel (201).

Abstract: A method for reducing image noise includes calculating a first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in a first number neighbor of a center pixel in a motion window, determining whether the first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in the first number neighbor is greater than a first predetermined value, and using a mean of those pixels of the first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in the first number neighbor to restore the center pixel of the motion window if the first pixel amount of pixels is greater than the first predetermined value. The method includes determining whether a second pixel amount of pixels that are similar to the center pixel is greater than a second predetermined value if the first pixel amount of pixels is not greater than the first predetermined value.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a document table, a read unit that reads a document so as to generate image data representing a read image of the document, a partial prescanning unit, which conveys the read unit in a partial area of a readable area of the document table, and which controls the read unit to execute read operation in the partial area, a corner estimation unit, which converts the image data of the read result of the read unit into edge image data representing an edge image, and which estimates position coordinates on the document table corresponding to two of four corners of the document on the assumption that the placed document is quadrangular based on the edge image data, and a document estimation unit that estimates the state of the placed document based on the estimation result of the corner estimation unit.

Abstract: A blur image adjusting method includes the following steps. Firstly, a blur image in YCbCr color space is obtained. The Y component of the blur image is extracted so as to obtain a Y component blur image. A blur area is extracted from the Y component blur image by an edge detection technology. A horizontal shift amount and a vertical shift amount are estimated according to a horizontal shift pixel number distribution and a vertical shift pixel number distribution of the blur area. A point spread function is determined according to the horizontal shift amount and the vertical shift amount. Afterwards, the blur image is adjusted according to the point spread function.

Abstract: The number of pixels in an identified pixel region is counted, a feature point of the pixel region is extracted and the number of the feature points is counted when the number of the pixels counted has been determined to be equal to or higher than a first threshold value, whether the counted number of the feature points is equal to or lower than a second threshold value is determined, features is calculated based on the feature point extracted from the pixel region when the number of the feature points has been determined to be above the second threshold value, and the first threshold value is changed when the number of the feature points has been determined to be equal to or lower than the second threshold value. Image similarity determination process can be stably performed without any degradation in determination accuracy.

Abstract: A method of enhancing contrast includes obtaining a first luminance histogram of an input image; generating a second luminance histogram through pixel redistribution for the first luminance histogram; computing a conversion function based on both a first cumulative density function based on the first luminance histogram and a second cumulative density function based on the second luminance histogram; and changing the luminance distribution of the input image based on the conversion function.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of obtaining a sharp image having less noise, comprising: a horizontal edge strength calculating unit 22 for calculating an edge strength along a horizontal direction of a concerned pixel; and a prefilter 24 for carrying out a filter processing based on the horizontal edge strength, and performing noise reduction and edge enhancement, a vertical edge strength calculating unit 23 for calculating an edge strength along a vertical direction of the concerned pixel; and a prefilter 25 for carrying out a filter processing based on the vertical edge strength, and performing noise reduction and edge enhancement, thereby enabling to sharpen image data in the vicinity of the concerned pixel respectively along horizontal and vertical directions, and obtain an image having less noises as well as sharp for edge directions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for image processing by locally adaptive filters that preserve the edges while smoothing the image. In the exemplary method, a filter adjusts image pixel values utilizing a locally adaptive weighted average method. To adjust the value of a target pixel, the filter uses the data corresponding to some of its surrounding pixels and modifies the weights in an inverse relation with both their distance from the target pixel and the difference between their data. Various embodiments present different schemes for selection of surrounding pixels and computation of weighted average values.

Abstract: An image-data processing apparatus includes an operation unit; a correcting unit multiplying image data generated by an image pickup device by a correction gain; a totalizing unit sequentially calculating a total pixel level for every frame from the image data; a history holding unit holding the total pixel levels of a certain number; an in-phase averaging unit detecting the total pixel levels in phase with a flicker phase corresponding to the image data that is being supplied to the correcting unit from the held total pixel levels to calculate a first average of the detected total pixel levels; an average calculating unit calculating a second average of the held total pixel levels; and a correction gain calculating unit calculating the correction gain by dividing the first average by the second average to set the correction gain in the correcting unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for variable source rate sampling in connection with image rendering, which accumulate and resolve over all samples forward mapped to each pixel bin. In accordance with the invention, the textured surface to be rendered is sampled, or oversampled, at a variable rate that reflects variations in frequency among different regions, taking into account any transformation that will be applied to the surface prior to rendering and the view parameters of the display device, thus ensuring that each bin of the rendering process receives at least a predetermined minimum number of samples. In one embodiment, the sampling rate is variably set such that each bin is assured to have at least one sample point. In another embodiment, a tiling approach to division of the surface is utilized.

Abstract: A method includes calculating a mean of a plurality of pixels of a motion window, calculating a pixel amount of pixels similar to a center pixel, calculating a variance of the pixels, determining whether a difference between the center pixel and the mean is greater than a first predetermined value, determining whether the pixel amount similar to the center pixel is greater than a second predetermined value if the difference between the center pixel and the mean is not greater than the first predetermined value, determining whether the variance is smaller than a threshold value if the pixel amount similar to the center pixel is not greater than the second predetermined value, and filtering the center pixel according to a result of determining whether the variance is smaller than the threshold value. Finally, temporal weighted mean filters involving motion estimation are used for motion compensation in images after spatial filtering.

Abstract: An image processing method for executing a quantization process of image data by error diffusion, executes a step of generating first image data by adding a quantization error to input image data, a step of generating second image data by quantizing the first image data by comparing the first image data with a predetermined threshold value, a step of generating third image data by dequantizing the second image data, a calculation step of calculating a quantization error for each pixel on the basis of the difference between the first and third image data, a storage step of storing information indicating a positive/negative sign of the calculated quantization error for a predetermined number of pixels in a storage unit, and a correction value generation step of generating a correction value used to correct at least one of the first image data and the threshold value on the basis of the information which is stored in the storage unit and indicates the positive/negative sign.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for electronically trapping a selected digital color image pixel. A plurality of pixels that surround the selected pixel are identified, a colorant value of each of the surrounding pixels is compared with a corresponding colorant value of the selected pixel, one of the surrounding pixels is identified to control trapping of the selected pixel, and the selected pixel is trapped based on a relationship between a colorant value of the selected pixel and a corresponding colorant value of the identified controlling pixel.

Abstract: A method for the automatic detection of fields or frames in film or video content having similar or substantially the same luminance or color component values, for example to detect black frames. Image sample values are assigned to a sample value range having a signed weight associated therewith, and a contribution to a discriminator function is determined for each sample range depending on the signed weight and the number of input samples in the sample value range. The discriminator function output is then compared with a threshold.

Abstract: A filter device includes a vertical NR process portion, a vertical resolution conversion portion and a vertical NR process decision portion. The vertical NR process portion receives a horizontal NR processed signal and produces an NR processed signal. The vertical resolution conversion portion includes a plurality of resolution conversion filters and uses the NR processed signal to perform a vertical resolution conversion. The vertical NR process decision portion decides whether or not the vertical NR process portion should perform the vertical NR process on the horizontal NR processed signal in accordance with a resolution conversion filter selection signal for selecting one of plurality of resolution conversion filters for the vertical resolution conversion portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for inputting a signal indicating a change in position of an image sensing apparatus to predict present position and orientation of the image sensing apparatus using previously obtained position and orientation, by identifying corresponding pairs of indicators detected from an image in real space sensed by the image sensing apparatus and indicators contained in an image when sensed from a predicted position and orientation and using a correction method determined by the number of identified indicator pairs either to correct all or some of the degrees of freedom of the predicted camera position and orientation or to use the predicted camera position and orientation directly as is. As a result, highly accurate detection results can be obtained using a simple structure in the detection of the position and orientation of the image sensing apparatus.

Abstract: A blur checking region is determined by selecting a region in which a blur tends to clearly appear in a digital photograph image as the blur checking region. Then, an image of a region corresponding to the blur checking region is obtained as a checking image in a corrected image obtained by performing blur correction processing on the digital photograph image. Then, the obtained checking image is displayed in a size appropriate for the resolution of a display device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus from removing image compression artifacts includes comparing a center pixel value with a perimeter pixel value to generate a compare pixel value. The compare pixel value is compared with a threshold value such that when the compare pixel value is below a threshold value, a count value is incremented and an accumulation value is accumulated. The method and apparatus includes repeating the comparison of perimeter pixel values with the center pixel values. The method and apparatus further includes if the count value has been incremented, generating an output center pixel value based on the quotient of the accumulation value divided by the count value as the center pixel value.

Abstract: A method of driving a display having a plurality of light-emitting elements that change with time or use, comprising the steps of: a) displaying first and second image signals having spatially distributed pixels divided into a plurality of groups, and forming first and second image signal group attributes for each of the plurality of groups; b) comparing the second group attributes and the first group attributes to form at least one group difference value for each group, comparing the group difference values to at least one predetermined metric to form at least one pixel group dynamic value, combining the group dynamic values, and if the combined group dynamic values are found to be less than a first limit, displaying a display-preserving image signal over the entire display.

Abstract: A method for multi-level halftoning an input digital image to form an output digital image which includes a multi-level error diffusion halftoning process incorporating periodic dither signals whose amplitudes are adjusted as a function of the error-diffusion texture characteristics.

Abstract: The amount of moiré in halftone printed images is reduced using unique moiré intensity functions and moiré vectors in a halftoner. In various embodiments, moiré phase angle zones are determined over the full field of an image and high addressability units in the full-field moiré phase angle zones of the image are adjusted, including in an iterative manner, until they significantly reduce the moiré. A useful relationship between halftoner memory locations and moiré phase angle zones in a full field image is determined. The moiré that occurs in a halftone image is quantified and moiré compensation values obtained are then used to generate an inverse moire amount which is used to compensate for the moiré.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for automatic aspect ratio detection and may comprise scanning lines in at least a selected portion of an image and locating a first reference pixel in one of the scanned lines. A corresponding sliding sum and a sliding number may be generated starting from the first reference pixel and a white edge determined based on the generated sliding sum and/or the generated sliding number. The first reference pixel may be a non-black pixel and a value which corresponds to and defines non-black may be variably defined. The sliding sum and the sliding number may utilize m bins, where m is greater than one (1). A luma sum threshold may be compared with the generated sliding sum to locate the white edge for aspect ratio detection.

Abstract: A graphics system has a mode of operation in which real samples and virtual samples are generated for anti-aliasing pixels. Each virtual sample identifies a set of real samples associated with a common primitive that covers a virtual sample location within a pixel. The virtual samples provide additional coverage information that may be used to adjust the weights of real samples.

Abstract: A method and associated device wherein an inverse histogram based pixel mapping step is combined with an edge enhancement step such as unsharp masking. In such an arrangement the inverse histogram based pixel mapping step improves the performance of the unsharp masking step, serving to minimize the enhancement of noise components while desired signal components are sharpened.

Abstract: In ink-jet printing apparatuses having a monochrome head which is longer than a color head, if a monochrome image is processed as a color image, the printing speed cannot be improved. Accordingly, the color attribute is determined by pixel based on a luminance signal indicating a color multivalue image, and the number of color attributes and the number of array attributes in a first line group are counted. Based on these count values, a parameter indicating an image characteristic of second line group including the first line group is calculated. The image attribute of the second line group is determined in correspondence with the respective count values and the parameter. Then, based on the results of determination about adjacent second line groups, the image attribute of third line group included in the second line groups is determined. Thus attribute determination can be appropriately performed in predetermined band units of image data.

Abstract: A method for determining a number of balls in a projection space comprises determining a projection of a portion of a ball grid array, determining at least one local maximum of the projection space for a given threshold, and determining at least a distance between adjacent maximum. The method further comprises determining an inter-peak histogram of the distances, determining an inter-ball distance for each pair of adjacent balls that has the maximum value of the inter-peak distance histogram corresponding to the pair of adjacent balls, and determining a position of a first ball and a position of a last ball. The method comprises verifying the position of the first ball and the position of the last ball based on a general inter-ball distance, and determining the number of balls.