49th week of 2008 patent applcation highlights part 35 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20080298612 | Audio Signal Processing - An audio system for processing two channels of audio input to provide more than two output channels. The input may be conventional stereo material or compressed audio signal data. The audio processing includes separating the input signals into frequency bands and processing the frequency bands according to processes which may differ from band to band. The audio processing includes no processing of L−R signals. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298613 | Wireless headset with mic-side driver cut-off - A wireless headset has a pair of earpieces, each with a speaker or driver, and a microphone that is supported by one of the earpieces. The headset operates in wireless communication with an audio source, such as a personal audio player, and a mobile telephone. The wireless headset provides automatic cut-off of the driver in the earpiece supporting the microphone whenever the microphone is activated, thereby to prevent feedback between the microphone and the driver in the supporting earpiece. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298614 | System for and Method of Offering an Optimized Sound Service to Individuals within a Place of Business - The present invention relates to optimizing sound for a person based on his or her location and hearing profile. More particularly, the present invention relates to personalizing the sound of an event or performance by examining the technical specifications of an individual's hearing aid (which is provided by a third party) and the acoustics of an establishment. Using this information, a place of business alters the settings of each hearing aid device to optimize the sound for each individual. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298615 | HEARING AID AND METHOD OF UTILIZING GAIN LIMITATION IN A HEARING AID - A hearing aid ( | 2008-12-04 |
20080298616 | IN-THE-EAR HEARING AID - In an in-the-ear hearing aid forming an inner casing space with a shell | 2008-12-04 |
20080298617 | Hearing aid component holder with battery cavity - A hearing aid component holder is provided with a cavity comprising a base. A battery may be inserted into the cavity so that the battery is fixed laterally in the main extension plane of the hearing aid component holder through the walls of the cavity and in the insertion direction through the base. A battery contact is arranged in the cavity on the base. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298618 | Earpiece for a hearing apparatus with a securing ring - A cerumen protection system is to be held more securely in an earpiece of a hearing apparatus which can be worn in the ear. In particular, this is to be able to be ensured for the earpiece piece of an external receiver of a behind-the-ear hearing device. An earpiece with a sound exit opening and a cerumen protection facility which has an annular carrier and which is arranged in the sound exit opening, is provided, with the earpiece being manufactured from a rubbery-elastic material. A securing ring is also provided, which surrounds the sound exit opening, the inner diameter of which is smaller than the outer diameter of the carrier of the cerumen protection facility, which is less elastic than the earpiece and is fixedly integrated in the earpiece. The sound exit opening is thus reinforced so that the cerumen protection facility is not able to slide out thereof. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298619 | Hearing device with a connecting piece fastened to the housing frame - A hearing device which is simple to assemble and to which a wearing hook can be fastened in a stable fashion is provided. The hearing device includes a receiver, which has a sound outlet, a wearing hook, which has a sound channel, a connecting piece for connecting the sound outlet of the receiver to the sound channel of the wearing hook and includes a housing frame, in which the receiver and to which the wearing hook are fastened respectively. The connecting piece may be formed largely of metal or ceramic and may be directly fastened to the housing frame. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298620 | Wearing hook with metal section for a hearing device - A wearing hook is provided for the behind-the-ear hearing device to improve acoustic stability. The wearing hook being composed of a metal part and a plastic part. The wearing hook is split substantially at a right angle to the sound channel, which runs along the inside of a wearing hook, into a first section and a second section. The first section, via which the wearing hook is mountable on the behind-the-ear hearing device, is substantially composed of a plastic. On the other hand the second section is substantially composed of a metal. The additional mass of the metal reduces the vibrations at the point of the wearing hook so that acoustic stability is improved. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298621 | MODULE INCLUDING A MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL MICROPHONE - A module including a micro-electro-mechanical microphone is disclosed. One embodiment provides a substrate having a trough-shaped depression and a micro-electro-mechanical microphone. The micro-electro-mechanical microphone is mounted into the trough-shaped depression of the substrate. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298622 | Headphones with Detachable Headband - A pair of earphones designed to be worn in or on the ear of a user, comprising at least one element for connecting a headband; a pair of ear clips or ear buds comprising a removably-attached headband; and a kit comprising (i) a pair of earphones designed to be worn in or on the ear of a user, comprising at least one element for connecting a headband; and (ii) a headband designed to be connected to said pair of earphones is provided. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298623 | Adapter For a Loudspeaker - An adapter ( | 2008-12-04 |
20080298624 | MODULE AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING SOUND - The module and apparatus for transmitting and receiving sound are disclosed in which a first channel is connected to an insertion of a microphone, a second channel is connected to a speaker insertion, such that sounds from the first and second channel are independently transmitted to prevent a first sound transmitted to the microphone and a second sound outputted from the speaker from being mixed, whereby noise generation can be obviated to improve characteristics of the module and the apparatus. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298625 | Earphone Earhook Stabilizer - An over-the-ear earhook comprising a horizontal behind the ear horizontal stabilizer extension or a behind the ear horizontal stabilizer extension attachment for an over-the-ear earhook for earhooks attached to an earphone worn in or over the concha cavity of a wearer's ear, the extension and earhook being adjustable generally for holding the earphone close to the wearer's ear canal and for preventing earbud type earphones from leaving the concha cavity. The extension being rigidly attached to the back of the earhook behind the wearer's ear comprising a material such as a coated wire capable of being bent and shaped to allow adjustment and thereafter maintaining its shape with sufficient rigidity to press the posterior end of the extension against the wearer's head to prevent the earhook from pivoting. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298626 | AUDIO EARBUD CARRIER - A flexible and compressible carrier includes a lobe having a receiver for releasably engaging an earbud-type audio earphone, and a retaining loop for securely positioning the lobe with the earphone adjacent the user's ear without insertion into the ear. User comfort, safety, and audio performance are enhanced, and the risk of hearing damage may be reduced. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298627 | WATER RESISTANT AUDIO MODULE - A water resistant/proof speaker module with improved performance and bass reflection is provided. The speaker module comprises a housing into which an audio unit fits. The speaker module is provide with a speaker face having at least 50% of the speaker face open to improve audio characteristics. Seals are provided along the speaker module to inhibit moisture from entering the device housing. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298628 | SPEAKER MODULE FOR A PORTABLE TERMINAL - A speaker module for a portable terminal is provided. The speaker module includes an upper case constituting a part of a module housing, a speaker unit, including a magnetic body, a voice coil and a vibration plate, formed in the upper case and a vibration motor, which is installed in the upper case and on one side of the speaker unit. The speaker module as structured above can secure a sufficient sound pressure and a sound volume in a portable terminal having a slim construction, makes it easier to secure space for installation within a portable terminal having a small size and slim construction in such a manner that a vibration motor, etc. are received and integrated in a module housing, and can improve the quality of sound in a portable terminal by achieving improved smoothness of output sound pressure in an audio frequency range. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298629 | Loudspeaker - A loudspeaker includes a basket defining a center hole therethrough, a conduction wire board fixed to the bottom surface of the basket, a magnet placed on the basket, a diaphragm arranged on the basket and above the magnet, and a voice coil. The conduction wire board defines a core hole corresponding to the center hole, and two welding foils on the bottom surface. The magnet defines a through hole corresponding to the center hole. The voice coil is wrapped around the magnet and fixed to the bottom of the diaphragm. The voice coil has leading wires, which bend inward at the top and downward pass through the through hole of the magnet, the center hole of the basket and the core hole of the conduction wire board, and then extend toward two sides of the rivet for being welded on the corresponding welding foils. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298630 | Dynamic Type Unit with Multiple Magnetic Field System - The present invention relates to a dynamic type unit with a multiple magnetic field system, and more particularly, to a dynamic type unit including a magnet, a diaphragm and a moving coil such as a microphone or a speaker, wherein an auxiliary magnet is mounted around a main magnetic field formed by the magnet so as to form an auxiliary magnetic field to thereby correct a waveform of each individual distorted frequency generated from the microphone or the speaker, which results in realization of the best sound whose quality is closest to that of an original sound. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298631 | COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM STORING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM - An information processing system includes an image output unit, an image reception unit, and a determination unit. The image output unit outputs an image to a document to include first and second images. The first image includes at least one of a character and a symbol which represent at least part of a pair of an attribute name and an attribute value which are included in electronic data. The second image includes a first information image representing at least part of the attribute value, or a second information image representing a storage location of the electronic data. The image reception unit receives the output image of the document and an image of a paper document. The determination unit determines as to whether or not allowing the image of the paper document to be registered. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298632 | CORRECTING IMAGE CAPTURE DISTORTION - The present invention relates generally to improving readability of machine-readable information, despite signal capture distortion. One claim recites a method including: obtaining input data; altering a digital watermark or a digital watermarking process to pre-distort a digital watermark signal, wherein the altering is intended to counteract or compensate for expected distortion enabling machine-based detection of an embedded, pre-distorted digital watermark signal despite the expected distortion, the expected distortion includes distortion associated with optical capture of the input data and embedding the pre-distorted digital watermark signal in the input data. Another claim recites a method including: obtaining input data, the input data representing imagery captured with at least an optical lens, the input data comprising test data and a machine-readable signal; evaluating characteristics associated with the test data to determine information regarding lens blurring of the input data associated with the optical lens; adjusting the input data to compensate for or to correct the lens blurring based at least in part on the information; analyzing the compensated for or corrected input data to obtain the machine-readable signal. Of course, other methods and combinations are provided as well. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298633 | Anti-Counterfeit Measures - A conventional cigarette packet in a transparent film of bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) with a tear tape for removing the film adhered to the inside of the film. The tear tape bears an indicium which is either hidden or which changes according to the viewing angle when the image is viewed through the film. The image on the tear tape may be scrambled or coded. The overwrap film includes a descrambling or decoding region which reveals the hidden image or renders the image visible when viewed through the overwrap portion, or creates the visual effect of changing the image according to the viewing angle. The descrambling or decoding region typically comprises a diffraction structure, such as a grating, the characteristics of which, such as its pitch, are complementary with the scrambled or coded image and/or with the pitch of any grid or matrix from which the image is composed. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298634 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - To provide a technique of embedding information in a document image containing character strings, photos, and graphics, an image processing apparatus for inputting a document image and embedding watermark information by controlling the line spacing between character strings in the document image includes an input unit which inputs a document image as image data, an image reduction unit which generates reduced image data from the image data, a determination unit which determines reduced objects corresponding to character strings in the image data, a specifying unit which specifies the position of each character string in the image data based on the positions of the reduced objects in the reduced image data, and an embedding unit which embeds the watermark information in the image data by moving the positions of a plurality of specified character strings in the image data based on a preset line spacing correspondence relationship. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298635 | Method for identifying images using fixtureless tracking and system for performing same - A method and system for fixtureless vision tracking of a target image for use by the vision system when processing subsequent sheets/documents in a sheet handling apparatus. A sheet of material is passed through the sheet handling system to acquire image data within a field of view of the initialization sheet. The acquired image is then filtered and stored/saved in a filtered image data file while an unfiltered image is also retained for the purposes of additional analysis. The filtered image is modified by an erosion technique to form blob images while the unfiltered image is substantially unchanged from the original optical image, i.e., retains the various character strings in their original form. The vision system then performs a dual tier analysis on the blob images and character strings to identify the target image. Additionally, the spatial location of the target image is determined to provide location data for processing subsequent sheet material. That is, the location data serves to rapidly locate the region of interest to identify and read the target image on the remaining sheets to be processed. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298636 | METHOD FOR DETECTING WATER REGIONS IN VIDEO - A computer-based method for automatic detection of water regions in a video include the steps of estimating a water map of the video and outputting the water map to an output medium, such as a video analysis system. The method may further include the steps of training a water model from the water map; re-classifying the water map using the water model by detecting water pixels in the video; and refining the water map. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298637 | Head Pose Assessment Methods and Systems - Improvements are provided to effectively assess a user's face and head pose such that a computer or like device can track the user's attention towards a display device(s). Then the region of the display or graphical user interface that the user is turned towards can be automatically selected without requiring the user to provide further inputs. A frontal face detector is applied to detect the user's frontal face and then key facial points such as left/right eye center, left/right mouth corner, nose tip, etc., are detected by component detectors. The system then tracks the user's head by an image tracker and determines yaw, tilt and roll angle and other pose information of the user's head through a coarse to fine process according to key facial points and/or confidence outputs by pose estimator. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298638 | MAP CHANGE DETECTION DEVICE, MAP CHANGE DETECTION METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Changes in houses and buildings on a two-dimensional map are detected using three-dimensional data obtained from stereo images. A change detection device that detects changes in features that are targets described on a map has a stereo processor, a feature height calculator, and a demolition and/or new building detector. The stereo processor is inputted with a plurality of images taken of predetermined regions from a plurality of different positions, and extracts digital surface model data representing surfaces of the regions in three-dimensional coordinates. The feature height calculator extracts feature heights where an elevation of ground level is subtracted from the digital surface model data extracted by the stereo processor. The demolition and/or new building detector detect changes in the feature that are the targets described on a map by comparing feature height data and map data. An elevation region extractor extracts an elevation region that is a set of points having a height greater than or equal to the predetermined value, compares the elevation region and the map data, and detects changes in the feature constituting the targets. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298639 | Image Processing Apparatus, Image Processing Method, and Electronic Appliance - In an image processing apparatus, the amount of motion between a low-resolution image as a datum image and each of N low-resolution images is detected and, based on the detected amounts of motion, the datum image, and M consulted images (N>M≧1) selected out of the N low-resolution images, a high-resolution image is generated. An image evaluator, which selects the consulted images, takes each of the N low-resolution images as an evaluated image and arranges, based on the amounts of motion, the datum image and the evaluated images in a common coordinate system. Based on a pixel position on the datum image in the common coordinate system, a datum position in the common coordinate system is set. For each evaluated image, the distance from the datum position to a pixel position on that evaluated image is evaluated so that evaluated images corresponding to relatively small distances are selected as consulted images, while evaluated images corresponding to relatively great distances are excluded from the M consulted images. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298640 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY ALTERING THE ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY OF MILLIMETER WAVE IMAGERY IN RESPONSE TO THE RANGE AND DIRECTION OF MOTION OF A SUBJECT - A system and method for dynamically altering the analysis methodology of millimeter wave imagery in response to the range and direction of motion of a subject is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an imaging zone of a scene is scanned using at least one millimeter wave camera during a current time frame and a CPU is used to dynamically process millimeter wave imagery of the imaging zone in response to detecting a range and direction of motion of the subject during a previous time frame. In addition, values of a grid of discrete cells are calculated representing the millimeter wave energy associated with the current time frame, which are then compared to values from a grid of corresponding discrete cells associated with the previous time frame in determining a current range and direction of the subject. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298641 | Method and Device for the Selective Processing of Printed Products - Printed products are optionally processed in a preliminary stage ( | 2008-12-04 |
20080298642 | Method and apparatus for extraction and matching of biometric detail - A method and apparatus of identification by extracting and matching biometric detail from a subcutaneous vein infrared image. The image's Region of Interest is identified and artifacts are removed. A bank of filters, such as Symmetric Gabor Filters, Complex Gabor Filters, Log Gabor Filters, Oriented Gaussian Functions, or Wavelets, filters the image into a set of key value images that are subdivided into regions. An enrollment key, defined by ordered statistical measures of pixel intensities within the regions, is compared using a distance metric to a stored verification key. Various statistical measures may be used, such as variance, standard deviation, mean, absolute average deviation, max value, min value, max absolute value, median value, or a combination of these statistical measures. Various distance metrics may be used, such as Euclidean, Hamming, Euclidean Squared, Manhattan, Pearson Correlation, Pearson Squared Correlation, Chebychev, or Spearman Rank Correlation. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298643 | COMPOSITE PERSON MODEL FROM IMAGE COLLECTION - A method of improving recognition of a particular person in images by constructing a composite model of at least the portion of the head of that particular person, includes acquiring a collection of images taken during a particular event; identifying image(s) having a particular person in the collection; identifying one or more features in the identified image(s) associated with that particular person; searching the collection using the identified features to identify the particular person in other images of the collection; and constructing a composite model of at least a portion of the particular person's head using identified images of the particular person. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298644 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE QUALITY - An image quality control system and method is disclosed. At least one infrared camera takes a screen image of a room. When there are a plurality of cameras, images of the cameras are synchronized with respect to time, and a specific object of the image is tracked to estimate image quality of the object. When there are a plurality of cameras, a 3D screen model is reconfigured, and positions of the cameras and the infrared lighting tools are controlled. Infrared lighting and the cameras are controlled, and particularly, optical axis direction, optical magnification, exposure time, and the iris of the camera can be amended. Next, a high-quality object image list can be generated so as to process the images. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298645 | PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION APPARATUS AND PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION METHOD - A personal authentication apparatus including a facial region extraction which extracts an image of a facial region of a person obtained from image sensing input unit, a guide unit which guides motion of the person of interest, a feature amount extraction unit which extracts the feature amount of a face from the image of the facial region extracted by the facial region extraction unit while the motion is guided by the guide unit, a dictionary registration unit which registers the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit as a feature amount of the person of interest, and an authentication unit which authenticates the person of interest in accordance with the similarity between the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit, and a feature amount which is registered by the dictionary registration unit. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298646 | Method and Device for Improved Fingerprint Matching - A fingerprint sample input apparatus, a fingerprint verification device, a method for aligning fingerprint samples, and a method for fingerprint verification are disclosed. The fingerprint sample input apparatus comprises fingerprint reader, receiver for public part of fingerprint template, alignment matcher, matrix generator, and transmitter. The fingerprint verification device comprises memory, transmitter, receiver, processor, matrix comparator, and threshold comparator. The method for aligning fingerprint sample comprises reading fingerprint sample, receiving a public part of fingerprint template, searching for and determining a matching position between the sample and template, generating an aligned spectral data matrix, and sending it to a fingerprint verification device. The method for fingerprint verification comprises sending a public part of template, receiving an aligned spectral data matrix, determining matrix difference between a spectral template matrix and the aligned spectral data matrix, comparing the matrix difference with a threshold, and outputting a result. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298647 | System and Method for Identifying an Enrolled User Utilizing a Biometric Identifier - A system and method for obtaining a first alphanumeric identifier from a user, obtaining a first fingerprint scan image of a first finger from the user, comparing the first fingerprint scan image to a first image associated with the first alphanumeric identifier stored in a database at a first threshold level and, comparing the first fingerprint scan image to the first image stored in the database associated with the first alphanumeric identifier at a second threshold level lower than the first threshold level if a match is not made at the first threshold level. The system can include a computer or other similar terminal or device and a fingerprint scanner connected to the computer. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298648 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SLAP PRINT SEGMENTATION - A method is performed in a print identification system to segment a non-segmented slap print image into its finger components. The method includes: receiving, for a hand, a non-segmented slap print image and a corresponding plurality of roll print images each corresponding to a different finger number; comparing the roll print images to the non-segmented slap print image to determine a number of mated minutiae areas on the non-segmented slap print image; detecting a number of print components from the non-segmented slap print image using the plurality of mated minutiae areas; and selecting a number of final print components from the detected print components and assigning finger numbers to the final print components, using the plurality of mated minutiae areas. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298649 | Hygienic biometric sensors - Methods and systems for performing a biometric measurement on an individual are disclosed. A containment film is disposed between a skin site of the individual and a platen. Light is directed through the containment film to the skin site to illuminate the skin site under multiple distinct optical conditions. Light scattered from the skin site is received for the multiple optical conditions. A multispectral image of the skin site is derived from the received light. A biometric function is performed with the derived multispectral image. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298650 | Optical finger print acquisition apparatus using a prism - An optical fingerprint acquisition apparatus using a prism, which can improve the quality of a fingerprint image acquired by an image sensor, is provided. The optical fingerprint acquisition apparatus using the prism includes a pentagon prism including an input face | 2008-12-04 |
20080298651 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COLOR BLOOD FLOW FRAME AVERAGING - The present invention provides a method and device for color blood flow frame averaging. In the present invention, whether aliasing occurs to an output blood flow velocity of a previous frame is first determined. If aliasing does occur to the output blood flow velocity of the previous frame, the output blood flow velocity of the previous frame will be moved, and the moved output blood flow velocity of the previous frame is then subjected to the frame averaging. The present invention can improve and eliminate the “shadow” in the output blood flow velocity of the current frame due to velocity aliasing of the previous frame existing in the prior color frame averaging processing, such that the blood flow velocity appears more natural and has a more reasonable distribution. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298652 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PREVIEWING PREVIOUS AND FORWARD FRAMES OF A SELECTED END OF DIASTOLE OR END OF SYSTOLE FRAME CANDIDATE - A method and system for viewing a series of medical image frames. The method and system displays a candidate medical image frame selected from the series of medical image frames, in a first portion of a display screen of a user interface; displays, in a second portion of the display screen of the user interface, a first alternate candidate medical image frame of the series of medical image frames which precedes or follows the candidate medical image frame in the series of medical image frames; and displays the first alternate candidate medical image frame in the first portion of the display screen when the first alternate candidate medical image frame displayed in the second portion of the display screen is selected, via the user interface, for display on the first portion of the display screen. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298653 | Method for Topographical Presentation of Alterations in an Examined Brain - The invention relates to a method for the topographical presentation of structural alterations in an examined brain using volume data records. In line with the invention, this method is distinguished in that functional areas are mapped by extracting profiles, where the profiles record boundaries for two functional areas in the examined brain, in that the boundaries of the two functional areas are recorded by calculating a multivariant distance measurement, and in that a microstructure in the region of the boundaries of the two cortical areas is recorded and is compared with at least one microstructure in a boundary region of a reference brain. To increase the comparability of various areas in various brains taking into account the interindividual variability, it is expedient for the volume data records to be transformed to a target volume data record using an elastic registration method. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298654 | TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT FOR ULTRASOUND IMAGING AT HIGH FRAME RATES - To keep the temperature of an ultrasound probe down, the probe is operated at a low frame rate (with correspondingly low heat generation) for the vast majority of time. Probe operation is only switched to the high frame rate temporarily at times when high temporal resolution is needed, preferably under operator control. The probe is only operated at the high frame rate for a short period of time, during which a burst of images with high temporal resolution is obtained. After capturing the short burst of images, the frame rate is cut back, which reduces the generation of heat. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298655 | METHODS, APPARATUSES, AND SYSTEMS USEFUL IN CONDUCTING IMAGE GUIDED INTERVENTIONS - Methods, apparatuses, and systems relating to image guided interventions on dynamic tissue. One embodiment is a method that includes creating a dataset that includes images, one of the images depicting a non-tissue internal reference marker, being linked to non-tissue internal reference marker positional information, and being at least 2-dimensional. Another embodiment is a method that includes receiving a position of an instrument reference marker coupled to an instrument; transforming the position into image space using a position of a non-tissue internal reference marker implanted in a patient; and superimposing a representation of the instrument on an image in which the non-tissue internal reference marker appears. Computer readable media that include machine readable instructions for carrying out the steps of the disclosed methods. Apparatuses, such as integrated circuits, configured to carry out the steps of the disclosed methods. Systems that include devices configured to carry out steps of the disclosed methods. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298656 | Precision subtraction computed tomographic angiography - This invention relates to a novel technique for producing images of arteries that overcomes a significant limitation of conventional computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The technique is performed by the acquisition of pre-contrast computed tomography in addition to the conventional computed tomographic angiography and by the digital subtraction of the pre-contrast computed tomogram from the conventional CTA after alignment of the two images. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298657 | Computer-Aided Method for Detection of Interval Changes in Successive Whole-Body Bone Scans and Related Computer Program Program Product and System - A method of producing an image to aid detection of a change in progress of a disease in a patient is described. In the method, a first image of a distribution of a radioisotope in the patient is obtained. A second image of the distribution of the radioisotope in the patient is also obtained. At least one of the first and second images are then normalized (1:140). One of the images is warped to match the other image using a multiple-segment matching method (1:160). The first image is subtracted from the second image to form a subtraction image (1:220). Finally, the resulting subtraction image is displayed. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298658 | Medical Image Diagnosing Support Method and Apparatus, and Image Processing Program - A medical image diagnosing support method of the present invention includes: a site region extracting step for obtaining a tomographic image which is picked up by a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus and extracting a predetermined site region from the obtained tomographic image; a first region extracting step for extracting a first lesion candidate region from the site region based on pixel values of the site region extracted in the predetermined site region extracting step;
| 2008-12-04 |
20080298659 | Systems and Methods for Processing Medical Image Data to Facilitate Comparisons Among Groups of Subjects - Systems and methods for processing medical image data with increased sensitivity to facilitate comparisons among groups of subjects are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a first three-dimensional image comprising a plurality of voxels, reducing a regional trend within the three-dimensional image, computing a semivariogram for a region of interest, defining at least one block of spatially correlated voxels, calculating voxel weights for each voxel within the at least one block, and determining a block average count and variance for the at least one block. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298660 | 3-DIMENSIONAL DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - A 3-dimensional diagnostic imaging system for acquiring and displaying 3-dimensional images includes an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to display any cross section of a 3-dimensional image extracted from volume data including an affected part of a subject; a 3-dimensional medical diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to display a cross section of a 3-dimensional image extracted from volume data obtained by medical diagnostic imaging modalities other than the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus, the cross section being substantially identical to the cross section displayed by the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus; and an image processing/display unit configured to synchronously display substantially identical cross sections of a plurality of 3-dimensional images from both the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus and the 3-dimensional medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, or to synchronously display substantially identical cross sections of a plurality of 3-dimensional images extracted from volume data obtained by the same medical diagnostic imaging modality at different times. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298661 | Method and Apparatus for Parameter Free Regularized Partially Parallel Imaging Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method and apparatus for parameter free regularized partially parallel imaging (PPI). Specific embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for high pass GRAPPA (hp-GRAPPA), doubly calibrated GRAPPA (db-GRAPPA), and/or image ratio constrained reconstruction (IRCR). The subject techniques can be applied individually or in combination. In a specific application of an embodiment of the subject method, hp-GRAPPA is used to reconstruct high frequency information, and db-GRAPPA is used reconstruct low frequency information regularized with prior information. In another specific application of an embodiment of the subject method, the result of IRCR a regularization term for db-GRAPPA. Experiments demonstrate that the results obtained by implementing embodiments of the subject method have significantly higher SNR than results obtained utilizing un-regularized techniques and have higher spatial resolution and/or lower error than results obtained using regularized SENSE. The subject double calibration technique lessens the motion problem of the pre-scan even when significant structure change occurs. High quality images generated by a specific embodiment of the subject double calibration technique are demonstrated with a net reduction factor as high as 4.8. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298662 | Automatic Detection of Lymph Nodes - A method for detecting lymph nodes in a medical image includes receiving image data. One or more regions of interest are detected from within the received image data. One or more lymph node candidates are identified using a set of predefined parameters that is particular to the detected region of interest where each lymph node candidate is located. The identifying unit may identify the one or more lymph node candidates by performing DGFR processing. The method may also include receiving user-provided adjustments to the predefined parameters that are particular to the detected regions of interest and identifying the lymph node candidates based on the adjusted parameters. The lymph node candidates identified based on the adjusted parameters may be displayed along with the image data in real-time as the adjustments are provided. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298663 | Task Specific Reconstruction of Functional Medical Scans - The invention addresses the problem of algorithm specific artefacts introduced by reconstruction of functional medical scans. After a general purpose reconstruction is performed, regions of interest are identified from the data and task specific reconstruction of the region(s) of interest is carried out. The reconstructed data can be displayed (for example) as a report or image overlay. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298664 | Method for data evaluation - A method is disclosed for data evaluation of first and second measured data records acquired substantially simultaneously with the aid of a combined medical examination device suitable for simultaneous and isocentric acquisition of first measured data, specifically magnetic resonance or computed tomography measured data, and second nuclear medicine measured data, specifically PET measured data or SPECT measured data. In at least one embodiment, the method includes reconstructing a first image data record from the measured data of the at least one first measured data record, reconstructing a second image data record from the measured data of the at least one second measured data record, fusing the image data records as a function of registering the coordinate systems of the first measured data record and of the second measured data record to form a fusion image data record, and displaying and/or storing the fusion image data record. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298665 | Methods and Systems for Grouping Radiological Images into Event Markers - Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for radiological imaging including: viewing a study, the study including a series of radiological images interfacing with the study to allow interaction with the radiological images of the study; selecting an image from the series of radiological images to form an event marker; and
| 2008-12-04 |
20080298666 | Identifying blood vessels in lung x-ray radiographs - A method of detecting blood vessel shadows in an anterior posterior x-ray radiograph comprising the steps of: generating candidate sub areas of the radiograph showing changes in contrast above a threshold level; supressing rib shadow edges; eliminating lung tissue shadow edges, and categorizing and eliminating nodule shadows. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298667 | IMAGE PORTION IDENTIFICATION METHODS, IMAGE PARSING METHODS, IMAGE PARSING SYSTEMS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE - Image portion identification methods, image parsing methods, image parsing systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one embodiment, an image portion identification method includes accessing data regarding an image depicting a plurality of biological substrates corresponding to at least one biological sample and indicating presence of at least one biological indicator within the biological sample and, using processing circuitry, automatically identifying a portion of the image depicting one of the biological substrates but not others of the biological substrates. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298668 | METHOD FOR FRAUD DETECTION USING MULTIPLE SCAN TECHNOLOGIES - A method is disclosed for detecting fraud. The method optically recognizes a character imprinted with a magnetic ink on a medium using a first optical character recognition algorithm. The method also optically recognizes the character using a second optical character recognition algorithm. In addition, the method magnetically recognizes the character using a magnetic recognition algorithm. The method determines if the character is potentially fraudulent based on the recognition results of the scan using the first optical character recognition algorithm, the scan using the second optical character recognition algorithm, and the magnetic scan. If the character is potentially fraudulent, the method communicates a fraud indicator. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298669 | DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD - A data processing apparatus according to the present invention takes in a plurality of inspection, image and attribute data output from an inspection apparatus, a review SEM image, coordinate information of hot spots found by simulation, and CAD information in the hot spots, and displays these kinds of information side by side. Tuning of inspection conditions in the inspection apparatus is facilitated from a view point of the detection rate of the hot spots. In addition, it is made possible to easily implement a fixed point observation function in a conventional review SEM by outputting coordinate data which can be read by the review SEM. Cooperation among simulation data, the inspection apparatus, and the review SEM is facilitated. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298670 | Method and its apparatus for reviewing defects - As a result of the improvement in throughput of review SEMs, the volume of defect image data which are collected in a semiconductor mass production line becomes larger. In order to achieve efficiency in management (deletion, search, display, and the like) of the image data in response to the above circumstance, a review SEM according to the present invention is configured to judge the importance levels of defect images taken and the like from information such as the classification results of the defect images, the defect feature computed from the defect images, and the imaging states of the defect images and to provide each of the defect images with the importance level and the like as supplementary information so that a large quantity of image data is managed on the basis of the supplementary information. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298671 | Method For Increasing The Accuracy Of The Positioning Of A First Object Relative To A Second Object - A method is provided for increasing the accuracy of the positioning of a first object relative to a second object. The method overcomes the disadvantageous influence of thermal drift between a first and a second object during a positioning of a first object on a second object. The method finds applications in manufacturing, for example, in the manufacturing of semiconductor components. The method utilizes recognition of structures on the second object which have a minimum structure width. At a first instant, using one recognition procedure, the first object is positioned on the second object in a desired position. The relative displacement of the two objects is determined at the first instant and on at least one subsequent instant. A second recognition procedure may be used for this purpose. The second recognition procedure may have a resolution accuracy which is different than the resolution accuracy of the first resolution procedure. The second recognition procedure may be a pattern recognition method. The relative displacement determined at the second instant is used to correct the positioning of the first and second objects as necessary to maintain a desired position of the two objects. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298672 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT USING MACHINE VISION - This invention provides a system and method for determining position of a viewed object in three dimensions by employing 2D machine vision processes on each of a plurality of planar faces of the object, and thereby refining the location of the object. First a rough pose estimate of the object is derived. This rough pose estimate can be based upon predetermined pose data, or can be derived by acquiring a plurality of planar face poses of the object (using, for example multiple cameras) and correlating the corners of the trained image pattern, which have known coordinates relative to the origin, to the acquired patterns. Once the rough pose is achieved, this is refined by defining the pose as a quaternion (a, b, c and d) for rotation and a three variables (x, y, z) for translation and employing an iterative weighted, least squares error calculation to minimize the error between the edgelets of trained model image and the acquired runtime edgelets. The overall, refined/optimized pose estimate incorporates data from each of the cameras' acquired images. Thereby, the estimate minimizes the total error between the edgelets of each camera's/view's trained model image and the associated camera's/view's acquired runtime edgelets. A final transformation of trained features relative to the runtime features is derived from the iterative error computation. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298673 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA REGISTRATION METHOD FOR VISION MEASUREMENT IN FLOW STYLE BASED ON DOUBLE-SIDED TARGET - The present disclosure is directed to a three-dimensional data registration method for vision measurement in flow style based on a double-sided target. An embodiment of the disclosed method that comprises A. Setting up two digital cameras which can observe the entire measured object; B. Calibrating intrinsic parameters and a transformation between the two digital camera coordinate frames; C. A double-sided target being placed near the measured area of the measured object, the two digital cameras and a vision sensor taking images of at least three non-collinear feature points of the double-sided target; D. Removing the target, measuring the measured area by using the vision sensor; E. Respectively computing the three dimensional coordinates of the feature points in the global coordinate frame and in the vision sensor coordinate frame; F. Estimating the transformation from the vision sensor coordinate frame to the global coordinate frame through the three dimensional coordinates of the three or more non-collinear feature points obtained at step E, then transforming the three dimensional data of the measured area to the global coordinate frame; and G. Repeating step C, D, E, F, then completing three dimensional data registration for all measured areas. The present disclosure improves three dimensional data registration precision and efficiency. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298674 | Stereoscopic Panoramic imaging system - An imaging system for producing stereoscopic panoramic images using multiple coplanar pairs of image capture devices with overlapping fields of view held in a rigid structural frame for long term calibration maintenance. Pixels are dynamically adjusted within the imaging system for position, color, brightness, aspect ratio, lens imperfections, imaging chip variations and any other imaging system shortcomings that are identified during calibration processes. Correction of pixel information is implemented in various combinations of hardware and software. Corrected image data is then available for storage or display or for separate data processing actions such as object distance or volume calculations. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298675 | Image color compensating apparatus and methods thereof - The invention relates to an image color compensating apparatus and related method thereof. A color space conversion operation is implemented in a pixel of a source image to convert first image signals corresponding to the pixel to second image signals corresponding to a color space plane. The color space plane comprises a color compensation region. Mathematical operations are implemented in the second image signals to determine where the pixel is located. When the pixel resides in the color compensation region, a compensation operation is implemented in the second image signals. Thus, the pixel approaches a predetermined direction for adjusting the color of the pixel. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298676 | COLOR PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method for generating a color processing parameter used in color processing performed on an image captured by an imaging unit includes inputting data of an image captured by the imaging unit, inputting target data corresponding to the data, generating a pair of data and target data based on the data and the target data, and generating a color processing parameter for converting the data to the target data. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298677 | COLOR PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A color processing apparatus includes an input conversion unit configured to convert input data expressed in an input device-dependent color space into data expressed in a device-independent color space, a determination unit configured to determine an attribute of the input data and transmit a result of the determination to a color gamut mapping unit and an output conversion unit. The color gamut mapping unit is configured to perform color gamut mapping on data expressed in the device-independent color space to data corresponding to color gamut information of an output device based on a result of the determination. The output conversion unit is configured to convert the data which is subjected to the color gamut mapping into output data which is expressed in an output device-dependent color space based on a result of the determination. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298678 | CHROMATIC ABERRATION CORRECTION - A chromatic aberration (CA) correction technique is presented that substantially removes CA from an image captured by a digital camera. In general, the effects of any in-camera sharpening are reversed by applying a blurring kernel. The image is then super-sampled to approximate its state prior to the application of in-camera sampling. One of the color channels is designated as a reference channel, and an objective function is established for each of the non-reference channels. The reference color channel is assumed to be CA-free, while the objective functions are used to compute the unknown CA parameters for each non-reference channel. These sets are used in a CA removal function to substantially remove the CA associated with each of the non-reference channels. The image is then sampled to return it to its original resolution, and a sharpening filter is applied if needed to undo the effects of the previously applied blurring kernel. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298679 | DETECTING RED EYE FILTER AND APPARAUS USING META-DATA - A method of filtering a red-eye phenomenon from an acquired digital image including a multiplicity of pixels indicative of color, the pixels forming various shapes of the image, includes analyzing meta-data information, determining one or more regions within the digital image suspected as including red eye artifact, and determining, based at least in part on the meta-data analysis, whether the regions are actual red eye artifact. The meta-data information may include information describing conditions under which the image was acquired, captured and/or digitized, acquisition device-specific information, and/ film information. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298680 | System and Method for Image Processing Using Integral Histogram Convolution - A system and method for performing integral histogram convolution for filtering image data is disclosed. The method may include generating an initial histogram for a kernel region of an input image comprising two or more column histograms. Each histogram may include a plurality of bucket values, each representing a sum of weights associated with pixels having the same value or a count of pixels having the same value. The method may include incrementally generating a region histogram for each successive region of the image as the kernel is passed over the image and applying a convolution operation to it. Generating the new region histogram may involve merging an additional column histogram with the initial or current region histogram, and may also involve subtracting values of a preceding column histogram from the initial or current histogram. The methods may be implemented by program instructions executing in parallel on CPU(s) or GPUs. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298681 | Image processing apparatus and computer readable medium storing program therefor - An image processing apparatus includes: a reference-based coding unit that encodes image information for an image partition having a predefined size by referring to image information for another image partition; an independently coding unit that encodes the image information for the image partition independently of any other image partition; and a bounds defining unit that defines bounds of reference to be made by the reference-based coding unit. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298682 | Method a System and a Computer Program for Segmenting a Structure Associated with a Reference Structure in an Image - The invention relates to a method of image segmentation for delineating a structure associated with a reference structure in an image. For this purpose a segmentation of the reference structure is accessed. The appearance of different tissue types is learned using the model by non parametric robust estimation that employs a fuzzy kNN classifier in two stages (outlier reduction and final estimation). The model is used to provide seed points for the segmentation. The graph cut method is adapted to perform segmentation of the sought structure. The invention further relates to a system and a computer program for image segmentation. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298683 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - An object is designated as a designated object. Two or more image data items containing objects each being different from the designated object by an amount smaller than or equal to a first predetermined value are selected from among a specific image data item group. The selected two or more image data items are displayed in two or more display regions provided on a display unit. The objects each being different from the designated object by the amount smaller than or equal to the first predetermined value are defined as main objects, the two or more image data items are adjusted such that differences in position and size of the main objects in the display regions between the two or more image data items are made smaller than or equal to a second predetermined value, and the adjusted two or more image data items are displayed. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298684 | Multi-Spectral Imaging - Systems and techniques for multi-spectral imaging. Light may be received at a multi-spectral optical module, which transmits a plurality of wavelength band portions of the received light, each having a pre-selected bandwidth between about two nanometers and about forty nanometers. The pre-selected bandwidths may be between about ten nanometers and about thirty nanometers. Each of the wavelength band portions may have the same pre-selected bandwidth, or may have different pre-selected bandwidths. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298685 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - In order to perform appropriate image correction considering the moving image region and static image region of image data forming a moving image, the image data forming the moving image is input in a unit of frame, the image data is divided into a moving image region and static image region, and a feature amount of the moving image region and that of the static image region are calculated. At least one table for image correction is generated based on the feature amount of the moving image region and that of the static image region, and the image data is corrected using the table. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298686 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image processing system includes a computer and an image processing apparatus. A control portion of the apparatus controls so that a whole of one side and the other side of a transparent sheet are optically read, and the obtained image data of the front and rear sides is transmitted to the computer. A control portion of the computer controls so that character information for each of data area corresponding to containing ranges of the respective document on the transparent sheet is obtained by a character recognition, with respect to each front and rear side image data received, and the recognized character information of the both sides is related each other for each of the data area, based on previously associated front and rear information showing a front-and-rear position relation between one side and the other side of the document, and stored in a data storing portion. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298687 | Human image recognition system - The present invention is to provide a human image recognition system capable of determining a next movement of a person approaching a particular region of space, which comprises a determination unit adapted to determine whether there is a moving object in continuous images taken by an image taking unit by analyzing the continuous images. If yes, the determination unit compares the moving object with contours of at least one admissible person stored in a memory so as to determine whether the moving object is a person recognized or is about to enter into or leave from a door of a building by analyzing the person's moving direction and changed positions, and then determine whether the person should be allowed to pass through or not. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298688 | Method of classifying colors of color based image code - Provided is a method of classifying colors of a color based image code. The colors of each cell forming the color based image code are classified by sampling a predetermined number of pixels from each cell and then applying a max channel based clustering method, a white balance based color clustering method, a single-linkage algorithm based color classification method, a K-means algorithm based color classification method, or the like. Accordingly, the colors of an image code can be accurately recognized despite of a color distortion due to characteristics of a camera, a printing medium, etc. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298689 | Storing Information for Access Using a Captured Image - An electronic device associates first information and at least a first portion of a first image, and uses a second image that includes a portion corresponding to at least the first portion of the first image to access the associated first information. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298690 | Digital Photo Content Processing System and Method and Apparatus for Transmitting/Receiving Digital Photo Contents Thereof - A system for processing digital photo contents in a digital camera is disclosed. The system includes a content transmitting unit, and a content receiving unit. The content transmitting unit creates an image by photographing objects in a photographing area, requests supplementary information to at least one of persons in the photographing area, receives personal IDs from at least one of target persons, composes digital photo contents using the created image and the personal ID and stores the composed digital photo contents, and transmits after classifying the stored digital photo content by the received personal ID. The content receiving unit transmits an own personal ID when a request for supplementary information to identify a target person from a content transmitting unit of a photographer, receives digital photo contents composed using an image captured from the content transmitting unit and the personal ID, and displays the received digital photo contents. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298691 | FLEXIBLE MQDF CLASSIFIER MODEL COMPRESSION - A memory footprint of an Modified Quadratic Discriminant Function (MQDF) pattern recognition classifier is reduced without resulting in unacceptable classification accuracy degradation. Covariance matrices for multiple classes are clustered into a smaller number of matrices where different classes share the same set of eigenvectors. According to another approach, different numbers of principal components are stored for different classes based on criteria such as class usage frequency, larger variation in writing, and the like, resulting in fewer principal components to be stored in memory. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298692 | Method of scalable fractional motion estimation for multimedia coding system - A multimedia coding system has different picture qualities with different coding characteristics. It is done through a scaleable fractional motion estimation (FME) in H.264 and a block size trend prediction FME. Three quality levels are thus obtained. The first level processes a complete calculation and obtains a best picture; the second level, fewer calculation with a low power consumption and an acceptable picture quality; and the third level, fewest calculation with a fastest speed. And the present invention is suitable for hardware design to obtain a high efficiency, a low cost and a high performance. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298693 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PRESENTING ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE DATA - The invention provides a method, system, and program product for presenting electronic surveillance data. One method according to the invention includes identifying a point to be surveyed; establishing a schedule at which the point will be surveyed; capturing a first image of the point; storing the first image; capturing a second image of the point; storing the second image; highlighting a difference between the first and second images; and presenting the first and second images to a user. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298694 | Method for Coding RGB Color Space Signal - A method for coding an RGB color space signal is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a base plane is encoded using an independent mode, and an enhanced plane is encoded by referring to the base plane without converting the RGB color space signal into YCbCr color space signal to reduce a redundancy between RGB planes and improve a compression ratio of an image. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298695 | MOTION VECTOR DETECTING APPARATUS, MOTION VECTOR DETECTING METHOD AND INTERPOLATION FRAME CREATING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a motion vector detecting apparatus performs block matching of a plurality of image frames to detect a motion vector. The motion vector detecting apparatus has a macroblock joining section forming a joined macroblock in which a plurality of macroblocks including repeating images among macroblocks being subjects of the block matching are joined by every motion characteristic of the repeating image included in each macroblock. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298696 | BUFFER MANAGEMENT FOR AN ADAPTIVE BUFFER VALUE USING ACCUMULATION AND AVERAGING - An optical imaging system with dynamic buffer management is described. Embodiments of the optical imaging system include an image sensor, a buffer, and a buffer mode controller. The image sensor includes a pixel array to read out a plurality of pixel lines for a frame of an image. The buffer is configured to store a plurality of buffer values corresponding to a plurality of pixel values for each of the pixel lines. The buffer mode controller is configured to dynamically switch between an accumulation mode and an averaging mode. The accumulation mode facilitates a computation of each buffer value according to a sum value of the corresponding pixel value and a corresponding previous buffer value. The averaging mode facilitates a computation of each buffer value according to an average value of a normalized value of the corresponding pixel value and the corresponding previous buffer value. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298697 | User Interface for Presenting a List of Thumbnail Items Associated With Media Items - A user interface allows a user to access media items by selecting from a list of thumbnail items associated with the media items. Various techniques are used to reduce the latency times when displaying the list of thumbnail items in the user interface. When the list is initially displayed, for example, the thumbnail items may be loaded into memory according to how far they are from a currently displayed portion of the list, rather than always starting from the top of the list. In addition, if not all of the thumbnail items can be loaded at one time, when the list window is scrolled, the thumbnail items relatively far from a current scroll position of the list are purged so that the items closer to the current scroll position may be loaded. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298698 | Image processing apparatus and computer readable medium storing program therefor - An image processing apparatus includes an image partitioning unit that partitions an image represented by input image information into image partitions, each containing plural pixels; a run coding unit that run-length encodes image partitions for which all pixels contained in any of the image partitions match with a pixel value in a predetermined position in another image partition; and an independently coding unit that encodes image partitions other than image partitions encoded by the run coding unit, so that the resulting codes are decoded independently for each image partition. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298699 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DOWN-SAMPLING A DCT IMAGE IN THE DCT DOMAIN - A method and device that uses transform matrices to down-sample a DCT image directly in the DCT domain. The transform matrices have been selected to minimize an optimization problem which is a function of the visual quality of down-sampled images obtained using the matrices and the computational complexity associated with using the transform matrices. The transform matrices comprise a row transform matrix and a column transform matrix. A down-sampled image is produced by determining an intermediary matrix as the product of the DCT image and one of either the row transform matrix or the column transform matrix and then determining the down-sampled image as the product of the intermediary matrix and the transform matrix not already used to determine the intermediary matrix. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298700 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SELECTING TRANSFORM MATRICES FOR DOWN-SAMPLING DCT IMAGE USING LEARNING WITH FORGETTING ALGORITHM - Down-sampling of an image may be performed in the DCT domain. A multiple layered network is used to select transform matrices for down-sampling a DCT image of size M×N to a DCT image of size I×J. A spatial domain down-sampling method is selected and applied to the DCT image to produce a down-sampled DCT reference image. A learning with forgetting algorithm is used to apply a decay to the elements of the transform matrix and select a transform matrices which solve an optimization problem. The optimization problem is a function of the visual quality of images obtained using the transform matrices and the computational complexity associated with using the transform matrices. The visual quality is a measure of the difference between the down-sampled DCT image obtained using the transform matrices and the visual quality of the DCT reference image obtained using a spatial domain down-sampling method. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298701 | Method and Device for Selecting Optimal Transform Matrices for Down-sampling DCT image - Down-sampling of an image may be performed in the DCT domain. Transform matrices are obtained for down-sampling a DCT image of size M×N to a down-sampled DCT image of size I×J. The transform matrices may be used to down-sample the DCT image directly in the DCT domain. A spatial domain down-sampling method is selected and applied to the DCT image to produce a down-sampled DCT reference image. The transform matrices are selected by solving an optimization problem, leading to transform matrices which achieve a desired trade-off between the visual quality of images obtained using the transform matrices and the computational complexity associated with using the transform matrices. The visual quality is a measure of the difference between the down-sampled DCT image obtained using the transform matrices and the visual quality of the DCT reference image obtained using a spatial domain down-sampling method. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298702 | Fixed rate JPEG encoding - Systems and methods are disclosed for fixed rate JPEG encoding of a digital image. According to an implementation, the method includes estimation of image characteristics (e.g. frequency domain parameters—DCT coefficients, etc.) of a plurality of frequency components constituting the digital image. Subsequently, bits are allocated to each of the frequency components based on the estimated characteristics. Quantization value for each of the frequency component is computed based on the allocated bits and the estimated image characteristics. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298703 | Hiding Codes in Input Data - The present invention relates to hiding codes in input data such as still imagery and motion pictures. One claim recites: embedding an N-bit code with a source signal, N being at least one. The embedding proceeds, for each bit of the N-bit code, according to the following: mapping the bit to a portion of the source signal; changing values of at least two data values associated with the portion in accordance with the bit. The act of changing embeds the N-bit code in a manner that is generally imperceptible to a human observer of the source signal. A related claim recites that the portion includes a data value, and the above method further includes changing the value of the data value in accordance with said bit of the code, an amount of the changing being adjusted based on the value. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298704 | FACE AND SKIN SENSITIVE IMAGE ENHANCEMENT - Systems and methods of face and skin sensitive image enhancement are disclosed. In one aspect, a face map that includes for each pixel of an input image a respective face probability value indicating a degree to which the pixel corresponds to a human face is calculated. A skin map that includes for each pixel of the input image a respective skin probability value indicating a degree to which the pixel corresponds to human skin is ascertained. The input image is enhanced with an enhancement level that varies pixel-by-pixel in accordance with the respective face probability values and the respective skin probability values. In another aspect, a facial content measurement value indicating a degree to which an input image contains human face content is ascertained. A tone-correction process is tuned in accordance with the facial content measurement value. The input image is enhanced in accordance with the tuned tone-correction process. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298705 | IMAGE PRODUCTION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOBILE TERMINAL - An image production method and apparatus are disclosed for a mobile terminal. The image production method includes selecting photographs and applying editing effects associated with color information of at least one of the selected photographs to image data of the selected photographs to produce an output image. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298706 | FOCAL LENGTH ESTIMATION FOR PANORAMIC STITCHING - A focal length estimation technique is presented that estimates the focal length used to capture each of a pair of overlapping images taken by a camera rotating about its center. When it is known that the focal length is the same for both images, it is estimated using just two pairs of corresponding points between the images. When it is either unknown whether the focal lengths are the same or it is known that they vary, the focal length of each image is estimated using just three pairs of corresponding points between the images. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298707 | Image processing apparatus and method and image display apparatus - An image processing apparatus receives n-bit image data, carries out an α-bit bit extension, and outputs (n+α)-bit image data, where n and α are positive integers. The apparatus also performs an epsilon filtering operation that uses the additional gray levels provided by the bit extension to smooth out false edges caused by the bit extension without smoothing out real edges. The output image preserves both the smoothness of regions of gradual change and the sharpness of abrupt changes in the input image. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298708 | Methods and apparatuses that reduce noise in image signals - Methods and apparatuses for noise reduction of imager pixels signals. A weighted combination based on the presence of edges of two calculated demosaiced signals is used to produce a noise reduced signal. The noise reduced signal may be sharpened based on a calculated luminance of the two demosaiced signals. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298709 | Apparatus and method for reducing image noise with filter matrix and computer readable medium stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method - An apparatus for reducing image noise with filter matrix comprises a first input unit for receiving input of an object image data for conversion; a second input unit for receiving input of a size data of a convention area; a first output unit for setting conversion unit matrixes movable in the conversion area in a predetermined direction relative to a standard matrix; a second output unit for outputting average values of image information of pixels corresponding to the conversion unit matrixes set by first output unit and outputting an average value of image information of pixels corresponding to the standard matrix; an arrangement unit for calculating difference values between the average value of the standard matrix and the average values of the conversion unit matrixes and arranging calculation (difference) values according to size; and a conversion unit for low-pass filtering the conversion unit matrixes having calculation values smaller than a predetermined ordinal number among the arranged calculation values. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298710 | Image signal processing apparatus for generating bright signal of high reproducibility - An image signal processing apparatus and method for processing an image signal input from an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in a pixel-by-pixel basis and generating a bright signal corresponding to chrominance signals comprise a low pass filter (LPF), an subtractor, an adder, and a bright signal controller. The LPF cancels a high frequency component of the chrominance signals contained in the input image signal. The subtractor generates a high frequency component signal by subtracting an output signal of the LPF from the input image signal. The adder generates the bright signal by adding the high frequency component signal generated by the subtractor to the output signal of the LPF. The bright signal controller increases the high frequency component signal generated by the subtractor if a pixel position of the input image signal is within an object range, and decreases the high frequency component signal generated by the subtractor if a pixel position of the input image signal is out of the object range. | 2008-12-04 |
20080298711 | Enhancing the quality of decoded quantized images - A system for image enhancement and, more particularly, a system for enhancing the quality of a quantized image. | 2008-12-04 |