This dissertation analyzes the different characteristics of color images compared to monochromatic images, combines these characteristics with monochromatic image enhancement techniques, and proposes useful color image enhancement algorithms. Luminance, hue, and saturation (L-H-S) color space is selected for color image enhancement. Color luminance is shown to play the most important role in achieving good image enhancement. Color saturation also exhibits unique features which contribute to the enhancement of high frequency details and color contrast. The local windowing method, one of the most popular image processing techniques, is rigorously analyzed for the effects of window size or weighting values on the visual appearance of an image, and the subjective enhancement afforded by local image processing techniques is explained in terms of the human vision system response. The digital color image enhancement algorithms proposed are based on the observation that the enhanced luminance image results in a good color image in L-H-S color space when the chromatic components (hue, and saturation) are kept the same. The saturation component usually contains high frequency details that are not present in the luminance component. However, processing only the saturation, while keeping the luminance and the hue unchanged, is not satisfactory because the response of human vision system presents a low pass filter to the chromatic components. To exploit high frequency details of the saturation component, we take the high frequency component of the inverse saturation image, which correlates with the luminance image, and process the luminance image proportionally to this inverse saturation image. These proposed algorithms are simple to implement. The main three application areas in image enhancement: contrast enhancement, sharpness enhancement, and noise smoothing, are discussed separately. The computer processing algorithms are restricted to those which preserve the natural appearance of the scene.

Rail and bridge infrastructure assets are critical elements of Canada’s transportation network and their continued efficient and safe operation is necessary to ensure the nation’s economic livelihood. Monitoring technologies that can detect changes in performance as well as precursors to failure are an important element of ensuring this efficient and safe operation. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a monitoring technology that has the potential to provide critical data for infrastructure assessment and to replace various conventional sensors with one integrated monitoring solution. In this research, the accuracy of DIC is evaluated using numerical, laboratory and field-based experiments. The sources of error of particular relevance to dynamic measurement using DIC are identified as (i) bias error in the sub-pixel interpolation scheme, (ii) the ratio of sample rate to the frequency of the signal being monitoring and (iii) the signal to noise ratio. It is also shown that the chosen sub-pixel interpolation scheme can greatly affect the accuracy of dynamic measurements. The use of DIC was investigated for field monitoring of both horizontal and vertical railway displacements at sites with good and poor subgrade conditions under dynamic train loading. It is shown that there is a significant benefit to using an absolute displacement measurement system rather than a relative displacement measurement system as the former can capture irrecoverable rail displacements in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Finally, DIC was also used for field monitoring of a very stiff reinforced concrete bridge during static and dynamic load tests. It is shown that when using DIC for deflection monitoring, corrections may have to be made to compensate for errors such as camera jitter and drift to acquire the most accurate results. Two potential correction methods were the use of a fixed reference point and generating composite images using average pixel intensity values from multiple images. It was found that using a fixed reference point was the optimal choice in this bridge test. It is concluded that DIC can be used as an effective displacement measurement tool for bridge assessment because it shows excellent correlation with linear potentiometer results and it can allow measurements to be taken without having to close the bridge. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-26 15:40:16.744

This thesis describes a probabilistic approach to imagesegmentation and interpretation. The focus of the investigation is the development of a systematic way of combining color, brightness, texture and geometric features extracted from an image to arrive at a consistent interpretation for each pixel in the image. The contribution of this thesis is thus the presentation of a novel framework for the fusion of extracted image features producing a segmentation of an image into relevant regions. Further, a solution to the sub-pixel mixing problem is presented based on solving a probabilistic linear program. This work is specifically aimed at interpreting and digitizing multi-spectral aerial imagery of the Earth's surface. The features of interest for extraction are those of relevance to environmental management, monitoring and protection. The presented algorithms are suitable for use within a larger interpretive system. Some results are presented and contrasted with other techniques. The integration of these algorithms into a larger system is based firmly on a probabilistic methodology and the use of statistical decision theory to accomplish uncertain inference within the visual formalism of a graphical probability model.

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Image und Erfolg von Unternehmen wurde bereits des öfteren untersucht. Arbeiten, die sich mit diesem Thema beschäftigen, konzentrieren sich dabei auf die Erfolgswirkung des Unternehmensimages, also auf die Frage : Wie beeinflußt das Image den Erfolg? Wird das Unternehmensimage von potentiellen Konsumenten gebildet, dann wird im allgemeinen unterstellt, daß ein positives Unternehmensimage die Produktbeurteilung und infolgedessen die Kaufentscheidung von Konsumenten positiv beeinflußt. Damit kommt es zu einer Erfolgswirkung eines guten Unternehmensimages. Dieser Zusammenhang, der sich mit dem aus der Wahrnehmungsforschung bekannten Halo-Effekt erklären läßt, kann vor allem dann wirksam werden, wenn Konsumenten zu einer eigenständigen Produktbeurteilung nicht in der Lage sind, wie das oft bei komplexen technischen Produkten der Fall ist. Voraussetzung ist hierbei allerdings, daß der Konsument eine Verbindung zwischen Unternehmens- sowie Produkt- bzw . Markenname herstellen kann; eine Situation, wie sie vor allem für die Automobilindustrie typisch ist. Ist der Produktname dagegen vom Unternehmensnamen abgekoppelt, wie dies z . B . bei Unilever oder Procter & Gamble der Fall ist, dann kann die Kaufentscheidung nicht direkt auf das Unternehmensimage und somit auch nicht auf den Halo-Effekt zurückgeführt werden.

We developed a new system for image acquisition in dendrochronology called ATRICS. The new system was compared with existing measurement methods. Images derived from the ATRICS program and processed in any of the available programs for automatic tree-ring recognition are of much higher detail than those from flatbed scanners, as optical magnification has many advantages over digital magnification (especially in areas with extremely narrow tree rings). The quality of stitching was tested using visual assessment - no blurred areas were detected between adjacent images and no tree rings were missing because of the stitching procedure. A test for distortion showed no differences between the original and captured square, indicating that the captured images are distortion free. Differences between manual and automatic measurement are statistically insignificant. The processing of very long cores also poses no problems.

Les graphes sont des modèles de représentation qui permettent de modéliser un grand nombre de type de documents. Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à leur utilisation pour la recherche dans des bases de données multimédia.Nous commençons par présenter la théorie autour des graphes ainsi qu'un aperçu des méthodes qui ont été proposées pour leur mise en correspondance.Puis, nous nous intéressons plus particulièrement à leur utilisation pour la reconnaissance des formes et l'indexation multimédia.Dans le but de répondre de la manière la plus générique possible aux différents problèmes de recherche, nous proposons de travailler dans le cadre des fonctions noyaux.Ce cadre permet de séparer les problèmes liées à la nature des documents de ceux apportés par les différents types de recherche. Ainsi, toute notre énergie est consacrée à la conception de fonctions de mise en correspondance,mais en gardant à l'esprit qu'elles doivent respecter un certain nombre de propriétés mathématiques. Dans ce cadre, nous proposons de nouvelles solutions qui permettent de mieux répondre aux caractéristiques particulières des graphes issus de primitives et descripteurs visuels. Nous présentons aussi les algorithmes qui permettent d'évaluer rapidement ces fonctions. Enfin, nous présentons des expériences qui mettent en lumière ces différentes caractéristiques, ainsi que des expériences qui montrent les avantages qu'offre nos modèles vis à vis de la littérature. / Many type of documents can be modeled by a graph representation. In this thesis, we focus on theuse of graph for research in multimedia databases.We begin by presenting the theory of graphs and aroundan overview of methods that have been proposed for matching.Then, we are particularly interested in their use for recognitionforms and multimedia indexing.In order to respond in the most generic possible differentresearch problems, we propose to work within the framework of kernel functions.This framework allows to separate the problems related to the nature of the documentsthose introduced by the different types of research. Thus, all ourenergy is devoted to the design of mapping functions,but bearing in mind that they must meet a numbermathematical properties. In this context, we propose newsolutions that better meet the specificgraphs from primitive and visual descriptors. Wealso present algorithms to quickly assessthese functions. Finally, wepresent experiments that highlight thesedifferent characteristics and experiences that showadvantages of our models with respect to the literature.

Place branding scholars and practitioners increasingly highlight the influence that corporate image can exert on the image of the country of origin (COI). Yet, there is remarkably little theoretical and empirical research on this influence. In this qualitative and quantitative study the researcher aims (1) to analyse whether corporate image affects COI; (2) to identify consumer-related and company-related factors that affect the influence of corporate image on COI; (3) to examine the influence of corporate image- (net valence and consistency) and corporate-related factors (number of corporate brands and accessibility) on COI; (4) to investigate the moderating effects of corporate familiarity, business familiarity and consumer ethnocentrism on the influence of corporate image-related factors on COI; and (5) to describe the COI not only in terms of lists of attributes, but also in terms of holistic impressions. This study focuses on the case of Spain and is based on empirical evidence provided by undertaking, firstly, in-depth interviews with 13 place branding experts and, secondly, a face-to-face survey of 300 British people aged 18 and over living in London or Greater London, selected using a multi-stage area sampling technique. The findings reveal (1) the statistically significant positive impact of corporate image on one dimension of COI (political beliefs); (2) six consumer-related (awareness of the corporate brand’s COO; power of the corporate brand image; strength of the corporate brand-country association; brand image fit; brand image unfit; strength of the industry-country association) and four company-related (extent to which the company plays up or down its COO; the company’s international and market visibility; the number of corporate brands operating in the market) factors that influence the impact of corporate image on COI; (3) that corporate image- and corporate-related factors explain collectively 10 per cent or over of variance in the affective dimensions of COI and a smaller proportion of variance in the cognitive dimensions of COI; (4) that business familiarity has a significant effect moderating the influence of net valence on COI; and (5) that tourism is the dominant element of the image that British people have of Spain. Theoretical (conceptual model, first study testing the influence of corporate image on COI) and managerial (guidelines for selecting corporate brands to be included in country branding campaigns) implications of these findings are considered, and finally, limitations of the study and future research directions are suggested.

This thesis is based on the interviews I've done with both teachers and students, as I analyzeand evaluate from a historical educational perspective. I present research on the topic and how the image of the teaching may look differently. Pupils' learning process can vary, and in a society where image is a big part of their life is according to me a pity not to use more pictures in the school, especially in the teaching of history. It is not enough that teachers begin to use more image in his teaching, but they use the images in the right way, where students get the chance to learn how to analyze and interpret the image's meaning and history than just tell you what they see.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Image navigation is critical to the effective use of digital imagery for meteorological and oceanographic studies. This thesis reviews various methods used to navigate imagery to the earth and investigates the accuracy of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) model. An explanation of how the NPS navigation process works is included for completeness. Results from 2 2 separate runs of the NPS model are studied. / http://archive.org/details/accuracyofsatell00beth / Captain, United States Marine Corps

PiM's is young brand on the market, that is interesting by its courageous modern strategy. Main aim of my master thesis is reveal perception of the brand PiM's by consumers and compare it with its identity. Thesis is devided to theoretical and practical part. In theoretical part I defined term brand and its basic characterictics. Also I defined PiM's history and brand identity. In methodological part I chose and defined methods suited for analysis of the image. In practical part I applied methods as analysis of secondary data and survey by on-line questionaire. On these basis, I enlisted important information about image of the brand PiM's. By comparison of identity and image I reach the whole analysis of the image and I gave recommendations, how to built image successfully in the future.