Image analysis inventions 05/07

20070121997 - Digital fingerprinting using synchronization marks and watermarks: Digital fingerprinting using synchronization marks and watermarks. At a watermark embedder, an input host signal is divided into regions, and a subset of the regions is selected to receive synchronization marks. Respective synchronization marks are then embedded into the selected regions. At a receiver, an input signal is divided into... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070121996 - Methods of processing and displaying images and display device using the methods: The invention proposes methods of processing and displaying images comprising the steps of:—modification of the color (C1) in at least one pixel of an image source; and—calculation of the color of the pixel in the processed images (C3, C4), in such a way that the average of the colors of... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070121999 - Detection of abnormal crowd behavior: A system and method detects the intent and/or motivation of two or more persons or other animate objects in a video scene. In one embodiment, the system forms a blob of the two or more persons, draws a bounding box around said blob, calculates an entropy value for said blob,... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070122000 - Detection of stationary objects in video: Video processing to detect a stationary object in a video includes: performing background change detection on the video; performing motion detection on the video; determining stable pixels in the video based on the background change detection; and combining the stable pixels to identify at least one stationary object in the... Agent: Venable LLP

20070121998 - Method for the analysis of correspondences in image data sets: Processing of image data relating to moving scenarios, especially for recognizing and tracking objects located therein, requires identifying corresponding pixels or image areas in the individual successive image data sets. Likewise, processing of stereo images requires identifying the data areas which correspond to each other in two images that are... Agent: Akerman Senterfitt

20070122001 - Real-time bayesian 3d pose tracking: Systems and methods are described for real-time Bayesian 3D pose tracking. In one implementation, exemplary systems and methods formulate key-frame based differential pose tracking in a probabilistic graphical model. An exemplary system receives live captured video as input and tracks a video object's 3D pose in real-time based on the... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070122002 - Systems and methods for determining if objects are in a queue: Systems and methods that determine a position value of a first object and a position value of a second object, and compare the position value of the first object with the position value of the second object to determine if the second object is in a queue with the first... Agent: Cooley Godward Kronish LLP Attn: Patent Group

20070122005 - Image authentication apparatus: In conventional image authentication apparatuses, in a case in which relatively significant variation of a face image is accompanied when a part of a face is hidden by a mask or sun-glasses, etc. during a matching operation, it has been difficult to treat the image as an authentication target. When... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070122004 - Privacy-enhanced e-passport authentication protocol: A passport authentication protocol provides for encryption of sensitive data such as biometric data and transfer of the encryption key from the passport to the authentication authority to permit comparison to a reference value.... Agent: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Commerce Court West

20070122003 - System and method for identifying a threat associated person among a crowd: System for identifying a threat associated person among a crowd in a protected area, the system including an expert system network, and a supervising system coupled with the expert system network, the expert system network including a plurality of local expert systems, each of the local expert systems being associated... Agent: Merchant & Gould PC

20070122006 - Image processing apparatus and method: Plural kinds of feature information for identifying an object and a period of time, set for each kind of the feature information, for which the feature information is effective are stored in connection with each other. A feature is extracted from image data, the extracted feature is compared with the... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20070122008 - Dot templates for object detection in images: Dot templates are used for detecting objects within images. A computer-implemented method is performed for each of a number of dot templates corresponding to the object to be detected within an image. Each dot template is defined as a collection of points. At each position within the image, a value... Agent: Law Offices Of Michael Dryja

20070122011 - Face authentication system and gate management system: A face authentication system which authenticates the faces of persons passing through at least two parallel passages before the persons reach predetermined positions includes a plurality of image sensing units arranged in the predetermined positions of the plurality of passages to record images of persons passing through the passages, a... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070122010 - Face detection method, apparatus, and program: When detecting a face included in an input image by use of at least two inclinations of the face to be detected, a first detection process is performed if the inclination of the face to be detected corresponds to a first inclination where a relatively high face detection probability is... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070122009 - Face recognition method and apparatus: A face recognition and apparatus are provided. According to the method, an SVM classifier is created through machine learning on the basis of a degree of similarity of a divided facial image, and a facial image to be authenticated is normalized to a predetermined size using a center between two... Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP

20070122007 - Image recognition: A camera A produces a 3D natural image B which is re-oriented and repositioned at N to predetermined parameters. Different processes C, D, E extract different features from the image to provide different processed images. The data space occupied by the processed images is reduced, for example by Principle Component... Agent: Barnes & Thornburg LLP

20070122012 - Robot apparatus, face identification method, image discriminating method and apparatus: A robot apparatus includes face includes a face tracking module (M2) for tracking a face in an image photographed by a CCD camera, a face detecting module (M1) for detecting face data of the face in the image photographed by the image pickup device, based on the face tracking information... Agent: Frommer Lawrence & Haug

20070122013 - Finger sensing with enhanced mounting and associated methods: A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area, an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one beveled upper edge, and a frame surrounding at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the... Agent: Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist P.A.

20070122015 - Multifunction apparatus, multifunction apparatus system and computer program product: A multifunction apparatus that includes: a read unit; a storage unit storing a fingerprint in association with at least one of a function of the multifunction apparatus, a set item and a set value; a call unit that reads from the storage unit at least one of the function, set... Agent: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. Attorneys For Client Nos. 0166889, 006760

20070122014 - Registration apparatus, collation apparatus, image correction method and program: A registration apparatus includes a corresponding pixel detection unit that detects two or more than two pixels in an object of identification shown in a first image obtained by shooting the object of identification at a site of a living body from a first position and corresponding two or more... Agent: David R. Metzger Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP

20070122017 - Cognition integrator and language: In a specification mode, a user specifies classes of a class network and process steps of a process hierarchy using a novel scripting language. The classes describe what the user expects to find in digital images. The process hierarchy describes how the digital images are to be analyzed. Each process... Agent: Silicon Edge Law Group LLP

20070122016 - Colon characteristic path registration: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for efficiently calculating a registration of multiple characteristic paths of a virtual three-dimensional object. Each path of discrete points is transformed into a piecewise linear parameterization as a function of path length. The paths are smoothed and normalized. The shorter path... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070122019 - Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, method of making an imaging-plan, and method of imaging: The present invention provides a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus including a unit for specifying a plurality of regions of interest on a plurality of original images acquired by imaging several times while shifting imaging positions, a unit for finding an approximate line involved in the regions of interest on an... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070122018 - Systems and methods for automatic change quantification for medical decision support: A method of automatic change quantification for medical decision support includes: automatically detecting a structure in a set of medical images; characterizing the detected structure including modeling of deformation characteristics of the detected structure; matching images based on the characterization of the detected structure, wherein a size measure of the... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070122020 - Method and device for geometry analysis and calibration of volumetric imaging systems: A technique is provided for geometrical analysis and calibration of a volumetric imaging system. The technique includes computing a projection error between estimated locations of a set of markers of a phantom based on a estimated imaging geometry and observed locations of the respective markers for at least one projection... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20070122021 - Facilitating temporal comparison of medical images: Methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating temporal comparison of medical images is provided, with one exemplary application being for breast mammograms. In one embodiment, prior and subsequent mammographic images of a breast acquired using at least partially different mammogram acquisition systems are displayed for simultaneous viewing on a... Agent: Brian J. Daiuto

20070122022 - Authenticity determination method, apparatus and program: An authenticity determination method and an apparatus for determining the authenticity of solid object having a random and readable intrinsic characteristic distributed on the surface thereof are disclosed. In this method and apparatus, reference data expressing the characteristic distributed on the genuine solid object are acquired, and cross-checking data expressing... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070122023 - Currency processing system with fitness detection: In one aspect, a method of processing currency in a currency processing machine includes the act of retrieving, from a plurality of input currency bills, characteristic information from each of the bills, the characteristic information itself including at least a first characteristic information relating to fitness. The method also includes... Agent: Cummins-allison Corp. C/o Jenkens & Gilchrist

20070122024 - Method for processing checks prior to electronic deposit: A method of processing a check prior to submitting it for deposit in which the depositor's intent at the time of submitting the check is linked with an image of the check. The method includes receiving from the depositor intended amount information for the check, generating a first image of... Agent: Pitney Bowes Inc. 35 Waterview Drive

20070122025 - Automated macromolecular crystal detection system and method: An automated macromolecular method and system for detecting crystals in two-dimensional images, such as light microscopy images obtained from an array of crystallization screens. Edges are detected from the images by identifying local maxima of a phase congruency-based function associated with each image. The detected edges are segmented into discrete... Agent: James S. Tak Assistant Laboratory Counsel

20070122026 - Method for planning an inspection path for determining areas that are to be inspected: The invention relates to a method for planning an inspection path (2) for at least one optical picture-taking device (4), particularly a camera, for inspecting a three-dimensional object (3). The picture-taking device (4) and the object (3) are movable relative to each other by means of a displacement device (5,... Agent: Striker Striker & Stenby

20070122028 - Symmetric stereo model for handling occlusion: The present symmetric stereo matching technique provides a method for iteratively estimating a minimum energy for occlusion and disparity using belief propagation. The minimum energy is based on an energy minimization framework in which a visibility constraint is embedded. By embedding the visibility constraint, the present symmetric stereo matching technique... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070122029 - System and method for capturing visual data and non-visual data for multi-dimensional image display: The present invention includes a system for capturing and screening multidimensional images. In an embodiment, a capture and recording device is provided, wherein distance data of visual elements represented visually within captured images are captured and recorded. Further, an allocation device that is operable to distinguish and allocate information within... Agent: Woodcock Washburn LLP

20070122027 - Virtual visual point image generating method and 3-d image display method and device: A virtual viewpoint image generation method for generating a virtual viewpoint image that is an image of an object viewed from a virtual viewpoint based on plural images of the object taken by plural cameras is provided. In the virtual viewpoint image generation method, projection planes having a multi-layered structure... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070122030 - Method for reducing color moire in digital images: In a method for reducing color moiré in digital images, the object is to improve the suppression of color moiré in such a way that effects on edge areas and fine structures are further reduced in that low-frequency beats causing color moiré are detected and attenuated in such a way... Agent: Reed Smith, LLP Attn: Patent Records Department

20070122031 - Method and apparatus for searching for and retrieving colour images: A method of searching for an image corresponding to a query comprises: comparing a colour descriptor of the query with stored colour descriptors of each of a collection of reference images; deriving a matching value indicating the degree of matching between the query and a reference image using the query... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070122032 - Method of pre-processing an image to be printed in a hand-held camera: A method is provided for pre-processing an image to be printed. The pre-processing is performed with a processor of a hand-held camera. The method involves the step of capturing an image with an image sensor of the camera including a Bayer color filter array (CFA). The captured image includes a... Agent: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

20070122033 - Methods and apparatus for binarising images: A method is proposed for binarising an image by deriving an intensity threshold and classifying pixels according to whether their intensity is below or above the threshold. In the derivation of the threshold, prior konwledge is used to define a region of interest (ROI) in the image. Furthermore, prior knowledge... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070122034 - Face detection in digital images: A method of detecting a face in a digital image comprises generating a map from the image, the map having a plurality of elements each corresponding to a pixel of the image, and searching the map for regions of elements corresponding to regions of pixels in the image exhibiting characteristics... Agent: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.

20070122035 - System and method for estimating dynamic quantities: A system and method for estimating dynamic quantities is provided. The system includes an electronic identification recognition apparatus, a weight measuring apparatus, and a computing apparatus. The electronic identification recognition apparatus can recognize an electronic identification for a corresponding item placed into the system, and the weight measuring apparatus measures... Agent: Jianq Chyun Intellectual Property Office

20070122037 - Image processing apparatus and image processing method: Of the feature amounts of respective regions on an image, a region having a feature amount which is similar to that of a region of interest on a image is specified (S1307). Of the OCR results of the respective regions on the image, a region having an OCR result which... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070122036 - Information processing apparatus and control method therefor: An information processing apparatus includes an image input unit which inputs image data containing a face, a face position detection unit which detects, from the image data, the position of a specific part of the face, and a facial expression recognition unit which detects a feature point of the face... Agent: Cowan Liebowitz & Latman P.C. John J Torrente

20070122038 - Methods and systems for detecting concealed objects: Methods and systems for detecting the presence of concealed objects.... Agent: Burns & Levinson, LLP (formerly Perkins Smith & Cohen LLP)

20070122039 - Segmentation of objects by minimizing global-local variational energy: An “Image Segmenter” provides a variational energy formulation for segmentation of natural objects from images. In general, the Image Segmenter operates by adopting Gaussian mixture models (GMM) to capture the appearance variation of objects in one or more images. A global image data likelihood potential is then computed and combined... Agent: Microsoft Corporation C/o Lyon & Harr, LLP

20070122040 - Method and apparatus for identifying physical features in video: An image is processed by a sensed-feature-based classifier to generate a list of objects assigned to classes. The most prominent objects (those objects whose classification is most likely reliable) are selected for range estimation and interpolation. Based on the range estimation and interpolation, the sensed features are converted to physical... Agent: Honeywell International Inc.

20070122041 - Spectral method for sparse linear discriminant analysis: A computer implemented method maximizes candidate solutions to a cardinality-constrained combinatorial optimization problem of sparse linear discriminant analysis. A candidate sparse solution vector x with k non-zero elements is inputted, along with a pair of covariance matrices A, B measuring between-class and within-class covariance of binary input data to be... Agent: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.

20070122042 - Statistical representation and coding of light field data: A method of representing light field data by capturing a set of images of at least one object in a passive manner at a virtual surface where a center of projection of an acquisition device that captures the set of images lies and generating a representation of the captured set... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070122043 - Image processing device that produces high-quality reduced image at fast processing speed: A reduction-ratio acquiring section acquires a reduction ratio for reducing a source image into an output image. A division-number determining section determines a division number nDev for dividing each pixel constituting the source image into (nDev×nDev) division blocks, where nDev is an integer that is greater than or equal to... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20070122044 - Program, method, and apparatus for decoding coded data: Provided are a program, a method, and an apparatus for decoding coded data, capable of completely restoring an original stream when decoded data is coded again by causing a computer to function as: means for receiving an input of a signal coded by lossy compression and orthogonally projecting an optional... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070122045 - System for scaling a picture unit from a first video resolution format to a second video resolution format: A system for scaling a picture unit from a first video resolution format to a second video resolution format, the picture unit being encoded utilizing a specific encoding scheme, is disclosed. The system includes: a FIFO, for buffering an encoded bit stream of the PU; a decoding circuit, coupled to... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20070122046 - Layer-based context quantization with context partitioning: Conditioning states are selected for coding a source from a plurality of potential conditioning states. The potential conditioning states represent a series of context events, such as a plurality of binary context events. According to a rule, potential conditioning states are partitioned into groups, such as by partitioning the potential... Agent: Lee & Hayes PLLC

20070122047 - Data processing apparatus and method and encoding device of same: A bit rate by which encoded data is supplied for decoding at the time of decoding is specified based on the encoded data obtained by encoding. Further, an encoding difficulty of processed data is detected. Then, a quantization scale is controlled based on the specified bit rate and the detected... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070122048 - Vector quantizer based on n-dimensional spatial dichotomy: A method and system for quantizing a vector corresponding to an input signal is described. The vector has a plurality of components corresponding to an N-dimensional space. In one aspect, the method and system include recursively dividing the space into equal spaces having one dimension less than a previous recursion... Agent: Sawyer Law Group LLP

20070122049 - Systems and methods for minimizing aberrating effects in imaging systems: An imaging system for reducing aberrations from an intervening medium, and an associated method of use are provided. The system may be an optical or task-based optical imaging system including optics, such as a phase mask, for imaging a wavefront of the system to an intermediate image and modifying phase... Agent: Lathrop & Gage Lc

20070122050 - Image processing method and image processing apparatus: A method for processing an image includes: determining a reduction ratio that falls within a predetermined range; generating reduced image data indicative of a reduced image based on original image data indicative of an original image by dimensionally reducing the size of the original image to the size of the... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20070122051 - Signal processing device, method, and program: An image processing device and method, where the device includes a data continuity detector configured to detect data continuity of image data made up of a plurality of pixels acquired by light signals of a real world being cast upon a plurality of detecting elements each having spatio-temporal integration effects,... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070122052 - Method of reducing a blocking artifact when coding moving picture: A method of coding a moving picture is provided that reduces blocking artifacts. The method can include defining a plurality of defining pixels S0, S1, and S2, which are centered around a block boundary. If a default mode is selected then frequency information of the surroundings of the block boundary... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070122053 - Method of reducing a blocking artifact when coding moving picture: A method of coding a moving picture is provided that reduces blocking artifacts. The method can include defining a plurality of defining pixels S0, S1, and S2, which are centered around a block boundary. If a default mode is selected then frequency information of the surroundings of the block boundary... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070122054 - Method of reducing a blocking artifact when coding moving picture: A method of coding a moving picture is provided that reduces blocking artifacts. The method can include defining a plurality of defining pixels S0, S1, and S2, which are centered around a block boundary. If a default mode is selected then frequency information of the surroundings of the block boundary... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070122055 - Method of reducing a blocking artifact when coding moving picture: A method of coding a moving picture is provided that reduces blocking artifacts. The method can include defining a plurality of defining pixels S0, S1, and S2, which are centered around a block boundary. If a default mode is selected then frequency information of the surroundings of the block boundary... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20070122056 - Detection and removal of blemishes in digital images utilizing original images of defocused scenes: A method automatically corrects dust artifact within images acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly and a translucent lens cap. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are... Agent: Jackson & Co., LLP

20070122058 - Method and apparatus for analyzing image, and computer product: In analysis of a panorama image that is created by processing a series of picture frames, a partial image to constitute a part of the panorama image is extracted from one picture frame among the picture frames, optical flows of the one picture frame is calculated, each of the optical... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070122057 - Method of scanning an image using surface coordinate values and device using thereof: A surface coordinate image mapping technology (SCIMT) synthesizing and restoring images by using the coordinate value of the surface of the scanned object and matching image data thereto is disclosed. The coordinate value of the position for a surface having the image data of the scanned object is determined. The... Agent: Harness, Dickey, & Pierce, P.l.c

20070122059 - System and method for displaying an image indicating a positional relation between partially overlapping images: A device includes a display monitor configured to display on a screen of the display monitor at least one of a current image and a preceding image taken by an optical unit, a storage unit configured to store the preceding image, and a control unit configured to display a part... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070122060 - Image registration method improvement: A method (200) of determining at least rotation and scale parameters of a transformation relating two images is disclosed. The method (200) starts by forming a spatial domain representation of each of the images that is invariant to translation of the images. A correlation in the log-polar domain is next... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070122061 - Image processing device, image processing program, and computer-readable recording medium: With an image processing device, an image processing program and a computer-readable recording medium, the resolution is converted such that a feature of an original image is not spoiled and the image is not blurred. With an image processing device 1 for converting the resolution of a digital image, an... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070122063 - Method and apparatus for retrieving pattern, and computer product: A pattern retrieving unit includes an acquiring unit that acquires a representative pattern image; a setting unit that sets a use condition of a type of shape feature of the representative pattern image; a receiving unit that receives a query pattern image used as a query; a determining unit that... Agent: Greer, Burns & Crain

20070122062 - Method and system for processing employment related images: A method and computer program enable the electronic capture and archiving of portions of printed publications for electronic searching and retrieval via a computer network. Employment-related sections of a plurality of printed publications are scanned to create a master digital image for each publication. Each master image is surveyed by... Agent: Hovey Williams LLP

20070122064 - System, method and computer program: To provide a system for reducing oversight of the result of false recognition and improving working efficiency, while realizing the reduction of load of operators, and to provide a method thereof. The system in the invention contains a display unit and a control unit for controlling the display unit, and... Agent: Ibm Corporation

20070122065 - Sensing device having an image sensor for sensing and capturing images of coded data: A sensing device for sensing coded data on a surface, generating indicating data using the coded data, and transmitting the indicating data to a computer system is provided. The coded data is indicative of a region identity of the surface and of at least one reference point of the surface,... Agent: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

20070116327 - Combined occupant weight and spatial sensing in a vehicle: Method and system for obtaining and optionally utilizing information about an occupant of a vehicle includes a weight sensor system arranged in connection with a bottom portion of a seat on which the occupant will be seated to provide data about weight of an occupant, and a spatial sensor system... Agent: Brian Roffe, Esq

20070116325 - Embedding geo-location information in media: The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking and steganography. In one implementation, a method is provided including receiving data representing imagery. The data includes digital watermarking hidden therein through changes to at least some portions of the data. The digital watermarking includes at least geo-location information. The method further... Agent: Digimarc Corporation

20070116326 - Image processing program and image processing device: A video game device calculates an angle of an object 71, etc., with respect to a reference direction in a three-dimensional space. Then, the video game device defines a virtual cylindrical model for each of a plurality of objects so that a bottom surface of each cylindrical model is perpendicular... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, P.C.

20070116324 - Method and apparatus for transmitting watermark data bits using a spread spectrum, and for regaining watermark data bits embedded in a spread spectrum: Spread spectrum technology and the related inserted or added information signal can be used for implementing watermarking digital audio signals. A known processing for retrieving at receiver or decoder side the watermark signal information bit from the spread spectrum is convolving the received or replayed spectrum with a spreading function... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070116328 - Nudity mask for use in displaying video camera images: A surveillance camera system includes a camera that acquires images. A display screen is operably coupled with the camera wherein images captured by the camera are displayable on the display screen. A processing device is operably coupled to the camera and/or the display screen. The processing device outputs a nudity... Agent: Baker & Daniels LLP

20070116329 - Biometric information measuring apparatus: To enable to measure biometric information highly accurately by a simple processing. A pulse signal detected by a biometric information detecting portion is converted into a digital signal by an AD converting portion by way of a filter portion and an amplifying portion. A gain of the amplifying portion is... Agent: Bruce L. Adams, Esq.

20070116330 - Living-tissue pattern detecting method, living-tissue pattern detecting device, biometric authentication method, and biometric authentication device: The present invention enables permanent biometric authentication without the risk of forgery or the like. The present invention enables living-tissue discrimination as well as biometric authentication. The roughness distribution pattern of deep-layer tissue of the skin covered with epidermal tissue is detected, thereby extracting a unique pattern of the living... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070116331 - System and method for robust fingerprint acquisition: Combined multispectral and total-internal-reflectance biometric imaging systems are disclosed. A platen has multiple facets, at least one of which has a surface adapted for placement of a purported skin site by an individual and another facet may include an optical absorber. An illumination source and an optical arrangement are disposed... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20070116341 - Apparatus and method for determining measure of similarity between images: A method and system is presented in image-guided radiosurgery for determining the measure of similarity of two digital images, for example a 2D x-ray image and a 2D DRR synthesized from 3D scan data. A two-dimensional array of pixel values of a difference image may be formed by subtracting each... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070116333 - Detection of multiple targets on a plane of interest: A system and method for determining positions of multiple targets on a planar surface is described. The targets subject to detection may include a touch from a body part (such as a finger), a pen, or other objects. The system and method may use light sensors, such as cameras, to... Agent: Accenture Chicago 28164 Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

20070116335 - Method and apparatus for semi-automatic segmentation technique for low-contrast tubular shaped objects: A system and method for segmenting and editing anatomical objects from medical images is disclosed. The system may be a medical diagnostic imaging system. A computer unit may execute computer software for segmenting anatomical objects from medical images. The computer software may extract an anatomical object from planar curves. The... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20070116334 - Method and apparatus for three-dimensional interactive tools for semi-automatic segmentation and editing of image objects: A system and method for segmenting and editing anatomical objects from medical images is disclosed. The system may be a medical diagnostic imaging system. A computer unit may execute computer software for segmenting anatomical objects from medical images. The computer software may extract an anatomical object from planar curves. Additionally,... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20070116337 - Method and system for automatically determining regions in a scanned object: A method and system for automatically determining regions in scanned object are provided. The method includes performing a scout scan of an object and automatically determining regions within the object based on attenuation information from the scout scan.... Agent: The Small Patent Law Group LLP

20070116340 - Method for reducing exposure to infrared light beam, ultrasound or magnetic impulse rays in medical imaging devices: Method and apparatus for X-ray imaging of a body, employing a support to receive a body to be examined, a source emitting a beam of X-rays, a detector irradiated by the beam, a converter for converting the detected intensities into data, a means for turning the mounted mobile support by... Agent: Sturm & Fix LLP

20070116338 - Methods and systems for automatic segmentation of biological structure: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for segmenting biological structure including: identifying at least one seed point associated with a radiographic image, wherein the radiographic image includes one or more organs of sight, the at least one seed point positioned to correspond to an interior region of... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20070116339 - System and method for myocardium segmentation in realtime cardiac mr data: A method for cardiac segmentation includes providing a plurality of digitized medical images, each image comprising a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points on an 2-dimensional grid, the plurality of images forming a sequence of cardiac images acquired at different time points, filtering noise from the sequence... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070116336 - System and method for patient acuity driven workflow using computer-aided diagnosis of medical images: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system for determining patient acuity including an analysis component, an acuity database, and a processing component. The analysis component is capable of generating analysis data based at least in part on a medical image. The acuity database is capable of associating the... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20070116332 - Vessel segmentation using vesselness and edgeness: A system (100) and corresponding method for vessel segmentation are provided, the system having an adapter (112, 128, 130) for receiving image data, a processor (102) in signal communication with the input adapter, a pre-processing unit (170) in signal communication with the processor for pre-processing the received image data, and... Agent: F. Chau & Associates, LLC

20070116342 - System and method for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ: Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ (for example, coronary artery) using a plurality of two-dimensional images. Some of the embodiments may include displaying a first image of a vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the first image a vessel... Agent: Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo

20070116345 - Automatic aortic detection and segmentation in three-dimensional image data: A method including searching image data corresponding to a series of axial image slices with a processor, searching axial image slices from a starting image slice and calculating a confidence score that an image slice includes a cross-section image of an aorta, identifying an image slice containing at least one... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070116346 - Characteristic path-based colon segmentation: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for efficiently calculating a colon segmentation from one or more candidate virtual three-dimensional objects. A sequence of image scans are analyzed and regions that represent air-filled objects and tagged-stool are identified as candidate segments. A characteristic path is generated for each... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070116347 - Devices, systems, and methods for improving image consistency: Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise automatically rendering an improved image of a target object. The improved image obtained based upon a principal mode of the target object. The principal mode of the target object can be provided to an algorithm that is adapted to derive... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070116344 - Method and apparatus for field-of-view expansion of volumetric ct imaging: A method for expanding a field-of-view of a volumetric computed tomography scan comprises identifying truncated views having projection truncation and non-truncated views without projection truncation based on an average value of one or more edge channels. An estimated missing projection is calculated for each of the truncated views based on... Agent: The Small Patent Law Group LLP

20070116343 - Methods and systems for improving quality of an image: A method for improving quality of an image is described. The method includes reconstructing a first image of a sample volume, segmenting the first image to generate a first region and a second region, reconstructing a second image of the sample volume, and generating a final image from a combination... Agent: Patrick W. Rasche Armstrong Teasdale LLP

20070116348 - Adaptive image processing and display for digital and computed radiography images: The presently described technology provides a method for adaptive image processing. The image processing method includes determining an entrance exposure of an object, determining an exit exposure of the object, and determining one or more image processing parameters based at least in part on the entrance and exit exposures. The... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20070116349 - Method for detecting perforations on the edge of an image of a form: A method for detecting whether perforations are present on the edge of an image of a form, such as a check, includes obtaining a bitmap of the image, identifying a selected portion of the bitmap that corresponds to at least the edge and that includes a matrix of a plurality... Agent: Pitney Bowes Inc. 35 Waterview Drive

20070116350 - Method for detecting the alignment of films for automated defect detection: Disclosed herein is a method comprising acquiring an image of a display film or a mold with a camera; transferring the image to a computer; detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image; detecting coordinates of defects located in the... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20070116351 - Pick and place machine with component placement inspection: Improved component placement inspection and verification is performed by a pick and place machine. Improvements include stereovision imaging of the intended placement location; enhanced illumination to facilitate the provision of relatively high-power illumination in the restricted space near the placement nozzle(s); optics to allow image acquisition device to view the... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.A.

20070116352 - Pick and place machine with component placement inspection: Improved component placement inspection and verification is performed by a pick and place machine. Improvements include stereovision imaging of the intended placement location; enhanced illumination to facilitate the provision of relatively high-power illumination in the restricted space near the placement nozzle(s); optics to allow image acquisition device to view the... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.A.

20070116353 - Method, system and computer software product for selecting elements of a digital image: A method and system for selecting image elements, such as image pixels or vectors, of a digital image provide a set of lexical classifiers, such as a set of color names, which characterize a visual attribute of the image elements such as color. A lexical classifier is assigned to each... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20070116354 - Image processing: Picture elements of a digitally coded image are each represented by a colour value. The value of an element is adjusted by firstly making a number of comparisons between the element and elements y elsewhere in the image. This comparison involves comparing a first picture element group (which comprises the... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070116355 - Method and device for detecting the orientation of an image: The invention relates to a method and a device for detecting the orientation of an image in a set of images. According to the invention, the method comprises the steps of: choosing a reference image from among the set of images, detecting the orientation of said image as a function... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070116357 - Method for point-of-interest attraction in digital images: A method for point-of-interest attraction towards an object pixel in a digital image by first performing object segmentation resulting in a contour-based or a region-based representation of object pixels and background pixels of the image. Secondly a vector distance transform image is computed comprising a vector displacement of each background... Agent: Leydig Voit & Mayer, Ltd

20070116356 - Video foreground segmentation method: A fully automatic, computationally efficient segmentation method of video employing sequential clustering of sparse image features. Both edge and corner features of a video scene are employed to capture an outline of foreground objects and the feature clustering is built on motion models which work on any type of object... Agent: Brosemer, Kolefas & Associates, LLC (necl)

20070116358 - User interface tag for use in processing a document: A user interface tag for use in processing a document is provided. A printable surface is on one side of a document and an adhesive surface is on an other side of the document. The printable surface further includes a printed data field, including machine-readable marks of digital data encoding... Agent: Cascadia Intellectual Property

20070116360 - Apparatus and method for detecting character region in image: An apparatus and method for detecting a character region in an image. The apparatus includes a character candidate region detecting unit which detects a character candidate region from the image by detecting character strokes; and a character region checking unit which checks whether the detected character candidate region is the... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070116359 - Image forming apparatus that automatically creates an index and a method thereof: An image forming apparatus capable of automatically creating an index, and a method for the same. The image forming apparatus includes a scan unit to scan a document, a text/image separation unit to separate the scanned document into a text area and an image area and to separate texts in... Agent: Stanzione & Kim, LLP

20070116361 - Device and method for creating a saliency map of an image: The invention concerns a device and a method for creating a saliency map of an image. It comprises the steps of: Projection of said image according to the luminance component and if said image is a color image, according to the luminance component and according to the chrominance components, Perceptual... Agent: Joseph J. Laks, Vice President Thomson Licensing LLC

20070116362 - Method and device for the structural analysis of a document: A method for the structural analysis of a document is proposed, wherein a template is broken down into elementary structural units and, based upon these elementary structural units, generic objects are produced to which one or more properties are assigned, whereby a structure representing the template is produced in an... Agent: Lipsitz & Mcallister, LLC

20070116363 - Image processing device, image processing method, and storage medium storing image processing program: An image processing device includes an inputting unit, an extracting unit, a reading unit and processing unit. The inputting unit converts, into a format which can be processed within the image processing device, and inputs, digitized document data for region designation that includes region information expressing a region which has... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070116364 - Apparatus and method for feature recognition: A face recognition system comprising an image sensor (100), the output of which is fed to a detection module (102) and the output of the detection module (102) is fed to a recognition module (104). The detection module (102) can detect and localize an unknown number (if any) of faces.... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20070116365 - Feature extraction using pixel-level and object-level analysis: Image processing for extracting features in images. Pixel-level cue algorithms can be performed on raster images. The raster images can be converted to a vector layer. Object-level cue algorithms can be performed on the vector layer. The feature can be detected using a result of the pixel-level cues and using... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20070116366 - Identifying image type in a capture system: Visual objects can be classified according to image type. In one embodiment, the present invention includes capturing a visual object, and decompressing the visual object to a colorspace representation exposing each pixel. The contribution of each pixel to a plurality of image types can then be determined. Then, the contributions... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070116367 - Method and device for compressing image data: A method for compressing image data on which a pseudo gradation process has been performed by using a dither pattern is provided. The method includes the steps of dividing the image data into predetermined blocks, calculating a typical value if an arrangement pattern of image data in each block can... Agent: Sidley Austin LLP

20070116368 - Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding key value data of orientation interpolator node: A method and an apparatus for encoding key value data of an orientation interpolator representing the rotation of an object in a keyframe image are provided. The apparatus includes a rotational differential data generator which generates, using a rotational transformation value of a current keyframe and a restored rotational transformation... Agent: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

20070116369 - Method and apparatus for compression using reversible wavelet transforms and an embedded codestream: A compression and decompression system in which a reversible wavelet filter are used to generates coefficients from input data, such as image data. The reversible wavelet filter is an efficient transform implemented with integer arithmetic that has exact reconstruction. The present invention uses the reversible wavelet filter in a lossless... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070116370 - Adaptive entropy encoding/decoding for screen capture content: Adaptive entropy encoding and decoding techniques are described. For example, a screen capture encoder and decoder perform adaptive entropy encoding and decoding of palettized screen capture content in screen capture video. The encoder selects between different entropy encoding modes (such as an arithmetic coding mode and a combined run length/Huffman... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman LLP

20070116371 - Decoding apparatus, inverse quantization method, and computer readable medium: A decoding apparatus includes a classification section, a distribution-information generation section and an inverse-quantization-value generation section. The classification section classifies quantization indices contained in input code data into a plurality of groups. The distribution-information generation section generates distribution information of the quantization indices for each group, based on the quantization... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070116372 - Signal processing device, signal processing method, program, and recording medium: A signal processing device, signal processing method, and program and recording medium which provide images and the like closer approximating real world signals. The signal processing device includes a processing region setting unit, a movement vector setting unit, a model generator, a normal equation generator, an activity detector, a weighting... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070116374 - Adaptive multistage wiener filter: A computationally efficient, adaptive multistage Wiener filter employs two modules, a linear filter module that operates at the input data rate and an update module that operates at a plurality of rates but performs many calculations at only the update rate. This filter is especially useful when the channel conditions... Agent: Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.

20070116373 - Multi-resolution adaptive filtering: Systems and methods which analyze an image and extract features of the image therefrom for use in filtering are shown. Based on the features and structures, embodiments determine how to filter at different orientations and with different filter configurations. Filters utilized according to embodiments are adaptive with respect to spatial... Agent: Dallas Office Of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

20070116375 - Image processing device having color shift correcting function, image processing program and electronic camera: An image processing device performs image processing to an image represented by a plurality of color component planes and includes a correction unit and an erroneous correction detection unit. The correction unit corrects a color shift in the image. The erroneous correction detection unit judges that the correction unit has... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070116376 - Image based correction for unwanted light signals in a specific region of interest: A method for correcting the signal in an image having a plurality of regions of interest, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an image having a plurality of regions of interest, these regions of interest having areas between them; (b) determining a region of correction between at least... Agent: Robert Deberardine Abbott Laboratories

20070116377 - Image processing device, method, and program: An image processing device, method, and a program capable of obtaining processing results which are even more accurate and even more precise as to events in the real world, taking into consideration the real world where data has been acquired. The image processing device may include a computer configured to... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070116378 - Image processing device, method, and program: An image processing device, method, and program are capable of obtaining processing results which are even more accurate and even more precise as to events in the real world, taking into consideration the real world where data has been acquired. The image processing device may include a setting unit, a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070116380 - Method and apparatus of correcting hybrid flash artifacts in digital images: A method for digital image eye artifact detection and correction include identifying one or more candidate red-eye defect regions in an acquired image. For one or more candidate red-eye regions, a seed pixels and/or a region of pixels having a high intensity value in the vicinity of the candidate red-eye... Agent: Jackson & Co., LLP

20070116379 - Two stage detection for photographic eye artifacts: An image acquisition device includes a first speed-optimized filter for producing a first set of candidate red-eye regions for an acquired image; and a second analysis-optimized filter for operating on the first set of candidate red eye regions and the acquired image.... Agent: Jackson & Co., LLP

20070116381 - Method for deformable registration of images: A method for registration of two image data sets. The method includes: compartmentalizing a first one of the two image data sets into a plurality of regions with each one of such regions having a presumed but unknown spatially corresponding region in the other one of the two image data... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070116382 - Imaging device and image processing method: An imaging device is provided. The imaging device can maintain a constant angle of view even if a focal distance of an entire lens system changes as a focusing lens moves. The imaging device includes an image sensor, a focusing lens, a lens driver, an image generator, a magnification changing... Agent: Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Attn: Patent Docket Dept.

20070116383 - Spatial signal conversion: A spatial filter unit (200) for converting a first input signal (U) comprising input samples, into an output signal comprising output samples, is disclosed. The spatial filter unit (200) comprises: a coefficient-determining means (106) for determining a first filter coefficient; and an adaptive filtering means (104) for computing a first... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20070110275 - Digital watermarking apparatus and methods: The present invention relates to various digital watermarking methods and systems. In one embodiment, a plurality of microlenses can provide a steganographic signal for a handheld device. The pattern corresponds to (or conveys) an identifier. In yet another embodiment, monetary objects are watermarked to signify currency denomination information. The information,... Agent: Digimarc Corporation

20070110272 - Encoding and decoding signals for digital watermarking: This disclosure describes methods and systems for encoding a digital watermark into and/or detecting a digital watermark from a host (or media) signal such as audio, video or imagery. One implementation involves a method of detecting a digital watermark. The method includes: receiving a host signal carrying a digital watermark;... Agent: Digimarc Corporation

20070110273 - Image processing method and image processing program product: An information processing method is disclosed for embedding information in an image, the method including the steps of extracting a predetermined color region from the image, dividing the predetermined color region into unit regions, assigning a value included in the information to each of the unit regions, and replacing each... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20070110271 - Product security pattern based on simultaneous color contrast: A product package article has an HVS-perceivable security pattern on its surface. The security pattern is based on simultaneous color contrast. The security pattern can provide protection against counterfeiting.... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20070110274 - Steganographically encoding metallic, shiny or specular surfaces: The present invention provides methods to steganographically mark metallic, shiny and/or specular surfaces. In one implementation, we provide a method including: obtaining auxiliary data; modifying the auxiliary data according to a pseudo-random signal; providing the modified auxiliary data on a specular surface with an ink or dye that provides a... Agent: Digimarc Corporation

20070110277 - Method and apparatus for processing mail to obtain image data of contents: A method and apparatus for processing documents is provided. Documents having a selected characteristic are placed into a first area, whereas documents not having the selected characteristic are placed into a second area. A sensor in the first area detects the presence of documents in the first area. The documents... Agent: Dann, Dorfman, Herrell & Skillman

20070110276 - System and method for routing imaged documents: Systems and methods for sorting, scanning and routing imaged documents are described. In one configuration, incoming mixed white mail is sorted and coded, then extracted and scanned using the code to separate items. The separate imaged documents are then routed using the code. In another configuration, the documents are automatically... Agent: Pitney Bowes Inc. 35 Waterview Drive

20070110279 - Image processing device and method, and distribution medium: To make it possible to accurately track a prescribed part a low-resolution overall image is taken in from an input image, and a medium-resolution image, whose center is the head part, is extracted from it. When it is possible to extract a medium-resolution image in the middle of which is... Agent: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

20070110278 - Mobile image capture system: A mobile image capture system, a system comprising: a sensing unit for attaching to a vehicle, the sensing unit having a camera constructed and arranged to view a participant on the vehicle, the camera capturing at least one image; and processing electronics for storing data representing the captured at least... Agent: Lathrop & Gage Lc

20070110280 - Methods for determining coating thickness of a prosthesis: A method for determining the thickness of a coating or a plurality of coatings applied to medical devices. In particular, determining coating thickness of a medical device including an endoprosthesis.... Agent: Robert Deberardine Abbott Laboratories

20070110281 - System and method for determining physical characteristics of an unrestrained animal: The invention provides a computer software means for determining physical characteristics of an unrestrained animal by enabling a user to interact with one or more images of the unrestrained animal on a graphical user interface connected to a computer. Using the graphical user interface, the user is able to designate... Agent: Taylor Russell & Russell, P.C.

20070110283 - Method and system for adaptively varying templates to accommodate changes in biometric information: A method and apparatus for authenticating a user In dependence upon biometric Input information is disclosed. According to the method when a user is identified, their biometric information or data derived therefrom is automatically stored. The data is then used in subsequent user identification attempts as a template. The original... Agent: Woodcock Washburn LLP

20070110282 - Protecting social security numbers from identity theft: A method for providing an improved way for using a PIN system to verify, protect and lock social security numbers in a social security number verification PIN system wherein the user enters a temporary PIN and social security number into a PIN device or telephone line by means in which... Agent: Deena Li Millsapp # 405

20070110285 - Apparatus and methods for detecting the presence of a human eye: Apparatus and methods for determining whether a live, human eye is presented for iris-based recognition. An image is presented on a computer screen and reflected back from the eye. The reflected image is captured and processed to determine whether the reflection was consistent with a human eye.... Agent: Law Office Of Leo Zucker

20070110284 - Method and apparatus for iris recognition: The invention relates to an iris recognition method, comprising the steps of acquiring an image of at least one eye of a user in an infrared spectrum, and of processing said image to extract therefrom identification characteristics from the iris as defined by an outer boundary in the eye, the... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070110286 - Identification of facial image with high accuracy: A facial image identifying apparatus checks a facial image of a user captured by an image capturing unit such as a camera or the like against facial images of registered users for thereby identifying the user. When the facial image identifying apparatus starts to detect a facial image of an... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070110287 - Remote input method using fingerprint recognition sensor: Disclosed is a remote input method using a fingerprint recognition sensor. A main device activates a fingerprint input mode according to a user's request, and displays a key input unit, menu images and an indicator corresponding to the fingerprint input mode. A remote input device having the fingerprint recognition sensor... Agent: Dilworth & Barrese, LLP

20070110288 - Method and apparatus for supporting a biometric registration performed on an authentication server: A method for matching biometric data on an authentication server is disclosed. An authentication server is provided having biometric template data stored thereon. A plurality of workstation processors in communication with the authentication server is also provided. A sensed biometric image is provided to a processor out of the plurality... Agent: Woodcock Washburn LLP

20070110290 - Devices systems and methods for processing images: Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise providing machine instructions adapted to render a final enhanced image of an object based upon a final enhanced set of data. The final enhanced set of data can be derived from a detected set of data obtained from an imaging... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070110291 - Image processing system and method for editing contours of a target object using multiple sectional images: There is provided an image processing system, which includes: a 3D image data forming unit for forming three-dimensional (3D) image data based on input image signals; a sectional image extracting unit for extracting sectional images from the 3D image data; a contour detecting unit for detecting contours of a target... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070110289 - Rigid body tracking for radiosurgery: A method and apparatus compares in-treatment X-ray images of a volume with pre-treatment reference images of the volume and determines a combined similarity measure. A combined registration search space is searched to maximize the combined similarity measure and to jointly register the in-treatment X-ray images with the pre-treatment images.... Agent: Accuray/blakely

20070110292 - System and method for computer aided detection via asymmetric cascade of sparse linear classifiers: A method for computer aided detection of anatomical abnormalities in medical images includes providing a plurality of abnormality candidates and features of said abnormality candidates, and classifying said abnormality candidates as true positives or false positives using a hierarchical cascade of linear classifiers of the form sign(wTx+b), wherein x is... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070110293 - System and method for imaging: A system for determining presence or absence of one or more thermally distinguishable objects in a living body is disclosed. The system comprises a combined image generator configured for combining non-thermographic three-dimensional data of a three-dimensional tissue region in the living body with thermographic two-dimensional data of the tissue region... Agent: Martin D. Moynihan Prtsi, Inc.

20070110294 - Image enhancement using anisotropic noise filtering: A method including receiving data corresponding to an original three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed image, smoothing homogenous areas and enhancing edges of the original reconstructed image using edge enhancing diffusion (EED) to create edge-enhanced image data, and calculating a structural importance map. The structural importance map includes a measure of structural importance... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070110295 - System and method for enhanced viewing of rib metastasis: A system and method for enhanced viewing of rib metastasis in CT volume data is disclosed. The system and method receive input CT volume data and display slices of the CT volume data. Ribs are automatically segmented from the CT volume data, ordered and labeled. A 3D visualization of the... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070110296 - Method and apparatus for encoding substrates with information: The present invention provides methods and apparatus to encode substrates (e.g., paper, synthetics, etc.) with information. In one implementation a method is provided including: receiving data that corresponds to a two-dimensional signal that encodes plural bits of data; receiving data that corresponds to a frequency-domain signal, the data corresponding to... Agent: Digimarc Corporation

20070110297 - Method of improving ras characteristics relating to calibration algorithms in an automated robotic system: An automated data library system employs a calibration sensor, the fiducial target and a controller in electrical communication with the calibration sensor to create a calibration sensor pixel image of a calibration area surrounding an expected location of the fiducial target within the automated data storage library by executing one... Agent: Cardinal Law Group

20070110298 - Stereo video for gaming: A real-time stereo video signal of a captured scene with a physical foreground object and a physical background is received. In real-time, a foreground/background separation algorithm is used on the real-time stereo video signal to identify pixels from the stereo video signal that represent the physical foreground object. A video... Agent: Microsoft Corporation

20070110299 - Three-dimensional image capture system: An image capturing system utilizes a plurality of image capturing apparatus to capture first image data for an object. A processor is utilized to combine the first images to produce first three-dimensional digital image data. The processor then utilizes a second algorithm to combine the intermediate digital image information to... Agent: Donald J Lenkszus

20070110300 - Color interpolation apparatus and color interpolation method utilizing edge indicators adjusted by stochastic adjustment factors to reconstruct missing colors for image pixels: A color interpolation method for processing a plurality of image pixels corresponding to a color filter array to reconstruct missing color components for each image pixel having a single color component. The color interpolation method includes: (a) detecting edges in a plurality of interpolating directions for a target image pixel... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20070110301 - Gamut selection in multi-engine systems: In preparation for rendering respective portions of a document via a respective plurality of engines, objects within the document are identified and characterized. A determination is made as to whether gamut variations between the engines might result in objectionable variations in the appearance of rendered versions of identified objects having... Agent: Patrick R. Roche Fay, Sharpe, Fagan, Minnich & Mckee, LLP

20070110303 - Low-bandwidth image streaming: Methods and systems are disclosed for processing image frames to reduce the bandwidth requirements. Embodiment of the present invention may include mode-specific image frame rendering in photorealistic and non-photorealistic modes, such as outline and cartoon modes. In embodiments, update regions may be identified and reduced by an edge position mask.... Agent: Epson Research And Development Inc Intellectual Property Dept

20070110302 - Method and system for facilitating transmission of video data over a network: A method for facilitating transmission of video data over a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises the following exemplary steps. First, all the distinct colors in a region are identified. Second, the n most frequently occurring distinct colors are selected, where n is an integer parameter which is less... Agent: Carr & Ferrell LLP

20070110305 - Digital image processing using face detection and skin tone information: A technique for processing a digital image uses face detection to achieve one or more desired image processing parameters. A group of pixels is identified that corresponds to a face image within the digital image. A skin tone is detected for the face image by determining one or more default... Agent: Jackson & Co., LLP

20070110304 - Projector color correcting method: When a projection plane is not uniform due to colors and patterns on the projection plane and ambient environmental light, a reproduced image projected by a projector is made to appear in desired colors. A color correcting apparatus is used, comprising association unit (21), association storage memory 22, color information... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070110306 - Diffusion distance for histogram comparison: A new measure to compare histogram-based descriptors, a diffusion distance, is disclosed. The difference between two histograms is defined to be a temperature field. The relationship between histogram similarity and diffusion process is discussed and it is shown how the diffusion handles deformation as well as quantization effects. As a... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070110307 - Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program and recording medium: In the event of displaying only increase (or disappearance) of shadows in a difference image generated based on a display mode selected by a user, a difference image is subjected to gradient conversion so that only the luminance of the region(s) where a shadow has increased (or disappeared) differs from... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070110308 - Method, medium, and system with category-based photo clustering using photographic region templates: A category-based photo clustering method, medium, and system using region division templates. The method may include dividing an input photo into regions by using photo region templates, modeling a local semantic concept that the photo includes in each divided region, extracting a dominant concept of each region from the modeling,... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070110309 - Shadow detection in images: In an embodiment, a novel, scene adaptive, robust shadow detection method has been disclosed. An adaptive division image analysis compares one or more images containing objects and shadows to a reference image that is void of the objects and shadows. Ratios are calculated comparing the frame with shadows and/or objects... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070110310 - Method and apparatus for performing segmentation based on partial differential equations: Disclosed is a method and system for propagating information about an image to segment a target structure. An input to denote a region of interest of the image containing the target structure is received. A first seed is set outside of the target structure and a second seed is set... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20070110314 - Systems and methods of assessing documents using multi-field profile representations: Methods and systems are provided for analyzing and assessing documents using a writing profile for documents, such as a payment instrument. A method may include providing a document to a computer system. The document may include at least one information field. Handwriting in at least one information field of the... Agent: Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C.

20070110311 - Systems and methods of assessing documents using multiple profile representations: Methods and systems are provided for analyzing and assessing documents using a writing profile for documents, such as a payment instrument. A method may include providing a document to a computer system. The document comprises at least one information field. Writing in at least one information field of the document... Agent: Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C.

20070110312 - Systems and methods of assessing multi-field documents using multiple profile representations: Methods and systems are provided for analyzing and assessing documents using a writing profile for documents, such as a payment instrument. A method may include providing a document to a computer system. The document may include two or more information fields. In an embodiment, a method includes obtaining information on... Agent: Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C.

20070110313 - Systems and methods of capturing information using association of text representations: Methods and systems are provided for capturing written information from an information field of a document using a computer system. A document may be provided to the computer system. The document may include at least one information field. In one embodiment, a method includes assessing whether writing in an information... Agent: Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C.

20070110315 - Multiple handwriting recognition engine selection: A system and method for switching between handwriting recognizers is described. A user may select between various recognizers to associate received handwritten ink with the recognizers. Accordingly, a user is able to write in a first language, switch and write in a second language, then switch again and write in... Agent: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. Attorneys For Client Nos. 003797 & 013797

20070110316 - Landmark search system for digital camera, map data, and method of sorting image data: In a camera location landmark search system, when an image is captured by a digital camera, a GPS calculator calculates position data indicating a camera position. The position data and image data of the captured image are memorized in association with each other. Map data is divided at regular intervals... Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC

20070110319 - Image processor, method, and program: An image processor, method, and program are provided for detecting edges in an image. In one embodiment, an image processor detects edges from an image while suppressing the effects of noise. Brightness gradient values of each pixel of the image are found for each of a plurality of directions. An... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070110318 - Method and system for generating polygonal boundary definitions for image objects: Image objects within two-dimensional images are identified by locating boundary points that describe line segments that define a polygon outlining each object. Processing follows lines of pixels between boundary points to determine whether additional pixels are a part of the same image object by reference to a discriminator, such as... Agent: Patrick S. Yoder Fletcher Yoder

20070110317 - Method of forming a reflective device: There is disclosed a method of forming a reflective device which generates an optically variable image which varies according to the angle of observation. The method comprises the steps of providing a primary pattern which encodes a latent image, the primary pattern having a plurality of image elements, and providing... Agent: Ladas & Parry

20070110320 - Apparatus and method for searching for 3-dimensional shapes: Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for searching for 3-dimensional shapes. The apparatus includes, an input means, an acquisition module, a storage means, a comparison and search module, an output means, and control means. The input means receives 3-dimensional image data. The acquisition module acquires a 2-dimensional image data... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070110321 - Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program for image processing method, and recording medium which records program for image processing method: An image processing apparatus includes: an image acquisition section which acquires an original image; a resolution conversion section which converts the resolution of the original image acquired by the image acquisition section and generates a plurality of reduced images having different resolutions; a detection section which processes by template matching... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20070110322 - System and method for detecting text in real-world color images: A method and apparatus for detecting text in real-world images comprises calculating a cascade of classifiers, the cascade comprising a plurality of stages, each stage including one or more weak classifiers, the plurality of stages organized to start out with classifiers that are most useful for ruling out non-text regions,... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20070110323 -