José M. Menéndez

Automatic car plate detection and recognition through intelligent vision engineering

License plate recognition systems are becoming the key to many traffic related applications such as road traffic monitoring or parking lot access control. In this paper, a software and hardware architecture implemented in the ESPRIT 5184 LOCOMOTIVE project for automatic vehicle plate number identification is presented. The system, developed in order to dynamically recognize symbol clusters on moving objects, integrates different computer vision techniques related to intrusion detection and automatic pattern recognition in slightly controlled environments, keeping real time operation.

Efficient image segmentation for region-based motion estimation and compensation

An intra-frame segmentation strategy to assist region-based motion estimation and compensation is presented. It is based on the multiresolution application of a histogram clustering and a probabilistic relaxation-labeling algorithm, followed by a local gradient-based bottom-up merging procedure. Specially suited for region-based video coding, it strongly differs from other proposals in that it generates arbitrary shaped image regions with pixel accuracy at a low computational cost, while allowing full reconstruction of the segmentation at the decoder without the transmission of any region description information.

Incoherent optical fiber bundle calibration for image transmission: faster, finer, and higher-resolution image reconstruction

Computer vision, despite all the recent progress, still cannot be employed technically in most hazardous and highly industrialized ar- eas. Most of the alternative solutions to this modern issue are usually unavailable mainly due to the elevated cost of the overall visual inspec- tion solution. The most suitable option is the use of an incoherent optical fiber bundle (IOFB), which clearly requires a calibration step prior to im- age transmission. This technique has been presented previously and has received national and international patents. We also contributed strongly to the improvement of this image transmission technique through IOFB. Thus, we summarize our chosen IOFB calibration method and associ- ated essential steps that definitively improve the reconstructed image quality. Furthermore, by employing the new optimal steps combination that we introduce, we also drastically reduce the processing time needed to calibrate and reconstruct an IOFB-transmitted output image compared to previous proposals. Finally, we present a new full-resolution method, which also requires the previously described and optimized calibration methods, to achieve a higher image definition. C 2011 Society of Photo-Optical

i-LAB: Distributed laboratory network for interactive TV Set-Top box and services testing

This paper presents a distributed laboratory network, defining its architecture and the test processes, to enable the testing of Set-Top boxes with interactive capacities and the remote execution of interactive television services based on DVB-MHP standard.

Adaptive palette determination for color images based on Kohonen networks

A new method for the determination of adaptive palettes of color images with a variation of Kohonen (1984) networks, for the purposes of image storage and display, is presented. New neighborhood relationships in one and three dimensions are defined among neurons and the scope of these binds is also extended. The presented method is compared with popular palette selection algorithms, the resulting quality, provided network convergence, is competitive with the other methods, both for natural color and graphic images. Additionally, the resulting palettes show interesting topological relationships among colors.

A monocular vision system for autonomous vehicle guidance

The improvement of vehicle security is a major priority of the car industry. Both active and passive security-systems have experienced a great development during the last decade, but the main research is still focused on minimising the errors committed by the driver rather than trying to avoid them. In this paper, a basic monocular vision system, focused on road location solely, is described. Working with only one video camera hinders the exact 3D reconstruction of the scene: no information about distances and dimensions is available, unless a priori artificial constraints are taken. The problem increases because of the movement of the camera with respect to the scene. In the present system, the road searching and following algorithms operate on the two-dimensional image plane, and 2D to 3D conversion is not accomplished. The system obtains excellent final results, succeeding in more than 75% of the analysed images from the tested sequences.

Contourless region-based video coding for very low bit-rates

In spite of their advantages, region-based approaches present a heavy burden in the required amount of information to describe region contours. To avoid these limitations, a new region-based motion estimation and compensation strategy is proposed, which allows the operation on arbitrary shaped regions and the ability to reconstruct them without any contour information. The strategy is enhanced by the use of multivector motion estimation and compensation. Results showing the quality and advantages of the strategy are provided.

Remote access platform for applications and T-government services based on the DVB-MHP standard

In this paper we introduce a framework that provides remote access to a full equipped MHP laboratory. Its purpose is to allow any registered user to test remotely a MHP application from any device connected to the Internet, with a special interest in the new possibilities of the T-government. We also define and implement a set of test applications devoted to verifying the suitability of MHP applications to the DVB-MHP standard. These tests are focused on audiovisual and smartcards aspects of interactive applications developed to be running over a MHP platform.

Gradual shot transition detection based on multidimensional clustering

Detection of shot transitions in video material is a process intended to ease the automatic extraction of video features for later use in indexing and retrieval purposes. While abrupt shot transitions are discontinuities quite easy to detect, the gradual ones are highly masked by and confused with object motion, camera operation, and other disturbing effects. Current approaches to detecting gradual transitions are based on the calculation of several inter-frame distances, and on the compensation and detection of the aforementioned causes of disturbance. This article presents an innovative detection method based on a multi-parameter modeling of the patterns that these transitions produce over a simple inter-frame distance, which opens the possibility of a later multi-dimensional classification of the desired transitions into a single cluster.

Description schemes for retrieval applications targeted to the audiovisual market

In the near future, retrieval applications accessing audiovisual material databases (or digital libraries in a general sense) will be using the emerging MPEG-7 standard. Current applications may prepare themselves for an easy migration if they are designed following current specifications of this forthcoming ISO standard. The paper presents a set of description schemes (DSs) that have been defined following current MPEG-7 definitions and work, also proposing contributions to this standard. These description schemes are intended for retrieval applications targeted to audiovisual market applications. An instantiation of these DSs, which define descriptors based on user requirements, is under use in the ACTS-361 HYPERMEDIA pilot project.