22223 results about "Image quality" patented technology

System and methods for querying digital image archives containing digital photographs and / or videos (collectively, "digital images"). The digital images are indexed in accordance with a plurality of recorded parameters including time, date and geographic location data (altitude and longitude), as well as image data such as lens focal length, auto focus distance, shutter speed, exposure duration, aperture setting, frame number, image quality, flash status and light meter readings, which are used for searching a database consisting of the digital images. These images are preferably generated by an image capturing system which is capable of measuring and recording a plurality of parameters with each captured digital image. The image retrieval system allows a querying user to search the image archive by formulating one or more of a plurality of query types which are based on the recorded parameters, and then retrieve and display those images having the specified parameters.

A method of producing a digital image with improved resolution during digital zooming, including simultaneously capturing a first low resolution digital image of a scene and a second higher resolution digital image of a portion of substantially the same scene. A composite image is then formed by combining the first low-resolution digital image and a corresponding portion of the high resolution digital image. Digital zooming of the composite image produces a zoomed image with high resolution throughout the zoom range and improved image quality.

A drive unit for driving a corresponding one of organic EL elements of an active matrix EL display device includes a blanking switch for blanking the video signal stored in a storage capacitor in each frame period before the start of the next frame period. A drive transistor drives a corresponding EL element based on the correct current supplied for this If the video signal is a current signal, a transistor operating as a current-voltage converter is provided

An electronic paper display device, a manufacturing method and a driving method thereof are disclosed. Micro protrusion members are formed at electrodes or at insulating layers. Consequently, the electrophoretic particles are prevented from being securely attached to an upper or the lower structure, and therefore, the quality of pictures is improved, and the contrast ratio of the pictures is increased. The relative sizes and the injection amounts of two kinds of electrophoretic particles are changed such that the relative sizes and the injection amounts of the electrophoretic particles are different from each other. Consequently, the driving voltage is lowered by excessively electrifying the electrophoretic particles of one kind. Protrusions are formed at the corresponding electrode such that a relatively large electric field is distributed around the electrode at which electrophoretic particles are located in the initial stage of voltage application. Consequently, the electrophoretic particles are easily separated from the electrode and moved even at low driving voltage. As such, the voltage level of the driving voltage pulse is lowered. Consequently, it is possible to further increase the response speed of the driving devices and to lower the internal voltage of the devices, thereby reducing the costs related to the driving devices.

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for placing a minimally-invasive access with respect to a patient's bone or other non-soft tissue. The subject invention can use a drilling machine incorporating an ultrasound motor. The subject drilling machine can be applied to sample, for example, bone biopsies under MRI control. In a specific embodiment, the subject ultrasound motor can be completely manufactured of non-magnetic materials, such as plastics, titanium, and titanium alloy, or ceramics and piezoceramics. The subject drilling apparatus can be placed into an MRI near field without influencing the image quality, and without the drilling apparatus itself being disturbed by the MRI magnet, gradient, or high-frequency field. The subject invention can incorporate good shielding with the subject drilling apparatus use of these materials, and can achieve minimal, if any, image distortions or so-called artifacts. Thus, the subject invention can involve the problem by use of non-magnetic materials of low magnetic susceptibility for the design of an actuation unit.

An endolumenal robotic system provides the surgeon with the ability to drive a robotically-driven endoscopic device to a desired anatomical position in a patient without the need for awkward motions and positions, while also enjoying improved image quality from a digital camera mounted on the endoscopic device.

A back-illuminated type MOS (metal-oxide semiconductor) solid-state image pickup device 32 in which micro pads 34, 37 are formed on the wiring layer side and a signal processing chip 33 having micro pads 35, 38 formed on the wiring layer at the positions corresponding to the micro pads 34, 37 of the MOS solid-state image pickup device 32 are connected by micro bumps 36, 39. In a semiconductor module including the MOS type solid-state image pickup device, at the same time an image processing speed can be increased, simultaneity within the picture can be realized and image quality can be improved, a manufacturing process can be facilitated, and a yield can be improved. Also, it becomes possible to decrease a power consumption required when all pixels or a large number of pixels is driven at the same time.

A high performance imaging system for diffuse optical tomography is disclosed. A dense grid utilizing sources, e.g., light emitting diodes (“LEDs”), that achieve high performance at high speed with a high dynamic range and low inter-channel crosstalk are complemented by a system of discrete, isolated receivers, e.g., avalanche photodiodes (“APDs”). The source channels have dedicated reconfigurable encoding control signals, and the detector channels have reconfigurable decoding, allowing maximum flexibility and optimal mixtures of frequency and time encoding and decoding. Each detector channel is analyzed by dedicated, isolated, high-bandwidth receiver circuitry so that no channel gain switching is necessary. The resulting improvements to DOT system performance, e.g., increased dynamic range and decreased crosstalk, enable higher density imaging arrays and provide significantly enhanced DOT image quality. A processor can be utilized to provide sophisticated three dimensional modeling as well as noise reduction.

A method for red-eye detection in an acquired digital image comprises acquiring a first image and analyzing the first acquired image to provide a plurality of characteristics indicative of image quality. The process then determines if one or more corrective processes can be beneficially applied to the first acquired image according to the characteristics. Any such corrective processes are then applied to the first acquired image. Red-eye defects are then detected in a second acquired image using the corrected first acquired image. Defect detection can comprise applying a chain of one or more red-eye filters to the first acquired image. In this case, prior to the detecting step, it is determined if the red-eye filter chain can be adapted in accordance with the plurality of characteristics; and the red-eye filter is adapted accordingly.

The present invention provides an imaging optical lens assembly including, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens group comprising a first lens element with positive refractive power, no lens element with refractive power being disposed between the first lens element and an imaged object, the first lens element being the only lens element with refractive power in the first lens group; and a second lens group comprising, in order from the object side to the image side: a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element; and a fourth lens element; wherein focusing adjustment is performed by moving the first lens element along an optical axis, such that as a distance between the imaged object and the imaging optical lens assembly changes from far to near, a distance between the first lens element and an image plane changes from near to far; and wherein the number of the lens elements with refractive power in the imaging optical lens assembly is N, and it satisfies the relation: 4≦N≦5. The abovementioned arrangement of optical elements and focusing adjustment method enable the imaging optical lens assembly to obtain good image quality and consume less power.

A flat panel display having an improved picture quality is disclosed. In one embodiment, a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode are formed in each subpixel area. The electrodes enclose an open space (gap) such that their outer boundary has a substantially rectangular shape. The flat panel display may also include a capacitance electrode coupled to the second pixel electrode to form a coupling capacitor. In use, the coupling capacitor operates such that a magnitude of a voltage applied to the first pixel electrode is lower than an applied data voltage, and a magnitude of a voltage applied to the second pixel electrode is higher than an applied voltage. The different voltages operate such that a tilt direction of LC molecules disposed above the first pixel electrode differs from a tilt direction of LC molecules disposed above the second pixel electrode.

The image quality of a display device using a bottom gate TFT is improved. In particular, fluctuation in luminance is controlled and the frequency characteristic of a driver circuit is compensated by suppressing a change in amount of current flowing through an EL element which is caused by a change in surrounding temperature while the device is in use. A monitoring EL element is provided in addition to a pixel portion EL element. The monitoring EL element constitutes a temperature compensation circuit together with a buffer amplifier and the like. A current is supplied to the pixel portion EL element through the temperature compensation circuit. This makes it possible to keep the amount of current flowing through the pixel portion EL element constant against a change in temperature, and to control the fluctuation in luminance. An input signal is subjected to time base expansion to perform sampling with accuracy.

Tomography limitations in vivo due to incomplete, inconsistent and intricate measurements require solution of inverse problems. The new strategies disclosed in this application are capable of providing faster data acquisition, higher image quality, lower radiation dose, greater flexibility, and lower system cost. Such benefits can be used to advance research in cardiovascular diseases, regenerative medicine, inflammation, and nanotechnology. The present invention relates to the field of medical imaging. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems, and devices for imaging, including tomography-based and MRI-based applications. For example, included in embodiments of the invention are compressive sampling based tomosynthesis methods, which have great potential to reduce the overall x-ray radiation dose for a patient. To name a few, compressive sensing based carbon nano-tube based interior tomosynthesis systems, tomography-based dynamic cardiac elastography systems, cardiac elastodynamic biomarkers from interior MR imaging, exact and stable interior ROI reconstructions for radial MRI, and interior reconstruction based ultrafast tomography systems are provided.

An endolumenal robotic system provides the surgeon with the ability to drive a robotically-driven endoscopic device to a desired anatomical position in a patient without the need for awkward motions and positions, while also enjoying improved image quality from a digital camera mounted on the endoscopic device.

The present invention provides an imaging lens assembly including, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element with negative refractive power; a fourth lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a fifth lens element having a concave image-side surface, at least one inflection point being provided on the fifth lens element; and an aperture stop disposed between an imaged object and the third lens element. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively improve the image quality of the system and enable the imaging lens assembly to maintain a compact form. When the aperture stop is disposed near the object side, the telecentric feature is emphasized, resulting in a shorter total track length. When the aperture stop is disposed near the third lens element, the emphasis is on the wide field of view, and such an aperture stop placement helps to effectively reduce the sensitivity of the imaging lens assembly.

Images are coded with higher efficiency while maintaining the same image quality. An image coding method of coding an image on a block basis, including: transforming (S1201) a two-dimensional array of pixel values of a current block to be encoded, into a two-dimensional array of transform coefficients; determining (S1202), depending on the two-dimensional array of the transform coefficients, a scan order for scanning the transform coefficients of the two-dimensional array; scanning (S1203) the transform coefficients of the two-dimensional array sequentially according to the scan order, to generate a one-dimensional array of the transform coefficients; and coding (S1204) the transform coefficients of the one-dimensional array.

Methods and apparatus to automatically generate an image quality metric for an image are provided. An example method includes automatically processing a first medical image using a deployed learning network model to generate an image quality metric for the first medical image, the deployed learning network model generated from a digital learning and improvement factory including a training network, wherein the training network is tuned using a set of labeled reference medical images of a plurality of image types, and wherein a label associated with each of the labeled reference medical images indicates a central tendency metric associated with image quality of the image. The example method includes computing the image quality metric associated with the first medical image using the deployed learning network model by leveraging labels and associated central tendency metrics to determine the associated image quality metric for the first medical image.

A method and apparatus for facial image acquisition and / or recognition used for person identification. In infrared face image acquisition, near infrared (NIR) images of a face are captured by an imaging unit with the face illuminated by active NIR lights; an NIR optical filter is used in the imaging unit to minimize visible lights in environments while allowing NIR lights to pass through. NIR face images thus acquired provides good image quality for the purpose of face recognition. In face recognition, eyes are localized in NIR face image(s) quickly and accurately by detecting specular highlight reflection in each eye, whereby face is then localized. The invention effectively problems caused by environmental lights, and leads to accurate and fast face recognition under variable lighting conditions. Moreover, the methods use a non-intrusive and user-friendly way of active lighting for face image acquisition and recognition because the NIR lights are in the invisible spectrum.

A method or corresponding apparatus for remote transmission of a negotiable instrument. In an example embodiment, the process provides a carrier that secures a negotiable instrument. Next, the process creates a unique identifier, associated with the carrier, and generates an electronic image of the negotiable instrument. After generating the electronic image, the process transmits the electronic image of the negotiable instrument and the unique identifier to a remote location. The negotiable instrument may be transmitted via a fax, a scanner, a device designed to transmit electronic data, other image device compatible with ITU-T recommendations T.30 or T.4, or combination thereof. The process may also verify the negotiable instrument has a valid endorsement, verify image quality of the electronic image to ensure compliance with financial industry standards, or validate any received security information.

A fixed-focus camera module includes an image sensor, a lens for focusing an image onto the image sensor, and a positioning structure for maintaining an alignment of the lens and image sensor. The alignment provides a desired image quality of the image focussed onto the image sensor. The positioning structure includes a first unthreaded member coupled to the lens and a second unthreaded member coupled to the image sensor. One of the first and the second members is configured to be inserted into the other of the members to provide an adjustable relative position of the lens and the image sensor.

An endolumenal robotic system provides the surgeon with the ability to drive a robotically-driven endoscopic device to a desired anatomical position in a patient without the need for awkward motions and positions, while also enjoying improved image quality from a digital camera mounted on the endoscopic device.

An endolumenal robotic system provides the surgeon with the ability to drive a robotically-driven endoscopic device to a desired anatomical position in a patient without the need for awkward motions and positions, while also enjoying improved image quality from a digital camera mounted on the endoscopic device.

In a light emitting device, a variation in intensity caused by varying a threshold value of a TFT for supplying a current to a light emitting element for each pixel becomes a burden to an improvement of an image quality of the light emitting device. A voltage equal to the threshold value of a TFT (106) is held in capacitor unit (109). When a video signal is inputted from a source signal line, the voltage held in the capacitor unit is added thereto and a resultant signal is applied to a gate electrode of the TFT (106). Even when a threshold value is varied for each pixel, each threshold value is held in the capacitor unit (109) for each pixel. Thus, the influence of a variation in threshold value can be eliminated. Further, holding of the threshold value is conducted by only the capacitor unit (109) and a charge does not move at writing of a video signal so that a voltage between both electrodes is not changed. Thus, it is not influenced by a variation in capacitance value.

The present invention provides an imaging lens system comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element with positive refractive power, at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; a fourth lens element, the image-side surface thereof being aspheric and provided with at least one inflection point; a fifth lens element having a concave object-side surface, at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and an aperture stop disposed between an imaged object and the second lens element. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively reduce the total track length and sensitivity of the optical system, and image quality can also be improved.

Techniques for assuring the quality of mobile document image captured using a mobile device are provided. These techniques include performing one or more tests to assess the quality of images of documents captured using the mobile device. The tests can be selected based on the type of document that was imaged, the type of mobile application for which the image quality of the mobile image is being assessed, and / or other parameters such as the type of mobile device and / or the characteristics of the camera of the mobile device that was used to capture the image. The image quality assurance techniques can also be implemented on can be implemented on a mobile device and / or on a remote server where the mobile device routes the mobile image to the remote server processing and the test results are be passed from the remote server to the mobile device.

An automated electronic video surveillance system enables a high-resolution mega-pixel camera to capture high quality, detailed, magnified images at multiple locations, simultaneously with an overview of the whole scene. A preferred embodiment requiring no moving parts provides full 360-degree continuous viewing with up to 5× all-digital zoom capability. The system performs continuous surveillance and active resolution allocation in the form of a feedback control subsystem that dynamically allocates resources so that important details within a scene receive appropriate scrutiny, while uninteresting areas are imaged at a lower resolution.

The disclosure is directed toward driving methods and a driving circuit which are particularly suitable for bi-stable displays. In certain embodiments, methods provide the fastest and most pleasing appearance to the desired image while maintaining the optimal image quality over the life expectancy of an electrophoretic display device.

A method of creating an image file and an imaging device comprising at least two image capturing apparatus is provided. Each apparatus is arranged to produce an image, wherein at least one first apparatus comprises a color filter matrix of red and blue elements, and at least one second apparatus comprises a green color filter. A controller is arranged to combine the images produced with the apparatus with each other to produce an image with an enhanced image quality.