Abstract: An operation of an iris filter is carried out on an original image signal representing an image, and the degree of centralization of gradients of the original image signal with respect to a picture element is thereby calculated, each of picture elements constituting the image being taken as the picture element. An image portion, which is associated with a high degree of centralization, in the image is detected in accordance with the calculated degree of centralization. Image emphasis processing is then selectively carried out on the detected image portion. Alternatively, a morphology operation is carried out on an original image signal Dorg by using a multiply structure element Bi and a scale factor .lambda., and a morphology signal Dmor is thereby obtained.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for semi-automatic retouching of digital images is provided. The method includes the steps of processing the digital image to obtain a list of candidate defect segments, computing statistics for a list of candidate defect segments and for the segments of the image surrounding the candidate defect segments, selecting a sublist of defect segments in accordance with pre-determined criteria using the computed statistics, displaying the image together with the sublist and amending the values of the sublist of defect segments to obtain a retouched image.

Abstract: A decaying, propagating reference signal allows for the efficient implementation of various image morphological operations, including grayscale dilations and erosions, with only two passes through the image. Pyramid and other morphological shape operators can be duplicated by varying the decay rate(s) of the reference signal, the offset directions and magnitudes of the comparison vector(s), and the paths and number of passes through the image. The methods may also be performed in parallel on the same input image to generate an adaptive threshold image defined as the biased average of an image separately transformed by a dilation and by an erosion. Applications of the technique in one and two dimensions are disclosed.

Abstract: Measurement of the optical transfer function of an optical system imaging a bar pattern. A one dimensional fast Fourier transform processes sampled image data from the bar pattern. A model of the system utilizes robust measurements of the period, duty cycle and center of each stripe in the pattern. A signal alias free optical transfer function is estimated from the plurality of one dimensional frequency representation of the signal. An idealized bar pattern synthesized from the measured parameters of period, duty cycle and the center of each stripe in the pattern generates an ideal optical transfer function. The noise reduced optical transfer function, OTF, is estimated from OTF of the signal and OTF of the synthesized bar pattern.

Abstract: A morphology operation, with which an image portion having a contour of a predetermined size is extracted from an original image, is carried out on an original image signal Sorg representing the original image. A specific image signal, which represents a characteristic value with respect to the image portion having the contour, is thereby obtained. A specific image emphasis coefficient in accordance with the level of the specific image signal is calculated. An edge signal, which represents a characteristic value with respect to an image edge portion in the original image, is detected. The specific image emphasis coefficient is adjusted in accordance with the edge signal. A new specific image emphasis coefficient obtained from the adjustment is employed as an emphasis coefficient .beta., and a processed image signal Sproc is calculated with Formula (1):Sproc=Sorg+.beta..times.(Sorg-Sus) (1)where Sus represents an unsharp mask signal of the original image signal Sorg.

Abstract: In closing processing, maximum value processing is carried out with a structure element on an original image signal, and maximum value signals are thereby obtained as intermediate results and stored in an intermediate memory. The intermediate memory has a storage space of (the same number of lines as that of picture elements constituting the structure element).times.(the number of picture elements lying on one line in the array of picture elements of the original image). Minimum value processing is then carried out with the structure element on the maximum value signals having been stored along one line in the intermediate memory. Each time the minimum value processing for one line in the intermediate memory is finished, the maximum value signals having been stored in the intermediate memory are shifted back by one line, and the maximum value processing is then carried out for one line in the array of picture elements of the original image. The storage space of the intermediate memory is thereby kept small.

Abstract: An image compression device comprises an image smoothing device which produces a smooth image by performing a smoothing process on an original image, an edge detection device which produces an edge image by subtracting said smoothed image from said original image, a fractal encoding device which encodes said smoothed image by fractal image compression, a reversible encoding device which encodes said edge image by reversible image compression, and an output device which combines the output of said fractal encoding means and the output of said reversible encoding means, and outputs said data as compressed data of the original image.

Abstract: This invention relates to a data conversion system utilizing a cell comprising: a shift register supplied with a plurality of data for sequentially shifting the data; a memory, supplied with data in a certain area of the shift register as addresses, storing data for outputting a predetermined value when data in the certain area are in a pattern to determine the value of the center dot of the area, or for outputting an instruction signal for determining the value of the center dot according to dot data outside of the certain area when data in the certain area are not in a pattern to determine the value of the center dot of the area; and an operation unit for selecting and outputting said predetermined value from said memory when no instruction signal is supplied from the memory and for outputting the value of the center dot by determining it from data outside the certain area per the instruction signal.

Abstract: A defective pixel correction circuit corrects a defective pixel in a solid imaging device such as a CCD exactly and sufficiently. A boundary detection circuit calculates magnitudes of boundaries from signals of eight peripheral pixels taken in a pixel taking-in circuit and a boundary ordering circuit compares the calculated magnitudes of the boundaries with one another to order the magnitudes of the boundaries. An interpolation circuit produces an interpolation signal in accordance with an interpolation method determined by an interpolation method determining circuit on the basis of the order of the ordered boundaries to correct the defective pixel.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention locates facial features in an image by bandpass filtering the image and then performing morphological operations followed by a thresholding operation. This initial processing identifies candidate areas where facial features may be located. The candidate areas are evaluated by classifiers to determine if a facial feature, such as an eye or mouth, has been located.

Abstract: A method for high speed morphological processing in a computerized image processing system starts by acquiring a binary image and selecting feature and height values corresponding to a desired morphological processing of an image. The image is scanned in a raster scanning sequence so as to produce a scanned image including a plurality of pixels. A sequential labeling transformation is performed on each of the plurality of pixels of the scanned image so as to produce a transformed image. A thresholding operation is performed on the transformed image. The resultant image is translated.

Abstract: An automatic computer implemented technique which may be used for identifying markers and determining the centroids of fiducial markers (e.g., cylindrical fiducial markers) attached to the head in magnetic resonance (MR) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) volume images is disclosed. This technique may be referred to as image space localization. A first portion of the technique identifies many candidate voxel points included in a bright area of the image which may correspond to candidate markers. A second portion of the technique selects from the identified candidate voxels a predetermined number of candidate points of the image volume that are most likely to lie within an actual fiducial marker. The centroid for each of these markers is then determined. The method finds markers whose images are of a higher intensity than their surroundings and which have a given shape and size.

Abstract: A digital radiographic image is segmented into various regions and a region thereof is further decomposed into subregions, wherein digital image data is acquired and subjected to multiple phases of digital imaging processes. The region decomposition method first uses progressively smoothing techniques to generate smoothed regions at multiple scales. Next, the number of connected components at each scale is computed for each smoothed region. A shape spectrum, which is the number of connected components as a function of scale, is subsequently constructed to determine the most stable range of scales and the most stable number of subregions into which the region is decomposed. Each pixel is then classified into subregions, according to the geometrical relationship of the connected components detected at most stable scales. Finally, a decomposed map is generated to function as multivalued templates for any further image processing to be done on various decomposed subregions.

Abstract: In brief, a method of reducing an M X N input binary image (M rows of N pixels each) by a factor of m vertically and n horizontally includes the steps of performing at least one logical operation between bits in consecutive groups of m adjacent rows to provide a resultant single row for each group of m rows, and performing at least one logical operation between bits in consecutive groups of n adjacent columns to provide a resultant single column for each groups of n columns. For certain types of reductions, the resulting reduced image will be the desired output image, while for other types, the resultant image will be one of a required plurality of intermediate images, which are then combined to provide the desired output image.

Abstract: The present invention relating to a method of video coding associated with processing accumulated errors and a encoder therefor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) generating motion vectors of an input image in a predetermined unit and the difference image between an image of filtering a motion-compensated image on a reconstructed previous frame and the input image on current frame, and then performing discrete cosine transform (DCT), quantization and variable length coding on the difference image; (b) generating the motion-compensated image on the reconstructed previous frame from the reconstructed previous frame and the motion vectors; and (c) filtering off accumulated errors while preserving the edges within the motion-compensated image on the reconstructed previous frame. Therefore, random distributed noises due to accumulated errors can be removed and bit generation amounts by filtering off random accumulated errors with a high frequency characteristics before coding can be reduced.

Abstract: A method for identifying the limits of an object (10) in a digitized video display (12) having a series of video frames (14). A seed (26) is introduced into an initial object (18a) in an initial frame (14b) and the seed (26) is expanded to define the limits of the initial object (18a). The modified seed (26a) is then superimposed upon a modified object (18b) and a common area (36) is identified. The common area (36) is modified to become yet another iteration of the seed (26) for continuing the operation into yet another frame (14) having a subsequent version of the object (18). The video seed fill over time method (10) proceeds until no common area (36) is identified for a specified number of frames 14.

Abstract: A circuit and method for computations on large groups of input operands is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention is related to focal plane processing. The method of the present invention performs parallel data computation exemplified by a low latency global characterization of the input operands and the sorting of the input operands. The circuit of the present invention is comprised of a cellular matrix which is comprised of a plurality of cells upon which the input operands are introduced. All the cells are simultaneously placed into the active state by a reset means. The duration of the active state in each of the cell is determined as a monotonic function of the magnitude of the input operand received by the cell after which the cell enters the idle state. Each cell generates an event for signaling to the outside of the cell at the instant the active state ends and the idle state begins. Any two cells receiving input radiation of different magnitudes generate events at different times.

Abstract: A border treatment is supplied to an image which is to be processed by using an algorithm operation on a neighborhood surrounding each image pixel of the image. The border provides a high frequency high contrast area which appears to the image processing system as an undesirable area and which is eliminated thereby allowing an uninfluenced treatment of each of the pixels in an image including the pixels at the edges of an image. Any neighborhood influence resulting from border pixels near the edge of the image is eliminated because these border pixels appear as noise which is eliminated. The appearance of noise is due to the high frequency alternation of contrasting areas which are processed as noise and thereby eliminated.

Abstract: A moving body recognition apparatus which recognizes a shape and movement of an object moving in relation to an image input unit by extracting feature points, e.g. a peak of the object and a boundary of color, each in said images captured at a plurality of instants in time for observation by the image input unit. The moving body recognition apparatus comprises an image input unit for capturing images of an object as a moving body having a rotation, a feature point extraction unit for extracting feature points from the images inputted by the image input unit, a feature point storage unit for storing known position data of the extracted feature points, and a shape/movement recognition unit for calculating the actual positions and movements of the feature points of the object in the images by using the known position data of the extracted feature points outputted from the feature point storage unit.

Abstract: A coprocessor in an image processing system is coupled to the bus to which a CPU and RAM holding image data are also coupled. The coprocessor extracts an input pixel stream corresponding to input images from selected bus transactions, performs computations on the input stream to produce output pixel streams corresponding to output images, and inserts the output pixel streams into selected CPU-to-memory bus transactions so that the memory stores the data. The CPU generates the selected bus transactions with specially marked address and/or control signals. The coprocessor includes a lookup table, and a first row delay. The row delay accumulates the three most recent rows of input pixels, which are sent to Sobel and rank processing sections for neighborhood processing. The results are thresholded and formatted, and are either output directly or passed through an additional pair of row delays to accumulate three rows of result data for neighborhood peak detection.

Abstract: An enlargement/reduction ratio setting unit 205 sets an enlargement/reduction ratio in accordance with the resolution of an input image and the resolution of an output image. A smoothing unit 201 smoothes the input image. A dither/line-gathered area detector 202 detects a dither/line-gathered area of the input image in accordance with the set enlargement/reduction ratio, and controls a switch 203 based on the detection result. Smoothing the image before enlargement/reduction is controlled in accordance with the enlargement/reduction ratio and the feature of an image area including a pixel of interest. This results in an output image of excellent image quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of highlighted regions of a document. A document containing highlighted regions is scanned using a gray scale scanner. Morphology and threshold reduction techniques are used to separate highlighted and non-highlighted portions of the document. Having separated the highlighted and non-highlighted portions, optical character recognition (OCR) techniques can then be used to extract text from the highlighted regions.

Abstract: Circuit architecture for dynamic scene analysis uses a difference picture based technique wherein pixel values corresponding to the same position from previous and current frames are inputted to the system during each clock cycle. The difference picture is input to a connected component labeling algorithm in order to obtain the various connected components in the difference picture. A Sobel edge detector is applied to previous and current frame pixel values, and the resulting data stored in a buffer so that for each pixel, the connected component label of the difference picture, the Sobel edge value in the current frame, and the Sobel edge value in the previous frame are stored. The buffer supplies the data to a series of motion detection processors which are arranged in a systolic array. An alternative arrangement is to arrange the motion detection processors in parallel in a pipeline fashion with no feedback logic.

Abstract: A device for segmenting textured images on the basis of digital signals which are representative of said images by characterization of each texture by using representative parameters and by decomposition of each image into regions associated with different textures, said device comprising, for said characterization of the texture, a sub-assembly (100) for directional morphological filtering and a sub-assembly (200) for determining the texture parameters, and, at the output of this sub-assembly (200), a sub-assembly (300) for segmentation into regions by means of the technique of extracting watershed lines in a texture parameter image subdivided into blocks of a given size. A sequencing stage (600) furnishes the different control signals of said sub-assemblies.

Abstract: An improved method is disclosed of compressing, for storage or transmission, the information contained in a bi-level digitized input image by separate handling of a corresponding template image and a compressed image, which method is capable of handling "white-out" areas of the image. In accordance with the method, the template image is subtracted from the input image to generate the compressed image, the subtraction is characterized in that the subtraction step determines, for each pixel, whether the pixel is a "removed pixel" and, if so, the pixel is assigned to be black in the compressed image. A pixel is a "removed pixel" if the corresponding pixel in the template image is black, and the corresponding pixel in the input image is white.

Abstract: An apparatus, and corresponding method for finding an area of interest in an input image, filters the input image with at least one compression filter to generate a final compressed image. The apparatus determines the location of an artifact in the final compressed image and then determines the location of the area of interest in the input image according to the location of the artifact in the final compressed image. An apparatus, and corresponding method for finding one or more artifacts in a two-dimensional image, receives a first row of the image and generates a list of regions in accordance with the first row. The apparatus receives a next row of the image and updates the list of regions in accordance with the next row. The apparatus determines whether a region in the list of regions corresponds to an artifact in the image and, if so, selects the region as the artifact.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image memory section in an image processing section for temporarily storing an image signal read from an optical system via a photoelectric transducer section, an arithmetic section for numerical computation based on data stored in the image memory section, a decision section adapted to conclude that an image forming operation should be interrupted when a variation rate E of the image signal is lower than a threshold value T read from a ROM as a result of computation by the arithmetic section, and to conclude that the image forming operation should be continued when the variation rate E is equal to or higher than the threshold value T. A section is also provided for interrupting the image forming operation in response to a command from the decision section when there is no operator's key entry to order the interruption or execution of the image forming operation within a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: An image compensation system which provides dilation or erosion of image features using halfbitting or fullbitting in the rendition of bitmap images, especially on a write-white printer. A region of pixels of an image is isolated which includes two or more correctable pixel locations. A set of state determination rules, based on the formation of pixels in the isolated region, is used to determine a corrected binary pixel state for each of the correctable pixels. Corrections for one correctable pixel may be considered in the state determination rules for adjacent correctable pixels. A single enhanced output pixel is provided for each image input pixel, thereby preserving the original image resolution. Performing enhancements on multiple input pixels simultaneously increases the system throughput.