Showing papers on "Image file formats published in 1999"

The image processing handbook

Abstract: "This guide clearly explains the acquisition and use of digital images in a wide variety of scientific fields. This sixth edition features new sections on selecting a camera with resolution appropriate for use on light microscopes, on the ability of current cameras to capture raw images with high dynamic range, and on imaging in more than two dimensions. It discusses Dmax for X-ray images and combining images with different exposure settings to further extend the dynamic range. This edition also includes a new chapter on shape measurements, a review of new developments in image file searching, and a wide range of new examples and diagrams"

Hierarchical data storage management

Abstract: A system and method for managing the storage of files within an HSM system incorporate an architecture and methodology that facilitate the storage and retrieval of large image files as part of an overall image processing workflow. In particular, the system and method may find ready application in a workflow that involves the processing of groups of images associated with particular customers, projects, or transactions, and may act as a storage server for a client application that implements the workflow. The system and method may be useful, for example, in handling the storage of images uploaded from scanned photographic film, or digital images submitted to a photo-processing shop by amateur or professional photographers. In this case, the client application can be a photo-processing application that could provide for various media formats, sizes, and quantities of image reproductions for a consumer. As another example, the system and method may be useful in handling the storage of medical diagnostic images associated with a particular medical patient or study. In this case, the client application could be a picture archival communication system (PACS) that manages the archival of imagery for viewing by physicians. Further, the system and method may be useful in handling the storage of images associated with particular printing jobs, e.g., for publishers, advertising customers, and the like. In this case, the client application could be a digital prepress workflow application.

Interactive image storage, indexing and retrieval system

Abstract: An image storage, indexing and retrieval system is disclosed in which a plurality of images are storable in digital form (on a writeable DVD), each with an associated information file, the associated information file including metadata which has been automatically captured and stored and/or input by a user Metadata is automatically captured via the camera The user can also input metadata via the camera at the time of image capture, or via a player/recorder system and its various interfaces when the captured images are added to an interactive database stored in random access memory The user may designate one or more elements of the metadata of the associated information file as an image link for each of the image files, and further the user may specify more than one image links for each of the image files All of the images having a common image link form a group of images, and the user can determine a sequence of display of all of the digital image files any group An index is created of all of the image links associated with any of the image files and this index is communicated to the user The user can, via a selected image link, retrieve the group of images having that associated image link with such group of images being retrieved in the sequence predetermined by the user The sequence can be preset either at the time the user stores the group in the interactive database, or during subsequent editing of the group of images associated with the selected image link The index can be communicated audibly or by visual display

Information managing device for displaying thumbnail files corresponding to electronic files and searching electronic files via thumbnail file

Abstract: An information managing device includes a liquid crystal display section and thumbnail display means. The liquid crystal display section displays a cluster of file bundles that are thumbnail files each corresponding to one of the image files, so as to enable searches through image files displayed as original document bundles. The thumbnail display means displays the images in the cluster of file bundles on the liquid crystal display section so as to partially overlap each other in a three-dimensional configuration. With the aforementioned device, a stored image file can be easily searched for on the display screen.

A method and a device for encryption of images

Abstract: In a method and a device for partial encryption and progressive transmission of images, a first section of the image file is compressed at reduced quality without decryption, and a second section of the image file is encrypted. Users having access to appropriate decryption keywords can decrypt this second section. The first section together with the decrypted second section can then be viewed as a full quality image. The storage space required for storing the first and section together is essentially the same as the storage space required for storing the unencrypted full quality image. By using the method and device as described herein storage and bandwidth requirements for partially encrypted images is reduced. Furthermore, object based composition and processing of encrypted objects are facilitated, and ROIs can be encrypted. Also, the shape of a ROI can be encrypted and the original object can be decrypted and restored in the compressed domain.

Color image encryption using double random phase encoding

Abstract: A new encryption technique is proposed to encrypt color images using existing optical encryption systems for gray-scale images. The color images are converted to their indexed image formats before they are encoded. At the decryption end, the color images are recovered by converting the decrypted indexed images back to their RGB formats. The proposed single-channel color image encryption method is more compact and robust than the multichannels methods. Since color information is added to the shape information, better verification performance can be achieved in optical security systems. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 21: 318–323, 1999.

Method for generating a footprint image file for an intelligent backup and restoring system

Abstract: A method for generating a footprint image file of a primary storage device connected to a computer system includes calling a footprint module having a set of methods that is configured to generate the footprint image file. The system registry of the computer system is then scanned to ascertain whether a controller is connected to the computer system. Next, the system registry, an application programming interface, and a partition session selector device driver are scanned to ascertain information related to storage devices connected to the controller. The system registry, the application programming interface, and the partition session selector device driver also are scanned to ascertain information related to logical partitions of the storage devices. Finally, a footprint image file containing information regarding the controller, the storage devices, and the logical partitions of the storage devices is generated. A computer readable media containing program instructions for generating a footprint image file of a primary storage device connected to a computer system also is described.

Secure Steganographic Methods for Palette Images

Abstract: In this paper, we study non-adaptive and adaptive steganographic techniques for images with low number of colors in palette image formats. We have introduced the concept of optimal parity assignment for the color palette and designed an efficient algorithm that finds the optimal parity assignment. The optimal parity is independent of the image histogram and depends only on the image palette. Thus, it can be used for increasing the security of steganographic techniques that embed message bits into the parity of palette colors. We have further developed two adaptive steganographic methods designed to avoid areas of uniform color and embed message bits into texturerich portions of the cover image. Both techniques were tested on computer generated images with large areas of uniform color and with fonts on uniform background. No obvious artifacts were introduced by either technique. The last, embedding-while-dithering, technique has been designed for palette images obtained from true color images using color quantization and dithering. In this technique, both the color quantization error and the error due to message embedding are diffused through the image to avoid introducing artifacts inconsistent with the dithering algorithm.

Preparation of a software configuration using an xml type programming language

Abstract: Configuring software for a target comprises preparing a command file (509) which specifies a subset of components (545, 546) selected from a group of components, and parameters (546) for tuning at least some of the selected subset of components. The command file is written using a single object-oriented programming language, capable of managing tree structures of objects, preferably an XML type language, having a Document Type Definition enabling it to work as a programming language. An image file (548) is prepared from the command file, to be loaded (550) on the target.

Automatic rating and filtering of data files for objectionable content

Abstract: An automatic method for rating data files for objectionable content in a distributed computer system includes preprocessing the file to create semantic units, comparing the semantic units with a rating repository containing entries and associated ratings, assigning content rating vectors to the semantic units, and creating a modified data file incorporating rating information derived from the content rating vectors. For text files, the semantic units are words or phrases, and the rating repository also contains words or phrases with corresponding content rating vectors. For audio files, the file is first converted to a text file using voice recognition software. For image files, image processing software is used to recognize individual objects and compare them to basic images and ratings stored in the rating repository. In one embodiment, a composite content rating vector is derived for the file from the individual content rating vectors, and the composite content rating vector is incorporated into the modified file. In an alternate embodiment, semantic units with content rating vectors exceeding preset user limit values of objectionable content are blocked out by display blocks or, for audio, audio blanking signals, for example, beeps. The user can then view or hear the remaining portions of the file. The invention can be used with any type of data file that can be divided into semantic units, and can be implemented in a server, client, search engine, or proxy server.

Compression/decompression algorithm for image documents having text, graphical and color content

Abstract: A computer program product for compressing data files representative of an image document. The document includes color information and/or graphical information. The product is on a computer readable medium and includes instructions for causing a computer to provide a first image file at a first resolution and a second image file at a second resolution of said document with said second resolution being lower than said first resolution. The product causes a computer to process the first image file to convert the first image file into a text file representation of the document and compress the text file representation of the document to provide a first compressed file. The computer processes the second file to extract information corresponding to color information and graphics information. It compresses the second file using a second, different compression technique to provide a second compressed file corresponding to the image and the color information from the low resolution image file. The product causes a computer to store said first and second compressed files to provide a composite file corresponding to the compressed file of the document.

Image encrypting method and device, image decrypting method and device, and recording medium

Abstract: When image data has been decomposed into a plurality of components, and a plurality of components of the components have been encrypted, the encrypted image file must be able to be used without confusion. On a component decomposing apparatus, image data is decomposed into a plurality of components for the hierarchical levels, for example. On an encrypting apparatus, a plurality of components of the components are encrypted. And, on an encrypting information preparing means, encrypting information H concerning the contents of this encryption is prepared, and from the encrypted components and the non-encrypted components, and the encrypting information H, an encrypted image file F is generated on an encrypted image file generating apparatus. When the encrypted image file F is to be decrypted, the encryption contents of the encrypted components can easily be grasped by referring to the encrypting information H.

Displaying images during boot-up and shutdown

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus to display an image during a transition of an operating system in a computer system. An image having an image format compatible with the operating system is obtained. Content of a system file corresponding to the transition of the operating system is created using the image in a system directory.

System & method for creating, editing, an on-line publication

Abstract: A system and method automatically generate an on-line document from raw text into an engaging, interactive form for a plurality of viewers. Unstructured articles are read from an information feed. A computation process extracts and tags proper names of people, products, organizations, and places and categorizes them. An image database is used to link these proper names with image files. The image database consists of a series of attribute-value pairs for active searching of names. A URL query string is inputted to the database to extract the location of the image in the database file system. An Extensible Markup Language (XML) file is created from the raw text of the article, the list of proper names in the processed data and the image file references. The XML file is stored in a file system. An Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) file provides templates containing computational relationships between the text and images. The XML and XSL style sheets are combined to generate a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file containing an on-line story of the unstructured articles in a Java Applet which allows the system to provide a variety of interactive behaviors for a final presentation available by a viewer from a browser.

Quality assurance of captured document images

Abstract: A method and apparatus are used to provide quality assurance for the electronic transfer of document image files, for example, between banks. The documents may be, in the case of a bank, negotiable instruments, checks, deposit slips or other transactional documents. The document image file contains an image tag file and associated image data file. An image tag file contains first quality assurance data. An image data file contains second quality assurance data. The quality assurance data may be a MICR line from the document. A first reader extracts the first quality assurance data from the image tag file. A second reader reads the second quality assurance data from the image data file. A comparator receives the first and second sets of quality assurance data from the first and second readers and compares the first and second sets of quality assurance data to find correspondence between the data. The level of the correspondence provides an indicator of the quality of the image data file and associated image tag file data.

"Virtual microscopy" and the internet as telepathology consultation tools: diagnostic accuracy in evaluating melanocytic skin lesions.

Abstract: The Internet offers a widely available, inexpensive tool for telepathology consultations. It allows the transfer of image and text files through electronic mail (e-mail) or file transfer protocols (FTP), using a variety of microcomputer platforms. We studied the use of the Internet and "virtual microscopy" tools for the diagnosis of 35 skin biopsies, including a variety of benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. Digitized images from these lesions were obtained at 40x and 100x optical magnification, using a high resolution digital camera (Microlumina, Leaf Systems, Southborough, MA), a light microscope with a phototube adapter and a microcomputer with a Pentium 166 MHz microprocessor. Two to four images of each case were arranged on a "canvas" to represent the majority or an entire biopsy level, using Photoshop software (Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA). The images were compressed using Joint Photographers Expert Group (JPEG) format. The images were then viewed on a computer video monitor in a manner that closely resembles light microscopy, including scrolling by using the "hand tool" of Photoshop and changing magnification digitally up to 4 times without visible image degradation. The image files, ranging in size from 700 kilobytes to 2.1 megabytes (average 1.6 megabytes) were attached to e-mail messages that contained clinical information, using standard Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) protocols and sent through the Internet, for interpretation by a dermatopathologist. The consultant could open the images from the e-mail message, using Microsoft Outlook Express (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) and Photoshop software, scroll them, change magnification and render a diagnosis in a manner that closely simulates light microscopy. One hundred percent concordance was obtained between the telepathology and traditional hematoxylin and eosin slide diagnoses. The Internet and relatively inexpensive "virtual microscopy" tools offer a novel technology for dermatopathology consultations. Potential applications of this technology to pathology and technical problems posed by the use of an open, widely distributed network to share sensitive medical information are discussed.

System for editing compressed image sequences

Abstract: This disclosure provides for an image editing system that permits manipulation of compressed image formats without full decompression to the image domain. In particular, an editor manipulates discrete cosine transform ('DCT') coefficients for a dependent frame in a compressed image sequence to incorporate DCT representations of anchor frames upon which the dependent frame depends. Once converted, the frame can simply be reordered in the compressed domain without violating temporal dependencies, subject to bit rate matching. In one embodiment, an image sequence can be cut to leave remaining image frames which are then altered, so as to eliminate temporal dependencies upon eliminated frames. In another embodiment, an image sequence can be processed in the compressed domain for reverse-play. The editor provided by this disclosure permits real-time compressed domain editing applications, with reduced requirements for computational bandwidth.

Method for transferring and indexing data from old media to new media

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for automatically migrating computer data from one storage technology to another is presented herein. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the automated data transfer application detects the insertion of a source storage media into a source storage device and automatically accesses the source storage device to determine the contents of the source storage media. In one embodiment, all files are automatically selected for transfer. In an alternative embodiment, the user selects a set of files to be transferred. The destination storage media is automatically mounted and the set of selected files are automatically transferred to the destination storage media. In a preferred embodiment, an index comprising a set of keys for each selected file is automatically generated and saved along with the selected files on the destination storage media for use in performing searches of content of the transferred files. Preferably, the index is also stored in local memory to provide a global database of the contents of all migrated media, thereby facilitating a very fast search of the contents and locations of files whether or not the media on which the files are located is actually mounted. In addition, sector-by-sector data imaging functionality allows the transfer of source data to be copied sector-by-sector to create an image file from which the source media can be duplicated at a later time.

Method and apparatus for formatting digital images to conform to communications standard

Abstract: A computerized imager is programmed with software that allows properly formatted image files (data objects) to be sent to multiple remotely located devices via a network. The imager is programmed with multiple configurable DICOM tasks, one task for each configured remote device. Each task is configured to format image files into DICOM objects acceptable to a particular remote device. Each DICOM object is constructed from image frame data and attribute data. Each DICOM task queries an Attribute Control Engine, which instructs that DICOM task concerning which attributes and what attribute values to include in the DICOM objects being constructed by that task. The Attribute Control Engine in turn reads the attribute information from an Attribute Control File. A respective Attribute Control file is provided for each configured remote device.

System and method for ordering printing of images, and system and method for printing edited images

Abstract: The user of a client computer (1) is notified of services made available by a desired store. A store server (30) is installed in a store. The user of the client computer sends an order-taking server (25) an indication of a service the user wishes to have performed, and the order-taking server retrieves the names of stores providing this desired service. Information relating to stores found is transmitted from the order-taking server to the client computer. The store-related information is displayed on the client computer and a desired store (e.g., one located near the user's residence) is selected by the user. A service relating to image printing selected by the user is performed at the selected store. When the printing of the image is completed at the selected store, the user goes to the store to pick up the printed matter. In another aspect, the labor demanded of a client computer user when edited images of a plurality of frames are printed at an image server is reduced. Images are edited at the client computer. When the editing of a plurality of frames is completed, an order information file which includes the content of an order is transmitted from the client computer to the image server. The image server calculates the fee and transmits data representing the fee to the client computer. Upon checking the fee, the user of the client computer places an order and transmits an order information file, an editing information file and a user image file, which are for composing edited images of a plurality of frames, in a single batch. It is thus possible to order edited images of a plurality of frames by batch transmission.

Information managing device

Abstract: An information managing device includes a liquid crystal display section and thumbnail display means. The liquid crystal display section displays a cluster of file bundles that are thumbnail files each corresponding to one of the image files, so as to enable searches through image files displayed as original document bundles. The thumbnail display means displays the images in the cluster of file bundles on the liquid crystal display section so as to partially overlap each other in a three-dimensional configuration. With the aforementioned device, a stored image file can be easily searched for on the display screen.

Searching Near-Replicas of Images via Clustering

Abstract: Internet piracy has been one of the major concerns for Web publishing. In this study we present a system, RIME, that we have prototyped for detecting unauthorized image copying on the WWW. To speed up the copy detection, RIME uses a new clustering/hashing approach that first clusters similar images on adjacent disk cylinders and then builds indexes to access the clusters made in this way. Searching for the replicas of an image often takes just one IO to loop up the location of the cluster containing similar objects and one sequential file IO to read in this cluster. Our experimental results show that RIME can detect images copies both more efficiently and effectively than the traditional content- based image retrieval systems that use tree-like structures to index images. In addition, RIME copes well with image format conversion, resampling, requantization and geometric transformation.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Method for compiling an image database, an image database system, and an image data storage medium

Abstract: A method and system for automatically compiling an image database containing facial images for a large number of people searches all facial images stored in a face dictionary containing image data and attribute information for known persons for all images stored in an image database. When matching facial images are found, the attribute information from the face dictionary is added to the image information in the image database as an index to that information. The current record indicated by a record pointer is loaded to obtain the file path to the image file, which is stored with the data record. The image file is then loaded, the record pointer in the face dictionary is moved to the top, and the current record indicated by the record pointer in the face dictionary is loaded. Attribute information such as personal name, address, sex, and job title, and a facial image or facial features enabling a person to be identified, are stored to each record in the face dictionary, and can therefore be obtained by loading a face dictionary record. A particular person can then be searched for and evaluated based on the image data loaded from the image database, and facial image information loaded from the face dictionary.

Image data management system

Abstract: An image data management device, that records image data captured by a digital camera together with information indicating the use period of the image data, searches for image files captured by the digital camera and checks the use period of the image data which has been found. When the use period of the image file has expired, the image data management device deletes the image file.

Photofinishing system and method for automated advanced services including image and associated audio data processing

Abstract: A photofinishing system for automatically processing image and associated image data pursuant to customer output requests. The system includes an order manager operative to receive and control processing of the output requests and at least one source of image related data corresponding to the output request. An input interface receives the image related data from the source and converts the data to a digital data stream. A memory is included for storing the digital data stream. The system further includes a data parser disposed in communication with the memory to extract selected data streams according to the order manager and to reduce the data into respective image files having respective groups of data fields. An output module is responsive to the order manager and is operative to produce a photofinished output organized with respect to the data fields.

Memory saving wavelet-like image transform system and method for digital camera and other memory conservative applications

Abstract: A digital camera includes a data capture device and data processing circuitry for processing image data representing captured images. The data processing circuitry processes tiles of the image data in a predefined order to generated processed image data, which is then stored as a data image file. The tiles are nonoverlapping portions of the image data. Each tile of image data is processing by applying a predefined sequence of transform layers to the tile of image data so as to generate successive layers of transform coefficients. In a preferred embodiment, the transform layers are successive applications of a wavelet-like decomposition transform. While each tile is processed, a predefined set of edge transform coefficients from a plurality of the transform layers are saved in memory for use while processing neighboring tiles. Further, the step of processing each tile includes applying at least a plurality of the transform layers to both transform coefficients generated by a prior transform layer and corresponding ones of the edge transform coefficients that were previously saved in memory while processing tiles neighboring the tile being processed. However, for some tiles along the edge of the image, there will be no edge transform coefficients from previously processed tiles to be used while processing the current tile.

An image visualization tool in mammography.

Abstract: The poor detectability of diagnostic mammographic features, due to their low contrast, is dealt with by a software visualization tool. The tool is domain specific to medical imaging and consequently mammographic imaging, and it is envisaged as part of medical image visualization and manipulation stations. Domain specificity is served by the tool conformance to DICOM 3.0 part 10 image format specifications, specifically PAPYRUS 3.0, window width/level display adjustments of image dynamic range of up to 16 bits, and application of visualization operations to user-defined regions of interest in addition to global operations. The software has been designed and implemented according to an object oriented approach in Visual C++. The tool user interface is friendly, based on a widely used windowing paradigm, the Microsoft Foundation Class library version 4.2, which provides interface items, such as windows, dialogue boxes, lists, slide bars, buttons, etc. The visualization functionality offered by the tool relies on the following three categories of image processing algorithms: dynamic range adjustments by pixel intensity transformations, contrast enhancement and noise suppression by spatial domain direct manipulation of image pixels or by manipulation of wavelet coefficients. The first two categories of algorithms are implemented in real time. Initial use of the tool has demonstrated its potential in improving the detectability of diagnostic mammographic image features.