Abstract: A method of searching multimedia data is disclosed in which a search for an image can re-performed by automatically updating weights of features and/or weights of feature elements in the respective feature in an image.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for mobile augmented reality are provided. In certain embodiments, a first image is acquired at a device. Information corresponding to at least one second image matched with the first image is obtained from a server. A displayed image on the device is augmented with the obtained information.

Abstract: An underwater diving simulation system includes at least three surface electronics units defining a diving area in proximity to a desired dive location. Each surface electronics unit includes a microprocessor-controlled transceiver that receives x-y-z position data from an underwater acoustical transponder located on a diver who is located in the diving area. The system provides user selectable, variable underwater virtual reality data to the diver via a communication link. A plurality of sensors in proximity to the diver's head transmits real-time rate of change, horizontal and vertical position of the diver's head to a signal decoder located on at least one of the surface electronics units via said communication link. A pair of projectors and optical elements are typically provided, one for each of the diver's eyes on a diving mask.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for establishing payees based on cleared items posted to a financial account are provided. Information associated with a cleared item posted to a financial account of a consumer may be obtained. Based at least in part on the obtained information, a payee associated with the cleared item may be identified. A form may be generated for activating, at a service provider, at least one of online payment functionality for payments made to the payee by the service provider on behalf of the consumer or electronic bill presentment of billing information of the payee to the consumer through the service provider. The form may be transmitted to a network entity for presentation to the consumer.

Abstract: A data file having more than one modes of operation. The data file comprises an image component for storing an image as a representation of the data file and one or more data components appended to the image component. The image component comprises metadata associated with the one or more data components. In a first mode of operation, the image component of the data file is readable for viewing the image by an image viewer while the image component is part of the data file. The one or more appended data components are unreadable by the image viewer in the first mode of operation. In a second mode of operation, the image component and the one or more appended data components are readable by a file reader.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for automatic photo-image uplink confirmation. A photo-image discovery device scans communication interfaces for photo-capable devices, and determines if detected photo-capable devices have stored electronically formatted photo-images. The photo-images are acquired into the photo-image discovery device and uploaded to a network-connected storage site. A log is generated chronicling the photo-image upload status. The log is automatically supplied to the photo-capable device sourcing the photo-images, or to a discovery device user interface. In one aspect, the log is supplied in a photo-image file format (e.g., JPEG) for display of a user interface display of the photo-capable device.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for the local distribution of stored photo-images to wireless picture frames. The method interfaces a photo-image discovery device, having no dedicated display, to a display monitor presenting a menu of photo-image user prompt options originating from the photo discovery device. A photo-image from the storage site is selected, as well as a wireless picture frame destination. Then, the photo-image is wireless sent to the selected destination. In one aspect, the wireless picture frame is selected in response to discovery device movements.

Abstract: An ATM exception balancing system is disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide a method of resolving image ATM transaction exceptions and enabling reconcilement of ATM transactions. An exception record can be created and stored for each batch of image ATM transactions wherein the credit and the debit for the batch of image ATM transactions do not match, and the exception record can be displayed to an analyst. Input can be received from the analyst indicating a resolution of an exception. Possible resolutions can include a general ledger entry, a customer adjustment, and/or an ICA/WIP entry. The system can optionally provide for reporting and performance analysis. Image ATM cash transactions, image ATM check transactions, or both, can be included.

Abstract: In a method for supported recording and/or analysis, in particular assessment, of images which are to be and/or have been recorded with an imaging device using a database containing medical information, in particular a medical atlas, in the imaging device and/or in a computer, following a command from a user and/or through the occurrence of a triggering event, dependent existing image related data, at least one image related information item is selected from the database automatically, and the at least one, image related information item is displayed.

Abstract: A method for visually representing a search query that includes obtaining a desired search query, preparing a collection of search strategies for a query service, submitting the collection of search strategies to a query service, processing the search results, and displaying a visualization map of the search results that graphically represents the plurality of search strategies. The collection of search strategies is composed of a plurality of core search strategies for the desired search query and at least one combination of at least two core search strategies. The visualization map includes a plurality of graphical objects, and a graphical object represents a search strategy of the collection of query strategies.

Abstract: An analysis system analyzes digital images using a computer-implemented network structure that includes a process hierarchy, a class network and a data network. The data network includes image layers and object networks. Objects in a first object network are segmented into a first class, and objects in a second object network are segmented into a second class. One process step of the process hierarchy involves generating a third object network by imprinting objects of the first object network into the objects of the second object network such that pixel locations are unlinked from objects of the second object network to the extent that the pixel locations were also linked to objects of the first object network. The imprinting step allows object-oriented processing of digital images to be performed with fewer computations and less memory. Characteristics of an object of the third object network are then determined by measuring the object.

Abstract: The subjective nature of student development provides numerous variables that make it difficult for teachers to understand the root cause of the problem areas for each student. Understanding what elements of instruction are understood by student provides teacher a significant edge on how to design instructional tactics that will allow student to effectively ascertain the lesson material on a cognitive level, thereby developing a student's understanding on how to apply lesson concepts and improve retention of the material needed in achieving high proficiency scores. The Student-Centered Learning System provides teachers with an effective instructional tool to allow teachers to pinpoint a student's level of cognitive understanding. By using real-time data, teachers, parents, and students will have a clear understanding of where deficiencies and misunderstandings exist that will allow a teacher to have a clearer approach in how to proceed with their planning strategies.

Abstract: An approach is provided for modifying the image content of returned images resulting from a search query. The portions of each image that is unrelated to the search query is omitted or other wise obscured so as to reduce the amount of image data in the search results. Additionally, related advertising, hyperlinks, or other object can be combined with the image data to enhance the information returned to the user.

Abstract: The method of producing an image data file representative of a rendered three dimensional image includes the steps of: creating a master image data file representative of a three-dimensional master image which is rendered with contrasting colours for each different object type in the image; creating a plurality of fully rendered image data files representative of the three-dimensional image rendered with realistic surfaces including effects such as shadowing, textures and/or realistic colours; creating a mapping file which records which realistic surfaces are used for different objects types in which fully rendered image data file and which records which contrasting colour is used in the master image data file for each respective object type; selecting a object type realistic surfaces for each object type; processing the master image data file to determine edges of object types in the three dimensional image using the contrasting colour information in the mapping file and an edge detection process, to produce

Abstract: A method for proactively creating a image-based product includes identifying a group of images and automatically creating a design for a image-based product without receiving a user's request if the number of images in the group is determined to be within a predetermined range. The image-based product incorporates a plurality of images in the group. The method further includes presenting the design of the image-based product to a user for preview and making a physical manifestation of the image-based product based on the design.

Abstract: In one aspect, the system and method provides a modified image in response to a request for a street level image at a particular location, wherein the previously captured image is modified to illustrate the current conditions at the requested location. By way of example only, the system and method may use local weather, time of day, traffic or other information to update street level images.

Abstract: An image database device which stores images shot by a lot of people who have freely participated to generate a photo-based virtual world. An image database device receives images shot by a plurality of users through communication over a network. The received image has a shooting position represented by common coordinates used among the users, which represent the position where the image is shot, its shooting conditions, and its image attributes. Then, the received image is compared with an image stored in association with a domain including the shooting position of the received image. On condition that the shooting condition lies within a predetermined range and the degree of similarity of images determined is off a predetermined range as the results of the comparison, the domain is divided, and the received image is stored in association with the divided domain, thereby creating an image database.

Abstract: In the field of mobile computing, a user of a mobile device takes a picture of a nearby landmark or building or street and transmits that picture via his device's wireless link to a remote server. The server has the capability of identifying the location from the photo by matching it against publicly available online collections of images, such as Flickr. The server executes a location identification algorithm to match the received photo to those in the collection to determine the actual location of the photo. Typically the images in the collections have metadata, such as textual tags. Upon identifying the most likely location of the received photo from the user, the server transmits back to the user's mobile computing device an indication of the location, such as a textual location description from the tag, a map or directions to a particular location. This is especially useful in a city or dense urban environment and where the mobile computing device does not have GPS capability or its GPS is inoperative.

Abstract: In an image searching system, a camera 100 stores plural pieces of image data including an object image, each data associated with a shooting orientation and feature information, and has a controller 42 for selecting specific image data from the plural pieces of image data and searching for similar image data based on the feature information associated with the selected data, and a communication unit 36 for sending a search engine server 300 the shooting orientation and feature information of one of the selected image data and similar image data. The search engine server 300 reconstructs a three-dimensional shape of the object image included in the image data based on the feature information and shooting orientation sent from the communication unit, and searches for through information disclosing networks based on the reconstructed shape, obtaining image data including the object image having a shooting orientation different from the sent shooting orientation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for accessing electronic data through entry of images as queries in search engine. The system uses various image capturing devices and communication devices to capture images and enter them into image database. Image recognition techniques encode images in a computer readable format. The processed image is then entered for comparison into at least one database populated with images and associated information. Once the newly captured image is matched with an image in the database, the information linked with that image is returned to the user.

Abstract: A system and method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos is disclosed herein. A feature vector of an individual is used to analyze a set of photos on a social networking website such as www.facebook.com to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the set of photos. Photos having an image of the individual are tagged preferably by listing a URL or URI for each of the photos in a database.

Abstract: A memory device and method for content virtualization are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of directories are created in the memory of the memory device, wherein each of the plurality of directories points to a same storage location of the digital content. In another embodiment, a first header for the digital content is stored in each of the different directories, wherein the first header comprises information about where to find the digital content in the memory. In yet another embodiment, the memory device comprises circuitry that receives an identification of a host device in communication with the memory device and reorganizes a directory structure of the memory in accordance with the identification of the host device, wherein the reorganization results in the digital content appearing to be located in a directory expected by the host device.

Abstract: The inclusion of metadata within an application description file allows a virtual machine to create an application descriptor file that may be registered with the mobile device operating system so that an icon associated with the application description file may be displayed in the main ribbon. Execution of an application defined by the application definition file may then be initiated by the selection, by the user, of the icon that is associated with the application definition file. This improves over the situation wherein execution of the application defined by the application definition file would require a selection of the runtime environment for the application and then the selection of the application.

Abstract: Method for organizing a set of images into subsets of images, the method including the following procedures producing a respective model according to a plurality of feature points and the geometric relations between the feature points for each of the images, determining a similarity index between each pair of the images, according to the respective model of each image of the pair of the images, producing a distance matrix, according to the similarity index between each pair of the images, producing a set of coordinates, according to the distance matrix and sorting the images in plurality of dimensions, according to the set of coordinates.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and a database coupled to the processor. The database includes one or more graphic designs. A user interface is coupled to the processor, and the user interface is configured to communicate with the processor and to allow a selection of a graphic design from the database and a selection of room criteria. The system further includes a printer. The processor is configured to display on the user interface a representation of a window shade in a room. The representation of the window shade includes the graphic design, and the room includes the room criteria. The processor is further configured to transmit the graphic design to the printer, and the printer is configured to print the graphic design on a window shade.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. The marked-up digital image may be electronically bundled with information from a corresponding ticket. A descriptor file may be used to identify one or more marked-up images corresponding to a ticket.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, system and computer-readable medium store and manage image data with automatic labeling of image data corresponding to body slices, such as obtained by a computed tomography scanner. The labels include a body coordinate value along the body axis. The respective body coordinate value can be determined by comparing received image data sets with reference data sets with known attached coordinate values utilizing pattern recognition techniques. Applications include medical image data management in hospitals or operating and providing medical networks. Queries for images that include particular body regions are processed more efficiently. This results in less local memory required and narrower bandwidth resources of transmission networks.

Abstract: At least certain embodiments of the invention disclose a digital media sharing system for providing online album hosting services including receiving, at a web-album server, low-resolution versions of digital images from a client over a network instead of full-resolution versions of the digital images, wherein the full-resolution versions of the digital images remain stored locally at the client and storing the low-resolution versions of digital images at the web-album server instead of storing full-resolution images.

Abstract: A keyword or the like effective for conducting a search is appended to an image. Subjects contained in an image are detected. The subject names and positions of the respective subjects that have been detected are detected. Keywords representing broader concepts of the detected subject names and the positions of the subjects are stored in correlation with the image as data to be used in searching for the image. If a search for the image is conducted, the subject names or broader concepts of the subject names, which serve as keywords, and the positions of the subjects are input. An image that matches the entered subject names, etc., and subject positions is retrieved. Rather than retrieving an image simply using keywords alone, an image is retrieved utilizing also the positions of subjects. As a result, it is possible to narrow down images found in a case where a desired image is to be retrieved from among a large number of images.

Abstract: A method for processing digital images includes receiving from one of a plurality of sensors a first image in a first format. A first set of metadata is associated with the first image. The method also includes generating a second set of metadata based on at least the first set of metadata and a configuration file. The configuration file identifies metadata to be included in the second set of metadata. Additionally, the method includes converting the first image in a first format into a second image in a second format and storing the second set of metadata in a metadata database. The method further includes receiving search parameters from clients, identifying one or more sets of metadata corresponding to the search parameters, and transmitting to a client one or more images associated with the identified sets of metadata.

Abstract: An image search system includes a first calculation section that calculates a first similarity score of each registered image with respect to an input image on the basis of image features of the registered and the input image, a second calculation section that calculates a second similarity score of each registered image with respect to the input image on the basis of text features of the registered and the input image, a candidate extraction section that extracts one or more candidate images on the basis of the first and the second similarity scores of each registered image, a third calculation section that calculates a third similarity score of each candidate image on the basis of projection waveforms of the input image and the candidate image, and a search section that determines one or more registered images similar to the input image on the basis of the third similarity score.

Abstract: Augmenting media based on proximity detection involves detecting proximate devices of participants of an event via a wireless proximity device. User media associated with the participants is obtaining based on the proximity detection and further based on contact data associated with the participants. Event media that records an aspect of the event is obtained the event media is combined with the user media to form augmented media, wherein the augmented media simulates the participant's presence in the event media.

Abstract: A method of comparing first and second objects in a context comprises: maximizing or minimizing a quantitative comparison of the first object and a mixture of the second object and the context respective to a weighting parameter that controls the mixture; and outputting a comparison value based on the value of the weighting parameter determined by the maximizing or minimizing.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a storage section and a control section. The storage section stores a plurality of templates having different predetermined designs with template attribute information, the plurality of templates each being applied to a display of a content including at least one of a document and an image with the content being laid out on the template. The control section performs a matching processing of component information, as a search key, of the content with the template attribute information, and selects, as a template corresponding to the content to be applied to the display of the content, a template whose template attribute information has a higher match rate than others.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for searching a repository of documents containing images using an image as a query. The present method enables the adjustment of a threshold level through a no-reference quality assessment of the query image which produces an estimated measure of quality for the image. For each image in each document in the repository, a distance is computed between a hash value of each image extracted from the document and the hash value of the query image. Documents are flagged as possible matches if the computed distance is less than the adjusted threshold. Documents flagged as a result of the search are retrieved and provided to the user. The present method can be used along or as an adjunct to text-based search techniques. Other embodiments are provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to utilization of metadata associated with a printed image. Portions of images and metadata are stored, each of the metadata being associated with a portion of the images. Imaging means are used to read a portion of the printed image. Correspondence between the read portion and the stored portions is determined. Metadata associated with a stored portion is retrieved in response to the determined correspondence between the read portion and the stored portion in question exceeding a predetermined threshold value. Further, the retrieved metadata or additional data indicated by it is retrieved.

Abstract: Content may be displayed on a touch-screen display of a device as part of a graphical interface in which the content is divided into categories or sections, and each category/section is associated with a graphical tab. The device may detect a selection of one of the graphic tabs based on a touch gesture received by the touch-screen display and display, on the touch-screen display, content items corresponding to the subset of content items for the selected tab.

Abstract: A method for advertising in response to an image search. One or more keywords may be received. The keywords may be for searching one or more images on the network. The images may be retrieved based on the keywords. One or more advertisements may be selected based on a first visual content of the images and a second visual content of the one or more advertisements. The one or more of the advertisements may be displayed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a media processing device for providing access to images in a remote database and a method thereof. The media processing device includes an input module, a transceiver module and a user interface module. The input module is configured to receive an input from a user. The transceiver module is communicably coupled to a remote database for transmitting the input to the remote database and receiving one or more images from the remote database based on the input. The user interface module is configured to display at least one image of the one or more images to the user.

Abstract: A photo retrieval method, system, and medium using multimodal information which prevents a photo of an irrelevant category to be retrieved having a high ranking due to an unfavorable side effect from a query expansion, by reflecting a level of consistency between an object category of a query and a category of a photo retrieved by expansion retrieval using ontology, to a photo retrieval result ranking is provided. The photo retrieval method using the multimodal information includes: assigning an object category with respect to a query; retrieving photos associated with an expanded query term extracted from the query; determining a ranking of the retrieved photo by reflecting the assigned object category; and arranging and displaying the photos in response to the determined ranking.

Abstract: An application conforming to a set of rules is described for improving the accuracy of results provided by image search engines through identifying images as true positive hits, true negatives, false positive hits, and false negatives. The set of rules comprise: (1) causing players to associate given images with given metadata; (2) associating a player with a skill level; (3) utilizing measures of accuracy and time; (4) causing players to select a few images from a relatively large pool of images; and (5) testing player tolerance. An application that conforms to these rules test the relevancy of images to given metadata tags. The application provides information that is the basis for adjusting the metadata associated with the tested images so as to improve the relevancy of image search results lists that include these images.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a display device; a storage unit configured to store a plurality of image data having information corresponding to a search key; a search key specifying unit configured to specify a search key used for image search; a search unit configured to search and extract image data having information relating to the search key specified by the search key specifying unit from the storage unit; and a display control unit configured to control the image corresponding to image data extracted by the search unit to be displayed on the position corresponding to the degree of association as to the search key on the display screen of the display device.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including a first processor for, when a group and a data position in a group are specified for data divided to one or plurality of groups, transmitting data of the specified data position through a first signal line; and a second processor including a first display for displaying a group element for selecting each group by a number determined based on number of groups, a second display for displaying, when the group element displayed is selected, data element for selecting each data by a number determined based on number of data belonging to the group of the selected group element, and a data transmission requesting unit for, when the data element is selected, specifying a group to which the data of the selected data element belongs and the data position in the group, and requesting data transmission to the first processor.

Abstract: Both an edited version of a first image and an original version of the first image are stored at a first computing device. In response to a user request to synchronize images across multiple computing devices, both the edited version of the first image and the original version of the first image are synchronized with a second computing device. A user is allowed to revert to the original version of the first image regardless of on which of the multiple computing devices the edited version was changed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an instructed-position detecting unit configured to receive an instruction operation by a user on a display screen of a display device and detect and output a position where the instruction operation is performed; a storing unit configured to store multiple image data items each including information corresponding to a search key; a search-key display controlling unit configured to cause at least one search key to be selectively displayed on the display screen of the display device; a searching unit configured to, if the search key displayed on the display screen is instructed by the search-key display controlling unit through the instructed-position detecting unit, search the storing unit for the image data corresponding to the search key to extract the image data; and a display controlling unit configured to collectively display images corresponding to the image data in a certain part on the display screen.

Abstract: Mapping data stored in a data storage system for use by a computer system includes processing specifications of dataflow graphs that include nodes representing computations interconnected by links representing flows of data. At least one of the dataflow graphs receives a flow of data from at least one input dataset and at least one of the dataflow graphs provides a flow of data to at least one output dataset. A mapper identifies one or more sets of datasets. Each dataset in a given set matches one or more criteria for identifying different versions of a single dataset. A user interface is provided to receive a mapping between at least two datasets in a given set. The mapping received over the user interface is stored in association with a dataflow graph that provides data to or receives data from the datasets of the mapping.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for producing and digitizing a number of images to create a digital library of images, providing an image from outside the digital library, digitizing it and comparing it to the digital images in the digital library, and providing a text descriptive of the image from outside the digital library.

Abstract: A search results page contains images that are organized based on the visual features of those images; images that have common visual features are grouped together using either a folding or a reciprocal election technique. Images that pertain to a particular meaning of a query term are less likely to be scattered across the page. A group of images that have common visual features is represented on the page by a single representative image from that group. Consequently, space for more representative images becomes available on the image search results page. Thus, search results page contains visually diverse representative images; space on the results page is not wasted by repeatedly showing the same image. The initial image search results page also therefore is more likely to contain representative images that otherwise would have occurred too far down a relevance-ranked list to be included within the initial search results page.

Abstract: A real-time automatic searching method for a medical image is disclosed. The method includes in response to a search command for a first image identifying a difference between a first searchable information and a second searchable information, applying a predetermined set of weights to the first searchable information according to the difference, calculating a weighted index for the first image after applying the predetermined weights to the first searchable information, and locating the first image according to the weighted index.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a memory at an electronic device is provided. A first number of new media files that can be stored in the memory in a current format is determined. It is determined if a memory management condition is met. If the memory management condition is met, the current format is setting to a second format such that the memory can store a second number of new media files, if acquired, a given new media file in the second format occupying less of the memory than if the given new media file is in the current format, such that the second number is greater than the first number.