Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Jonathan Hui

Jun Zhao

Timothy Louis Kohler

Chris See Liang Yeo

Ron Barzel

Manish Kulkarni

Tong Zheng

Joe Zheng

Chris Yeo

Melanie Nguyen

A spatial marker specified in extensible mark-up language (XML) for use in connection with an XML-based synchronized multimedia presentation. The spatial marker specifies a visual cue for a multimedia element in the presentation, together with the visual appearance of the cue and spatial and temporal characteristics of the cue. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the cue synchronize the cue with the multimedia presentation. In operation, and upon encountering such a spatial marker, an XML-based multimedia browser displaying the multimedia presentation to a user would display the visual cue using the specified visual appearance, and in the spatial and temporal relationships with the multimedia element as specified by the spatial and temporal characteristics of the marker.

Synchronizing visual cues to multimedia presentation

A set of XML-based markers includes an event marker indicating an event, a condition marker indicating a state of a first media object, and an action marker indicating a second media object, an attribute of the second media object, and a value of the attribute. The markers represent a function to assign the value to the attribute of the second media object if the event is detected and if the first media object possesses the indicated state. A set of XML-based markers representing media object elements. Each marker includes a test-element attribute for indicating a particular media object element, a test-attribute attribute for indicating an attribute of the particular element, and a test-value attribute for indicating a test value to compare with a value of the specified attribute.

Synchronized multimedia integration language extensions

A time marker based on extensible mark-up language (XML) for a synchronized multimedia presentation. The time marker defines up to plural text-based elements that, in turn, define entry points other than the beginning of a multimedia presentation and from which the multimedia presentation may be commenced. In connection with a browser-based display of a synchronized multimedia presentation, the browser displays a navigation bar labelled with the text-based elements. Upon user-selection of a text-based element from the navigation bar, the multimedia presentation is re-started commencing at a point corresponding to the navigation entry point.

Time marker for synchronized multimedia

To generate a color palette having m colors (such as 2 &equals;256 colors) from a color image described in a color space, pixel image data corresponding to the color image is first obtained. A frequency of occurrence for each color in the pixel image data is then determined. Each color in the pixel image data is assigned to one of a predetermined number of cells into which the color space has been partitioned, the predetermined number being not greater than m. The most commonly occurring color is selected in each cell in which a color exists, so as to obtain n palette colors. A vote value is calculated for each unselected color, the vote value being based at least in part on the frequency of occurrence of the color in the pixel image and a weighting factor based on a rank of the color in its corresponding cell, the unselected colors being the colors not selected in the first selecting step. Thereafter, m-n colors are selected as the unselected colors with the highest vote values. Also, input colors in a color image described in a color space are mapped to a reduced palette of m colors derived by partitioning the color space into a predetermined number of cells, there being at least one palette color in each cell that includes an input color. The mapping is performed by determining in which cell each input color lies, and mapping each input color to the closest palette color from among all palette colors in the cell identified for that input color.

Generating and using a color palette

A method for converting color coordinate values of a target color from a first three-dimensional color space to a second three-dimensional color space, includes looking up the target color in a look-up table and interpolating each color component of the target color only in a single dimension between adjacent grid points in the look-up table. Preferably, each color component value shares a common grid point upon which interpolation is based for all color component values, with the common grid point lying on the neutral gray axis when a cube enclosing the target color includes the neutral gray axis of the first three-dimensional color space.

Color space conversion with simplified interpolation

In a method for determining a data value for a target pixel in a destination image based on data values for pixels in a source image, with the destination image being scaled relative to the source image, calculating a position in the source image based on position of a target pixel in the destination image, testing the presence of a diagonal gradient in the source image at the position determined in the calculating step, the testing step testing for the presence of a diagonal gradient by reference to values of pixels in the source image that surround the position calculated in the calculating step, responsive to the presence of a diagonal gradient in the testing step, calculating a data value for the target pixel based on interpolation of data values for diagonally-adjacent pixels in the source image, and responsive to the absence of a diagonal gradient in the testing step, calculating a data value for the target pixel based on interpolation of data values for at least all four surrounding pixels in the source image.

Gradient-based pixel interpolation

A system to provide an application programming interface (API) to a client application for manipulating FlashPix-formatted files, the API having functions including 1) system management functions to initialize the client application, to indicate that API functions will be called, and to indicate that no further API functions will be called, 2) file management functions to create a new FlashPix storage, to open the FlashPix storage, to read FlashPix image data from the storage to write FlashPix image data to the storage, and to close the storage, and 3) image processing functions to adjust color, to adjust contrast, to perform filtering operations, to rotate, flip and shear, to define a rectangle of interest, and to define aspect ratio. One file management function to read FlashPix image data from the storage include a function to create a world, to place an image in the world, to define a region of interest within the placed image, and to extract data located within the region of interest.

Application programming interface for manipulating flashpix files

A system, for use on a computer system, creates and publishes a set of images, each image in the set being stored in a FlashPix file which contains at least the image in multiple resolutions, viewing parameters for viewing the image, and information related to the image. The system includes displaying, on a computer-generated workbench, a plurality of images retrieved from FlashPix files, and correcting images displayed in the workbench. In the system, image correction comprises altering viewing parameters in FlashPix files corresponding to the displayed images. The system also composes displayed images by adding or deleting, from FlashPix files corresponding to the displayed images, information related to the displayed images, and publishes a set of images displayed on the workbench. The set of published images includes corrected and composed images.

Multimedia application using flashpix file format

An original image is processed while permitting a user to control an amount of color cast removal and an amount of color contrast enhancement performed on the original image. A user interface, which includes a control element having a single degree of freedom, is provided. User adjustment of the control element is responded to by simultaneously varying the degree of color cast removal and the amount of color contrast enhancement performed on the original image. In a further embodiment, an original image is processed so as to automatically remove color cast from the original image. According to this embodiment contrast is reduced for certain very dark pixels and very bright pixels, and enhanced for the remainder. In a still further embodiment, an original image is processed so as to automatically enhance color contrast in the original image. According to this embodiment, a first mapping of intensity levels is performed if the image is not both highkey and lowkey, and a second mapping is performed if the image is both highkey and lowkey.

Combined color cast removal and contrast enhancement for digital color images

Compression for color values of pixels in a raster image of pixels, in which pixels are selected in a checkerboard-like pattern. Pixels selected by the checkerboard are not compressed at all, whereas pixels not selected by the checkerboard are compressed by using the color of the closest one of adjacent selected pixels and of a few predetermined colors.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Jonathan Hui