A character recognition device comprising: a storage means storing a plurality of dictionary databases corresponding to each of a plurality of degradation levels, said databases being generated from images wherein an original character image has been degraded using a plurality of different degradation levels; an image input means that receives input of images; an extraction means that extracts character images from said images; a usage order determination means that determines an usage order for dictionary databases on the basis of degradation degrees for extracted character images; and a character recognition means that uses dictionary databases in accordance with said usage order, recognizes characters included in the extracted character image and, if recognition results for the character recognition fulfil prescribed conditions, outputs the recognition results without performing recognition using the dictionary database next in said usage order. As a result, accurate and fast recognition of degraded character images can be performed.

Systems and methods for image analysis and recognition are disclosed, in particular the methods for interest point description. An interest point and its surrounding area is broken into subareas, a frequency domain description of each area is created by applying discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Frequency domain features are than coded bitwise by comparing them to predefined thresholds. Subsequently, the present invention provides alternative or improved methods and data structures for interest point description that may reduce memory consumption and allow fast bitwise matching.

A computer implemented method and apparatus for enabling text editing in a scanned document while maintaining fidelity of appearance of the text. The method comprises creating a synthesized font comprising a plurality of characters using characters present in a scanned document; replacing the plurality of characters in the scanned document with characters from the plurality of characters from the synthesized font; and enabling editing of the scanned document wherein enabling editing comprises adding at least some characters from the plurality of characters of the synthesized font to the document for at least some characters added during editing.

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable analyzing facial expressions within an interactive online event to gauge participant level of attentiveness are provided. Facial expressions from a plurality of participants accessing an interactive online event may be analyzed to determine each participant's facial expression. The determined expressions may be analyzed to determine an overall level of attentiveness. The level of attentiveness be relayed to the host of the interactive online event to inform him or her how the participants are reacting to the interactive online event. If there are participants not paying attention or confused, the host may modify their presentation to increase the attentiveness of the students.

A fast and stable image processing system detecting a mark from a differential image is described. The system includes a display displaying a first image and a second image alternately. A camera captures the first image that contains a mark and the second image. An image processing device detects the mark from a non-zero pixel region of a difference image between the first image that is captured and the second image that is captured.

Systems and methods for controlling camera settings of a camera to improve detection of faces in an uncontrolled environment are described. A first image is received from the camera, where the first image is captured by the camera at a first set of camera settings. A face is detected in the first image. The camera is adjusted to a second set of camera settings based on the detected face, where the second set of camera settings different from the first set of camera settings. A second image is received from the camera, where the second image is captured by the camera at the second set of camera settings. The face is detected in the second image. A quality metric of the face in the second image is determined where the quality metric is indicative of an image quality of the face in the second image. The camera is adjusted to a new set of camera settings to increase the quality metric of the face in subsequent images, the new set of camera settings different from both the first set of camera settings and the second set of camera settings. Once a sufficient quality metric of the face is achieved, the face is acquired, or otherwise captured, by the camera or other sensors.

A device for acquiring first and subsequent images of a suspect area on a patient and methods for monitoring or detecting changes of the suspect area over time and providing notification when the changes exceed a threshold. The device may be an imaging device, such as a digital camera, possibly augmented with physical or optical devices for arranging the orientation and/or distance of the imaging device with respect to the suspect area. In addition, methods for identifying, relocating, acquiring a first and/or subsequent image of the suspect area, and performing a comparative analysis of respective images are also described. Results of the comparative analysis can be used to notify and/or assist a medical professional in treating or counseling the patient.

An authentication system includes a plurality of authentication apparatuses, each of which includes first biological information of a same set of users; a crosschecking unit for crosschecking input biological information with a part of the first biological information; a transmitter for assigning second biological information included in the first biological information other than the part of the first biological information to the other authentication apparatuses without assigning same information in the second biological information to other authentication apparatuses, and to request the other authentication apparatuses to crosscheck the input biological information with the assigned second biological information; and a receiver for receiving, from the one or more other authentication apparatuses, one or more results of crosschecking the input biological information with the assigned second biological information by the one or more other authentication apparatuses in response to the requesting.

An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of dictionaries configured to store a feature of an object and information on an imaging direction in a scene for each kind of imaged scene, a detecting unit configured to detect an object with reference to at least one of the plurality of dictionaries in the scene in which the object has been imaged and which is to be learned, an estimating unit configured to estimate the imaging direction the detected object, a selecting unit configured to select one dictionary from the plurality of dictionaries based on the imaging direction estimated by the estimating unit and the information on the imaging direction in each of the plurality of dictionaries, and a learning unit configured to learn the dictionary selected by the selecting unit, based on a detection result produced by the detecting unit.

A method for use in estimating a pose of an imaged object. The method includes indentifying candidate elements of an atlas that correspond to pixels in an image of the object, forming pairs of candidate elements, and comparing the distance between the members of each pair and with the distance between the corresponding pixels.