Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080291202 | Plenoptic system for recording images from sheets - A system for recording an image as digital data comprises a photosensor array and a plenoptic set, including a main lens and a lenticular grating, to enable the photosensor array to obtain plenoptic image data from the sheet. A subset of the plenoptic image data is selected, such as according to a predetermined object distance, to obtain image data for a focused image. The subset of the plenoptic image can be selected after the scanning, so that prescanning of an unusual-shaped image-bearing object, such as an open book, is avoided. | 11-27-2008 |
20090041370 | BACKGROUND NOISE DETECTION ON RENDERED DOCUMENTS - A method of detecting background noise in a rendered electronic image derived from an electronic image includes capturing a rendered image to generate captured image data. From the captured image data, a subset of the image data corresponding to a region of interest in the electronic image comprising only blank pixels is identified. For the subset of image data, any background noise in the rendered image not present in the electronic image is detected from the image data. | 02-12-2009 |
20090109505 | Method and System for Improved Sensing with Robustness to Banding for Rendering Devices - For a selected class of functions, which describe most typical banding variations, the average response can be found by sampling at only 2 | 04-30-2009 |
20090185204 | Systems and Methods for Detecting Image Quality Defects - An approach for detecting and correcting printing system print quality defects is disclosed that allows defects to be corrected based on an analysis of image data collected over time, across many separate images, under a wide variety of system status and environmental conditions to allow detection of print quality defects that would otherwise be undetectable. The approach supports the detection and correction of defects related to colorant appearance effects that are correlated to colorant interactions. Techniques are described by which allow image data to be efficiently collected and stored to support a wide range of defect processing techniques. Defect processing may be performed in parallel with print job operations using spare processor CPU cycles and/or may be performed off-line by either the printing system processor or a separate defect processing system. Detected print quality defects may be corrected for using one or more interpolation techniques. | 07-23-2009 |
20090268261 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING USE OF CUSTOMER DOCUMENTS IN MAINTAINING IMAGE QUALITY (IQ)/IMAGE QUALITY CONSISTENCY (IQC) OF PRINTING DEVICES - This invention generally relates to systems and methods for implementing use of customer documents in maintaining Image Quality (IQ)/Image Quality Consistency (IQC) of printing devices. The system may include an image analyzer configured to analyze input image data for a document and to identify one or more relevant pages of the document that may provide information regarding the state of the printing system; a scheduler that selects the relevant pages for printing out-of-order; a marking engine constructed to print images; a scanning device for scanning print images of the one or more relevant pages; and a buffer for holding the print images of the one or more relevant pages and inserting the print images of the one or more relevant pages into the media path in proper order. A method for analyzing printed documents is also provided. | 10-29-2009 |
20090274342 | PRINTER CHARACTERIZATION, MONITORING AND DIAGNOSIS USING DYNAMIC TEST PATTERNS GENERATED BY SENSING AND ANALYZING CUSTOMER DOCUMENTS - A method for automated image quality based diagnosis of a document printing system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving image data to be printed on a document; printing an image on the document based on the image data; scanning the printed image on the document with a sensor; analyzing the scanned printed image with an image quality analysis module to identify one or more defects in the printed image; automatically generating test pattern image data based on the one or more identified defects; and printing and analyzing a test pattern image based on the test pattern image data. | 11-05-2009 |
20100119158 | POSITIONAL DISTORTION COMPENSATION - A de-warp map is generated by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to vectors describing aspects of identified features of an object in an image. PCA provides vectors and coefficients describing curvature or image warping at selected points in the image. Estimates of the warping of the image generally are generated by interpolation and/or extrapolation from the vectors and coefficients provided by PCA. In some applications only two features need be identified. For example, the complicated curvature of the facing pages of an open book can be characterized by two vectors describing positions of top and bottom edges of the book. In such applications PCA can reduce to vector subtraction to determine a basis vector, vector addition and scaling to determine an average vector and simple assignment of known coefficient values. The de-warping map can be used to generate a de-warped version of the image. | 05-13-2010 |
20100124362 | DETECTING IMAGE QUALITY DEFECTS BY MEASURING IMAGES PRINTED ON IMAGE BEARING SURFACES OF PRINTING DEVICES - Systems and methods for implementing use of customer documents in maintaining image quality or image quality consistency of printing devices are provided. The system may include a marking engine constructed to print images on an image bearing surface of the print device; one or more color measuring devices for measured toner images formed on the image bearing surface corresponding to the one or more relevant pages, and an image analyzer configured to generate reference images and to compare measured image data with the reference images. The image analyzer may also be configured to analyze input image data for a document and to identify one or more relevant pages of the document that may provide information regarding the state of the printing system to generated reference image data. Comparisons between the color separations of the reference image data and measured image data images may be realized for determining defects. | 05-20-2010 |
20100149560 | METHOD FOR ASSESSING SYNCHRONIZED PRINT DEFECTS - As set forth herein, a computer implemented method is used to detect synchronized defects in documents. Profiles of single separation test targets are characterized for one or more toner colors. A spatially varying toner reproduction curve (TRC) is constructed for each profile on terms of an area coverage in versus area coverage out. A profile is extrapolated for each color of interest and a CMYK profile is applied to obtain a correlating L*a*b* profile for each color of interest. | 06-17-2010 |
20100177330 | JOB-SPECIFIC PRINT DEFECT MANAGEMENT - A print defect management device that supports job-specific print defect management automatically assesses print job pages to determine the severity of image quality defects likely to occur on one or more selected printers. Views of identified troubled pages may be rendered to include approximations of color and image quality defects based on the original page image data, and each printer's color rendition data and defect data, thereby allowing troubled pages for one or more selected printers to be viewed prior to printing. Suggested changes may be automatically or manually applied. Once satisfied with the image quality of print job pages rendered for a specific printer, a user may submit the print job to the same printer, thereby assuring that the user's image quality expectations are met in the printed product. The device may support job-specific print defect management with both local and/or remote printers via LAN, WAN and/or Internet based connectivity. | 07-15-2010 |
20100189348 | SPOT COLOR TABLE COMPENSATION - Spot color tables, or spot color emulation colorant recipes are updated using information generated during a first and second process color related system calibration. Rather than separately calibrate, through trial and error, individual spot color emulation colorant recipes, information from the first and second general system calibrations is used to adjust spot color recipes. In one embodiment, processing an existing or initial spot color recipe through both a first system model and a second system model generates a device independent color difference. A colorant difference is then determined by transforming a predicted color difference according to estimated partial derivatives of aspects of the second system model, wherein the partial derivatives relate changes in colorant amounts to changes in parameter values of a machine independent color space. | 07-29-2010 |
20100265522 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORMING A TINT OF A SPOT COLOR - Systems and methods are provided for rendering tints of spot color objects or target colors between a spot color and a second color in image forming devices. In particular the systems and method provided allow for a sweep of a spot color to be rendered accurately, without discontinuities when transitioning from the tint to the solid spot color. The systems and method will prevent discontinuities even if the solid spot color has been modified by a user. | 10-21-2010 |
20100284615 | SPATIALLY BASED TRANSFORMATION OF SPOT COLORS - Colorant recipes for spot colors, or colors associated with vector graphic objects, are transformed to compensate for spatial variation in a rendering device. Inverted Jacobians of color production performance can be used to transform color deviations into colorant recipe changes. The colorant recipe changes are applied to original colorant recipes to provide the transformed colorant recipes. Jacobians can be determined by exercising a system model according to perturbations of the colorant recipes. Alternatively, test patches or strips based on perturbed original colorant recipes can be rendered and measured and the Jacobians can be based on such measurements. Alternatively, spatially dependent tone reproduction curves can be used to transform the colorant recipes associated with the vector graphic objects. Image processing systems can include a spatial variation information determiner, a spatial compensation information determiner and a colorant recipe transformer. | 11-11-2010 |
20100303281 | IDENTIFICATION OF FAULTY JETS VIA SENSING ON CUSTOMER IMAGES - Systems and methods monitor jets in a color imaging device to identify and correct faulty jets without interrupting a print job. The relationship between the output of the imaging device and the sensor values of a sensor is characterized in a correspondence table. Thereafter, an image produced by the imaging device is measured by the sensor at multiple locations for a group of jets including jets each corresponding a different color of the imaging device color space. The measured output at each of the multiple locations is compared with two or more sets of predicted sensor outputs generated from the color coordinates used to produce the image at the corresponding location and the correspondence table, the set of predicted sensor outputs including at least one predicted sensor output generated with at least one jet set as faulty. At least one jet is determined as operating properly or being faulty based on a comparison of the sets of predicted sensor outputs and the corresponding measured outputs for the multiple locations. | 12-02-2010 |
20100325487 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY DIAGNOSING FAULTS IN RENDERING DEVICES - A method and system for automatically determining an optimal re-training interval for a fault diagnoser based on online monitoring of the performance of a classifier. The classifier generates a soft measure of membership in association with a class based on a training data. The output of the classifier can be utilized to assign a label to new data and then the members associated with each class can be clustered into one or more core members and potential outliers. A statistical measure can be utilized to determine if the distribution of the outliers is sufficiently different than the core members after enough outliers have been accumulated. If the outliers are different with respect to the core members, then the diagnoser can be re-trained; otherwise, the output of the classifier can be fed to the fault diagnoser. | 12-23-2010 |
20110032544 | Optimal patch code design via device characterization - A method for optimally using color patch codes or color barcodes for transmitting machine-readable information, via device characterization, is disclosed to comprise characterizing a printing device and optionally a sensing device for identifying a number of recognizably spaced printer output colors; deriving a code book, by relating the printer output colors and their corresponding input values to information elements; and using the code book for encoding and decoding the information to be transmitted. The recognizably spaced printer output colors are in terms of a color space relevant to a color patch code or color barcode sensing device, and are related to the corresponding marking device input values. | 02-10-2011 |
20110052010 | BANDING DEFECT DETECTION IN DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEMS - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for banding defect detection and analysis in digital imaging systems. The present method utilizes the gray levels of image regions and a collection of sequence of user images to improve the banding analysis. One embodiment hereof includes: segmenting images into regions; determining banding information for each page over a given sequence of images and detecting problem banding defect frequencies; estimating the banding amplitude(s) and average gray levels for each segmented region for each identified banding frequency(ies); and determining, through a process of interpolation, the banding amplitude for the image or sequence of images based on the banding amplitude and average gray levels of each region. Thereafter, notification can be provided to a key operator when the amplitude(s) are expected to exceed pre-determined levels over the course of a production run. The method demonstrates advantages in banding detection over whole-page methods. | 03-03-2011 |
20110064278 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DETECT CHANGES IN IMAGE QUALITY - A systems and methods for providing an image forming machine capable of monitoring the image quality of images that the image forming machine produces and detecting changes in the image quality. The monitoring system using statistical techniques to fit predetermined models to a measured image quality of time sequence of formed images. The predetermined models used to find current and predicted values of image quality and notifying a user or service provider when the image quality has changed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110096330 | MINIMIZING SPECTROPHOTOMETER IMPACT ON SPOT COLOR ACCURACY - Differences between an offline spectrophotometer and an inline spectrophotometer can result in differences between a hardcopy target color and a printed reproduction of that color. The inline spectrophotometer is inside of a printer and configured to measure printer output. As such, the inline spectrophotometer cannot conveniently measure the hardcopy target color. A printing error or an instrument offset can be determined and passed to a color correction module that updates the device dependent color specification associated with the given spot color. This color specification may be stored, for example, in the printer controller, and used when a document subsequently calls for that spot color, thereby providing accurate color reproduction from that particular printer incorporating that particular inline spectrophotometer. | 04-28-2011 |
20110228290 | COLOR MAPPING DETERMINATION FOR AN N-COLOR MARKING DEVICE BASED UPON COLOR STABILITY - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining color profiles based upon optimizing image output color stability. For each of a number of selected output colors, color stability values for a set of device-dependent color specifications that produce the selected output color are iteratively determined. The set of device-dependent color specifications is generated by varying a subset of colorants in the device-dependent color specifications while changing the remaining colorants to maintain the selected output color. The iterative process improves the color stability value, as determined by a color stability model, of the device-dependent color specifications that correspond to the selected output color. When an optimum color stability value is found, the device-dependent color specification having that color stability value is selected as the mapping for the selected device-independent color specification. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 09-22-2011 |
20110228291 | COLOR MAPPING DETERMINATION FOR AN N-COLOR MARKING DEVICE BASED UPON IMAGE SPATIAL NOISE DEFECTS - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining color profiles based upon optimizing output image spatial noise. For each of a number of selected output colors, spatial noise values for a set of device-dependent color specifications that produce the selected output color are iteratively determined. The set of device-dependent color specifications is generated by varying a subset of colorants in the device-dependent color specifications while changing the remaining colorants to maintain the selected output color. The iterative process improves the spatial noise value, as determined by a spatial noise model, of the device-dependent color specifications that correspond to the selected output color. When an optimum spatial noise value is found, the device-dependent color specification having that spatial noise value is selected as the mapping for the selected device-independent color specification. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 09-22-2011 |
20110228341 | IMAGE QUALITY PERFORMANCE FOR A COLOR MARKING DEVICE - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining printer performance in terms of image quality defects over a large complex set of conditions based on measurements taken over a small simple set of conditions, thus reducing the amount of time, effort, and wasted paper required to obtain the data. The present system and method effectively utilizes a predictive model that predicts noise measurements of multi-separations from those of single-separation colors and/or a subset of the multi-separations. Because a model is used to comprehend color performance over the entire gamut, the number of patches is reduced. This reduction enables the method to be used within a machine to dynamically characterize the device's image quality performance. Various embodiments have been disclosed. | 09-22-2011 |
20110228988 | ON-PAPER IMAGE QUALITY METRIC USING ON-BELT SENSING - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining printer performance in terms of image quality (IQ) on-paper using on-belt measurements. First, image noise is measured via sensing of single-separation device-dependent colors on an imaging member for a target marking device. Such single-separation device-dependent colors, in one embodiment, comprise cyan, magenta, yellow and black. A predictive correlation model is used to project the image noise of the single-separation device-dependent colors when printed on a substrate. A noise prediction model is used to estimate image noise performance values of multi-separation device-dependent colors on a substrate from the projected single-separation device-dependent colors on a substrate. In one embodiment, the predictive correlation model comprises a separation-dependent polynomial equation. The estimated image noise performance values on a substrate are used to determine image quality metric of the target marking device. | 09-22-2011 |
20110249299 | PRESERVING USER APPLIED MARKINGS MADE TO A HARDCOPY ORIGINAL DOCUMENT - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for identifying and removing print defects from an original document such that user markings applied to the hardcopy originally can be more readily identified and extracted. In one embodiment, an image of an original document and a marked document are received. The original document was printed using a print device which caused a print defect in the hardcopy print. Methods for identifying the print defect in the difference image are provided herein. The identified print defect is removed from the difference image. The difference image retains the user-applied markings once the print defects have been identified and removed. The user markings can then be provided to a storage device for subsequent retrieval and added into the image of the original document to generate an image of a new marked document containing the user markings without the defect. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 10-13-2011 |
20110267632 | COLOR REGISTRATION STRATEGY FOR PREPRINTED FORM - A method for performing color registration on template media having template markings thereon comprises sensing the template media using a sensor to obtain first image data; printing a test pattern on the template media; sensing the template media along with the test pattern printed thereon using the sensor to obtain second image data; determining an output image data of the test pattern from the first image data, the second image data, and an estimated image data of the template media with the test pattern printed thereon; determining process direction and cross-process direction misregistrations from the output image data; and adjusting printheads based on the process direction and the cross-process direction misregistrations to provide adjusted color registration on subsequent template media. The estimated image data is representative of light scatter from the test pattern and light absorption by the test pattern | 11-03-2011 |
20110286014 | UPDATING AN IMAGE QUALITY METRIC DATABASE TO ACCOUNT FOR PRINTER DRIFT - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining a printer metric in terms of image quality (IQ) over a large complex set of conditions based upon measurements taken over a small simple set of conditions while compensating for printer drift. The present system and method effectively utilizes a predictive model that predicts noise measurements of multi-separations from those of single-separation colors and/or a subset of the multi-separations. Because a model is used to comprehend the metric over the entire gamut, the number of patches is reduced. This reduction enables the method to be used within a machine to dynamically characterize the device's image quality metric. Various embodiments have been disclosed. | 11-24-2011 |
20110299099 | IDENTIFYING A COLOR SEPARATION WHEREIN A BANDING DEFECT ORIGINATES - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for banding defect detection in user document images to improve image quality trend analysis in multifunction digital imaging system architectures. The present banding detection process uses region-based, time sequence analysis, and graylevels of image regions in a collection of a sequence of regions, to improve banding detection. The present method independently analyzes the colorant separations to detect banding due to sources that are colorant-dependent, e.g., due to a single developer housing. This identification can be performed in the presence of multiple banding defects. | 12-08-2011 |
20120014566 | MOTION QUALITY ERROR DETECTION IN PRINTING SYSTEMS USING DOCUMENTS HAVING TEXT OR LINE CONTENT - A method for detecting motion quality error of printed documents having text in a printing system includes: printing a document having text lines, each text line comprising a plurality of characters; scanning the printed document to generate a scanned image; detecting positions in a process direction of the printing system of one of text lines and characters in the scanned image; determining position errors in the process direction in the printed document based on the detected positions in the scanned image; determining at least one motion quality defect of the printing system in the process direction based on the determined position errors; and initiating an activity associated with said printing system in response to a motion quality error having been determined. A system for detecting motion quality error of printed documents is also disclosed. | 01-19-2012 |
20120044540 | COLOR MANAGEMENT AND CALIBRATION USING A SCANNER OR CAMERA - A computer-implemented method for color calibration and profiling of an output device includes measuring a color patch in a test pattern, which comprises a plurality of color patches, to obtain first image data; measuring the color patch in the test pattern to obtain second image data; transforming the first image data to a first estimated image data; determining a difference between the second image data and the first estimated image data to obtain a correction factor; and calculating, for each patch in the test pattern, a corrected image data by applying the correction factor to a subsequent estimated image data from the first sensor. The correction factor is used for correcting inaccuracies introduced when the first image data is transformed into the first estimated image data. The first image data and the second image data provide a measured color representation of the color patch in a device dependent color space and a device independent color space, respectively. | 02-23-2012 |
20120086959 | OPTIMAL SPOT COLOR RECIPES USING VARIABLE GCR PROFILES - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for obtaining optimum CMYK values for spot colors, with significantly lower computational effort, by using a set of printer profiles with different pre-computed GCR strategies. Various versions are discussed on how to utilize and/or choose among these profiles for each spot color. The present invention is applicable to spot color emulation for CMYK as well as N-color printing, and can be used to optimize one or more image quality attributes, including graininess, mottle, color stability, ink cost, etc. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 04-12-2012 |
20120092409 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING MISSING INKJETS IN AN INKJET PRINTER USING IMAGE DATA OF PRINTED DOCUMENTS WITHOUT A PRIORI KNOWLEDGE OF THE DOCUMENTS - A system and method detect missing inkjets in an inkjet image generating system. The system and method generate digital images of printed documents that do not have test pattern data within them. The digital images are processed to detect light streaks and the positions of the light streaks are correlated to inkjet positions in printheads. Identification of the ink color associated with the correlated inkjet positions are obtained with analysis of color separated images and/or color errors. | 04-19-2012 |
20120113440 | ATTRIBUTE DRIVEN GAMUT MAPPING VIA A MINIMIZED MULTI-OBJECTIVE CUMULATIVE COST FUNCTION - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for mapping out-of-gamut colors to a device's gamut to improve image quality in a color document reproduction device involves performing the following. First, an out-of-gamut color x | 05-10-2012 |
20120154831 | UPDATING A SMOOTHNESS CONSTRAINED CLUSTER MODEL FOR COLOR CONTROL IN A COLOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for updating a cluster model for color control. In one example embodiment, a cluster model is received and analyzed to identify clusters therein. Each of the identified clusters has an associated transform. Thereafter, in response to a threshold event having occurred, a critical cluster is identified and a critical color is identified from the cluster. Steps for identifying a critical color are more fully described herein. A selected number of patches is then printed in each of the critical colors and color measurements are obtained from the printed patches using, for instance, a colorimeter or spectrophotometer. If the color measurements have deviated beyond a defined threshold, then update the cluster model by: updating the transform associated with the cluster; redefining the number of clusters; redefining a center of any of the clusters; or redefining a boundary of the clusters. | 06-21-2012 |
20120182571 | CONTENT-AWARE IMAGE QUALITY DEFECT DETECTION IN PRINTED DOCUMENTS - A method has been developed for detecting defects in printed images. The method includes operating a printer to print a first printed image and a second image, where the second image is a duplicate of the first printed image. The method further includes generating image data that correspond to the first printed image and the second printed image, and identifying image defects using differences between the image data generated for the first image and the image data generated for the second image. | 07-19-2012 |
20120200864 | GENERATING AN UNAMBIGUOUS DEFINITION OF DESIGNER INTENDED COLORS IN A DOCUMENT CREATION APPLICATION - What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining and capturing the designer intended colors in an image so that the printer has an accurate color rendition target. The present method operates by capturing the monitor RGB values together with the monitor profile to get a representation of the intended image in a device-independent color space like L*a*b*. The teachings hereof work for vector graphics as well as raster images. Advantageously, this invention solves a real problem currently existing, for example, in the packaging print market, wherein colors produced from multiple spot colors with their overlays and blends are not well color managed. | 08-09-2012 |
20120200897 | CLUSTER MODEL FOR CONTROLLING COLOR IN A COLOR MARKING DEVICE - What is disclosed is a system and method for improving image quality of a color of interest using a cluster model in a color printing system involving the following. First, one or more image quality attributes are selected for a target color marking device. A cluster model is received which comprises a plurality of clusters with each cluster having an associated transform. The cluster model is used to estimate an image quality parameter. The image quality parameter is used to select colorant sets and thereby to improve the image quality in the marking device. Various embodiments of the use of cluster models are disclosed. | 08-09-2012 |
20120207340 | METHOD FOR AUTOMATED TIRE DETECTION AND RECOGNITION - Methods and systems for discriminating between tires. One or more images of an unknown tire are received. One or more tread features are extracted from the images. The class of the unknown tire is determined using a classifier that matches the tread features to known tread features. | 08-16-2012 |
20120224872 | MULTI-CHANNEL SENSOR FOR MEASURING COLORANTS OF PRINTS - A sensor used for determining area coverages of each colorant in a printed image is provided. The sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements for determining area coverages of each colorant in a printed image that includes a plurality of colorants including a black colorant. One of the sensing elements is an infrared sensing element configured to measure infrared reflection, and the others of the sensing elements are each configured to detect a visible color. | 09-06-2012 |
20120237087 | IMAGE QUALITY DEFECT DETECTION VIA SENSOR CHARACTERIZATION AND HALFTONE DOT CLASSIFICATION - What is disclosed is a system and method for image quality (IQ) defect detection via classification of halftone dots present on customer prints. In one embodiment, spatially-varying thresholds are applied on the sensed image in order to classify the halftone dots for IQ defect detection. The resolving power of the sensor is characterized and the sensor responses to patches printed with the print device are characterized. A de-blurring filter is designed which is appropriate for compensating the characterized resolving power of the sensor. Image enhancement is applied to the image using the de-blurring filter. Halftone dots present on the prints are classified by analyzing the enhanced image with the results of the sensor response characterization. Once classified, single separation halftone dot images can be more readily analyzed for defects. The present method allows sensor resolution as low as the size of the halftone dots of the printer under test. | 09-20-2012 |
20120251715 | INVISIBLE COMPOSITE SECURITY ELEMENT - Disclosed is a composite security element and a method for applying the same to a substrate (e.g., paper). The composite security element has a first pattern mark and a second pattern mark. The first pattern mark is marked in first (active) marking material (e.g., ink) and the second pattern mark is marked in second (passive) marking material. When exposed to light or radiation at wavelengths in the visible spectrum, the first and second pattern marks are indistinguishable from one another (to a naked human eye). When exposed to radiation at at least some wavelengths outside of the visible spectrum, the first and second pattern marks are distinguishable from one another (e.g., first pattern reacts to non-visible light). The first pattern mark may be a security mark or symbol, for example. The marking materials may be colorless. Both first and second pattern marks are also associated with similar gloss. | 10-04-2012 |
20120262583 | AUTOMATED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A LIT CIGARETTE - An automated method and system for detecting the presence of a smoking product utilizing a near infrared video-processing unit in real time. One or more near infrared (NIR) video capturing units can be configured to capture a video feed. The video feed can be processed by the video-processing unit in order to detect a smoking product (e.g., a lit cigarette) within a field of view of the video capturing unit. A near infrared video sequence can be read and analyzed for the presence of a “hot spot” of a predetermined size based on pixel color information. In some cases, the motion of the hot spot can be tracked in response to the detection of the hot spot. An alarm signal can also be triggered in some cases, if the pattern of motion is consistent with that of a cigarette being smoked. | 10-18-2012 |
20120296595 | COMPENSATING FOR SPECTRAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO SPECTROPHOTOMETERS FOR ACCURATE COLOR MANAGEMENT - What is disclosed is a system and method for compensating for differences between two spectrophotometers for accurate color control in a color management system. In one example embodiment, at least one print is generated on the digital color printing system incorporating an inline spectral reflectance measurement sensor. A spectral reflectance of the print is measured using an inline spectral reflectance measurement sensor. Spectral reflectance of the print is measured using a selected offline spectral reflectance measurement sensor. From the measurements, a sensor correction model is determined which transforms spectral measurements obtained from the inline sensor into spectra approximating what the offline sensor would measure. The sensor correction model is used to perform color management on the digital color printing system such that print output of the digital color printing system is accurate when measured on the offline sensor. | 11-22-2012 |
20120300230 | COLOR MANAGEMENT FOR SELECTABLE GLOSS APPLICATIONS - Methods and systems are disclosed which are capable of efficiently performing color management of a variable gloss color printing system. The methods and systems select at least one set of the linear color values corresponding to the color profile for the printing device (at the nominal gloss condition). The linear color values selected comprise those obtained from color values corresponding to each node of the color profile at the nominal gloss condition. In a colorimetric embodiment, the linear color values can comprise: tristimulus values XYZ; red, green, blue (RGB); or luminance component Y, and two chromatic components C1 and C2 (YCC). In a reflectance embodiment, the linear color values comprise reflectance spectra. This exemplary method adds an offset term to each of the linear color values to produce a corresponding set of modified linear color values, and generates a color profile for the printing device at the desired gloss condition based on the modified linear color values. | 11-29-2012 |
20120327434 | SPOT COLOR RENDERING VIA FEEDBACK-BASED MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION - What is disclosed is a feedback control based system and method for selecting spot color recipes for improved spot color rendition while simultaneously minimizing a function of image quality attributes formed with states defined as vectors such as L*, a*, b*, mottle, graininess, etc. Color is measured with an in-line spectrophotometer or with a full/partial width array. If the sensor is not available, then a model of the print device is used to optimize the function of image quality attributes. In one example embodiment, a spot color of interest is selected along with a set of image quality attributes to be improved for the spot colors of interest. Set points for process actuators and color recipes of the color marking device are adjusted such that a function of the image quality attributes is minimized when the spot color is rendered on the device. Various workflows are disclosed. | 12-27-2012 |
20130028481 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING IMAGE RECOGNITION - An embodiment generally relates to systems and methods for processing license plate image data. A processing module can receive an image comprising a license plate and, from the image, localize a region of the license plate itself. The license plate region can be extracted and license plate distortion parameters can be inferred. The image can be geometrically corrected using the inferred license plate distortion parameters, and the license plate image can be iteratively sharpened to optimize the quality of the license plate image. Further, processing parameters can be modified and applied to the image data in a feedback-based loop for further optimization. | 01-31-2013 |
20130057611 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF IN-DOCUMENT DETECTION OF WEAK OR MISSING INKJETS IN AN INKJET PRINTER - A method enables the positions of inoperable inkjets in printheads to be corrected for positional changes arising from shifts in media, shrinkage of the media, thermal expansion of optical sensors that detect the inoperable inkjets, and other measurement errors. The measurement errors are detected with reference to image data corresponding to a reference pattern printed within a portion of a print job. Thus, reference marks do not need to be printed in areas outside of a print job as previously required. | 03-07-2013 |
20130058523 | UNSUPERVISED PARAMETER SETTINGS FOR OBJECT TRACKING ALGORITHMS - A method for automatically optimizing a parameter set for a tracking algorithm comprising receiving a series of image frames and processing the image frames using a tracking algorithm with an initialized parameter set. An updated parameter set is then created according to the processed image frames utilizing estimated tracking analytics. The parameters are validated using a performance metric that may be manually or automatically preformed using a GUI. The image frames are collected from a video camera with a fixed set-up at a fixed location. The image frames may include a training traffic video or a training video for tracking humans. | 03-07-2013 |
20130076913 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OBJECT IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING - What is disclosed is a system and method for identifying materials comprising an object captured in a video and for using the identified materials to track that object as it moves across the captured video scene. In one embodiment, a multi-spectral or hyper-spectral sensor is used to capture a spectral image of an object in an area of interest. Pixels in the spectral planes of the spectral images are analyzed to identify a material comprising objects in that area of interest. A location of each of the identified objects is provided to an imaging sensor which then proceeds to track the objects as they move through a scene. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 03-28-2013 |
20130088600 | MULTI-RESOLUTION VIDEO ANALYSIS AND KEY FEATURE PRESERVING VIDEO REDUCTION STRATEGY FOR (REAL-TIME) VEHICLE TRACKING AND SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS - Systems and methods are disclosed that include a video-based analysis system that detects, tracks and archives vehicles in video stream data at multiple resolutions. The system includes an image capturing device that captures video stream data having video at a first high resolution. A vehicle detection module detects at least one vehicle within the video. A vehicle analysis module is configured to analyze the video and to extract one or more key vehicle features from the video to enable identification of a vehicle of interest (VOI) according to a set of predetermined criteria. A subsampling module creates a reduced resolution video stream in a second subsampled resolution that is lower than the first high resolution while maintaining the one or more extracted key features within the reduced resolution video stream in the first high resolution, and archives the reduced resolution video stream into a video database. | 04-11-2013 |
20130101171 | SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF SELECTIVE VIDEO FRAME COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION FOR EFFICIENT EVENT-DRIVEN SEARCHING IN LARGE DATABASES - A method of, and system for, selective video frame compression and decompression is presented. The disclosed technique is particularly suited for efficient event-driven searching in large databases. The technique involves designating certain frames in a video sequence as reference frames, to be compressed using a first compression technique, where the remaining frames are compressed using a second compression technique. The first compression technique may be implemented without requiring data from any neighboring frames. | 04-25-2013 |
20130106595 | VEHICLE REVERSE DETECTION METHOD AND SYSTEM VIA VIDEO ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING | 05-02-2013 |
20130132166 | SMART TOLL NETWORK FOR IMPROVING PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS - A smart toll network system for “network-based” analysis via communication of relevant vehicle identifications among to stations (i.e., by forming a smart toll network) coupled with a probabilistic-based search is disclosed. Comparing vehicle identification data (such as license plate recognition and vehicle signatures) between toll stations improves the performance relative to point-based vehicle identification analysis. Of the vehicles unidentified by license plate recognition, vehicle signatures are used to link each of them to the corresponding vehicle at the opposite end of the tolling system. If license plate recognition fails on a vehicle at an exit station, vehicle signatures can be used to find the location where that vehicle entered the tolling system. If license plate recognition was successful at the entrance station, that same license plate number can be assigned to that vehicle at the exit station, on the basis of the vehicle signature matching, without requiring human intervention. | 05-23-2013 |
20130191014 | VEHICLE SPEED DETERMINATION VIA INFRARED IMAGING - A system and method which detects and uses a point of contact between a vehicle's tire and the pavement as a reference point to improve the accuracy of vehicle speed detection in a motorized vehicle speed detection system. In one embodiment, a plurality of infrared images of a moving vehicle are received. Each of the images is separated in time by known intervals. The images are captured using an infrared camera which can be a single-band or multi-band camera which operates in an infrared wavelength band selected to enhance a contrast between the vehicle's tires and the road surface. For each image, a point of contact is determined where a same tire contacts the road surface. These points and the time interval separations are used to calculate the vehicle's speed. An alert signal is initiated to a traffic enforcement authority if the speed exceeds the road's speed limit. | 07-25-2013 |
20130208121 | TRAFFIC CAMERA DIAGNOSTICS VIA TEST TARGETS - A method, system, and computer-usable tangible storage device for traffic camera diagnostics via strategic use of moving test targets are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments can comprise four modules: Moving test target management module, Moving test target detection and identification module, Image/video feature extraction module, and Sensor characterization and diagnostics module. A first test vehicle can travel periodically through traffic camera(s) of interest. The traffic camera(s) would then identify these test vehicles via matching of license plate numbers and then identify test targets in video frames through pattern matching or barcode reading. The identified test targets are then analyzed to extract image and video features that can be used for sensor characterization, sensor health assessment, and sensor diagnostics. The disclosed embodiments provide for a non-traffic-stop (i.e., non-traffic-interruption) traffic camera diagnostics. | 08-15-2013 |
20130216101 | EFFICIENT AND FAULT TOLERANT LICENSE PLATE MATCHING METHOD - A method and system for identifying a matching license plate. A pair of full or partial plate numbers to be matched can be received. The pair includes a target plate made up of a first set of characters and a suspect plate made up of a second set of characters. A set of number-order preserved sub-plates can be generated by adding and subtracting a single character from the second set of characters. Utilizing a site specific license plate matching table (P-table), a matching score between each of the sub-plates and the target plate may be calculated as part of a string correlation calculation. A maximum value for each of the sub-plate matching scores can then be calculated. The maximum value can be normalized to a 0˜100 scale and used as a final matching score. When the final matching score exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert may be issued. | 08-22-2013 |
20130222455 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTION AND COMPENSATION OF INOPERABLE INKJETS IN AN INKJET PRINTING APPARATUS - In an inkjet printer, a method for of compensating for defects in printed images identifies a cross-process direction location of a defect in a printed image and a candidate inkjet corresponding to the location of the defect. The method modifies the operation of the candidate inkjet to form a second ink image. The method identifies a second inkjet that actually formed the first image defect in response to identifying a second defect in the second ink image located proximate to the first defect. The method enables identification and compensation of inoperable inkjets when image data do not correspond perfectly to inkjets in the printer. | 08-29-2013 |
20130229517 | VEHICLE SPEED MEASUREMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM UTILIZING A SINGLE IMAGE CAPTURING UNIT - A vehicle speed measurement method and system for identifying a violating vehicle utilizing single image capturing unit. A vehicle image can be captured by the image capturing unit in order to estimate speed of the vehicle utilizing an ALPR unit. The license plate characters can be located and extracted from the captured image. A distance of the license plate from the image capturing unit can be calculated utilizing a physical character height from a reference point of the image capturing unit and a pixel character height generated by the ALPR unit. A position of the license plate in the field of view of the image capturing unit along with the distance information can be be utilized to determine a height of the license plate from a road surface. The height of the license plate can be employed to accurately estimate the vehicle speed. | 09-05-2013 |
20130236063 | MULTIPLE VIEW TRANSPORTATION IMAGING SYSTEMS - A camera may be positioned to have a direct view of on-coming vehicle traffic from a first perspective. Additionally, a reflective surface, such as a mirror, may be positioned within the viewing area of the same camera to provide the camera with a reflected view of vehicle traffic from a second perspective. The images recorded by the camera may then be received by a computing device. The computing device may separate the images into a direct view region and a reflected view region. After separation, the regions may be analyzed independently and/or combined with other regions, and the analyzed data may be stored. The regions may be analyzed to determine various vehicle characteristics, including, but not limited to, vehicle speed, license plate identification, vehicle occupancy, vehicle count, and vehicle type. | 09-12-2013 |
20130258107 | METHOD OF DETERMINING PARKING LOT OCCUPANCY FROM DIGITAL CAMERA IMAGES - Described herein is a method of determining parking lot occupancy from digital images, including a set-up procedure that includes receiving a layout of a parking lot and estimating parking space volume for at least one viewing angle and the probability that an observed pixel belongs to the parking space volume. The method further includes acquiring one or more image frames of the parking lot from at least one digital camera; performing pixel classification using a vehicle detector on the acquired image frames to determine a likelihood that a pixel belongs to a vehicle; computing a probability that a parking space is occupied by a vehicle based on a spatially varying membership probability density function and a likelihood of vehicle pixels within a region of interest; and determining parking lot vacancy via a comparison of the computed probability that a parking space is occupied by a vehicle to a pre-determined threshold. | 10-03-2013 |
20130261960 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC ROUTE GUIDANCE - A system and method for informing commuters of real-time time of arrival and cost information with respect to one or more routes prior to commencement of a trip. Reserved lane information (e.g., toll charge, traffic speeds in the reserved and general lanes, etc.) can be integrated with a data feed provided to, for example, navigation enabled devices such as in-car guidance systems or mobile phones. Time of arrival information with respect to the destination can be provided based on wireless data indicative of traffic conditions and highway speed limit information. Additionally, real-time toll charges can be provided to the commuter for multiple routes. | 10-03-2013 |
20130278761 | REAL-TIME VIDEO TRIGGERING FOR TRAFFIC SURVEILANCE AND PHOTO ENFORCEMENT APPLICATIONS USING NEAR INFRARED VIDEO ACQUISITION - A method and system for real-time video triggering for traffic surveillance and photo enforcement comprises receiving a streaming video feed and performing a spatial uniformity correction on each frame of the streaming video feed and resampling the video feed to a lower spatial resolution. Motion blobs are then detected. Next a three-layered approach is used to identify candidate motion blobs which can be output to a triggering module to trigger a video collection action. | 10-24-2013 |
20130294643 | TIRE DETECTION FOR ACCURATE VEHICLE SPEED ESTIMATION - In some aspects of the present application, a computer-implemented method for determining the speed of a motor vehicle in a vehicle speed detection system is disclosed. The method can include receiving a plurality of images of a motor vehicle traveling on a road, each of the images being separated in time by a known interval; determining, for each of at least two of the images, a point of contact where a same tire of the vehicle contacts a surface of the road based, in part, on one or more identified features of the vehicle in one or more of the plurality of images; and using the points of contact and the time interval separations to calculate a speed at which the vehicle is traveling on the road. | 11-07-2013 |
20130342706 | CAMERA CALIBRATION APPLICATION - A method and system for camera calibration comprises configuring a calibration target comprising calibration reflectors on a test vehicle. Video of a test scene is collected. Next the test vehicle is identified as it enters the test scene and recorded as it passes through the test scene. The position of the calibration target in each frame of the video is determined and the corresponding individual position of each calibration reflector for each frame of the recorded frames is used to construct a camera calibration map to calibrate the video camera. | 12-26-2013 |
20130343645 | COLOR MATRIX CODE - When an imaging device receives an image file that includes a color barcode, a processor of the imaging device and/or a remote processor may decode the barcode by identifying informational elements and calibration elements in the barcode. When the calibration elements are detected, one or more color model parameters are determined, and a color model is developed. When an informational element is then detected, a color value is determined for the informational element, the color model is applied using the color model parameters to yield an adjusted color value for the informational element, and the adjusted color value is used to decode the color barcode. | 12-26-2013 |
20140002661 | TRAFFIC CAMERA DIAGNOSTICS VIA SMART NETWORK | 01-02-2014 |
20140063236 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECOGNIZING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS VIA ALGORITHMIC PERIOCULAR LOCALIZATION - This disclosure provides a method and system for automatically recognizing facial expressions at variable resolutions of video. According to one exemplary method, facial expressions are detected, extracted and classified from a video sequence based on an automatic localization of the periocular region associated with a detected and extracted face. | 03-06-2014 |
20140063247 | VIDEO-BASED VEHICLE SPEED ESTIMATION FROM MOTION VECTORS IN VIDEO STREAMS - Automated low-complexity video-based vehicle speed estimation is described, that operates within the video stream to screen video sequences to identify and eliminate clear non-violators and/or identify and select potential violators within a multi-layer speed enforcement system, in which deeper layers provide enhanced accuracy on selected candidate (speeding) vehicles. Video motion vector clusters corresponding to a vehicle are identified and tracked across multiple frames of captured video. Movement of the motion vector clusters translated from pixels per second to real speed (e.g. miles per hour) to determine whether the vehicle was speeding. Estimated speed data is added to the video stream data is metadata, and video segments of candidate speeding vehicles are stored and/or transmitted for subsequent review (e.g. automated or manual). | 03-06-2014 |
20140071281 | INTELLIGENT USE OF SCENE AND TEST PATTERN ANALYSES FOR TRAFFIC CAMERA DIAGNOSTICS - A method for determining a response to misalignment of a camera monitoring a desired area includes acquiring temporal related frames from the camera including a reference frame. A pixel location is determined of a reference object from the frames. Using the pixel location of the reference object, a displacement of the camera between a current frame and the reference frame is determined. For the displacement exceeding a first threshold, a new displacement of the camera is measured by introducing at least one additional object to a camera field of view and comparing the new displacement to a second threshold. For the new displacement not exceeding the second threshold, the camera is recalibrated using a determined pixel location and a physical location of the at least one additional object. For the new displacement exceeding the second threshold, notification is provided of a misalignment to an associated user device. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072168 | VIDEO-TRACKING FOR VIDEO-BASED SPEED ENFORCEMENT - A method for tracking a moving vehicle includes detecting the vehicle by acquiring a series of temporal related image frames. In an initial frame, the detecting includes locating a reference feature representative of a vehicle. The method further includes setting the reference feature as a full-size template. The method includes tracking the vehicle by searching a current frame for features matching the full-size template and at least one scaled template. The tracking further includes setting as an updated template one of the full-size and scaled templates closest matching the feature. The method includes repeating the tracking using the updated template for each next frame in the series. | 03-13-2014 |
20140111538 | OBTAINING USER PREFERENCES USING CATEGORIES OF IMAGES - Methods and systems present, to a user, different versions of sample images. Each of the sample images is classified into at least one image-element category of multiple image-element categories. Such methods and systems request the user to select preferred versions of the sample images from the different versions of the sample images, and receive in response a user selection of preferred images. The methods and systems determine user-specific preferences for each of the image-element categories based on the user selection of the preferred images. The methods and systems receive an image-processing request relating to user images from the user, and classify the user images into the image-element categories. When processing the image-processing request, the methods and systems alter renditions of the user images according to the user-specific preferences for each image-element category. | 04-24-2014 |
20140161307 | Methods and Systems for Vascular Pattern Localization Using Temporal Features - A system and method of localizing vascular patterns by receiving frames from a video camera, identifying and tracking an object within the frames, determining temporal features associated with the object; and localizing vascular patterns from the frames based on the temporal features associated with the object. | 06-12-2014 |
20140210970 | CENTRAL VISION IMPAIRMENT COMPENSATION - A method, system, and processor-readable medium for non-invasive visual compensation for a person suffering from central vision impairment. Digital images of a target field of view can he obtained and processed to generate processed images thereof, wherein central regions of the digital images that normally would reach an impaired portion of a retina of the person are moved to other regions of the target field of view. The processed images can be presented to the person such that the central regions are now directed at an unimpaired peripheral portion of the retina of the person. | 07-31-2014 |
20140266803 | TWO-DIMENSIONAL AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL SLIDING WINDOW-BASED METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING VEHICLES - Provided is a method and system for efficient localization in still images. According to one exemplary method, a sliding window-based 2-D (Dimensional) space search is performed to detect a parked vehicle in a video frame acquired from a fixed parking occupancy video camera including a field of view associated with a parking region. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267733 | SINGLE CAMERA VIDEO-BASED SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM WITH A SECONDARY AUXILIARY RGB TRAFFIC CAMERA - When performing video-based speed enforcement a main camera and a secondary RGB traffic camera are employed to provide improved accuracy of speed measurement and improved evidentiary photo quality compared to single camera approaches. The RGB traffic camera provides sparse secondary video data at a lower cost than a conventional stereo camera. The sparse stereo processing is performed using the main camera data and the sparse RGB camera data to estimate a height of one or more tracked vehicle features, which in turn is used to improve speed estimate accuracy. By using secondary video, spatio-temporally sparse stereo processing is enabled specifically for estimating the height of a vehicle feature above the road surface. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270381 | METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED IN-FIELD HIERARCHICAL TRAINING OF A VEHICLE DETECTION SYSTEM - Disclosed are methods and systems for detecting one or more vehicles in video captured from a deployed video camera directed at a parking region. According to one exemplary embodiment, disclosed is a method of training a deployed classifier associated with the video camera, where a generic classifier is initially used to obtain high confidence training samples from the video camera, the high confidence training samples subsequently used to train the deployed classifier. | 09-18-2014 |
20140313347 | TRAFFIC CAMERA CALIBRATION UPDATE UTILIZING SCENE ANALYSIS - Methods and systems are disclosed for updating camera geometric calibration utilizing scene analysis. Geometric calibration parameters can be derived with respect to one or more cameras and selected reference points of interest identified from a scene acquired by one or more of such cameras. The camera geometric calibration parameters can be applied to image coordinates of the selected reference points of interest to provide real-world coordinates at a time of initial calibration of the camera(s). A subset of a video stream from the camera(s) can then be analyzed to identify features of a current scene captured by the camera(s) that match the selected reference points of interest and provide a current update of the camera geometric calibration parameters with respect to the current scene. | 10-23-2014 |
20140321775 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION FROM IMAGES - Disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for facilitating retrieval of information from an image. The one or more image characteristics are modified to degrade the original image. The degraded image is provided as a first task to at least one first remote worker, the first task corresponds to an activity of tagging one or more regions of interest in the degraded image by the at least one first remote worker. Further, one or more second images are generated based on the one or more tagged regions of interest and are provided as one or more second tasks to at least one second remote worker, the one or more second tasks correspond to an activity of retrieving information from the one or more second images. | 10-30-2014 |
20140324555 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EVALUATION OF REMOTE WORKERS - A method for evaluation of one or more remote workers is disclosed. The method includes publishing a set of tasks. The set of tasks includes a first subset of tasks and a second subset of tasks. The first subset of tasks is generated with a set of defined responses. The method further includes receiving a first subset of responses corresponding to the first subset of tasks from the one or more remote workers. The first subset of responses is then compared with the set of defined responses, and the one or more remote workers are analyzed based on the comparison. | 10-30-2014 |
20140337348 | USER PREFERENCES BASED ON CATEGORIES OF IMAGES - Methods and systems receive an image-processing request relating to user images from a user. Such methods and systems classify the user images into user-request image-element categories. Such methods and systems also retrieve previously stored user-specific preferences for the user-request image-element categories from a computer storage, when the previously stored user-specific preferences for the user-request image-element categories are maintained in the computer storage. However, when the previously stored user-specific preferences for the user-request image-element categories are not maintained in (are absent from) the computer storage, such methods and systems obtain additional user-specific preferences for the user-request image-element categories. Such methods and systems can then processes the image-processing request by altering renditions of the user images according to the previously stored user-specific preferences and/or the additional user-specific preferences. | 11-13-2014 |
20140355820 | ESTIMATING A POSE OF A CAMERA FOR VOLUME ESTIMATION - What is disclosed a system and method for estimating a position (or pose) of a camera relative to a surface upon which an object rests in an image captured by that camera such that a volume can be estimated for that object. In one embodiment, a matrix K is determined from parameters intrinsic to a camera used to capture image. An amount of a camera translation T is determined with respect to a set of real-world coordinates in (X,Y,Z). An amount of a camera rotation matrix R is determined from camera angles measured with respect to the real-world coordinates. A distance Z | 12-04-2014 |
20140363043 | AUTOMATED VISION-BASED CLUTTER DETECTOR AND NOTIFIER - A system and method of monitoring a customer space including obtaining visual data comprising image frames of the customer space over a period of time, defining a region of interest within the customer space, the region of interest corresponding to a portion of the customer space in which customers relocate objects, monitoring the region of interest for at least one predefined clutter condition, and generating a notification when the at least one predefined clutter condition is detected. | 12-11-2014 |
20140363045 | PRECIPITATION REMOVAL FOR VISION-BASED PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - Methods and systems receive a series of images and compare at least two of the images in the series of images to locate items that are in different positions to identify moving items. Such methods and systems further calculate a measure of the moving items within the series of images. Additionally, such methods and systems perform a continuously variable image correction to remove the moving items from the images to produce a series of corrected images. This “continuously variable image correction” increases the amount of image correction for a relatively higher measure of the moving items and decreases the amount of image correction for a relatively lower measure of the moving items, and does so continuously as the measure of the moving items changes within the series of images. | 12-11-2014 |
20140368639 | HANDHELD CELLULAR APPARATUS FOR VOLUME ESTIMATION - What is disclosed is a wireless cellular device capable of determining a volume of an object in an image captured by a camera of that apparatus. In one embodiment, the present wireless cellular device comprises an illuminator for projecting a pattern of structured light with known spatial characteristics, and a camera for capturing images of an object for which a volume is to be estimated. The camera is sensitive to a wavelength range of the projected pattern of structured light. A spatial distortion is introduced by a reflection of the projected pattern off a surface of the object. And processor executing machine readable program instructions for performing the method of: receiving an image of the object from the camera; processing the image to generate a depth map; and estimating a volume of the object from the depth map. A method for using the present wireless cellular device is also provided. | 12-18-2014 |
20140375804 | METHOD FOR AVAILABLE PARKING DISTANCE ESTIMATION VIA VEHICLE SIDE DETECTION - A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium is disclosed for determining an estimated available parking distance for a vehicle via vehicle side detection in one or more image frames from an operational video. The operational video can be acquired from a fixed parking occupancy video camera and can include a field of view associated with a parking region. The method can include obtaining operational video from a fixed parking occupancy video camera; detecting, within a region of interest (ROI) of the one or more image frames from the operational video, a side of one or more vehicles parked in a parking region facing a traffic lane using a trained classifier that is trained to detect the side of the one or more vehicles; and determining an estimated available parking distance based on the side of the one or more vehicles that are detected. | 12-25-2014 |
20140376769 | METHOD FOR DETECTING LARGE SIZE AND PASSENGER VEHICLES FROM FIXED CAMERAS - A method for detecting parking occupancy includes receiving video data from a sequence of frames taken from an associated image capture device monitoring a parking area. The method includes determining at least one candidate region in the parking area. The method includes comparing a size of the candidate region to a size threshold. In response to size of the candidate region meeting and exceeding the size threshold, the method includes determining whether the candidate region includes one of at least one object and no objects. The method includes classifying at least one object in the candidate region as belonging to one of at least two vehicle-types. The method further includes providing vehicle occupancy information to a user. | 12-25-2014 |
20150019436 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS - A method, a system, and a computer program product for processing a plurality of electronic documents are provided. The method includes marking at least one area in an electronic document selected from the plurality of electronic documents. The marked at least one area is then matched with corresponding area in the remaining electronic documents of the plurality of electronic documents. A score is computed for each of the remaining electronic documents of the plurality of electronic documents based on the matching. The plurality of electronic documents is then grouped into one or more groups based on the score. | 01-15-2015 |
20150043771 | HYBRID METHOD AND SYSTEM OF VIDEO AND VISION BASED ACCESS CONTROL FOR PARKING STALL OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION - Hybrid methods, systems and processor-readable media for video and vision based access control for parking occupancy determination. One or more image frames of a parking area of interest can be acquired from among two or more regions of interest defined with respect to the parking area of interest. The regions of interest can be analyzed for motion detection or image content change detection. An image content classification operation can be performed with respect to a first region of interest among the regions of interest based on the result of the image content change detection. An object tracking operation can then be performed with respect to a second region of interest among the regions of interest if the result of the image content classification operation indicates a presence of one or more objects of interest within the parking area of interest. | 02-12-2015 |
20150044657 | VIDEO-BASED TEACHER ASSISTANCE - A video-based teaching aid system and method. Video images are recorded of at least some of a plurality of people in a classroom setting by use of a video camera arrangement. Expressions of the people in the video images are identified by use of an expression recognition module configured to receive the video images from the video camera arrangement. The identified expressions of the people in the video images are correlated with at least one of an event or an outcome of an event occurring in a classroom setting by use of a correlation module. The results of the correlating are outputted by an output device. | 02-12-2015 |
20150051461 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING A REMOTE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS - What is disclosed is a system and method for performing a medical diagnosis for a subject of interest using a RGB video camera and a spot radiometer in a non-contact, remote sensing environment. In one embodiment, video images are captured using a RGB video camera in real-time of a subject of interest for medical diagnostic purposes. The video images are analyzed to identify a region of exposed skin for which measurements are desired to be obtained. A relative position of a spot radiometer is then adjusted such that the spot radiometer can measure incident radiation at a desired wavelength range from the identified region of exposed skin. The measurements are then used to perform a medical diagnosis for the subject. Various embodiments are disclosed. | 02-19-2015 |
20150052029 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT USING DEPTH SENSING - A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for managing inventory are disclosed. For example, the method monitors a region of interest to determine an inventory level based upon a depth image captured by a depth sensing device, calculates a change in a depth in the region of interest from the depth image that is captured and determines a change in the inventory level associated with the change in the depth of the region of interest. | 02-19-2015 |
20150063628 | ROBUST AND COMPUTATIONALLY EFFICIENT VIDEO-BASED OBJECT TRACKING IN REGULARIZED MOTION ENVIRONMENTS - A method and system for video-based object tracking includes detecting an initial instance of an object of interest in video captured of a scene being monitored and establishing a representation of a target object from the initial instance of the object. The dominant motion trajectory characteristic of the target object are then determined and a frame-by-frame location of the target object can be collected in order to track the target object in the video. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070471 | DETERMINING SOURCE LANE OF MOVING ITEM MERGING INTO DESTINATION LANE - Methods and devices acquire images using a stereo camera or camera network aimed at a first location. The first location comprises multiple parallel primary lanes merging into a reduced number of at least one secondary lane, and moving items within the primary lanes initiate transactions while in the primary lanes and complete the transactions while in the secondary lane. Such methods and devices calculate distances of the moving items from the camera to identify in which of the primary lanes each of the moving items was located before merging into the secondary lane. These methods and devices then order the transactions in a merge order corresponding to a sequence in which the moving items entered the secondary lane from the primary lanes. Also, the methods and devices output the transactions in the merge. | 03-12-2015 |
20150077549 | VIDEO/VISION BASED ACCESS CONTROL METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PARKING OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION, WHICH IS ROBUST AGAINST ABRUPT CAMERA FIELD OF VIEW CHANGES - Methods, systems and processor-readable media for parking occupancy determination. Changes in the field of view can be measured using template matching between templates derived from an original scene and a current scene with motion removed. The changes measured in the field of view can be employed to adjust data indicative of a region of interest for vision-based processing thereof if the changes measured are above a pre-determined threshold so that the impact of the changes with respect to the field of view to performance is minimized. | 03-19-2015 |
20150077559 | VIDEO/VISION BASED ACCESS CONTROL METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PARKING OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION, WHICH IS ROBUST AGAINST CAMERA SHAKE - Methods and systems for parking lot occupancy determination. Video of an entrance to a parking lot (or other facility) can be acquired utilizing one or more video cameras focusing on a pre-defined vision-based region of interest and a pre-defined video-based region of interest. The video can be video processed via a classifier that is pre-trained to take into account potential camera shake disturbances to generate video output data thereof. The video output data can then be trajectory smoothed. The video output data (following trajectory smoothing) can then be analyzed for parking lot occupancy data such that the impact of camera shake with respect to the video camera(s) is minimized to determine parking lot occupancy. | 03-19-2015 |
20150086071 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EFFICIENTLY MONITORING PARKING OCCUPANCY - A system and method for determining parking occupancy by constructing a parking area model based on a parking area, receiving image frames from at least one video camera, selecting at least one region of interest from the image frames, performing vehicle detection on the region(s) of interest, determining that there is a change in parking status for a parking space model associated with the region of interest, and updating parking status information for a parking space associated with the parking space model. | 03-26-2015 |