Systems, methods, and apparatus for generation of reinforcement pattern and systems, methods, and apparatus for artifact evaluation

1. A method of processing a representation of a reference pattern, said method comprising:

capturing a representation of the reference pattern, which includes a plurality of features, each of the plurality of features having a different location within the reference pattern;

for each of said plurality of features of the reference pattern, determining a location of the feature within the captured representation;

based on the determined locations of the plurality of features in the captured representation, calculating a characterization of location transfer error; and

applying the characterization of location transfer error to the reference pattern to obtain a spatially modified reference pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the characterization of location transfer error is a spatial transformation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises producing a pattern for matching,

wherein the value of each of a plurality of pixels within the pattern for matching is based on (A) values of a plurality of pixels in a neighborhood of a corresponding pixel of the captured representation and (B) a value of a corresponding pixel of the spatially modified reference pattern.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises:

obtaining intensity transfer error information from the captured representation;

from the spatially modified reference pattern, obtaining information that indicates the locations of edges between regions of different intensities; and

producing a pattern for matching that is based on the intensity transfer error information and on the edge location information.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said method comprises:

performing a filtering operation on the captured representation to obtain a filtered representation; and evaluating at least one difference between the filtered representation and the pattern for matching.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said method comprises:

based on a result of said evaluating, modifying a value of at least one parameter of the filtering operation; and subsequent to said modifying, performing the filtering operation on the captured representation to obtain a second filtered representation.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said reference pattern includes regions of a first intensity and regions of a second intensity, different than the first intensity, that meet to form edges, and

wherein each among a plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching corresponds to one among (A) a region of the first intensity and (B) a region of the second intensity, and

wherein, for each of said plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching, said edge location information indicates whether the pixel corresponds to a region of the first intensity or to a region of the second intensity.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of features includes at least four features.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining a location of a feature within the captured representation includes determining said location to within an area not greater than one pixel.

10. A computer-readable medium having tangible features that store machine-readable instructions which when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

obtain a captured representation of the reference pattern, which includes a plurality of features, each of the plurality of features having a different location within the reference pattern;

determine a location of the feature within the captured representation;

based on the determined locations of the plurality of features in the captured representation, calculate a characterization of location transfer error; and

apply the characterization of location transfer error to the reference pattern to obtain a spatially modified reference pattern.

11. An apparatus for processing a representation of a reference pattern, said apparatus comprising:

means for capturing a representation of the reference pattern, which includes a plurality of features, each of the plurality of features having a different location within the reference pattern;

means for determining, for each of said plurality of features of the reference pattern, a location of the feature within the captured representation;

means for calculating a characterization of location transfer error based on the determined locations of the plurality of features in the captured representation; and means for applying the characterization of location transfer error to the reference pattern to obtain a spatially modified reference pattern.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the characterization of location transfer error is a spatial transformation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus comprises means for producing a pattern for matching,

wherein the value of each of a plurality of pixels within the pattern for matching is based on (A) values of a plurality of pixels in a neighborhood of a corresponding pixel of the captured representation and (B) a value of a corresponding pixel of the spatially modified reference pattern.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus comprises:

means for obtaining intensity transfer error information from the captured representation;

means for obtaining, from the spatially modified reference pattern, information that indicates the locations of edges between regions of different intensities; and

means for producing a pattern for matching that is based on the intensity transfer error information and on the edge location information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said apparatus comprises:

means for performing a filtering operation on the captured representation to obtain a filtered representation; and means for evaluating at least one difference between the filtered representation and the pattern for matching.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said apparatus comprises:

means for modifying a value of at least one parameter of the filtering operation, based on a result of said evaluating; and

means for performing the filtering operation on the captured representation, subsequent to said modifying, to obtain a second filtered representation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said reference pattern includes regions of a first intensity and regions of a second intensity, different than the first intensity, that meet to form edges, and

wherein each among a plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching corresponds to one among (A) a region of the first intensity and (B) a region of the second intensity, and

wherein, for each of said plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching, said edge location information indicates whether the pixel corresponds to a region of the first intensity or to a region of the second intensity.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said plurality of features includes at least four features.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said means for determining a location of a feature within the captured representation is configured to determine said location to within an area not greater than one pixel.

20. An apparatus for processing a representation of a reference pattern, said apparatus comprising:

a sensor arranged to capture a representation of the reference pattern, which includes a plurality of features, each of the plurality of features having a different location within the reference pattern;

a feature detector configured to determine, for each of said plurality of features of the reference pattern, a location of the feature within the captured representation;

a transform calculator configured to calculate a characterization of location transfer error based on the determined locations of the plurality of features in the captured representation; and

a remapper configured to apply the characterization of location transfer error to the reference pattern to obtain a spatially modified reference pattern.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the characterization of location transfer error is a spatial transformation.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein said apparatus comprises a pattern generator configured to produce a pattern for matching,

wherein the value of each of a plurality of pixels within the pattern for matching is based on (A) values of a plurality of pixels in a neighborhood of a corresponding pixel of the captured representation and (B) a value of a corresponding pixel of the spatially modified reference pattern.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein said apparatus comprises:

a calculator configured to obtain intensity transfer error information from the captured representation;

a comparator configured to obtain, from the spatially modified reference pattern, information that indicates the locations of edges between regions of different intensities; and

a pattern generator configured to produce a pattern for matching that is based on the intensity transfer error information and on the edge location information.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said apparatus comprises:

a filter configured to perform a filtering operation on the captured representation to obtain a filtered representation; and

a second calculator configured to evaluate at least one difference between the filtered representation and the pattern for matching.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein said apparatus comprises an optimizer configured to modify a

value of at least one parameter of the filtering operation, based on a result of said evaluating, and

wherein said filter is configured to perform the filtering operation on the captured representation, subsequent to said modifying, to obtain a second filtered representation.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said reference pattern includes regions of a first intensity and regions of a second intensity, different than the first intensity, that meet to form edges, and

wherein each among a plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching corresponds to one among (A) a region of the first intensity and (B) a region of the second intensity, and

wherein, for each of said plurality of pixels of the pattern for matching, said edge location information indicates whether the pixel corresponds to a region of the first intensity or to a region of the second intensity.

27. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein said plurality of features includes at least four features.

28. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein said feature detector is configured to determine said location to within an area not greater than one pixel.