Recent Patents in Signal Processing (January 2016) – Texture Recognition and Analysis

For our January 2016 issue, we cover recent patents granted in the area of texture recognition and texture analysis, used for painted surface analysis, image inpainting, skin texture recognition, video coding, fingerprint liveness detection and document comparison.

Patent no. 8,879,066 introduces a computer implemented method. The method includes obtaining, using a processor, spectral reflectance data from a spectrophotometric measurement of a target coating on a surface, wherein the measurement was taken at a specular angle, and removing, using the processor, at least a portion of the specular reflectance data that is attributable to a glossy coating of the surface. The method also includes constructing, using the processor, at least one spectral reflectance curve, and identifying, using the processor, at least one type of pigmentation effect of the target coating based at least in part on the at least one spectral reflectance curve.

In patent no. 8,867,794 various embodiments are disclosed for performing image inpainting. One embodiment is a method for editing a digital image in an image editing device. The method comprises obtaining a restoration region in the digital image and determining texture information corresponding to the restoration region. Based on the texture information, a texture strength map is generated corresponding to the restoration region. Based on the texture strength map, an inpainting operation is applied to pixels in the restoration region.

A three-dimensional multilayer skin texture recognition system and method based on hyperspectral imaging is discussed in patent no. 8,634,596. Three-dimensional facial model associated with an object may be acquired from a three-dimensional image capturing device. A face reconstruction approach may be implemented to reconstruct and rewarp the three-dimensional facial model to a frontal face image. A hyperspectral imager may be employed to extract a micro structure skin signature associated with the skin surface. The micro structure skin signature may be characterized utilizing a weighted subtraction of reflectance at different wavelengths that captures different layers under the skin surface via a multilayer skin texture recognition module. The volumetric skin data associated with the face skin can be classified via a volumetric pattern.

In patent no. 8,428,389 a multi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition method is provided. The method can be applied in image texture analysis, such as medical image analysis. The method can adaptively decompose a three-dimensional image into a number of characteristic image layers and extract characteristic images showing more noticeable textures from the layers. The method uses the physical concept of field to perform the data mode decomposition to obtain envelope and tendency estimation of multi-dimensional data. The method can also be applied in time and frequency analysis of two-dimensional data or multi-channel data.

Invention no. 8,155,184 introduces an apparatus or method of efficiently coding high resolution video using texture analysis and synthesis techniques in a scalable video coding framework. A high-resolution video signal is spatially downsampled and encoded into a base-layer. Texture and structure information are extracted from the downsampled signal and base-layer for use by a texture synthesizer. The texture synthesizer is structurally and texturally aware utilizing edge information from a base-layer of the synthesizer to improve synthesis. After synthesis, a video quality assessor directs enhancement-layer coding of unacceptably synthesized areas by alternate (non-textural) coding means, such as conventional AVC or MPEG-2 coding. In one mode, the quality assessor iteratively improves synthesis of certain blocks to make them acceptable for enhancement-layer coding. The apparatus or method outputs a bit stream, or bit streams, containing both the coded base-layer and the enhancement-layer

In patent no. 8,090,163 various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for fingerprint liveness detection. In one embodiment, a method for determining fingerprint liveness is provided that comprises receiving a plurality of image analysis data of a fingerprint image; condensing the plurality of image analysis data; and determining liveness of the fingerprint image based upon the condensed data.

The invention no. 7,949,053 relates to a method and assembly for video coding comprising a texture analysis, texture synthesis, corresponding computer program and a computer-readable recording medium. Said invention can be used, in particular for reducing a data rate during a video data transmission. An analysis of video scene texture by an encoder is performed in such a way that synthesized texture areas are determined. The video scene coding is carried out with the aid of data for said synthesized texture areas. Information on the texture of said areas, metadata used for describing the determined areas and the synthesized texture are generated. Coded data and metadata are evaluated by a decoder in such a way that the video scenes are reconstructed by synthetically generated textures by means of evaluation of metadata for determined areas.

Patent no. 7,920,714 presents systems and methods for assisting in the determination of the authenticity of security documents based on known characteristics of similar but authentic security documents. The system and methods use digital processing to capture a digital image of the document being examined and they use a feature localization or detection technique to search for a specific feature in the document based on a stored image of a similar feature from an authentic document. Once the feature on the subject document has been found, the digital image of the localized feature is transformed, by applying mathematical transforms or other image/mathematical operators, such that the result will have distinguishing characteristics that can be derived or analyzed. When the distinguishing characteristics have been analyzed, these are then compared to the stored distinguishing characteristics of similar features from known authentic documents. Based on the comparison, a score is then generated that is indicative of how similar or how different the distinguishing characteristics of the feature being examined are from the features from known authentic documents. The system may also be used such that multiple features from a single document are assessed and scored separately from one another with a final aggregate or weighted score being provided to the user for the whole document.

If you have an interesting patent to share when we next feature patents related to texture analysis, or if you are especially interested in a signal processing research field that you would like to highlight in this section, please send email to Csaba Benedek (benedek.csaba AT sztaki DOT mta DOT hu).

References

Number: 8,879,066
Title: Texture analysis of a painted surface using specular angle data
Inventors: Norris; Alison M. (Avon, OH)
Issued: November 4, 2014
Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. (Cleveland, OH)

Number: 8,867,794
Title: Systems and methods for performing image inpainting based on texture analysis
Inventors: Huang; Po-Yu (New Taipei, TW), Kuo; Chia-Chen (Taipei, TW), Huang; Ho-Chao (New Taipei, TW)
Issued: October 21, 2014
Assignee: Cyberlink Corp. (Shindian, Taipei, TW)

Number: 8,634,596
Title: Three-dimensional multilayer skin texture recognition system and method
Inventors: Bedros; Saad J. (West St Paul, MN), Au; Kwong Wing (Bloomington, MN)
Issued:  January 21, 2014
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc. (Morristown, NJ)

Number: 8,428,389
Title: Multi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method for image texture analysis
Inventors: Pao; Sun-Hua (Taipei, TW), Shau; Yio-Wha (Taipei, TW), Yu; Ming-Chien (Taipei, TW), Tseng; Chien-Lun (Taipei, TW)
Issued:  April 23, 2013
Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute (Hsinchu, TW)

Number: 8,155,184
Title: Video coding system using texture analysis and synthesis in a scalable coding framework
Inventors: Visharam; Mohammed Zubair (Santa Clara, CA), Tabatabai; Ali (Cupertino, CA)
Issued: April 10, 2012
Assignee: Sony Corporation (Tokyo, JP)

Number: 8,090,163
Title: Multi-resolutional texture analysis fingerprint liveness systems and methods
Inventors: Schuckers; Stephanie (Canton, NY), Abhyankar; Aditya (Maharashtra, IN), Hornak; Lawrence (Morgantown, WV)
Issued:  January 3, 2012
Assignee: West Virginia University Research Corp. (Morgantown, WV), WVU Office of Technology Transfer & WVU Business Incubator (Morgantown, WV)

Number: 7,949,053
Title: Method and assembly for video encoding, the video encoding including texture analysis and texture synthesis, and corresponding computer program and corresponding computer-readable storage medium
Inventors: Makai; Bela (Berlin, DE), Ndjiki-Nya; Patrick (Berlin, DE), Schwarz; Heiko (Berlin, DE), Smolic; Aljoscha (Berlin, DE), Wiegand; Thomas (Berlin, DE)
Issued:  May 24, 2011
Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V (DE)

Number: 7,920,714
Title: Method and apparatus for comparing document features using texture analysis
Inventors: O'Neil; David Giles (Ottawa, CA)
Issued: April 5, 2011
Assignee: Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited (Ottawa, Ontario, CA)