991results about "Modifying/creating image using manual input" patented technology

A frame of still picture data is captured at an instant specified by a user from video signals supplied from a given video source, such as a television receiver, a video camera, etc., and the image data is displayed. When the user specifies an area of image to be cut out from the displayed still picture, the image data in the specified area is cut out and recorded as a cutout image. Each cutout image recorded is displayed in the form of an icon. When any of the icons is selected by the user, the corresponding cutout image data is read and pasted in a part to be changed in the original image data. Thus an image can be easily created by user's choice.

The multimedia content browsing system for small mobile devices smoothly blends three key tasks: querying the multimedia contents by keywords, exploring the search results by viewing keyframes of the multimedia contents, and playing a stream of the multimedia contents, e.g., videos or video segments. Videos can be stored in a segment-based multimedia content database, which is designed to support the browsing, retrieval, and reuse of videos. A layered imaging model is introduced where each layer may have its own transparent value set individually, continuously, and interactively, and the layers can overlap on top of each other when rendered on the screen. Since a small mobile device alone may not have enough resources to handle the entire task of multimedia content browsing, a scalable architecture can be adopted to break up the task among the small mobile device, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), and a resource-rich computing device.

A method and device for displaying history information are provided in which, when a plurality of image processings are carried out repeatedly, a plurality of images which have been subjected to image processing automatically remain as a history record, and this history record is displayed in image states which can be visually discerned, such that a desired image can be intuitively determined. When an image which has been subjected to image processing on an image-to-be-processed display screen is closed and subjected to another image processing, or is subjected to an additional image processing, images displayed on the image-to-be-processed display screen up to before a next image processing is carried out are displayed as icons in a past image icon display portion beneath the image-to-be-processed display screen. Thus, a function can be provided for listing up a history of image processings or providing a gallery stocked with image states which are results of intermediate processings.

A system and method for automatic creation of digital image albums. A Page Creator Module utilizes a genetic engine and a layout evaluation module. The genetic engine evolves a group of images to a plurality of album pages, based on certain layout criteria. The evaluation module calculates layout criteria and compares them with user preferences. When an acceptable image / page layout has been generated, the image / page assignments are transferred to an Image Placement Module. The Image Placement Module utilizes a second genetic engine, which evolves various criteria to generate page layouts genetic structures. These structures define the location, scale, and rotation of images placed on a given page. A layout evaluation module calculates and compares these layouts with certain other preferences and page requirements. When a suitable layout has been generated, a final album output is generated, which may be displayed, printed, or otherwise transferred for subsequent utilization.

A frame of still picture data is captured at an instant specified by a user from video signals supplied from a given video source, such as a television receiver, a video camera, etc., and the image data is displayed. When the user specifies an area of image to be cut out from the displayed still picture, the image data in the specified area is cut out and recorded as a cutout image. Each cutout image recorded is displayed in the form of an icon. When any of the icons is selected by the user, the corresponding cutout image data is read and pasted in a part to be changed in the original image data. Thus an image can be easily created by user's choice.

A communication apparatus, for instance a cellular phone, has menu, a memory for storing a picture and a display for displaying alphanumeric and a picture. If a user selects the picture stored in the memory, the selected picture is displayed on the display as wallpaper. When the picture is set as wallpaper and menu comprised of icons is displayed by operation, the icons are displayed in the form of a function name and outline.

Multiple objects can be selected and then manipulated with respect to a common reference using a common manipulation operation without the need to perform grouping or ungrouping operations on the objects. Aspects of the common reference can be modified. The common reference can be aligned to the orientation of one of the selected multiple objects. Two or more dimensions of any of the selected multiple objects that is not aligned to the common reference can be proportionately modified to prevent distortion when the multiple selected objects are commonly resized with respect to a single dimension of the common reference.

This invention is relative to an image information display apparatus in which a large-sized image can readily be recognized even with use of a small-sized display unit such as is provided in a portable telephone set or in a mobile computer.It is assumed that an observer (user) 122 is about to recognize an image of a larger size 121 using an image information display apparatus 124 having a display 123 of a smaller size. When the observer 122 moves his or her hand 126, a partial area 125 of an image demonstrated in the display 123 is actively changed. This permits the image of a larger size 121 to be comprehended readily in its entirety. The image of a larger size 121 can readily be recognized by having the hand movement matched to the movement of the display image (partial area 125 of the image), based on perceptual characteristics of the human being.

A system is provided which would allow users, even though they have no digital camera, nor its peripheral device, nor personal computer, to be provide with digital image data and enjoy its features. The system includes: an image obtaining apparatus, adapted to be lent to a user, for obtaining image data by operation of the user; image manipulating means for manipulating the image data, which has been obtained by the image obtaining apparatus, by a predetermined manipulation process; and image data dispensing means for dispensing the resulting image data, which is the image data as the result of the predetermined manipulation process by the image manipulation means, to the customer for a consideration. The present system is employed in recreation facilities (amusement parks, theme parks, etc.), tourist attractions, and athletic races, so as to provide picture-taking / image-dispensing services.

Provided is photo retouching software which is easy for photo studio personnel to use. Upon opening photo image(s), special photo retoucher 11 converts photo image data thereof to working color space image data. At such time(s), if working ICC profile(s) is / are set which is / are different from ICC profile(s) previously embedded in such photo image file(s), color perceptual matching is carried out on the photo image data thereof based on such embedded ICC profile(s) and working ICC profile(s) when such photo image file(s) is / are opened. Furthermore, when such photo image(s) is / are displayed at monitor(s), such image data is converted to monitor color space image data through color matching using working ICC profile(s) and monitor ICC profile(s).

The present invention allows the positional relationship among a plurality of image layers constituting a composed image to be precisely recognized. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an image composition processing apparatus which generates a composed image which is a superposition of a plurality of image layers and displays it within a window of the screen. When the user designates one of the image layers and moves the pointer into the displayed composed image, the image composition processing apparatus converts only a predetermined area of the image layers above the designated image layer, for example, the area which is superposed in the range of a radius of m picture elements centering the coordinate of the pointer in the composed image, to a translucent state. When the image composition processing apparatus superposes the image layers a part of which is made translucent, a composed image which indicates to the user what position do the image layers above the designated image layer take with respect to those below the designated image layer in the periphery of the pointer is obtained.

A system and method for automatic creation of digital image albums. A Page Creator Module utilizes a genetic engine and a layout evaluation module. The genetic engine evolves a group of images to a plurality of album pages, based on certain layout criteria. The evaluation module calculates layout criteria and compares them with user preferences. When an acceptable image / page layout has been generated, the image / page assignments are transferred to an Image Placement Module. The Image Placement Module utilizes a second genetic engine, which evolves various criteria to generate page layouts genetic structures. These structures define the location, scale, and rotation of images placed on a given page. A layout evaluation module calculates and compares these layouts with certain other preferences and page requirements. When a suitable layout has been generated, a final album output is generated, which may be displayed, printed, or otherwise transferred for subsequent utilization.

A graphical input and display system for creating and manipulating electronic images includes input devices permitting a user to manipulate elements of electronic images received from various image input sources. A processor, connected to the system, receives requests for various image editing operations and also accesses a memory structure. The system memory structure includes a user interaction module, which allows a user to enter new image material or select and modify existing image material to form primary image objects, as well as a grouping module, which maintains an unrestricted grouping structure, an output module, and data memory.

A digital object is manipulated by way of a physical object. As a digital space on a computer is deeply fused with a physical real space, it becomes possible to input user commands not only by way of native user input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard but also various physical objects that are scattered in the real world and draw out a digital object by way of a physical object. As a result, computers can be operated in a more intuitive and easy way and become attractive to the users.

Innovative undo / redo operations can be applied to separate objects or parts of objects within multi-object data, without having to undo and redo along a rigid chronological sequence of recorded operations. In one implementation, a user selects an object, or part of an object, and innovative undo / redo techniques enable the user to apply undo and redo operations to only the selected object or part, while skipping undo and redo operations for other objects. The undo / redo operations can also be applied in parallel to multiple objects. A graphical user interface (GUI) provides linear or hierarchical representations of operations applied to each object and displays undo / redo controls for each object.

The universal input device provides a common user interface for a variety of different computing platforms including printed documents. Using the present system, one may use the universal input device to control various computing devices as well as capture handwritten electronic ink and have the electronic ink be associated with new or stored documents. The universal input device can be identified by a specific identification in order to allow for multiple users to operate on a document and / or within an application program simultaneously or not. An off-set optical system with infrared illumination handles perspective and helps detect positional encoding which can be covered by existing ink under common visible light illumination.

There is disclosed an image synthesizing apparatus for producing a synthetic image that consists of a background image and at least a main image superimposed on the back ground image. An input image is displayed in a main display area of a control screen, whereas an outer frame and at least an inner frame are displayed in a sub display area of the control screen in accordance with a selected template. First a crop boundary having a similar shape to the outer frame is displayed on the image in the main display section. The crop boundary is movable on the image and changeable in size. After pasting a cropped area of the image as the background image in the outer frame, a second image is selected and displayed in the main display area. Then, a crop boundary having a similar shape to the inner frame is displayed on the second image, so a cropped area of the second image is pasted in the inner frame, to be printed as the main image.

A universal input device for use with a surface, such as a whiteboard, is provided. The universal input device can be used to control various computing devices as well as capture handwritten electronic ink and have the electronic ink be associated with new or stored documents. The universal input device can be coupled to a whiteboard marker for use with a conventional whiteboard. The universal input device can track the movement of the whiteboard marker on the whiteboard for transmission to a host PC applying those movements to a document and / or other application. The universal input device can identify the width of the marker's tip as well as the marker color. A digital eraser tracks the movement of a conventional whiteboard eraser across the surface of the whiteboard. An encoded medium can be placed over a conventional whiteboard for tracking of the movements.

A method and software program for creating an image product having at least one image provided thereon. The method includes providing a digital template for use in creating the image product. The digital template has at least one digital container for placement of digital content. The digital container has at least one designated image parameter. The method also includes searching a data base of digital content using at least one designated image parameter and providing at least one image content candidate for placement in at least one digital container.

Color information of a color image is represented by the Lab color space. A user can change hue by moving the position of a reference circle displayed on the a*b* plane in the Lab color space and change saturation by changing the size of the reference circle. The color information of the color image is changed with changes in the reference circle, allowing the user to conjecture changes in the color image visually and make color corrections easily and quickly.

A person's portrait generation device includes an image input section which picks up a two-dimensional image containing a person's face, using an image sensor. A head area extracting section extracts the head of the person from the image. A feature detection section detects the position of characteristic feature(s) of the face of that person. A face outline determining section determines a border between a face outline and a background. An image processing section generates a person's portrait in which the characteristic feature(s) of the face is emphasized.

A layout resizes intelligently without complexity. Objects or elements are attached to a virtual grid of row and column gridlines, which are defined separately. The relationship between the objects and the grid is bi-directional so that moving one (gridline or object) will affect the other (object or gridline). In other words, expanding / collapsing the object will push the gridlines, and moving the gridline will expand / collapse the object. The virtual grid can be created before or after the objects to provide further flexibility. A child object can have its own virtual grid, which allows fine-grained control where desired.

Inputs drawn on a control surface or inputs retrieved based on tokens or other objects placed on a control surface are identified and a view of a camera, or a virtual view of a camera or camera array is directed toward a corresponding location in a scene based on the inputs. A panoramic or wide angle view of the scene is displayed on the control surface as a reference for user placement of tokens, drawings, or icons. Camera icons may also be displayed for directing views of specific cameras to specific views identified by any of drag and drop icons, tokens, or other inputs drawn on the control surface. Clipping commands, are sent to a display device along with the wide angle view which is then clipped to a view corresponding to the input and displayed on a display device, broadcasting mechanism, or provided to a recording device.

The invention discloses a method and a system for implementing original handwriting. The method for implementing the original handwriting includes acquiring track coordinates of the handwriting in real time; computing the movement speed of the original handwriting according to horizontal coordinate position parameters and vertical coordinate position parameters which are acquired in real time; determining the widths of drawn tracks according to a preset pen type and acquired pressure parameters, using corresponding drawing points as starting points, filling track patterns with the corresponding widths in cross directions of forward directions of the tracks, dynamically adjusting the quantities of grids at the edges of the patterns according to the computed movement speed when the edges of the track patterns are drawn, and performing anti-aliasing processing on the edges of the track patterns according to the quantities of the grids at the edges of the track patterns. According to the technical scheme, the method and the system have the advantages that the quantities of the grids which are used for smoothly changing the edges of the track patterns are dynamically adjusted according to a handwriting movement speed characteristic of the original handwriting, so that the smoothness, the accuracy and the fluency of the track patterns are effectively balanced, and the user experience is improved.

A method for displaying visual information on a display screen of a computer, comprising the steps of scaling the visual information to produce a scaled representation to fit on the display screen the scaled representation containing the entire content of the visual information; selecting a region of interest within the scaled representation; applying a transformation to the scaled representation to improve the visual detail in the region of interest; and, displaying the transformed presentation on the display screen.

A system and method for correcting distortion in projected images caused by the projection of an input image by a projector lens onto a projection screen having a surface that is not orthogonal to the projection axis of the projector. Projection parameters including the focal length of the projector lens and the angles that represent the pan, tilt and roll angle of the projector are obtained. Then the projected area and the best viewable rectangular area that fits within said projected area is determined. The distortion is then characterized by using a distortion transformation which corresponds to the transformation that exists between the vertices of the best viewable rectangular area and the corresponding vertices of the projected area. Finally, the distortion transformation is inverted and applied to input image to obtain a distortion free projected image.

Overlaying electronic ink over a document. A typical scenario may be where one it would be useful to mark up a document with electronic ink, such as by making handwritten comments, drawings, and the like over the underlying document. In some embodiments, a developer may easily define an inking surface, such as a transparent or opaque window, over a document. The inking surface may act as an input interface such that a user may write onto the inking surface such that is appears that the document itself is being marked up.

A method and image processing system are disclosed which simulate a hair style selected from among a number of prestored hair images in association with a facial image. The selected hair image includes an interior perimeter to be positioned adjacent to the facial image and a first plurality of associated feature points distributed along the interior perimeter of the hair image. A subset of the first plurality of feature points are disposed at locations at which the hair image is intended to abut, but not substantially overlap the facial image. The size and orientation of the selected hair image are automatically corrected with respect to the facial image. A second plurality of feature points distributed along the facial perimeter are then determined, which each correspond to one of the subset of feature points. One or more facial perimeter vectors are constructed by connecting neighboring feature points within the second plurality of feature points. Similarly, one or more hair perimeter vectors are constructed by connecting neighboring feature points within the subset of feature points. The hair image is automatically transformed by displaying each of a plurality of pixels within the hair image at a transformed location with respect to the facial perimeter vectors determined from an original position of the pixel with respect to the hair perimeter vectors. In response to the transformation of the hair image, the transformed hair image is displayed superimposed on the facial image.

There is disclosed an image synthesizing apparatus for producing a synthetic image that consists of a background image and at least a main image superimposed on the back ground image. An input image is displayed in a main display area of a control screen, whereas an outer frame and at least an inner frame are displayed in a sub display area of the control screen in accordance with a selected template. First a crop boundary having a similar shape to the outer frame is displayed on the image in the main display section. The crop boundary is movable on the image and changeable in size. After pasting a cropped area of the image as the background image in the outer frame, a second image is selected and displayed in the main display area. Then, a crop boundary having a similar shape to the inner frame is displayed on the second image, so a cropped area of the second image is pasted in the inner frame, to be printed as the main image.