1665 results about "Image contrast" patented technology

Aspheric diffractive lenses are disclosed for ophthalmic applications. For example, multifocal intraocular lens (IOLs) are disclosed that include an optic having an anterior surface and a posterior surface, at least one of which surfaces includes an aspherical base profile on a portion of which a plurality of diffractive zones are disposed so as to generate a far focus and a near focus. The aspherical base profile enhances image contrast at the far focus of the lens relative to that obtained by a substantially identical IOL in which the respective base profile is spherical.

Backthinning in an area selective manner is applied to CMOS imaging sensors 12 for use in electron bombarded active pixel array devices. A further arrangement results in an array of collimators 51 aligned with pixels 42 or groups of pixels of an active pixel array providing improved image contrast of such image sensor. Provision of a thin P-doped layer 52 on the illuminated rear surface provides both a diffusion barrier resulting in improved resolution and a functional shield for reference pixels. A gradient in concentration of P-doped layer 52 optimizes electron collection at the pixel array.

The present invention provides an intraocular lens (IOL) having an optic with a posterior and an anterior refractive surfaces, at least one of which has an aspherical profile, typically characterized by a non-zero conic constant, for controlling the aberrations of a patient's eye in which the IOL is implanted. Preferably, the IOL's asphericity, together with the aberrations of the patient's eye, cooperate to provide an image contrast characterized by a calculated modulation transfer function (MTF) of at least about 0.25 and a depth of field of at least about 0.75 Diopters.

An anti-reflection material and a polarization film which exhibit superior anti-reflection properties by preventing external light such as sunlight, fluorescent light, etc., from being reflected on a display, which yield a clear image without sparkling and reduces image contrast, and which exhibit superior wear resistance, chemical resistance, and contamination resistance, as well as exhibit optical stability. A hard coat layer is provided on one surface or two surfaces of a transparent substrate directly or via another layer, and an anti-reflection film having a lower refraction index than the hard coat layer is further provide on the hard coat layer. The hard coat layer consists of at least {circle around (1 a polymer polymerizing (metha)acrylate compound having a fluorene structure; {circle around (2 a polymer polymerizing urethane (metha)acrylate compound and ultrafine particles having a high refraction index; and {circle around (3 radiation and / or thermosetting resin and surface-treated titanium oxide ultrafine particles.

The present invention provides an apparatus capable of X-ray imaging utilizing phase of X-rays. An X-ray imaging apparatus equipped with first and second diffraction gratings and an X-ray image detector are described. The first diffraction grating generates a Talbot effect and a second diffraction grating diffracts X-rays diffracted by the first diffraction grating. An image detector is provided to detect the X-rays diffracted by the second diffraction grating. In this manner, image contrasts caused by changes in phase of X-rays due to a subject arranged in front of the first diffraction grating or between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating can be achieved.

The invention discloses an automatic image defogging method based on dark primary color, which is used for solving the problem of information loss because the traditional defogging method highlights details by improving foggy day image contrast. The method provided by the invention comprises: A. calculating the dark primary color of the primary fog images and relevant atmosphere light value; B. according to the luminance component image of the original fog image, calculating a transmission image reflecting local fog concentration in an atmospheric scattering model; and C. determining the defogged primary image according to the fog image, the transmission image and the atmosphere light value in the atmospheric scattering model. Because of being built on the basis of a physical model, the invention can process various fog images in a self-adaption mode; and defogged images have favorable edge details and ideal contrast, and the clarifying effect is superior to the traditional defogging method based on image enhancement.

MRI scans typically have higher resolution within a slice than between slices. To improve the resolution, two MRI scans are taken in different, preferably orthogonal, directions. The scans are registered by maximizing a correlation between their gradients and then fused to form a high-resolution image. Multiple receiving coils can be used. When the images are multispectral, the number of spectral bands is reduced by transformation of the spectral bands in order of image contrast and using the transformed spectral bands with the highest contrast.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of X-ray imaging utilizing phase of X-rays with a simple construction. The X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention is equipped with first and second diffraction gratings and an X-ray image detector. The first diffraction grating is constructed to generate the Talbot effect using X-rays irradiated at the first diffraction grating. The second diffraction grating is configured so as to diffract the X-rays diffracted by the first diffraction grating. The X-ray image detector is configured so as to detect the X-rays diffracted by the second diffraction grating. By diffracting X-rays diffracted by the first diffraction grating, the second diffraction grating is capable of forming image contrast caused by changes in phase of X-rays due to the subject arranged in front of the front surface of the first diffraction grating or between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating. The X-ray image detector is capable of detecting X-rays creating image contrast.

MRI scans typically have higher resolution within a slice than between slices. To improve the resolution, two MRI scans are taken in different, preferably orthogonal, directions. The scans are registered by maximizing a correlation between their gradients and then fused to form a high-resolution image. Multiple receiving coils can be used. When the images are multispectral, the number of spectral bands is reduced by transformation of the spectral bands in order of image contrast and using the transformed spectral bands with the highest contrast.

A method of creating an image difference overlay comprises identifying a loop of reference images of a subject and identifying a loop of data images of the subject. The loop of image data can be identified after an event, such as the administration of contrast agent to the subject. A reference loop image frame is compared to one or more data loop image frames and the reference loop frame is associated with a data loop image frame which closely resembles the data loop image frame. Each of the associated frames can then be processed and used to create an image difference overlay frame.

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the quality of a displayed image using a tactile or other texture display. In particular, the disclosed techniques leverage active-texture display technology to enhance the quality of graphics by providing, for example, outlining and / or shading when presenting a given image, so as to create the effect of increased contrast and image quality and / or to reduce observable glare. These effects can be present even at high viewing angles and in environments of high light reflection. To these ends, one or more graphics processes, such as edge-detection and / or shading, may be applied to an image to be displayed. In turn, an actuator element (e.g., microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, devices) of the tactile display may be manipulated (e.g., in Z-height) to provide fine-grain adjustment of image attributes such as: pixel brightness / intensity; pixel color; edge highlighting; object outlining; effective shading; image contrast; and / or viewing angle.

An image processing apparatus for automatically improving the contrast of an input image that is obtained from a digital camera or the like, and obtaining a sharper and clearing image. A contrast improvement unit (11) performs a contrast improvement process on the input image by comparing an object pixel in the input image with pixels in the surrounding area. An image combination unit (12) combines the enhanced image obtained by the contrast improvement process with the input image. The combined image is then output to a desired device such as a printer by an image output unit (13).

A method and apparatus are disclosed for an image preprocessing device that automatically detects chestwall laterality; removes border artifacts; and segments breast tissue and pectoral muscle from digital mammograms. The algorithms in the preprocessing device utilize the computer cache, a vertical Sobel filter and a probabilistic Hough transform to detect curved edges. The preprocessing result, along with a pseudo-modality normalized image, can be used as input to a CAD (computer-aided detection) server or to a mammography image review workstation. In the case of workstation input, the preprocessing results improve the protocol for chestwall-to-chestwall image hanging, and support optimal image contrast display of each segmented region.

The invention is directed to methods and compositions for monitoring remodeling of an artificial tissue construct using image or contrast enhancing agents. The invention allows the growth, development, and remodeling of the artificial tissue to be monitored.

The present invention provides a method to automatically regulate brightness of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which resolves the overload and easy fatigue of human eyes and poor image contrast due to high brightness of the conventional LCD. The present invention includes use of four parts, including an image brightness regulating unit, an image brightness ratio computation and output controlling unit, an ambient light detection and brightness adaptation regulating unit and an image gray level expanding unit. The image signals of an LCD are processed in such a manner to enable automatic control of optical flux of LCD TV by regulating the gray level of output images. Also, optical flux of LCD TV can be automatically controlled with the change of images and ambient light, thus alleviating overburdening of human eyes and improving the contrast and comfort of images for a better visual effect.

A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a "soda straw" collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches. Employing subtraction also cancels "glint" caused by specular reflections of the illumination source off the peaches and into the cameras.

The present invention provides a method to automatically regulate brightness of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which resolves the overload and easy fatigue of human eyes and poor image contrast due to high brightness of the conventional LCD. The present invention includes use of four parts, including an image brightness regulating unit, an image brightness ratio computation and output controlling unit, an ambient light detection and brightness adaptation regulating unit and an image gray level expanding unit. The image signals of an LCD are processed in such a manner to enable automatic control of optical flux of LCD TV by regulating the gray level of output images. Also, optical flux of LCD TV can be automatically controlled with the change of images and ambient light, thus alleviating overburdening of human eyes and improving the contrast and comfort of images for a better visual effect.

The invention discloses a multi-scale geometric analysis super-resolution processing method of a video blurred image, belonging to the technical field of intelligent information processing. Single-frame blurred images or multi-frame blurred images are acquired by surveillance videos, the input blurred images are decomposed into low-frequency coefficients and high-frequency coefficients by NSCT, the blurred images are de-noised by an HMT model in the NSCT domain, edge details are enhanced by visual suppression networks, sub-band images with low-frequency coefficients and high-frequency coefficients are interpolated nonlinearly by a HyperBF neural network model, the processed NSCT decompression coefficients are reconstructed by NSCT, and the multi-scale Retinex algorithm is introduced to regulate the image contrast in accordance with human eye visual consciousness. The processing of multi-frame blurred images is based on an image fusion method in the MGT domain and a non-uniform interpolation method in the MGT domain. Without changing the hardware of traditional video surveillance imaging system, the method can effectively restrain common noise in video images and further improve the resolution and the definition of the blurred images.

Image contrast enhancement includes (i) computing a contrast measure incorporating an adjustable tone transformation function and one or more statistical measures of selected spatial arrangements of pixel or voxel intensities in an analysis image or image portion, (ii) adjusting the adjustable tone transformation function to increase contrast as indicated by the contrast measure, and (iii) enhancing contrast of a target image or image portion using the adjusted tone transformation function.

The invention discloses a multi-target detection method based on short-time Fourier transform and fractional Fourier transform, which belongs to the technical field of the radar target detection. The method comprises the following steps that the short-time Fourier transform is firstly used for conducting the primary detection on a signal, then a binaryzation method is used for processing a primary detection result, phase position of the signal is kept in the processing, the fractional Fourier transform is used for detecting a signal after being restored by the short-time Fourier transform, by adopting multiple methods for combined processing, advantages of overcoming phenomenon that a strong signal side lobe presses a weak signal main lobe, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal to be detected, and solving the problem of the large false alarm possibility which is caused by adopting traditional method to detect the signal at the low signal-to-noise ratio can be realized; and meanwhile, an image contrast method and a gradual elimination method are adopted, multiple strong signals and weak signals with different or identical frequency modulation rates can be detected by utilizing the space and power strength information of the signal, so that the detection probability and the calculation efficiency can be further improved, easiness in project realization is realized, and the method is worth of being adopted and popularized.

An electron beam apparatus is configured for dark field imaging of a substrate surface. Dark field is defined as an operational mode where the image contrast is sensitive to topographical features on the surface. A source generates a primary electron beam, and scan deflectors are configured to deflect the primary electron beam so as to scan the primary electron beam over the substrate surface whereby secondary and / or backscattered electrons are emitted from the substrate surface, said emitted electrons forming a scattered electron beam. A beam separator is configured to separate the scattered electron beam from the primary electron beam. The apparatus includes a cooperative arrangement which includes at least a ring-like element, a first grid, and a second grid. The ring-like element and the first and second grids each comprises conductive material. A segmented detector assembly is positioned to receive the scattered electron beam after the scattered electron beam passes through the cooperative arrangement. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed. The apparatus is configured to yield good topographical contrast, high signal to noise ratio, and to accommodate a variety of scattered beam properties that result from different primary beam and scan geometry settings.

The prostate gland or other region of interest is stimulated with laser light, resulting in ultrasound waves (photoacoustic effect) which are focused by an acoustic lens and captured by a specific 1- or 2D sensor array and subsequently displayed as a C-scan on a computer screen. The amplitude of the ultrasound waves generated by laser stimulation is proportional to the optical absorption of the tissue element at that spatial location. Variability in tissue absorption results in C-scan image contrast. The photoacoustic imaging is combined with an ultrasound C-scan image produced with a plane ultrasound wave applied to the region of interest.

Backthinning in an area selective manner is applied to imaging sensors 12 for use in electron bombarded devices. A further arrangement results in an array of collimators 51 aligned with pixels 42 or groups of pixels providing improved image contrast of such image sensor. Provision of a thin P-doped layer 52 on the illuminated rear surface provides both a diffusion barrier resulting in improved resolution and a functional shield for reference pixels. A gradient in concentration of P-doped layer 52 optimizes electron collection at the pixel array.

The present invention relates to a nanoparticle comprising self-assembled crosslinked, amphiphilic block copolymers and at least one immobilized dye, wherein the self-assembled, crosslinked, amphiphilic block copolymers comprise a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block, wherein the self-assembled, crosslinked, amphiphilic block copolymers are self-assembled to form a core of the nanoparticle comprising a hydrophobic block, wherein the hydrophobic block is derived from at least one pendant multifunctional crosslinked alkoxy silane or amino silane moiety, and an exterior of the nanoparticle comprising a hydrophilic block, and wherein the immobilized dye is immobilized in the core.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image display technology with which high contrast can be stably obtained. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention changes the gain of a digital luminance signal by feeding back information on maximum and average luminance levels of the luminance signal, adjusts image contrast, and in accordance with the average luminance level detected from the feedback system, controls the illuminance of the backlight applied to a display unit. The control increases the illuminance of the backlight when the detected average luminance level is higher than the upper-limit value of a previously set reference range, and reduces the illuminance when the detected average luminance level is lower than the lower-limit value of the reference range.

A system and method for simultaneously obtaining a plurality of images of an object or pattern from a plurality of different viewpoints is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, proper image contrast is obtained by replacing the light sources of earlier systems with equivalent light sensitive devices and replacing the cameras of earlier systems with equivalent light sources. With such a system, bright-field images and dark-field images may be simultaneously obtained. In one aspect of the invention, a light source is positioned to illuminate at least a portion of an object. A plurality of light guides having input ends are positioned to simultaneously receive light reflected from the object and transmit the received light to a plurality of photodetectors. The light guides are arranged such that their respective input ends are spaced substantially equally along at least a portion of a surface of an imaginary hemisphere surrounding the object. The signals generated by the photodetectors (as a result of light detection) are processed and a plurality of images of the object are formed. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for generating composite images from simultaneously obtained images. Equivalent regions of each image (corresponding to geographically identical subpictures) are compared. The subpicture having the highest entropy is selected and stored. This process continues until all subpictures have been considered. A new composite picture is generated by pasting together the selected subpictures. In another aspect of the invention, the vector of relative light values gathered for each pixel or region of an object illuminated or scanned (i.e., one value for each photodetector) is used to determine reflectance properties of points or regions illuminated on the object or pattern. The reflectance properties may be stored in a matrix and the matrix used to read, for example, a Bar Code of a data matrix symbol.

A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a "soda straw" collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches. Employing subtraction also cancels "glint" caused by specular reflections of the illumination source off the peaches and into the cameras.

The invention provides a face detecting and tracking method and a device. The method comprises the steps of inputting a face image or a face video, preprocessing the face image or the face video in an illumination mode, detecting a face by usage of an Ada Boost algorithm, confirming an initial position of the face, and tracking the face by the usage of a Mean Shift algorithm. According to the face detecting and tracking method and the device, a self-adaptation local contrast enhancement method is provided to enhance image detail information in the period of image preprocessing, in order to increase robustness under different illumination conditions, face front samples under different illumination are added to training samples and accuracy of the face detection is increased by adoption of the Ada Boost algorithm in the period of face detection, in order to overcome the defect that using color of the Mean Shift algorithm is single, grads features and local binary pattern length between perpendiculars (LBP) vein features are integrated by adoption of the Mean Shift tracking algorithm in the period of face tracking, wherein the LBP vein features further considers using LBP local variance for expressing change of image contrast information, and accuracy of the face detection and the face tracking is improved.

The invention discloses a method and device for improving image contrast and an LCD TV (liquid crystal display television) set. The method for improving image contrast comprises the following steps: adjustment of the brightness of a dynamic backlight: calculating the average gray-scale of all pixels in a frame of image, and according to a congruent relationship between a preset average gray-scaleand the brightness of the backlight, adjusting the brightness of the backlight; gamma compensation: according to a ratio of the original brightness of the backlight to the adjusted brightness, determining a gamma compensation coefficient, then, according to the gamma compensation coefficient, obtaining the gray-scales of all the pixels subjected to compensation in the image; and dynamic pixel gray-scale adjustment: according to a preset dynamic data gray-scale adjustment rule, adjusting the gray-scale of each pixel subjected to gamma compensation so as to obtain the gray-scale of each pixel subjected to adjustment, and displaying the image subjected to adjustment in the brightness of the backlight and the gray-scales of the pixels.