The past few years have seen a rapid growth in image processing and image communication technologies. New video services and multimedia applications are continuously being designed. Essential for all these applications are image and video compression techniques. The purpose of this book is to report on recent advances in VLSI architectures and their implementation for video signal processing applications with emphasis on video coding for bit rate reduction.Efficient VLSI implementation for video signal processing spans a broad range of disciplines involving algorithms, architectures, circuits, and systems. Recent progress in VLSI architectures and implementations has resulted in the reduction in cost and size of video signal processing equipment and has made video applications more practical.The topics covered in this volume demonstrate the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of VLSI implementation of video signal processing applications, involving interactions between algorithms, VLSI architectures, circuit techniques, semiconductor technologies and CAD for microelectronics.

VLSI is a well-established field of research that ignited the modern computing revolution. Serving as a guide to future developments, this book provides a framework for design, modeling concepts, and application of Image Processing based systems using VLSI design techniques.

Character and handwriting recognition by computers is attracting much attention particularly because of its potential for application in many areas such as office automation, bank check processing, recognition of postal addresses and ZIP Codes, signature verification, and document and text recognition.Over the past four decades, many methods have been proposed, developed and tested for computers to recognize characters, and they have been reported in a variety of publications. The present volume is a coherent and integrated publication containing papers which give new research results in this increasingly active field. It is a boon to researchers, scientists and engineers who need to keep abreast of new developments in character and handwriting methodologies and applications.

Annotation. Presents the latest research findings in theory, techniques, algorithms, and major applications of pattern recognition and computer vision, as well as new hardware and architecture aspects. Contains sections on basic methods in pattern recognition and computer vision, nine recognition applications, inspection and robotic applications, and architectures and technology. Some areas discussed include cluster analysis, 3D vision of dynamic objects, speech recognition, computer vision in food handling, and video content analysis and retrieval. This second edition is extensively revised to describe progress in the field since 1993. Chen is affiliated with the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

This book is the first in a set of forthcoming books focussed on state-of-the-art development in the VLSI Signal Processing area. It is a response to the tremendous research activities taking place in that field. These activities have been driven by two factors: the dramatic increase in demand for high speed signal processing, especially in consumer elec tronics, and the evolving microelectronic technologies. The available technology has always been one of the main factors in determining al gorithms, architectures, and design strategies to be followed. With every new technology, signal processing systems go through many changes in concepts, design methods, and implementation. The goal of this book is to introduce the reader to the main features of VLSI Signal Processing and the ongoing developments in this area. The focus of this book is on: • Current developments in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) pro cessors and architectures - several examples and case studies of existing DSP chips are discussed in Chapter 1. • Features and requirements of image and video signal processing architectures - both applications specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and programmable image processors are studied in Chapter 2. • New market areas for signal processing - especially in consumer electronics such as multimedia, teleconferencing, and movie on demand. • Impact of arithmetic circuitry on the performance of DSP pro cessors - several topics are discussed in Chapter 3 such as: number representation, arithmetic algorithms and circuits, and implementa tion.

In this chapter a methodology for the design of VLSI circuits for image and video coding applications is presented. In each section a different phase of th edesign procedure is discussed, along with a description of the involved software environments. An example of an area efficicient single-chip implementation of a JPEG coder is presented to illustrate the methodology.

The very significant advances in computer vision and pattern recognition and their applications in the last few years reflect the strong and growing interest in the field as well as the many opportunities and challenges it offers. The second edition of this handbook represents both the latest progress and updated knowledge in this dynamic field. The applications and technological issues are particularly emphasized in this edition to reflect the wide applicability of the field in many practical problems. To keep the book in a single volume, it is not possible to retain all chapters of the first edition. However, the chapters of both editions are well written for permanent reference. This indispensable handbook will continue to serve as an authoritative and comprehensive guide in the field.

As multimedia applications have become part of contemporary daily life, numerous paradigm-shifting technologies in multimedia processing have emerged over the last decade. Substantially updated with 21 new chapters, Multimedia Image and Video Processing, Second Edition explores the most recent advances in multimedia research and applications. This edition presents a comprehensive treatment of multimedia information mining, security, systems, coding, search, hardware, and communications as well as multimodal information fusion and interaction. Clearly divided into seven parts, the book begins with a section on standards, fundamental methods, design issues, and typical architectures. It then focuses on the coding of video and multimedia content before covering multimedia search, retrieval, and management. After examining multimedia security, the book describes multimedia communications and networking and explains the architecture design and implementation for multimedia image and video processing. It concludes with a section on multimedia systems and applications. Written by some of the most prominent experts in the field, this updated edition provides readers with the latest research in multimedia processing and equips them with advanced techniques for the design of multimedia systems.