Nicolas Rudaz

Does visual sensitivity improve between 5 and 8 years? A study of automated visual field examination.

In 74 normal subjects (62 children aged 5-8 years and 12 adults), we tested the widely-held belief that visual sensitivity improves substantially during childhood. Maturation of the retino-striate pathways is generally invoked to account for age-related changes in visual sensitivity. We evaluated the extent to which attentional factors unduly emphasized the effect of age on the purely physiological mechanisms. After a specially-designed familiarization procedure, sensitivity was fully evaluated at two locations in the superior temporal field using a bracketing technique (Octopus 2000R). False-positive (FP) and false-negative (FN) catch-trials were interspersed with the sequence of stimuli. Analyses demonstrated that: (1) age affected sensitivity; and (2) the general level of attentiveness varied not only with age, but also among subjects in the same age group. We then estimated the extent to which improved visual sensitivity may reflect a concomitant evolution of vigilance. Firstly, controlled variance analyses indicated that factors for evaluating attentiveness (rate of FN responses, slope of the psychometric function at the median, and goodness of fit) were indeed much better predictors than age of the sensitivity measured. Secondly and more significantly, the grouping of subjects into homogeneous subgroups, on the basis of their attentional performance, showed that children as young as 5 years may have a visual sensitivity that is only marginally lower than that of adults.

Multilevel color halftoning algorithms

Methods for the halftoning of images on multi-level printing devices such as multi-level inkjet printers are presented. Due to the relatively large size of single droplets, halftoning algorithms are still needed. However, since halftoning occurs between the basic levels attainable by printing one, two or several droplets at the same position, artefacts are less visible than in equal resolution bilevel printers. When dithering algorithms are used for the halftoning task, the dither threshold tiles should have oblique orientations so as to make the halftoning artifacts less visible. They should be designed so as to break up the inherent artifacts of variable dot size printers, such as for example continuous lines made up of elongated elliptic dots. Error-diffusion in color space is also appropriate for multi-level halftoning. Visual artifacts can be reduced by introducing dot over dot color inhibiting constraints.

Dithering algorithms for variable dot size printers

Dither-based methods for the halftoning of images on multi-level printing devices such as multi-level inkjet printers are presented. Due to the relatively large size of single droplets, halftoning algorithms are still needed. However, since halftoning occurs between the basic levels attainable by printing one, two or several droplets at the same position, artefacts are less visible than in equal resolution bilevel printers. When dithering algorithms are used for the halftoning task, the dither threshold tiles should have oblique orientations so as to make the halftoning artifacts less visible. They should be designed so as to break up the inherent artifacts of variable dot size printers, such as for example continuous lines made up of elongated elliptic dots. The resulting visual effects are shown by simulating the printed dots of a multilevel inkjet printer.

Anticounterfeiting features of artistic screening

In a recent publication (Ostromoukhov95), a new image reproduction technique, artistic screening, was presented. It incorporates freely created artistic screen elements for generating halftones. Fixed predefined dot contours associated with given intensity levels determine the screen dot shapes growing behavior. Screen dot contours associated with each intensity level are obtained by interpolation between the fixed predefined dot contours. A user-defined mapping transforms screen elements from screen element definition space to screen element rendition space. This mapping can be tuned to produce various effects such as dilatations, contractions and non-linear deformations of the screen element grid. Although artistic screening has been designed mainly for performing the creation of graphic designs of high artistic quality, it also incorporates several important anti-counterfeiting features. For example, bank notes or other valuable printed matters produced with artistic screening may incorporate both full size and microscopic letters of varying shape into the image halftoning process. Furthermore, artistic screening can be used for generating screen dots at varying frequencies and orientations, which are well known for inducing strong moire effects when scanned by a digital color copier or a desktop scanner. However, it is less known that frequency-modulated screen dots have at each screen element size a different reproduction behavior (dot gain). When trying to reproduce an original by analog means, such as a photocopier, the variations in dot gain induce strong intensity variations at the same original intensity levels. In this paper, we present a method for compensating such variations for the target printer, on which the original security document is to be printed. Potential counterfeiters who would like to reproduce the original with a photocopying device may only be able to adjust the dot gain for the whole image and will therefore be unable to eliminate the undesired intensity variations produced by variable frequency screen elements.

Protecting identity documents by microstructure color differences

The development of plastic card printers has led to the widespread use of identity documents printed on plastic cards, such as ID cards, driving licenses and access key cards. This paper presents a new security feature based on a technique for embedding a personalized microstructure into an image. This microstructure takes the form of a pattern embedded into the original photograph as a succession of balanced chromatic shifts. The amplitude of these shifts may be tuned so as to make the pattern fully apparent or just noticeable under normal viewing conditions. Since the chromatic shifts cancel each other out in any macroscopic portion of the image, the global appearance of the protected image remains intact. The embedded microstructure may be adapted to each instance of the protected identity document. For example, it can repeat textual information already present elsewhere on the document, or it can include a code derived from data specific to the document holder. Furthermore, this information may be made fully readable without requiring special revealing means. Such identity documents exhibit an intrinsic resistance against imitation, tampering and substitution.

Protecting identity documents with a just noticeable microstructure

The development of plastic card printers has led to the widespread use of identity documents printed on plastic cards, such as ID cards, driving licenses and access key cards. This paper presents a new security feature based on a technique for embedding a personalized microstructure into a photograph. This microstructure takes the form of a bitmap pattern embedded into the original photograph as a succession of balanced chromatic shifts. The amplitude of these shifts may be modulated so as to make the pattern fully apparent, just noticeable, or completely invisible under normal viewing conditions. Since the chromatic shifts cancel each other out in any macroscopic portion of the image, the global appearance of the protected image remains intact. The embedded microstructure may be adapted to each instance of the protected identity document. For example, it can repeat textual information already present elsewhere on the document, or it can include a code derived from data specific to the document holder. Furthermore, this information may be made fully readable without the help of a specialized apparatus. Such identity documents exhibit an intrinsic resistance against imitation, tampering and substitution.

An Interface for the Interactive Design of Artistic Screens

This work presents the concepts and the tools involved in the interactive design of artistic screens. The screen elements are derived from a small set of analytical contours provided by the screen designer. We present the requirements that these contours must satisfy in order to generate consistent screens. Software tools have been developed which provide automatic means for verifying and enforcing these constraints. They include a way of specifying the periodicity of the screen dot and a graphical interface offering a convenient way of specifying and tuning the growth of the screen dot.