Video text detection provides an efficient approach to the indexing, classification, retrieval and understanding of visual content.

This unique text/reference presents a systematic introduction to the latest developments in video text detection. Opening with a discussion of the underlying theory and a brief history of video text detection, the text proceeds to cover pre-processing and post-processing techniques, character segmentation and recognition, identification of non-English scripts, techniques for multi-modal analysis, and performance evaluation. The detection of text from both natural video scenes and artificially inserted captions is examined. Various applications of the technology are also reviewed, from license plate recognition and road navigation assistance, to sports analysis and video advertising systems.

Topics and features: explains the fundamental theory in a succinct manner, supplemented with thorough, up-to-date references for further reading; highlights practical techniques to help the reader understand and develop their own detection systems and video text-based applications; discusses the state of the field from historical progress to the latest cutting-edge developments; serves as an easy-to-navigate reference, presenting the material in self-contained chapters; reviews the entire process from pre-processing to post-processing, including non-English script detection and advanced multi-modal techniques.

This accessible yet comprehensive overview of video text detection is essential reading for advanced students and researchers in pattern recognition, document analysis, image processing, video retrieval and related fields.

This book presents a systematic introduction to the latest developments in video text detection. Opening with a discussion of the underlying theory and a brief history of video text detection, the text proceeds to cover pre-processing and post-processing techniques, character segmentation and recognition, identification of non-English scripts, techniques for multi-modal analysis and performance evaluation. The detection of text from both natural video scenes and artificially inserted captions is examined. Various applications of the technology are also reviewed, from license plate recognition and road navigation assistance, to sports analysis and video advertising systems. Features: explains the fundamental theory in a succinct manner, supplemented with references for further reading; highlights practical techniques to help the reader understand and develop their own video text detection systems and applications; serves as an easy-to-navigate reference, presenting the material in self-contained chapters.

This book contributes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Web-Based Learning, ICWL 2006, held in Penang, Malaysia in July 2006.

The 31 revised full papers presented together with 1 keynote talk were carefully reviewed and selected from 99 submissions during two rounds of reviewing and improvement. The papers are organized in topical sections on personalization in e-learning, designs, model and framework of e-learning systems, implementations and evaluations of e-learning systems, learning resource deployment, organization and management, tools in e-learning, as well as surveys and invited papers.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Graphics Recognition, GREC 2005, held in Hong Kong, China, August 2005. The book presents 37 revised full papers together with a panel discussion report, organized in topical sections on engineering drawings vectorization and recognition, symbol recognition, graphic image analysis, structural document analysis, sketching and online graphics recognition, curves and shape processing, and graphics recognition contest results.

With the rapid development of Web-based learning and new concepts like virtual cla- rooms, virtual laboratories and virtual universities, many issues need to be addressed. On the technical side, there is a need for effective technology for deployment of W- based education.On the learning side, the cyber mode of learning is very different from classroom-based learning. How can instructional developmentcope with this new style of learning? On the management side, the establishment of the cyber university - poses very different requirements for the set-up. Does industry-university partnership provide a solution to addressing the technological and management issues? Why do we need to standardize e-learning and what can we do already? As with many other new developments, more research is needed to establish the concepts and best practice for Web-based learning. ICWL 2004, the 3rd International Conference on Web-Based Learning, was held at the Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) from August 8th to 11th, 2004, as a continued attempt to address many of the above-mentioned issues. Following the great successes of ICWL 2002 (Hong Kong) and ICWL 2003 (Australia), ICWL 2004 aimed at p- senting new progress in the technical, pedagogical, as well as management issues of Web-based learning. The conference featured a comprehensive program, including a tutorial session, a keynote talk, a main track for regular paper presentations, and an - dustrial track. We received 120 papers and accepted only 58 of them in the main track for both oral and poster presentations.

With the rapid development of Web-based learning, a new set of learning - vironments including virtual classrooms, virtual laboratories and virtual u- versities are being developed. These new learning environments, however, also introduce new problems that need to be addressed. On the technical side, there is a need for the deployment of e?ective technologies on Web-based education. On the learning side, the cyber mode of learning is very di?erent from tra- tional classroom-based learning. On the management side, the establishment of a cyber university imposes very di?erent requirements for the set up. ICWL 2005, the 4th International Conference on Web-Based Learning, was held in Hong Kong, China from July 31 to August 3, 2005, as a continued - tempttoaddressmanyoftheabove-mentionedissues.Followingthegreatsuccess of ICWL 2002 (Hong Kong, China), ICWL 2003 (Australia), and ICWL 2004 (China), ICWL 2005 aimed at presenting progresson the technical, pedagogical, as well as management issues of Web-based learning. The conference featured a comprehensive program, including a number of tutorials, two keynote talks, a main track containing regular as well as short paper presentations, and an application track. We received a total of 99 submissions from all over the world. The Program Committee selected 33 papers as regular papers for presentation in the main track, an acceptance rate of about 33%. Due to the high-quality submissions, the Committee decided to further accept 9 papers as short papers for presentation.