Statistical modeling and conceptualization of natural images
Multi-level annotation of images is a promising solution to enable semantic image retrieval by using various keywords at different semantic levels. In this paper, we propose a multi-level approach to interpret and annotate the semantics of natural images by using both the dominant image components and the relevant semantic image concepts. In contrast to the well-known image-based and region-based approaches, we use the concept-sensitive salient objects as the dominant image components to achieve automatic image annotation at the content level. By using the concept-sensitive salient objects for image content representation and feature extraction, a novel image classification technique is developed to achieve automatic image annotation at the concept level. To detect the concept-sensitive salient objects automatically, a set of detection functions are learned from the labeled image regions by using support vector machine (SVM) classifiers with an automatic scheme for searching the optimal model parameters. To generate the semantic image concepts, the finite mixture models are used to approximate the class distributions of the relevant concept-sensitive salient objects. An adaptive EM algorithm has been proposed to determine the optimal model structure and model parameters simultaneously. In addition, a large number of unlabeled samples have been integrated with a limited number of labeled samples to achieve more effective classifier training and knowledge discovery. We have also demonstrated that our algorithms are very effective to enable multi-level interpretation and annotation of natural images.

title: Building the Software Infrastructure for Smart Classroom: From Open Agent Architecture (OAA) to Smart Platform
abstract: Smart Classroom is a Smart Space developed to enhance tele-education practice. This paper describes the considerations of bringing forward Smart Platform as the software infrastructure of Smart Classroom system, abandoning the former implementation based on OAA. As a multi-agent system for Smart Space, Smart Platform encompasses following features: spontaneous discovery of runtime environment, automatic management and resolving of agent dependencies, combination of delegated communication and peer-to-peer communication, etc. In addition, a surrogate agent on Smart Platform and Metaglue from MIT is now being developed to inter-connect Smart Classroom with MIT's Intelligent Room to extend their functionality.

title: Efficient Fourier-Based Approach for Detecting Orientations and Occlusions in Epipolar Plane Images for 3D Scene Modeling
abstract: This paper presents a Fourier-based approach for automatically constructing a 3D panoramic model of a natural scene from a video sequence. The video sequences could be captured by an unstabilized camera mounted on a moving platform on a common road surface. As the input of the algorithms, “seamles” panoramic view images (PVIs) and epipolar plane images (EPIs) are generated after image stabilization if the camera is unstabilized. A novel panoramic EPI analysis method is proposed that combines the advantages of both PVIs and EPIs efficiently in three important steps: locus orientation detection in the Fourier frequency domain, motion boundary localization in the spatio-temporal domain, and occlusion/resolution recovery only at motion boundaries. The Fourier energy-based approaches in literature were usually for low-level local motion analysis and are therefore not accurate for 3D reconstruction and are also computationally expensive. Our panoramic EPI analysis approach is both accurate and efficient for 3D reconstruction. Examples of layered panoramic representations for large-scale 3D scenes from real world video sequences are given.

title: VISATRAM: a real-time vision system for automatic traffic monitoring
abstract: This paper presents a novel approach to automatic traffic monitoring using 2D spatio-temporal images. A TV camera is mounted above a highway to monitor the traffic through two slice windows, and a panoramic view image and an epipolar plane image are formed for each lane. Our real-time vision system for automatic traffic monitoring, VISATRAM, is an inexpensive system with a PC486 and a frame grabber. The system cannot only count vehicles and estimate their speeds but also classify them using 3D measurements. The system has been tested with real road images under various light conditions, including shadows in daytime and lights at night.

title: Learning-Based Tracking of Complex Non-Rigid Motion
abstract: This paper describes a novel method for tracking complex non-rigid motions by learning the intrinsic object structure.The approach builds on and extends the studies on non-linear dimensionality reduction for object representation,object dynamics modeling and particle filter style tracking.First,the dimensionality reduction and density estimation algorithm is derived for unsupervised learning of object intrinsic representation,and the obtained non-rigid part of object state reduces even to 2-3 dimensions.Secondly the dynamical model is derived and trained based on this intrinsic representation.Thirdly the learned intrinsic object structure is integrated into a particle filter style tracker.It is shown that this intrinsic object representation has some interesting properties and based on which the newly derived dynamical model makes particle filter style tracker more robust and reliable.Extensive experiments are done on the tracking of challenging non-rigid motions such as fish twisting with selfocclusion,large inter-frame lip motion and facial expressions with global head rotation.Quantitative results are given to make comparisons between the newly proposed tracker and the existing tracker.The proposed method also has the potential to solve other type of tracking problems.

title: A Speaker Tracking Algorithm Based on Audio and Visual Information Fusion Using Particle Filter
abstract: Object tracking by sensor fusion has become an active research area in recent years, but how to fuse various information in an efficient and robust way is still an open problem. This paper presents a new algorithm for tracking speaker based on audio and visual information fusion using particle filter. A closed-loop architecture with reliability of each individual tracker is adopted, and a new method for data fusion and reliability adjustment is proposed. Experiments show the new algorithm is efficient in fusing information and robust to noise.

title: Delay Test Scan Flip-Flop: DFT for High Coverage Delay Testing
abstract: Scan based delay testing is currently mostly implemented using launch-on-capture (LOC) delay tests. Launch-on-shift (LOS) tests are generally more effective, achieving higher fault coverage with significantly fewer test vectors, but require a fast scan enable, which is not supported by most designs. The paper presents low cost solution for implementing LOS tests by adding a small amount of logic (six transistors) in each flip-flop to align the slow scan enable signal to the clock edge. The new design can support full LOS and LOC testing, achieving an average TDF coverage of 92.67% in this combined mode for the ISCAS89 benchmarks. Adding a second slow global scan enable signal also allows mixed LOC/LOS tests, which can further increase coverage up to 94.86% on average for ISCAS89 benchmarks

title: Fast evaluation of the improved Loop's subdivision surfaces
abstract: For obtaining better curvature distributions of subdivision surfaces, various improvements for Loop's subdivision scheme (C. Loop, 1987) on triangular surface meshes have been made. A careful analysis shows that the fast evaluation technique of the subdivision surface proposed by Stam is no longer usable to these improved schemes. This paper describes a fast evaluating algorithm for improved Loop's subdivision surfaces. The algorithm is applicable to a vast class of subdivision schemes for triangular surface meshes. Using the proposed algorithm, one can evaluate the subdivision surface at any domain point for any set of input subdivision masks and a control mesh.

title: An Improved Approximation Algorithm for Uncapacitated Facility Location Problem with Penalties
abstract: In this paper, we consider an interesting variant of the facility location problem called uncapacitated facility location problem with penalties (UFLWP for short) in which each client is either assigned to an opened facility or rejected by paying a penalty. We present a 1.8526-approximation algorithm for the UFLWP problem. Our algorithm first enhances the primal-dual method for the UFLWP problem  so that outliers can be recognized more efficiently, and then applies a local search heuristic to further reduce the cost for serving those non-rejected clients.

title: Efficient Algorithms for Determining 3-D Bi-Plane Imaging Geometry
abstract: Biplane projection imaging is one of the primary methods for imaging and visualizing the cardiovascular system in medicine. A key problem in such a technique is to determine the imaging geometry (i.e., the relative rotation and translation) of two projections so that the 3-D structure can be accurately reconstructed. Based on interesting observations and efficient geometric techniques, we present in this paper new algorithmic solutions for this problem. Comparing with existing optimization-based approaches, our techniques yield better accuracy and have bounded execution time, thus is more suitable for on-line applications. Our techniques can easily detect outliers to further improve the accuracy.

title: Surface modelling using fourth order geometric flows
abstract: We use two fourth order geometric partial differential equations to efficiently solve several surface modelling problems, including the surface blending, the N-sided hole filling and the free-form surface fitting with the G/sup 1/ boundary continuity. The nonlinear equations used include the surface diffusion flow and the Willmore flow. These nonlinear equations are discretized using the mixed finite element method based on the combination of the loop's basis and the linear basis. The proposed approach is simple, efficient and gives very desirable results.