A capsule for beverage preparations in a brewing machine, the capsule including a capsule container that is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base, and a capsule cover that closes the capsule container. The capsule has at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule container, the code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements, which respectively contain information from which one of several possible orientations of the code on the plane of the base can be derived in a unique manner. The invention also relates to a capsule and to an associated system including a brewing machine and to a method for identifying the type of capsule.

An example method is of image processing provided in according with one implementation of the present disclosure. The method includes receiving an image, placing a window across the image, and computing a set of all occurring grayscale values within the window. The method further includes computing a threshold value based on the set of all occurring grayscale values within the window and determining an output pixel value of at least one pixel from the window based on the threshold value.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for generating a hologram. The apparatus for generating a hologram according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first pattern generator configured to generate a first hologram pattern that is constructed by modeling a first lens capable of collecting incident light onto a first axis: a second pattern generator configured to generate a second hologram pattern that is constructed by modeling a second lens capable of collecting the incident light onto a second axis; and a hologram pattern combination unit configured to construct a final hologram pattern by combining the first and second patterns.

A first image may be received by a processor. The processor may identify an image quality measure of which to evaluate the first image. The processor may compare the first image to one or more images. The processor may generate a first image quality score for the first image based on the comparing. The processor may convert the first image quality score into a first micro air-quality index. The processor may transmit the first micro air-quality index to a recording device. Additionally, a recording device may capture a first image. The recording device may send the first image to a database that may include a model associated with an image quality measure. The recording device may receive a first micro air-quality index associated with the image quality measure. The recording device may rearrange a display of the first image to display the first micro air-quality index.

A first image may be received by a processor. The processor may identify an image quality measure of which to evaluate the first image. The processor may compare the first image to one or more images. The processor may generate a first image quality score for the first image based on the comparing. The processor may convert the first image quality score into a first micro air-quality index. The processor may transmit the first micro air-quality index to a recording device. Additionally, a recording device may capture a first image. The recording device may send the first image to a database that may include a model associated with an image quality measure. The recording device may receive a first micro air-quality index associated with the image quality measure. The recording device may rearrange a display of the first image to display the first micro air-quality index.

A method for head pose estimation using a monocular camera. The method includes: providing an initial image frame recorded by the camera showing a head; and performing at least one pose updating loop with the following steps: identifying and selecting of a plurality of salient points of the head having 2D coordinates in the initial image frame within a region of interest; determining 3D coordinates for the selected salient points using a geometric head model of the head, corresponding to a head pose; providing an updated image frame recorded by the camera showing the head; identifying within the updated image frame at least some previously selected salient points having updated 2D coordinates; updating the head pose by determining updated 3D coordinates corresponding to the updated 2D coordinates using a perspective-n-point method; and using the updated image frame as the initial image frame for the next pose updating loop.

A computer implemented method performed by a payment processing system includes receiving a payment request from a payor and extracting payment data from the payment request. The payment data includes payee identification data and payment amount data. The method includes determining additional payment information required to complete the payment and dynamically generating a payment information request form. The payment information request form includes requests for specific data from the payor based on the determined additional payment information. The method includes validating the payment request based on the received payment request and the determined additional payment information to determine if the payment request is valid. The method includes generating a payment request data packet, the generation of the payment request data packet based on the payment request being determined to be a valid payment request. The payment request data packet includes the information required by the payee to process the payment.

Facial recognition-based authentication comprises obtaining a first image of a target object, updating projection information associated with a display by a display device, obtaining a second image of the target object, the second image being an image of the target object after the projection information is updated, obtaining an image difference data based at least in part on the first image and the second image, and determining whether the target object is a virtual object based at least in part on the image difference data.

Facial recognition-based authentication comprises obtaining a first image of a target object, updating projection information associated with a display by a display device, obtaining a second image of the target object, the second image being an image of the target object after the projection information is updated, obtaining an image difference data based at least in part on the first image and the second image, and determining whether the target object is a virtual object based at least in part on the image difference data.

An intelligent item receptacle, system, and method for providing supplemental media content in response to depositing an item having media indicia disposed thereon. An intelligent item receptacle includes an item receptacle securely enclosing an interior volume, an item sensor configured to detect an inserted item, a camera within the interior volume configured to capture an image of the item, and an output configured to play audio or visual content to bystanders outside the item receptacle. Processing circuitry within the item receptacle analyzes the image to determine if the media indicia are present on the item and, if present, causes the output to play the audio or visual content associated with the media indicia.