text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 11, 2010
|Filing date
|May 11, 2009
|Priority date
|Dec 13, 2004
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Chris Padwick, Jack F. Paris
|Original Assignee
|Digitalglobe, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (23), Non-Patent Citations (18), Referenced by (2), Classifications (14), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/905,042, filed Dec. 13, 2004.
The present invention is directed to enhancing digital images, and, more specifically, to enhancing color and contrast in a multispectral digital image obtained from a remote sensing platform.
In a generalized way, a digital image is a set of one or more two-dimensional numeric arrays in which each array element, or pixel, represents an apparent brightness measured by an imaging sensor. The brightness value at each pixel is often represented by an integer number called a digital number (DN). Digital images are commonly generated by remote imaging systems that collect imagery in the visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Images collected from such systems are used in numerous applications by both commercial and government customers.
When collecting digital imagery, specific bands of electromagnetic energy from the area being imaged are commonly collected at several imaging sensors. For example, in many imaging systems, several spectral bands of electromagnetic energy are collected at imaging sensors, such as, a red light band, a green light band, a blue light band, and a near infrared band. Imaging systems may also include other spectral bands within the visible bands and/or within the middle infrared (a.k.a., shortwave infrared) bands. An image generated from such a system is referred to as a multispectral digital image. In such a case, a set of DN values exist for each line and column position in the multispectral digital image with one DN value allocated to each spectral band. Each DN represents the relative brightness of an image in the associated spectral band at the associated pixel location in the image. When generating a multispectral digital image, data from the imaging sensors is collected, processed, and images are produced. Images are commonly provided to customers as a multispectral image file containing imagery from each of the spectral bands. Each band includes DNs on, for example, an 8-bit or 11-bit radiometric brightness scale representing the radiance collected at the respective sensor for an area of the scene imaged. Several methods exist for processing data from each band to generate an image that is useful for the application required by a user. The data is processed in order to provide an image that has accurate color and contrast for features within the image.
The DN values generated from a particular imaging sensor have limited range that varies from image source to image source according to the associated bit depth. Commonly used bit depths are 8 bits and 11 bits, resulting in DNs that range from 0 to 255 and 0 to 2047, respectively. Digital images are generally stored in raster files or as raster arrays in computer memory, and since rasters use bit depths that are simple powers of base 2, image DNs may be stored in rasters having 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 bits, with 8 bit and 16 bit being most common. It is common practice to reserve special DN values to represent non-existent image data (e.g., 0, 255, and/or 2047). The corresponding pixels are called blackfill. Actual image data will then have DNs between 1 and 254 or between 1 and 2046.
Digital images, following collection by an imaging system, are commonly enhanced. Enhancement, in the context of a digital image, is a process whereby source-image DNs are transformed into new DNs that have added value in terms of their subsequent use. Commonly, the data from each band of imagery is enhanced based on known sensor and atmospheric characteristics in order to provide an adjusted color for each band. The image is then contrast stretched, in order to provide enhanced visual contrast between features within the image. Commonly, when performing the contrast stretch, the average radiance from each pixel within a particular band is placed in a histogram, and the distribution of the histogram is stretched to the full range of DNs available for the pixels. For example, if each band includes DNs on an 8-bit radiometric brightness scale, this represents a range of DNs between 0 and 255. The DNs from a scene may then be adjusted to use this full range of possible DN values, and/or the DNs from a scene may be adjusted to obtain a distribution of DNs that is centered about the mid-point of possible DN values. Generally speaking, the visual quality of the contrast stretch achieved using normal contrast stretch algorithms is highly dependent on scene content. Many contrast stretch algorithms change the color content of the imagery resulting in questionable color content in the scene. For example, if the distribution of DNs is not centered within the range of possible DN values, such a contrast stretch can skew the DNs resulting in a color offset and, in an image containing structures, a house may appear as being the wrong color. In addition it is often difficult to decide what stretch to apply to a given image. A user often balances the trade-offs between acceptable contrast and acceptable color balance when choosing a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) stretch to apply to a given image. While useful in applications where users may be accustomed to color distortion, in applications where a user is not accustomed to such a color skew, it may result in customer dissatisfaction for applications where users are not accustomed to such a color skew. For example, an employee of a firm specializing in the analysis of digital imagery may be accustomed to such a color skew, while a private individual seeking to purchase a satellite image of an earth location of interest to them may find such a color skew unacceptable.
Other methods for enhancing contrast in digital images may be used that preserve the color of the image. While such methods preserve color, they are generally quite computer intensive and require significant amounts of additional processing as compared with a contrast stretch as described above. For example, due to inadequacies in COTS stretch algorithms, images may be stretched manually by manipulating image histograms to achieve the desired result. This can be a very time-consuming, labor-intensive process. Another method of performing a color preserving contrast stretch follows three steps. First, a processing system converts RGB data to a Hue Intensity Saturation (HIS) color space. Next, a contrast stretch is applied to the I (Intensity) channel within the HIS color space. Finally, the modified HIS is converted back to the RGB color space. By adjusting the Intensity channel in the HIS color space, the brightness of the image is enhanced while maintaining the hue and saturation. The image in the RGB color space thus has enhanced contrast while maintaining color balance. This technique is reliable, however, it requires significant additional processing as compared to a contrast stretch performed on RGB data as previously described. A major drawback to this type of stretch involves the significant amounts of computer processing time involved in converting from RGB to HIS space and back.
The present invention provides a system and method to process original DNs provided by a satellite imaging system to produce a set of color balanced and contrast enhanced images. The present invention enhances a multispectral digital image in a fully-automatic, systematic, and universal way, allows for the production of optimized enhanced digital image products that are cost effective and profitable, and also produces a set of quantitative surface-reflectance estimates that can be further processed by other automatic algorithms to yield specific kinds of information about the objects that have been imaged. The set of color balanced and contrast enhanced images is referred to herein as Dynamic Range Adjusted (DRA) images. The DNs in the multispectral bands may be processed using a relatively small amount of processing resources otherwise required to produce such images. Such DRA products provide relatively easy visual interpretation, and may include images in which each pixel is in an 8-bit format, four-band 8-bit or 24-bit RGB. The image may be displayed and/or printed without applying any additional contrast stretches.
In one embodiment, a method is provided for producing an enhanced digital image, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of pixels of imaging data from an imaging sensor, each of the pixels of imaging data comprising a digital number; processing the digital number of each of the pixels to determine a distribution of imaging data for the plurality of pixels, and determining the spectral radiance at top of atmosphere (TOA) of each of the plurality of pixels based on the distribution. The receiving step, in one embodiment, comprises receiving a plurality of bands of pixels of imaging data from a plurality of imaging sensors. The plurality of imaging sensors may include a blue band imaging sensor, a green band imaging sensor, a red band imaging sensor, and a near-infrared band imaging sensor. In another embodiment, the receiving step comprises receiving a plurality of top-of-atmosphere pixels of imaging data from the imaging sensors, the top-of-atmosphere pixels comprising a top-of-atmosphere digital number, and adjusting the top-of-atmosphere digital numbers based on known sensor characteristics of the imaging sensors. The step of determining a spectral radiance step may be performed independently of scene content of the digital image, and may be performed on a physical basis of the imaging data, rather than a purely statistical basis.
When processing the digital number, a lower distribution cutoff of said distribution of imaging data may be determined. The lower distribution cutoff, in an embodiment, is set at 0.1% of the cumulative distribution. In another embodiment, the lower distribution cutoff is based on a point in the cumulative distribution at which the digital numbers are indicative of the spectral radiance of the atmospheric path, hereinafter referred to as "path radiance." When the lower distribution cutoff is determined, the method may further include subtracting a digital number associated with the lower distribution cutoff from each of the plurality of pixels of imaging data. In another embodiment, the method includes determining the value of a digital number associated with the lower distribution cutoff and subtracting the digital number associated with the lower distribution cutoff from each of the plurality of pixels of imaging data when the digital number associated with the lower distribution cutoff is less than a predetermined maximum value. When the lower distribution cutoff is greater than the predetermined maximum value, the predetermined maximum value is subtracted from each of the plurality of pixels of imaging data.
In another embodiment, the contrast of a digital image is also enhanced by determining a median value of the input DNs, determining a target brightness value for the enhanced digital image, and adjusting each DN to generate an output DN, the median value of the output DNs being substantially equal to the target brightness value. When multiple bands of imaging data are present, the DNs of each band of imaging data are received from the plurality of imaging sensors. The median value of the received DNs is determined by processing the DNs of each of the bands of imaging data to determine a distribution of DNs for each of the plurality bands of imaging data, determining a median value of each of the distributions of DNs, and computing an average of the median values.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a satellite image comprising a plurality of pixels each having a value determined by: determining a magnitude of spectral radiance of each a plurality of digital numbers of raw data pixels; processing the magnitudes of spectral radiance to determine a distribution of magnitudes of spectral radiance; and calculating the value of each of the plurality of pixels based on the distribution. The step of determining a magnitude of spectral radiance may include receiving a plurality of bands of pixels of imaging data from a plurality of imaging sensors, each pixel having a digital number representing the spectral radiance received by the associated imaging sensor, and determining a magnitude of spectral radiance for each of the digital numbers for each of the bands of pixels.
In another embodiment, the magnitude of spectral radiance is compensated for at least a portion of the digital numbers for any given band of the bands of pixels based on a known non-linear response of an imaging sensor associated with the spectral band. The compensated portion of the digital numbers are digital numbers which are greater than a digital number associated with a known response roll-off for the imaging sensor. When performing the compensation, it is first determined that a digital number for a given pixel of any given band is greater than a predetermined digital number. Second, the digital numbers associated with the pixel from the remaining bands are determined and a compensated digital number based on digital numbers from the other bands is computed.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for transporting a color enhanced image towards an interested entity. The method comprises: conveying, over a portion of a computer network, an image that includes a plurality of pixels each having a value that has been determined based on a distribution of spectral radiance values associated with the plurality of pixels.
Still a further embodiment of the present invention provides a method for producing an enhanced digital image, comprising: receiving a plurality of pixels of imaging data from an imaging sensor; determining a magnitude of spectral radiance of each the plurality of pixels of imaging data; processing the magnitudes of spectral radiance to determine a distribution of magnitudes of spectral radiance for the plurality of pixels; adjusting the spectral radiance of each of the plurality of pixels based on the distribution to produce a path radiance adjusted value spectral radiance; processing the adjusted value spectral radiance for each of the plurality of pixels to determine an adjusted distribution for the plurality of pixels; assessing the adjusted distribution to determine a range of adjusted values and a median value of the range of adjusted values; and secondly adjusting the value of at least a subset of the plurality of pixels to create a second adjusted distribution wherein the median of the second adjusted distribution corresponds with a target median and the range of the second adjusted distribution corresponds with a target range.
The present invention provides a digital image that may be displayed with no further manipulation on the part of the customer or end user of the digital image. The present invention may also provide a set of quantitative surface-reflectance estimates that can be further processed by other automatic algorithms to yield specific kinds of information about the objects that have been imaged. When used to provide a digital image, a digital image collected at a satellite is spectral balanced and contrast stretched on a physical basis rather than a subjective one. A customer may use the image without additional tools, expertise, or time to perform complex digital image processing manipulations. In addition to serving the basic commercial customer, the present invention may be useful for the remote sensing expert to aid in their application. The present invention also provides an acceptable contrast stretch and spectral balance over a very wide variety of scene content. The algorithm uses known physical characteristics of the imaging sensors to estimate the actual spectral radiance measured by the satellite. A first order correction for major atmospheric effects is then applied. Finally a contrast stretch is applied to enhance the visual contrast of the image without disturbing the spectral balance. In this fashion the DRA algorithm automatically provides a visually appealing image based on standard human color perception principles.
Having generally described the process for producing an image, various embodiments of the present invention are described in greater detail. Referring to
As illustrated in
Referring now to
The satellite 100 transmits and receives data from a ground station 160. The ground station 160 of this embodiment includes a transmit/receive system 164, a data storage system 168, a control system 172, and a communication system 176. In one embodiment, a number of ground stations 160 exist and are able to communicate with the satellite 100 throughout different portions of the satellite 100 orbit. The transmit/receive system 164 is used to send and receive data to and from the satellite 100. The data storage system 168 may be used to store image data collected by the imaging system 132 and sent from the satellite 100 to the ground station 160. The control system 172, in one embodiment, is used for satellite control and transmits/receives control information through the transmit/receive system 164 to/from the satellite 100. The communication system 176 is used for communications between the ground station 160 and one or more data centers 180. The data center 180 includes a communication system 184, a data storage system 188, and an image processing system 192. The image processing system 192 processes the data from the imaging system 132 and provides a digital image to one or more user(s) 196. The operation of the image processing system 192 will be described in greater detail below. Alternatively, the image data received from the satellite 100 at the ground station 160 may be sent from the ground station 160 to a user 196 directly. The image data may be processed by the user using one or more techniques described herein to accommodate the user's needs.
Referring now to
L total(λ)=L direct(λ)+L upwelling(λ)+L downwelling(λ)
where λ indicates a dependence on wavelength. The three terms in this equation are the result of a complex radiative transfer process in the atmosphere as well as reflection by surface materials and λ indicates a dependence on wavelength. Note that the Lupwelling 204 and Ldownwelling 208 rays may undergo multiple scattering events before entering the sensor. Furthermore, atmospheric interactions may also include absorption of radiance.
The atmospheric scattering contributions, which effect the Lupwelling 204 and Ldownwelling 208 terms, are generally governed by Rayleigh and Mie scattering. Rayleigh scattering is caused by the various molecular species in the atmosphere and is proportional to λ−4. This is a selective scattering process that affects shorter wavelength radiances more than longer wavelength radiances. Because of the strong wavelength dependence of Rayleigh scattering, blue light (shorter wavelength) is scattered much more than red light (longer wavelength). This scattering mechanism generally causes the path radiance signal to be much higher in the blue channel 140 (
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring again to
Following the radiometric correction, the next step in the spectral correction of imaging data is the conversion of the radiometrically corrected data to spectral radiance, as noted at block 244. As mentioned previously, imaging data is collected in several bands. This conversion is applied to each spectral band as follows:
where Lλ,TOA (band) is the spectral radiance of the band, DN(band) is the radiometrically corrected Digital Number (DN) of the band, K(band) is the band integrated radiance conversion factor (W m−2 ster−1 DN−1), and Δ(band) is the effective bandwidth (μm) of the band. The K factors are factors that are provided for the imaging system and are described in more detail below. Once the correction listed in this equation is performed, the image data represents what the sensor measures, within radiometric error estimates. Lλ,TOA is referred to as the Top Of Atmosphere (TOA) spectral radiance.
In one embodiment, the K factors are band dependant factors that convert the input corrected DN data to band integrated radiance (in units of W m−2 sr−1). When the K factor is divided by the effective bandwidth of the spectral channel, the result, which converts input DN's TOA spectral radiance, is termed the kappa factor. The kappa factor, since it is derived from the original k factor, is also band dependant.
An example of K-factors, effective bandwidths of the sensor channels, and kappa factors are listed in Table A-1.
Spectral Radiance Conversion Factors for spectral bands.
Δλ, Effective
Kappa factor
K factor (W m−2 sr−1)
Bandwidth (μm)
(W m−2-sr−1 μm−1)
The conversion of the radiometrically corrected DNs to Lλ,TOA may thus also be performed by taking the product of kappa and the DN. The conversion to Lλ,TOA is straightforward, however, because of the small magnitude of the kappa coefficients (Table A-1), the direct application of the kappa coefficients of this example to the DN data collapses the dynamic numeric range of the imagery data into a smaller range. In the example of Table A-1, an original DN of 2047 would convert to 482.9 (blue band), which, when handled as integer numbers, is equivalent to a loss of radiometric resolution if the data is kept in integer format.
In order to provide enhanced results, in one embodiment each kappa factor is converted to a dimensionless ratio, and these ratios are applied to the DN data. This process preserves the relative spectral balances among the bands and preserves, and may in some cases enhance, the radiometric range of the adjusted DN data. The transformed factors are termed "adjusted kappa" factors and are computed as follows:
Adjusted kappa factors using the example of table A-1 for each band are listed in table A-2. Note that they are non-dimensional.
Adjusted kappa factors for the spectral bands.
Adjusted Kappa
Following the conversion to spectral radiance, the interaction of solar radiation with the atmosphere is taken into account. The atmospheric scattering contributions, which effect the Lupwelling and Ldownwelling terms, as discussed above, are generally governed by Rayleigh and Mie scattering. In one embodiment, a full atmospheric correction may take into account all three terms of Lupwelling, Ldownwelling, and Ldirect. This is a relatively complex transformation, requiring an atmospheric radiative transfer model application such as MODTRAN. These programs provide a full radiative transfer model capable of modeling the interactions of radiant energy with the Earth's atmosphere to a high degree of accuracy if the physical state of the atmosphere is well known. This process is generally very time consuming owing to the complex nature of the desired correction and the accuracy is dependent on the exact knowledge of the atmospheric constituents for each scene.
In the embodiment of
In one embodiment, the dark target DN value is estimated automatically for each band by identifying the 0.1% point in the cumulative distribution histogram for the band. This low-end cutoff represents the first DN in the band where an appreciable signal from surface objects is measured, and it is an estimate of the path radiance contribution to the band. It should be noted that this low-end cutoff at the 0.1% point in the cumulative distribution histogram is merely one example of estimating the dark target DN value. Other points in the distribution may be selected, the dark target DN value may be manually selected by a user, or the point in the distribution may be dynamically adjusted based on the scene content and distribution histogram. The low-end cutoff point is computed with respect to the adjusted DN values of this embodiment. Subtracting out this adjusted DN value from each pixel is equivalent to subtracting out the path radiance contribution from the overall TOA spectral radiance.
Once the low-end cutoff point in the image cumulative distribution histogram is identified, the DN associated with the low-end cutoff is set as the dark target DN value, also referred to as DN_path(band). The Path Radiance Corrected (PRC) DN can be computed as follows:
DNPRC(band,pixel)=DNAADJ(band, pixel)−DN_pathADJ(band)
In one embodiment, the value of DN_pathADJ(band) is determined for each spectral-band of imaging data. For example, if four bands of imagery are collected, a value is produced for DN_pathADJ(band—1), DN_pathADJ(band—2), DN_pathADJ(band—3), and DN_pathADJ(band—4) representing the blue-light, green-light, red-light, and NIR bands, respectively.
Each of these separately estimated DN_PathADJ(band) values is also related, in a direct linear way, to Lλ,TOA through the straightforward application of the band-specific K_Factor(band) and A(band) coefficients. That is,
L λ,TOA(band—1)=DN_pathADJ(band—1)�K_Factor(band—1)/Δ(band—1)
L λ,TOA(band—2)=DN_pathADJ(band—2)�K_Factor(band—2)/Δ(band—2)
L λ,TOA(band—3)=DN_pathADJ(band—3)�K_Factor(band—3)Δ(band—3)
L λ,TOA(band-4)=DN_pathADJ(band—4)�K_Factor(band—4)/Δ(band—4)
As discussed above, the combination of K_Factor/Δ is referred to as the kappa factor.
Using the example from Table A-1, values of kappa for each band are:
KAPPA—1=0.2359 Watts per square meter per steradian per micrometer per DN
KAPPA—2=0.1453 Watts per square meter per steradian per micrometer per DN
KAPPA—3=0.1785 Watts per square meter per steradian per micrometer per DN
KAPPA—4=0.1353 Watts per square meter per steradian per micrometer per DN
In turn, each Lλ,TOA(band) value can be converted to an apparent reflectance factor at the top of the atmosphere (RFTOA), as seen by an observer (RFTOA_path_band).
To calculate a value of RFTOA from each value of Lλ,TOA, three items of information are required:
The spectral irradiance of the sun at TOA (SISUNTOA),
The elevation angle, in degrees, of the sun (SUNELEV), and
The earth-sun distance, in Astronomical Units (A.U.), (D)
SISUNTOA is a known constant for each spectral band. SUNELEV and D are the same for each spectral band. SUNELEV varies from place to place on the earth and from date to date (day of year, DOY). D varies with DOY only.
With these parameters, the conversion equation from SRTOA to RFTOA is as follows:
RFTOA=L λ,TOA�pi�D�D�100%/[SISUNTOA�SIN(SUNELEV)]
where pi=3.1415927 . . . .
Values of SISUNTOA for each band are, in one example:
SISUNTOA—1=1930.11 Watts per square meter per micrometer
SISUNTOA—2=1842.47 Watts per square meter per micrometer
SISUNTOA—3=1561.61 Watts per square meter per micrometer
SISUNTOA—4=1097.64 Watts per square meter per micrometer
In one embodiment, larger errors are associated with the estimation of DN_pathADJ (band—4) than for the other DN_pathADJ(band) values. This is due to the fact that in some scenes, there are no non-reflecting surface objects in the NIR. But, in the other bands, especially in the red-light band, dark (non-reflecting) objects are commonly present in a scene, namely, dense green vegetation. RFTOA generally decreases with wavelength from Band 1 to Band 4. However, due to the various conversion factors (i.e., KAPPA and SISUNTOA), the relative values of DN_pathADJ(band) will normally not exhibit any such simple pattern of decrease with wavelength. However, since D and SIN(SUNELEV) are the same for all bands (i.e., wavelength does not affect these), the ratio of RFTOA_path—4 divided by RFTOA_path—3, called RFRATIO43, is related to the ratio of DN_path—4 divided by DN_path—3, called DNRATIO43, in a fixed way, as follows:
It is generally expected that RFRATIO43 is 0.8 or less. If RFRATIO43 is greater than 0.8, then, in one embodiment, it is assumed that the RFTOA_path—4 value is too high, and that no totally absorbing body was present in the scene as seen in the NIR band. In this case, in one embodiment, an estimate is selected as the value of RFTOA_path—4 as:
In terms of DN_pathADJ values, DNRATIO43 is normally 0.741853 or less in an embodiment. If DNRATIO43 is greater than this value, an estimate is selected as the value of DN_pathADJ(band—4) as:
In a scene with 100% cloud cover, as is often processed by the processing system, the above method identifies a path radiance equivalent (low-end) DN value that is much too high, resulting in an incorrect spectral transformation. To avoid this problem, in one embodiment, path radiance values are not allowed to exceed to an absolute maximum value. A value of 400 DNs (11 bit input data) is set as the maximum path radiance value for every band in one embodiment, although a different value may be used so long as the spectral transformation is acceptable. Actual values of path-radiance DNs are not the same for all bands and tend to be higher for blue light and green light than for red light and NIR. Nevertheless, under cloudy conditions, actual scene DNs are generally quite high (above 1500). In such cases, minor differences among path-radiance DN estimates have relatively small effects on the perceived color of the transformed imagery.
In one embodiment, a Look Up Table (LUT) is computed for each band corresponding to the DNPRC. The DNPRC values are generated on a band specific basis using the above equations. The DNorig value in the equations is simply in the integer range of the input data such as 1-2047 for 11 bit data, and 1-255 for 8 bit data. In this embodiment, intermediate computations are kept in floating point format to avoid round off and overflow errors during the calculation. Also, the results of the LUT are not allowed to exceed the allowed range of the output DN values. This can be accomplished by testing the DN value for values that fall below 1 or above the maximum DN output, and resetting the value to 1 or to the maximum accordingly.
Once the data has been converted to TOA path-radiance corrected spectral radiances, the visual contrast is enhanced to facilitate visual interpretation of the imagery.
Referring to
At block 264, the DN corresponding to the upper and lower percentile limits for each band are identified. The cutoff value of the upper DN (hi_dn) and lower DN (lo_dnADJ) is selected at block 268. The selection is made by first identifying the highest DN corresponding to the high percentile cutoff for each band in the image, and the largest of these values is selected at block 268. Similarly, the selection of lo_dn is made by identifying the lowest DN corresponding to the lower percentile cutoff for all bands in the image. The values of hi_dn and lo_dn are selected, in this embodiment, according to the following equations:
Once the values of hi_dn and lo_dn are identified, they are then converted to adjusted DNs using the following equations:
The value of the band used in the above equations is the band that contains the hi_dn and the band that contains lo_dn, respectively.
At block 272, the average target brightness value for the image is identified. The value of the average target brightness has a significant impact on the visual appearance of the image, and is often open to subjective interpretation. Thus, in an embodiment, the value of the average target brightness is configurable by a user. In other embodiments, the value is the average target brightness is preset to a value that is likely to produce a visually acceptable image. At block 276, the median of the modified DN values for each band in the image is computed. This median is computed by determining the median value of the cumulative image histogram for each band. At block 280, the average of the medians from each band is computed. In one embodiment the average of the medians from each band is computed according to the following equation:
where median(band) indicates the median value of the original image for the given band. Following the computation of the average of the medians for each band, a gamma factor (G) is computed, according to block 284. The value of G is determined by using the average target brightness value for the image and computing the value of G needed to bring the overall median brightness of the image up to the target brightness value. In one embodiment, G is computed based on the desired target brightness and the average brightness according to the following equation:
where avg_median_dn is the average of the median modified DN values for each band in the image; max_dn is the maximum DN value of the image output (i.e. 255 for 8-bit products or 2047 for 11-bit products); and trgt_dn is the DN value of the target brightness in the image.
In the embodiment of
where DNPRC is the TOA path radiance corrected DN, lo_dnADJ is the lowest cutoff from all the bands, hi_dnADJ is the highest cutoff from all the bands, G is the gamma factor, and hi_value is the maximum DN desired in the output image. The stretch equation is applied to each pixel in each band to produce a stretched DN value for the pixel. This technique increases the intensity of each channel without materially changing the hue and saturation of the imagery. The resulting image product maintains the correct spectral balance of the imagery while providing an acceptable level of contrast enhancement. The result is a visually appealing image that requires no manipulation for proper display. The results of the algorithm generally do not depend on scene content, and interpretation of the product requires little or no experimentation or "guessing" by the remote sensing analyst.
In one embodiment, as mentioned above, a lookup table is used to determine a path radiance corrected DN for each pixel in a band. In this embodiment, the original pixel values (for each band) are read in from the original image. These DNs are used as an index into the DNPRC lookup tables to retrieve the value of DNPRC in the stretch equation. The stretch is then applied and the pixel value is written out to the image. In one embodiment, the value of the DN for each pixel is evaluated to verify that the DN value is not outside of certain limits following the application of the stretch equation. For example, if the DNprc-lo_dn is less than 0, then DNstretch is set to 1. In this embodiment, the DN value of zero is reserved for blackfill. Similarly, if DNprc is greater than the hi_value, then DNstretch is set to be the hi_value.
In another embodiment of the present invention, spectral compensation may be generated for known imaging sensor non-linearities. As is known, each band of imagery has an associated imaging sensor that receives radiance from the particular band of interest. In some cases, the sensor may have a non-linear response, and provide DN values that reach a maximum limit when the amount of radiance received at the sensor is above a threshold limit. Referring to
In an embodiment, spectral feathering is performed according to the flow chart illustration of
In one embodiment, a spectral band (denoted by "band") has a known non-linearity. In this embodiment, for a particular pixel (denoted by "pixel"), it is determined if the DN value of the pixel in the band is greater than the rolloff value for the band (denoted by "band_rolloff"). If so, the pixel requires spectral compensation. In this case, first, the amount of compensation required to adjust the pixel is determined as follows:
where band_lmt is the DN value beyond which the sensor becomes non-linear, band_rolloff is the DN corresponding to the beginning of the non-linear behavior, and input_dn(pixel,band) indicates the DN value associated with the given pixel in the band that requires compensation. The values of fraction are bounded as follows to provide a numerically consistent result:
if (fraction<0) then fraction=1
if (fraction>1) then fraction=1
Physically the value of fraction represents how much compensation is to be applied to the pixel. A value of zero indicates no compensation, while a value of one indicates full compensation. In order to compensate the pixel for any known non-linearity of detector response, pixel values from adjacent spectral bands are used. The average output value of the adjacent spectral bands is computed according to the following equation:
where output_dn(pixel,band+1) indicates the output DN value of the spectrally adjacent band of longer wavelength than the band to be compensated, and output_dn(pixel,band−1) indicates the output DN value of the spectrally adjacent band of shorter wavelength than the band to be compensated. In the situation where the band to be compensated does not lie spectrally between any sensor bands, two bands of either longer or shorter wavelength than the band to be compensated may be used. The final compensated pixel value is determined as follows:
where output_value(pixel,band) is the uncompensated DN corresponding to the pixel in the band that requires compensation, fraction is computed above, and ave_dn_out is computed above. In this manner the pixel value is spectrally compensated in a smoothly varying manner using spectral information from adjacent spectral bands. This technique is referred to as "spectral feathering."
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jan 18, 1984
|Jul 21, 1987
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Image correction processing method and apparatus
|May 6, 1986
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|U.S. Classification
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NW Regional Championships 2015
This year's North West Regional Championships were held over 3 weekends in May and June in Liverpool and Manchester.
To qualify for the Regional Championships is a huge achievement in itself, and our 9 swimmers did extremely well in this competition where the standard of swimming is extremely high, achieving a fantastic 19 final & reserve final places.
Thomas Dugdale (13) had a long wait until the final day of the Championships to compete in the 50m Butterfly. Tom had a strong swim, finishing in 12th position.
Aimee Banks (14) has come of age this year and had an outstanding competition, reaching the final in 5 of her events. 4th place in the final of the 50m Backstroke was the highlight for her and a PB of 32.72 qualified Aimee for her first ASA Championships in August.
Ella Mounsey (14) swam very well, finishing in the top 11 in all 3 of her events, achieving PBs and reserve finalist positions in the 100 & 200m Backstroke events.
Hannah Edwards (14) qualified for several events this year and put in some solid performances. Her three Breaststroke swims were all top 14 finishes, with a 50m Breaststroke PB achieving a reserve finalist position.
Alex Livingstone (14) had a great competition, achieving PBs and top 15 places in 3 of her 4 events, including an excellent 800m Freestyle swim during the first weekend.
Emily Reay (15) has battled with injury this season and despite a very unfortunate DQ at the start of the 50m Freestyle, swam well in the 50m Backstroke and 100m Freestyle events.
Holly Salisbury (15) swam in 4 Freestyle events, and achieved reserve finalist positions in the 50 & 100m Freestyle, with a PB of 29.51 in the 50m event.
Jess Shatford (16) has also battled injury this year, but managed two smooth, powerful swims in the 50m Breaststroke heat and final to finish in 4th place with a PB of 35.09. This time qualified Jess for the British Championships in July.
Competing in the Open age group, Josh Thompson (17) had a superb competition, reaching finals in 8 out of his 9 events. A very strong swim of 30.11 was enough to win the 50m Breaststroke, but Josh's highlights were his excellent performances in the Freestyle events with PB's and 2nd, 4th and 5th place finishes in 50m (24.07), 100m (52.54) and 200m (1.55.95).
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This year's event was hosted by the North East Division at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre on 27/28 June and 17 year old Josh Thompson represented the North West Division, competing for the senior team.
As always, the event provided lots of fast paced swimming and an awful lot of noise from the swimmers as they cheered on their team mates.
Josh won Bronze medals in both the 100m (1.06.34) and 200m (2.25.19) individual Breaststroke events and Bronze with the Medley relay team.
The last events of the weekend were the 4 x 100m Freestyle relay event. The points were close and there was everything to play for. With every event the noise levels soared and a series of thrilling races provided a fantastic end to the competition. Josh and the senior boys brought home a Silver medal and then waited with the rest of the North West team for the final results.North West Division were the overall winners!
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Otters at the Great North Swim
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Otters Rock again in Blackpool
The Blackpool Rocks Open Swimming meet proved a big draw for up and coming young swimmers from Carnforth Otters with 37 travelling to compete. Between them they lifted the club into 3rd position overall behind Wigan Best and Pioneer 79. The event was open to youngsters starting out in their competitive swimming career and to older more experienced swimmers as practice before the all important Regional and National Championships.
At the younger end, 9 year old McKennzie Ronson Horrocks put in an incredible swim in the 200m free to win with a time of 2:44.15. McKennzie also dominated in the 100 Free (1:17.78) and the 50m Backstroke (41.07) to collect 3 gold's in his first open meet. 14 year old Benjamin Winterburn also took gold in the 200m Freestyle with a 6 second personal best to finish in first place with a time of 2:16.18. Holly Salisbury (14) also took gold in the 200 Free with a time of 2:12.05 and the 50m Free with a 29.05 with brother Connor (12) taking gold in the 100 Fly with a time of 1:22.40. Aimee Banks (14) swam a superb gold medal swim in the 50 Fly coming in on 32.27. Aimee also took gold in the 100 Free in 1:02.62. Further gold medals where taken in the 50 Free by Christopher Stainton (14) with a time of 27.41. All our gold medallist took a significant share of Silvers and Bronze medals as well.
In addition to our gold medal swimmers, a number of our young Otters put in great swims to clinch Silver and Bronze medals. Zara Wilson (9) held her nerve in the 200 backstroke to take Silver with a time of 3:29.02. Rhys Ashton (10) took Silver in the 400m Free with a time of 5:46.23, Bronze in the 200 Free with a time of 2:42.47 and Bronze in the 50 Free at 33.19. Mathew Crabtree (13) swam a solid personal best of 34.55 in the 50 Backstroke to take Silver and 29.07 in 50 Free to take Bronze. Ella Mounsey (13) took a Bronze in the 400 Free with a time of 4:42.35. Hannah McMillan (9) took Bronze in 200m Free in 3:02.78, Connor Sisson (12), Silver in 100Fly in 1:37.39 , Connor White Silver in 100 Breaststroke in 1:31.13, Ace Bower (10) Bronze in 100m Backstroke in 1:30.89 and also 50m Backstroke in 40.73.
It was also great to see many other Carnforth Otters swimmers competing for the first time including Louie Drummond (11), Kirsty Maher (9), Ellie Jenkins (9) and Anya white (9). Well done also to Maia Bishop (9), Ellie Howley (10), Alice Sands (11), Lydia Shenton (13), Lydia Denby (13), Isabelle Woodman (13), Timothy Woodman (11), Charles Moore (11), Sacha Robb (10), George Cookson (11), Alexander Tokarski (11), Jack Collett (9), Hayden Mills (10), Kiera Richmond (12), Sadie Spencer (14), Thomas Dowthwaite (11) and Joshua Rigby (11) who all swam personal bests.
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Josh Competes at the British Championships
16 year old Josh Thompson recently competed at the British Championships at the Olympic pool in London. Competing at the younger end of a two year age group, Josh was swimming amongst the country�s best junior and senior swimmers, all vying for selection in GB teams for European and World Championships. Josh�s first event was the 50m Freestyle where a great early morning time of 24.17 was right on his personal best. An hour or so later, Josh lined up for his 100m Breaststroke heat alongside British record holder Adam Peaty. Despite an excellent first half of the race, a finishing time of 1.06.30 was 1� seconds off Josh's best time and not fast enough for a place in the final.
Although very disappointed with the Breaststroke swim, Josh thoroughly enjoyed the experience of competing at such an incredible event- invaluable experience for him going forward.
In the finals session the same evening, the crowd were treated to a thrilling senior final where Peaty broke the World Record in the 100 Breaststroke!
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OSG Solicitors Sponsor Otters
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County's 2015 Roundup
Despite battling against nerve damage to her arm and a long term knee injury throughout the autumn and early spring, a very determined Emily put in some great performances at the Cumbria County Championships with 2 PBs and 3 regional times. She is the 14 Years 50m Girls Backstroke Champion for Cumbria and claimed 3 second places and 2 thirds. Well done to Emily!Hannah Edwards
Hannah had a super championships and achieved her goal of qualifying for the NW Regional Championships in 9 different events. She is the 13 year old girls Cumbria Champion in 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, and had 3 second and 4 third places. A broken finger prevented her from competing in the final weekend � the things people do to get out of swimming an 800M! Roll on the Regionals!Ella Mounsey
Ella had some absolutely stunning swims at the Cumbria County Championships and gained many excellent new PB�s across the board. She has gained Regional times in the 100m Backstroke with an impressive PB of 1.11.79 and the 200m Backstroke. In the 400 Freestyle Ella smashed her PB, recording a time some 9 seconds inside the qualifying time (short course). She gained 3 second places in the 13 year old age group and 5 third places. Great work Ella!Alex Aglioli
Despite having missed training from a long term shoulder injury Alex put in some good performances at the Age Groups.Well done Alex and fingers crossed for an injury free spring and summer!Lancashire County Championships
Some excellent performances across the board from all our swimmers who competed at the Lancashire County Championships this year. Clocking plenty of Regional qualifying times along the way, they also managed to achieve 18 places in the finals in this highly competitive event.
First timers at these Championships Ace Bower (10), George Cookson (11) and Lydia Denby (14) had a great time experiencing competition at this level, as well as getting their first taste of a 50 metre pool. Youngsters Ace and George held their nerve to produce some great swims, with George finishing in the top 10 in three events and top 20 in the rest. Lydia put in solid performances in all of her events, an unfortunate DQ in the 200m Freestyle not dampening her spirit.
The 14 & 15 year old girls were a force to be reckoned with :
Aimee Banks (14) had an outstanding meet, achieving places in the final of all of her 5 sprint events and winning a Silver and 2 Bronze medals with some super personal best times. Top 7 placings across all of her events show how far Aimee has progressed in the last year.
Versatile Alex Livingstone (14) competed across a wide range of events, putting in some excellent performances. Six top 10 places and a finalist in the 100m Backstroke reflect Alex�s continuing improvement and personal determination. Holly Salisbury (15) finished in the top 20 in all of her Freestyle and Backstroke events, narrowly missing a medal in the 100m Freestyle, and finishing the competition with an excellent time in the 200m Freestyle.
Alice Sands (11) continues to show great promise, finishing in the top 12 in 3 events with some great swims in the 50 & 200m Breaststroke and 200m Backstroke.
Jess Shatford (16) competing in the Open age group, looked good in her 50 & 100m Breaststroke events, finishing 7th & 9th respectively.
Rhys Ashton (11) achieved top 20 placings in all four of his events with some solid swims.
Thomas Dugdale (13) is another swimmer who continues to show great promise. Despite a DQ on the 200m Butterfly on the first weekend in Liverpool, Thomas kept his cool in Manchester and delivered some great times. As well as three top 20 finishes, he achieved a place in the finals of the 50m and 100m Butterfly events. Finishing 6th in the 50 Fly final, Thomas then produced an incredible 3 second PB in the 100m final to come in 4th.
Matthew Crabtree (13) swam PBs in his 3 Freestyle events, finishing 12th and 9th respectively in the 100 & 200m Freestyle, then going on to secure place in the final of the 50m Freestyle. Matthew produced another PB in the final finishing in 8th place.
Josh Thompson had a good competition winning several medals including Golds in the 50m Freestyle and 50m Breaststroke events. However, the highlight of the Championships for him was his superb time of 53.27 in the 100m Freestyle final.
Other swimmers who competed at the County Championships: Charles Moore (12), Kiera Richmond (13), Lydia Louise Shenton (13), Hannah Ritchie (13), Ben Winterburn (14), Amie Turner (15), Chris Stainton (15) and Mary Hodgson (18)It's back to training now and those swimmers who have achieved qualifying times will be looking forward competing in the North West Regional Championships in May and June. Josh is also preparing to travel to London in April to compete in the British Championships and swim for the first time in the Olympic pool.
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Superb North Lancs Age Groups for Otters
The new competition season got off to a great start for Otters at the North Lancs Age Groups in January. Held across two weekends in Blackpool, 50 swimmers from across the club entered the meet. Several younger swimmers were competing for the very first time: Ace Bower, Sasha Robb, Hannah McMillan, Maia Bishop, Zara Wilson, Pippa Darlington, Jack Collet, Sid Metcalfe, Tim Woodman, Aleksander Tokarski, Isabelle Woodman, Jake Edwards all gained some valuable experience and put in some solid performances with 9 year old Ace finishing in top 5 positions in all of his events with some fantastic times. At the other end of the club, it was a privilege for everyone to watch Masters World Record holder Sophie Casson swim 4.20.80 in the 400m Freestyle.
Producing 235 personal best times and 54 medals, the competition saw some excellent performances with 27 swimmers achieving County qualifying times and many achieving Regional times as well. Ace Bower (9), George Cookson (10) and Lydia Denby (13) all qualified for the Lancashire County Championships for the first time.
10 year olds George Cookson and Alice Sands put their mark on the competition with George finishing in the top 5 in six of his events and Alice finishing in the top 10, bagging 6 medals in the process.11 year olds Sunni Rich and Charles Moore and Thomas Dugdale (12), finished in the top 10 in all their events.
With some superb swims, Aimee Bank (13) won medals in all her 8 events, including 6 Golds. The 13 year old girls were a force to be reckoned with, especially in the 200m Freestyle and 200m Backstroke, with Aimee, Hannah Edwards, Alex Livingstone and Ella Mounsey all finishing in the top 10 in these events. Hannah and Alex continued their form throughout the competition with top 10 finishes in all their events.
14 year olds Emily Reay, Holly Salisbury, Ben Winterburn, Richard Mead and Chris Stainton all swam well, with the girls finishing in the top 6 in all of their events and the boys in the top 15 in theirs.
Jess Shatford (15) swam in the Breaststroke events, winning Gold in the 50m and Silver in the 100 & 200m events.
William Ritchie (16) finished in the top 8 in his events, achieving 6 personal best times and winning 4 Silver medals.
Josh Thompson (16) had an excellent competition, producing a string of top ranking times and a 50m Freestyle time of 23.19 which ranks as the 5th fastest ever for a 16 year old.
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Otters TRI for the Charity Headway
Fourteen Carnforth Otters swimmers formed five teams and took part in the 3-1-5 indoor triathlon relay in order to raise funds for the charity Headway. Headway, Lancaster and Morecambe Bay, are a self-funding group which offers support to people with Brain Injuries and their carers within the district. Many of the team members exchanged their usual swimming attire for running and cycling kit with four teams completing the sprint distance (400m swim, 6 mile bike, 3 mile run), and one team in the Olympic distance (800m swim, 12mile bike, 6 mile run). The teams included a club coach and there was also a mum's team.
The swimmers chose the charity as club captain Mary Hodgson's dad was in a serious cycling crash two years ago and the swimming club members were very supportive of her family whilst he was in hospital. Once home, Headway helped her dad and the rest of her family come to terms with his injuries.
In total the swimmers raised £100 in entry fees and £370 in sponsorship monies. This week the swimmers invited members of the Headway group along to see them train in their more usual environment of the swimming pool and handed them a cheque for the monies they had raised.
Jason Le Masurier, a member of Headway who has recently competed in his first triathlon commented, "It was great to see these young people taking part in the indoor triathlon and Headway will put this money to good use encouraging and supporting its members to become as active as is possible."
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North Lancs Age Groups, January
- Mon 22nd Dec 1 -3pm
- Tue 23rd Dec 1- 3pm
- Sat 27th Dec 12 - 2 pm
- Sun 28th Dec 12 - 2pm
- Tue 30th Dec 11 - 1 pm
- Sun 4th Jan 12pm- 2pm (only for normal Sunday group as Salt Ayre closed 4th January.
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Training CANCELLED at Salt Ayre due to Microleague fixture.
This particularly affects CARNFORTH and HEYSHAM swimmers. Please ALL check the timetable.

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Chard with Shallots, Pancetta & Walnuts
From EatingWell: December 2006, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)
For this simple sautéed chard, flavored with rich-tasting pancetta and walnuts, we prefer the milder taste of green chard.
Makes: 6 servings, 2/3 cup each
Active Time:
Total Time:
Nutrition Profile
Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | Gluten free |View Our Nutrition Guidelines »
- 2 thin slices pancetta, (1 1/2 ounces), diced (see Tip)
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 pound chard, stems and leaves separated, chopped (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Cook pancetta in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring, until it begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Add shallots, chard stems and thyme to the pan drippings and cook, stirring, until the shallots begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chard leaves, water and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat; stir in the pancetta, walnuts and pepper.
Tips & Notes
- Tips: Pancetta is an unsmoked Italian bacon usually found in the deli section of large supermarkets and specialty food stores. Regular or turkey bacon may be substituted.
- To toast chopped walnuts: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Note: After washing the chard, allow some of the water to cling to the leaves. It helps steam the chard and prevents a dry finished dish.
Per serving: 62 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 252 mg sodium; 452 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin K (346% daily value), Vitamin A (90% dv), Vitamin C (25% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat
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Intex Mp3 Wireless FM Modulator with USB & SD Card Slots + Full RemoteDon't assume that all Mp3 modulators are the same quality. They may all look the same, but there is a huge difference between the audio quality of a decent modulator and that of a cheap one. Intex is a trusted brand and these modulators will not dissapoint. Use this device to transmit mp3 music to your Car Radio using a FM signal. Music can be loaded on a flash drive or Micro SD card. It also comes with a full remote and a audio cable should your car be equiped with an Aux input.
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Hi guys,
ok here is my dilema.
When a user logs in it updates the db and changes the time field and inserts the current time ( unix time stamp )
then every page they visit it updates the time
if that user closes the browser without logging out they are still shown as online because they havent cleared the sessions and updated the db.
what i want to know is .. is there a way i can determine whether a user is still online by checking the time in the db with the current time and if no activity for 30 mins then set them to offline.
im new to using the unix time stamp
any help would be grately appreciated


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6 Reviews
I've came up with the same idea, very convenient! You can make it into Tom Yum paste or anything you want in a min. Adding some sesame seeds oil and salt helps keep it fresh.
I only made a small portion to use in an egg recipe but I will be making this often as I use a lot of Ginger-Garlic and this would be so handy. I used very little water so it did not become a true paste but it was very finely chopped Thanks for this useful recipe
This was very good in Akoori (Indian Scrambled Eggs) Recipe 5234 I used one head of Garlic and approx. the same amount of fresh Ginger in the food processor. I did have trouble getting it pasty and think I put in too much water. The flavor was still great and I will be making this one again. Thank you for posting it !
Thanks Ranikabani for making cooking easier!This is great to have on hand for making batches of chutney Traditional Mango Chutney,so I now make about a cup or so at a time. The color is more of a pale lime green, not unpleasant, in the clear glass container I keep it in. I couldn't get it to a pastey texture in my glass blender and it seemed to react slighty with the rubber seal or something, so what I do to get it as fine as possible is use a grater, then transfer to cutting board-using a large chopping knife I mince it very fine. *For those using soy sauce there is an interesting tip here at #174296.
I used equal amounts of ginger and garlic,both fresh. I used water in the blender. A little at a time, so it would continue to make a paste. I stored in a small red pimento jar. Less air space. I make a paste of garlic and onion using the same method, only chopping the onion. This is very strong, so use sparingly in recipes until you obtain the correct amount for your taste buds.
It's difficult to rate a recipe that doesn't give an indication of quantities, so I'm just posting this comment. I think Ranikabani's helpful note about dis-colouration is certainly worth a "thank you". I would be very alarmed to see this going green.


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Is the starter on a 1997 cavalier 2.2 4cyl. Interchangable with the starter on a 1986 chevy camaro cabriolette?
What is the part number and specs on it, ie crank torque, and electrical
on 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
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What engine is in the camaro?
try www.alldatadiy.com


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Hourly - Entry Level ($) - Est. Time: More than 6 months, 30+ hrs/week - PostedSkills: Business Development Lead generation Sales
This is a LONG TERM position with enormous growth potential. You will have the chance to become part of a team and shape the future of a fast-growing business. Your main responsibilities include tasks like managing the brand of the product, managing clients and partners, generate new business opportunities, developing long-term relationships with clients, etc. The position also includes attractive sales commissions for the right candidate. About Us: We are a renowned organization that is driven by the passion to help others, to change the world and to have a positive impact on a lot of people's lives around the planet. We are a small team with an excellent success track record. Requirements • Proven sales and client acquisition experience • Proven Business development or other relevant experience • Demonstrated ability to communicate, present and influence credibly and effectively at all levels of the organization • Be able to monitor and update your daily tasks in an autonomous way • Very solid understanding of business matters • Experience in delivering client-focused solutions based on customer needs • Proven ability to manage multiple projects at same time. • Excellent listening, negotiation, communication and presentation skills • Fluent in English (mandatory) - written and spoken (almost no detectable accent preferred) • We give preference to applicants who have had previous experience in the speaker industry, but not mandatory. Responsibilities • Be proactive in sales, reach out to new clients and generate new business opportunities and partners • Operate as the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to your customers • Build and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships • Develop a trusted advisor relationship with key accounts and customer stakeholders • Ensure the timely and successful delivery of our solutions according to customer needs and objectives • Forecast and track key account metrics • Communicate clearly the progress of plan initiatives to internal and external stakeholders Please let us know your Skype ID for communication and your earliest date of availability


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Police have arrested the second suspect in connection with the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
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Pittsburgh's Action News 4 wants to see who has the best backyards or patios across Western Pennsylvania.
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In a last-minute effort to declare which Russians are eligible to attend the Olympics in Rio, the governing bodies of two dozen sports have been scrambling to clear eligible competitors with the start of the Games just days away.
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HBO says it will not be moving forward with another installment of the reality series "Project Greenlight," produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Adaptive Studios.
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Mexico grave yields 51 bodies
Dead believed to be casualties of drug war
MEXICO CITY – Forensic workers have recovered 51 bodies, some burned and mutilated, from a mass grave believed linked to Mexico's raging drug war, authorities said Saturday.
The site near a trash dump in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon is the second-largest clandestine grave found in recent weeks.
Nuevo Leon Gov. Rodrigo Medina said most of the dead were probably drug traffickers killed in fighting with rivals. But he acknowledged that the bodies had yet to be identified.
"They could have been people linked to organized crime, (killed in) a clash, in the war that the cartels are fighting among themselves," he told reporters.
"It undoubtedly shows the level of violence with which they confront each other."
At least three women were among the dead, authorities said, and the rest were men, aged between 20 and 50 and many bearing tattoos.
"The tattoos may tell us if they belonged to one group or the other," said Adrian de la Garza, head of a state police agency.
Some of the bodies were burned and some were dismembered. Several had their hands tied with rope or cords. They didn't appear to have been dead for more than 15 days, de la Garza said.
Digging began Thursday, when a military patrol reported seeing body parts and disturbed dirt in a field near the town of Juarez, and concluded Saturday. Workers used backhoes to move the earth and refrigerated trucks to hold the corpses.
About 25,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led offensive against powerful drug cartels shortly after taking office in December 2006. Calderon has said most of the dead are traffickers, but victims also include police, soldiers, mayors and civilians.
In late May, another mass grave, at an abandoned silver mine near the picturesque city of Taxco, yielded 55 bodies.
Saving for the future
sponsored According to two 2015 surveys, 62 percent of Americans do not have enough savings to handle an unexpected emergency, much less any long-term plans.


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(0) Comments | Posted May 11, 2016 | 5:59 PM
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up: "Springing Into May 2016"
© Jill Lynne, 2016
With much to catch-up on including....
T Bone Burnett headlined The Jazz Foundation of America's 25t Annual Loft Party (one of our most favorite NYC events) and the forever-energetic Keith Richards brings the house down at "A Great...
(0) Comments | Posted September 30, 2015 | 6:54 PM
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne, 2015
Seasonal transitions are exciting. We look forward to NYC's wonderful autumnal events and happenings while saying a fond farewell to summer.
However they can also bring anxiety - a marking point when we re-evaluate our achievements and goals while wondering what the future...
(0) Comments | Posted August 6, 2015 | 3:32 PM
Beginning in early childhood we are conditioned to think of summer as that special time of respite from the norm of our lives - a joyous celebration of nature - from the lush green of countryside's with clean mountain air to the sandy azure blue waves of the seashore -...
(0) Comments | Posted May 6, 2015 | 12:58 PM
JOY & Meaning; The Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne May 2015
The New York Foundling & PetitePARADEs Pop-Up, Designer Victor de Souza's Hat Collection, Th Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Spring Luncheon,The NEW Whitney Museum of American Art Opens, The Marlborough Gallery...
(0) Comments | Posted April 16, 2015 | 9:52 AM
CELEBRATING Life:
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up; April 2015
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne 2015
Arianna Huffington's THRIVE, Gretchen Rubin's "Better Than Before", Albert Maysles Documentary IRIS, The NYC Mission Society, HBO, Rosie O'Donnell, Women's Heart Health and The Red Dress Collection...
How wondrous to once again feel Nature's...
(0) Comments | Posted April 8, 2015 | 6:16 PM
WARMING Into Spring
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up: April 2015
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne, 2015
Designer Palph Puuci and "The Art Of The Mannequin" at MAD, DIOR & I, the new Fashion Docu spotlighting Designer Raf Simmons, Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner, JOY by Jen Patou at Bergdorf's,...
(0) Comments | Posted March 2, 2015 | 2:03 PM
The days are getting longer -- two minutes per day noted this week's Newscaster.
And the angle of the light has changed!
We are slowly easing out of winter's long hibernation, and are enthusiastically ready to "spring" into the new season.
(0) Comments | Posted January 19, 2015 | 11:35 PM
The New Year, "SIDE SHOW", "Mr. Turner", "Big Eyes", Goya at The National Arts Club. "Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire" at The Metropolitan Museum, "After The War Is Over" by Jennifer Robson, Bird Watching for Couch's Kingbird.
We decided to take time off during this holiday...
(0) Comments | Posted November 23, 2014 | 9:22 PM
The American Indian College Fund with Idina Menzel, The VOSS Foundation "Women Helping Women" Luncheon at the Downtown Dream, New York Foundling and The Literary Salon, "If Nuns Rued The World" by Jo Piazza, "The Daughters of Kabul" by Jenny Nordberg, The Jazz Foundation of America Gala Concert at The...
(0) Comments | Posted October 23, 2014 | 1:45 AM
The new season has begun -- and with it a rush of exciting cultural, charitable and social events. The challenge -- that "clone problem," wishing we could be in multiple locations simultaneously.
The two theater events, I recommend, both focus on the lives of important cultural figures that left indelible...
(1) Comments | Posted September 25, 2014 | 12:58 AM
"Pride" the Film, "Art And Craft" the Documentary, "Love's Labors" a new Exhibition by Pat Lasch, the New York Women's Foundation Le Cirque Luncheon, "Somewhere In France" a new novel, Southampton - The new Parrish Art Museum, The Southampton Center, Sunset on the Beach...
Clear cerulean blue skies present a...
(0) Comments | Posted August 14, 2014 | 11:13 AM
Celebrating Into August:The Cultural & Charitable Catch-up
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne 2014
Tibet House and Menla Mountain Retreat, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, "China Dolls" by Lisa See, Hamilton's Soda Fountain, "The Hundred Foot Journey"...
I celebrated my birthday at...
(0) Comments | Posted July 11, 2014 | 5:44 AM
Smiling Into Summer
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up; July 2014
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne 2014.
Jeff Koons, The Whitney Museum of Art Moves Downtown, "The Invention Of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd, "The Ocean At The End of The Lane" by Neil Gaiman, "Siddharth" by Richard Mehta, The...
(0) Comments | Posted June 12, 2014 | 12:18 PM
Warming Into June; Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up
Central Parks Mini-Regatta, MFIT's Couture Council, Designer Ralph Rucci, The Lighthouse Gild's POSH Sale, Gala & Interesting History, Audra McDonald, Billie Holiday & Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, MAD Museum's "Multiple Exposures: Jewelry & Photography", Furnishings by Ilana Goor at Urban...
(0) Comments | Posted May 12, 2014 | 9:51 AM
Text & Photos © Jill Lynne, May 2014
The Charitable Hosts, Jean and Martin Shafiroff
Jean Shafiroff with Honored Pit, Lady Belle Marie and "Sister" Mini-Rescue
Charitably yours attended the kick-off cocktail for the Southampton Animal...
(0) Comments | Posted April 24, 2014 | 1:36 PM
The Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up: April 2014
Text & Photographs © Jill Lynne, 2014
The Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The ORPHAN TRAIN, the film "Belle" , The Faberge Egg Hunt & historical documentary...
It was last week when I was a guest of...
(0) Comments | Posted March 18, 2014 | 4:14 PM
The warmer weather's promise of spring provided a welcome backdrop for three, charitable, very social benefits. The ladies of the social set were all out -- decked in gorgeous designer gowns -- looking almost like spring fleurs.
The Women's Project Theater presented its 29th Annual Gala Celebration, Honoring Women of...
(0) Comments | Posted February 5, 2014 | 4:42 PM
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up with FAVS & Commentary
Text & Photographs (c) Jill Lynne, February 2014
Pete Seeger, The Tibet House Benefit, French Jazz, Smalls, Outsider Artist Purvis Young, TAIM, NFLs 50 Yard Dinner, Isabel Allende's Maya's Notebook & Ripper, Karen Thompson Waler's The Age of Miracles, FGI's Rising Fashion...
(0) Comments | Posted October 27, 2013 | 11:28 PM
C & C Catch-Up
Cultural & Charitable Catch-Up
The Jazz Foundation's Loft Party, "A Time To Kill", "12 Years A Slave", The Abbey Theater at Irish Arts, Dr. Eli Wiesel, Nick Brandt's "Across The Ravaged Land" at Hasted Kraeutler, Hedy Klineman's Buddhas at Tibet House, East Berlin...
(0) Comments | Posted August 28, 2013 | 4:18 PM
CULTURAL & CHARITABLE Catch-Up: August 2013
The Summer of Cultural Infusion:
The BUTLER, SPARK:A BURNING MAN STORY, SOUL DOCTOR, AVENUE Q, ILUMINATE,TED...
Text and Photographs © Jill Lynne, August 27, 2013
Summer 2013. The summer of Cultural Infusion!
How blissed am I to have been born...


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No Man's Sky: Dutch-based company claims Hello Games used patented superformula to create game
Jul 20, 2016 | 27 Comments
Later tonight, Vita owners will be able to download the latest system software update, version 2.10. Sony noted in a blog post today the new enhancements you can expect, including a new folder system that allows you to organize your games and apps. While folders are the highlight other features include:
Check out a few screenshots from the new update above. We'll be sure to let you know once the update goes live.


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Away of saying "let's get it on" that doesn't offend females. In fact they find it cute.
Let's find a place to park, hop in the back seat, and whookie poo.
od uživatele Patrick Kinne 30. prosinec 2007
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E-maily jsou odesílány z adresy firstname.lastname@example.com. Nikdy vám nebudeme posílat spam.×


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7. Helen Keller is said to have brought the very first Akita to the United States.... READ ON
The history of canine transmissible venereal tumor is a weird one.... READ ON
A laboratory in Bengaluru is in the process of releasing 156 beagles.... READ ON
Learn more about the elegant pooch (and its butterfly-like ears). ... READ ON
One organization has already outfitted 300 animals with the "magic collars."... READ ON
A homesick sheepdog in the UK has travelled 240 miles to find his original owners.... READ ON
These fluffy dogs are worth getting to know.... READ ON
You may consider Fido part of the family, but that doesn't mean your landlord will feel the same.... READ ON
7. In Namibia, the impressive breed keeps both sheep, and the endangered cheetahs that prey on those sheep, safe.... READ ON
Menu items include peanut butter-banana cookies and fried chicken necks. ... READ ON
Stop in the name of cuteness. ... READ ON
It automatically uploads the pictures to Facebook. ... READ ON
Surprise!... READ ON
Learn more about Australia's half-wild canine. ... READ ON
Animal behavior and welfare researcher Karen Griffin is looking for pet owners and shelter employees willing to record themselves playing with their four-legged friends.... READ ON
JoJo the comfort dog helps patients relax at one Illinois dental practice. ... READ ON


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Urban Legend (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]
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Product Description
Genre: Suspense
Rating: R
Release Date: 22-JUL-2008
Media Type: Blu-Ray
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Cast: Alicia Witt, Jared Leto, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, Tara Reid, Robert Englund.
Running Time: 108 minutes.
Rated R for violence, gore, language, and mild sexual situations.
With the success of "Scream" (1996) and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), director Jamie Blanks cashes in on this second wave of slasher-hyseria with this slick, innovative angle towards the genre. The opening scene sets the tone for the entire film: a lone traveling college woman stops at a gas station to fill up, only to be harrassed by the sales clerk. Little does she know that the clerk is only struggling to warn her about the murderous maniac wielding an axe is hiding in her back seat.
This, of course, is an urband legend that has been passed down from generation to generation. Alicia Witt stars as a normal student adjusting to college life, only to have her friends being knocked off by a killer in strange fashion--all die similarly to famous urban legends. With the help from the sly journalist Leto, they attempt to track down the killer before it is too late.
Certainly a film that is better than expected, with an intense, smart script and suitable acting. Blanks does a fine job using certain camera angles and shots to portray the killer as mysterious and unknown. Look for Robert Englund, who plays Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films, in a brief cameo as a college professor--he is almost as scary in this flick as his others. Rivals both "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in style and authenticity.
In fact it's extremely difficult, watching this, to give a toss who it is. It's one of the dullest, most mechanical, most derivative, least frightening horror movies I've seen recently. The plot, first of all, is a straight rip-off from the 'Scream' franchise, a plot line Craven has already done so thoroughly to death the last thing anyone needs is a retread anytime soon. The only twist is the urban legend angle which is also of course pinched from assorted other movies, most notably 'Candyman'. And most of the urban legends the film invokes are again just a set of horror movie clichés swiped from films like 'When a Stranger Calls' and 'Candyman' itself.
There are various tricks a director can use to keep an audience on edge during the bits of a movie when nothing genuinely scary is going on. A favourite one is this. Character X is wandering round alone and gets a terrible fright when they meet someone unexpectedly. Stick a sudden loud discordant chord onto the soundtrack and you give the audience a fright too. But then it turns out only to be Character Y and nothing to be frightened of. Many horror films have been known to use this little tease to make us jump. Jamie Blanks, the director of this film uses it very early on. And then he uses it again. And again. And again.Read more ›
I've definitely seen worse thrillers, so this one isn't the dud some critics assert.
Most recent customer reviews
Excellent quality, shipped in half the time it said it would and was packaged safe and secure. Would definitely buy from this seller again.Published on Oct. 14 2011 by Heidi Leigh
I only watched this movie because Jared Leto was in it, I was surprised. I mean, I figured he was the main character, and he was hardly in it! The acting is really good though! Read morePublished on March 29 2006
this was cool. a killer hackin off people by urban legends..........how original. great slasher movie one of the better ones. and tara reid in it!!!!!Published on July 8 2004
I saw this movie on TV the other day and, honestly, the movie has potential to be a kinda good scary movie but the low mentality of these students that we were supposed to believe... Read morePublished on June 12 2004
The string of teen horror flicks was revived with the wonderful Scream. It was then followed up with I Know What You Did Last Summer. Then along comes Urban Legend. Read morePublished on April 28 2004 by Ryne Williams
Urban Legend is probably the best teen slasher flick since the early 80's. I know that's not saying much but the acting was surprisingly good in this film. Read morePublished on Jan. 20 2004
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An intense case of diarreah where one's anal hole is very similar to a Mt. Everest eruption (accompanied by heavy sweating, breathing complications, sweaty palms, fiery crap explosions, and praying to God for salvation.
I'm going to call in sick with violent diarreah. My boss never questions it....
by Louiez May 02, 2006
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The time always comes when dominant forces in grand prix racing are toppled. After steamrollering the opposition over the past four years, Red Bull goes into a season in the most uncertain shape since it emerged as a race-winning force in 2009.
On pre-season testing form, retaining the world championship is inconceivable. But this is Red Bull and it has set new standards in recent years. Write off Adrian Newey's squad at your peril.
As Sebastian Vettel has pointed out during pre-season testing, the unnerving thing about this situation is that he has no idea how good the car really is.
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10 of 15 people found the following review helpful
A Great Read,
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050 (A TomDispatch Book) (Kindle Edition)
Terminator planet tells it like it is...
It provides great information,is fact filled.
Refreshing to see facts presented & their sources named,for a change!
If you want to see the future, read Terminator Planet - the future is now...and looks like it's only going to get worse for those on the receiving end of the Drones....
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Top Reviewer Ranking: 32,799,240