9867826
A multibaseline stereo system with active illumination and real-time image acquisition
We describe our implementation of a parallel depth recovery scheme for a four-camera multibaseline stereo in a convergent configuration. Our system is capable of image capture at video rate. This is critical in applications that require three-dimensional tracking. We obtain dense stereo depth data by projecting a light pattern of frequency modulated sinusoidally varying intensity onto the scene, thus increasing the local discriminability at each pixel and facilitating matches. In addition, we make most of the camera view areas by converging them at a volume of interest. Results show that we are able to extract stereo depth data that are, on the average, less than 1 mm in error at distances between 1.5 to 3.5 m away from the cameras.<<ETX>>
16190492
Noise Estimation from a Single Image
In order to work well, many computer vision algorithms require that their parameters be adjusted according to the image noise level, making it an important quantity to estimate. We show how to estimate an upper bound on the noise level from a single image based on a piecewise smooth image prior model and measured CCD camera response functions. We also learn the space of noise level functions how noise level changes with respect to brightness and use Bayesian MAP inference to infer the noise level function from a single image. We illustrate the utility of this noise estimation for two algorithms: edge detection and featurepreserving smoothing through bilateral filtering. For a variety of different noise levels, we obtain good results for both these algorithms with no user-specified inputs.
2096181
Video editing using figure tracking and image-based rendering
We describe a new approach to video editing based on the semi-automatic segmentation of video into multiple layers and the composition of layers using image-based rendering. Using figure tracking and background motion estimation, we can segment a moving figure and reconstruct the background. Using geometrically-correct pixel reprojection, layers can be composited on the basis of the geometry of the underlying scene and the position of a virtual camera. We have implemented a prototype editing system called SpliceWorld.
40596005
Survey of image-based representations and compression techniques
We survey the techniques for image-based rendering (IBR) and for compressing image-based representations. Unlike traditional three-dimensional (3-D) computer graphics, in which 3-D geometry of the scene is known, IBR techniques render novel views directly from input images. IBR techniques can be classified into three categories according to how much geometric information is used: rendering without geometry, rendering with implicit geometry (i.e., correspondence), and rendering with explicit geometry (either with approximate or accurate geometry). We discuss the characteristics of these categories and their representative techniques. IBR techniques demonstrate a surprising diverse range in their extent of use of images and geometry in representing 3-D scenes. We explore the issues in trading off the use of images and geometry by revisiting plenoptic-sampling analysis and the notions of view dependency and geometric proxies. Finally, we highlight compression techniques specifically designed for image-based representations. Such compression techniques are important in making IBR techniques practical.
44673585
Characterization of Errors in Compositing Panoramic Images
A panoramic image has a 360° horizontal field of view, and it can provide the viewer the impression of being immersed in the scene. A panorama is created by first taking a sequence of images while rotating the camera about a vertical axis. These images are then projected onto a cylindrical surface before being seamlessly composited. The cross-sectional circumference of the cylindrical panorama is called thecompositing length. This work characterizes the error in compositing panoramic images due to errors in some of the intrinsic parameters. The intrinsic camera parameters that are considered are the camera focal length and the radial distortion coefficient. We show that the error in the compositing length is more sensitive to the error in the camera focal length. Especially important is the discovery that the relative error in compositing length is always smaller than the relative error in the focal length. This means that the error in focal length can be corrected by iteratively using the composited length to compute a new and more correct focal length. Thiscompositing approach to camera calibrationhas the advantages of not requiring both feature detection and separate prior calibration.
41028764
Large environment rendering using plenoptic primitives
One of the most difficult tasks in computer graphics is to enable virtual walkthroughs in very large and complicated environments that are photorealistic, seamless, and in real time. Current image-based rendering techniques, while capable of photorealism and interactive speeds, have failed in practice to extend to visualizations of such environments. We demonstrate an approach that defines a virtual walkthrough experience using plenoptic primitives (PPs). A PP can be any type of local visual experience: 360/spl deg/ static panorama, panoramic video (PV), lumigraph/light field representation, or concentric mosaics (CMs). By combining them judiciously, user experience can be authored with significantly reduced effort while maintaining high-quality user experience. We illustrate our technique on synthetic and real environments using PVs and CMs and show how the problem of achieving smooth transitions among PVs and CMs can be solved by using position-dependent local geometries.
16869035
An approach to virtual allocation in storage systems
This article presents virtual allocation, a scheme for flexible storage allocation. Virtual allocation separates storage allocation from the file system. It employs an allocate-on-write strategy which lets applications fit into the actual usage of storage space, without regard to the configured file system size. This improves flexibility by allowing storage space to be shared across different file systems. This article presents the design of virtual allocation and its evaluation through benchmarks. To illustrate our approach, we implemented a prototype system on PCs running Linux. We present the results from the prototype implementation and its evaluation.
12383139
Thermal failure simulation for electrical overstress in semiconductor devices
Electrical overstress (EOS) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) constitute one of the most dominant threats to integrated circuits (ICs). A nonlinear 2-D/1-D thermal simulator suitable for ESD/EOS thermal failure modeling in ICs is reported. The unboundedness of the thermal problem is addressed by a special set of boundary conditions, making the thermal simulation task computationally efficient. Simulated power-to-failure vs. time-to-failure relationships (power profiles) for various combinations of major IC structural parameters are presented and compared with experimental data.<<ETX>>
854647
Coupling-aware minimum delay optimization for domino logic circuits
Minimum delay associated with the hold time requirement is a concern to circuit designers, since race-through hazards are inherent to any multiple clock organization or clock distribution tree irrespective of clock frequency. The monotonic property of domino logic aggravates the min-delay path failure through coupling-induced speedup. To tackle the min-delay problem for domino logic, we propose a min-delay optimization algorithm considering coupling effects. Experimental results indicate that our algorithm yields significant increase of min-delay without incurring max-delay violation.
205396452
Video dejittering by bake and shake
Video jittering occurs when the horizontal lines of video image frames are randomly displaced due to the corruption of synchronization signals or electromagnetic interference during video transmission. Inspired by the recent Bayesian/variational dejittering model of Shen (SIAM J. Appl. Math., vol. 64, pp. 1691-1708, 2004), in the current paper we propose a novel dejittering approach nicknamed 'bake-and-shake.' The bake step is to apply Perona-Malik type nonlinear diffusions to 'melt away' or heat up the jittered video frames, based upon which the shake step is able to optimally estimate the individual line jitters and renormalize the jittered images. Numerical implementation of the bake-and-shake algorithm as well as several computational results are presented.
353647
On Estimating Tight-Link Bandwidth Characteristics over Multi-Hop Paths
In this paper, we explore multi-hop bandwidth estimation assuming arbitrary cross-traffic at each node and develop a new probing method called Envelope that can asymptotically estimate not only the available bandwidth but also the raw capacity of the tight link. Envelope is based on a multi-link recursive extension of unbiased single-hop estimators proposed in the past (e.g., [14]) and a variation of the packet-cartouche technique [6]. Through extensive simulations, we evaluate Envelope in various network settings and cross-traffic conditions and find that it can measure tight-link bandwidth characteristics with accuracy that significantly surpasses that of the existing methods. We also find that Envelope can measure non-tight links in certain path and cross-traffic configurations.