1. A method that facilitates image-based fa\xe7ade modeling, comprising:
decomposing with a computer a data representation of a fa\xe7ade based in part on a composite texture image by recursively subdividing the data representation of the fa\xe7ade into a set of subdivided patches; and
augmenting the data representation of the fa\xe7ade with depth information by assigning an optimized depth to at least one of the subdivided patches.
2. The method of claim 1, the decomposing includes structuring the data representation of the fa\xe7ade into a directed acyclic graph of rectilinear patches.
3. The method of claim 1, the subdividing includes subdividing the data representation of the fa\xe7ade into the set of subdivided patches based at least in part on recovering lines of hidden structure in the data representation of the fa\xe7ade.
4. The method of claim 1, the subdividing includes subdividing the data representation of the fa\xe7ade into the set of subdivided patches based at least in part on receiving refinement instructions.
5. The method of claim 1, the decomposing includes merging of at least a subset of the set of subdivided patches based at least in part on at least one of architectural bilateral symmetry or repetitive patterns in the composite texture image.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing the composite texture image from a sequence of captured images.
7. The method of claim 1, the assigning includes assigning the optimized depth to subdivided patches based on three dimensional points related to images used to create the composite texture.
8. The method of claim 1, the assigning includes receiving a depth assignment instruction related to a subset of the subdivided patches.
9. The method of claim 1, the assigning includes determining a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of a Markov Random Field (MRF) graph and minimizing an image and viewpoint independent constraint for the fa\xe7ade associated with the composite texture image.
10. A method for fa\xe7ade image decomposition, comprising:
extracting hidden structure from a reference texture image by recovering segmented lines of hidden structure;
weighting segmented lines of hidden structure according to the correspondence of the segmented lines with an edge map for the reference texture image to partition the reference texture image; and
recursively subdividing the reference texture image by a computer into a set of subdivided regions based at least in part on the partitioned reference texture image.
11. The method of claim 10, the subdividing includes subdividing the reference texture image into the set of subdivided regions based at least in part receiving partition refinement instructions.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising structuring the partitioned reference texture image into a directed acyclic graph of rectilinear patches associated with the reference texture image.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising merging at least a subset of the set of subdivided regions based at least in part on at least one of architectural bilateral symmetry or repetitive patterns in the reference texture image.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing an edge detection on the reference texture image to create the edge map.
15. A method of fa\xe7ade augmentation in a fa\xe7ade modeling system, comprising:
receiving data representing a fa\xe7ade structured into a directed acyclic graph and having a set of subdivided regions of a texture image;
assigning in a computer an optimized depth to at least one subdivision region in the set of subdivided regions based at least in part on a determined maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of a Markov Random Field (MRF) graph and a minimized image and viewpoint independent constraint associated with the texture image.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of determining the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the Markov Random Field (MRF) graph or minimizing image and viewpoint independent constraint associated with the texture image.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving three-dimensional point information associated with the texture image.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the three-dimensional point information associated with the texture image to determine the optimized depth associated with the at least one subdivision region.
19. The method of claim 15, the assigning includes receiving a depth assignment instruction related to the at least one subdivision region.
20. The method of claim 19, the assigning includes assigning an optimized depth based at least in part on the depth assignment instruction related to the at least one subdivision region.
21. An image-based fa\xe7ade modeling system comprising:
a fa\xe7ade decomposition component that recursively subdivides a reference texture image into a set of subdivided regions and structures the reference texture image into a directed acyclic graph of rectilinear patches associated with a reference texture image;
a fa\xe7ade augmentation component that assigns an optimized depth to at least one subdivision region in the set of subdivided regions.
22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a modeling component that provides, based at least in part on camera location information, an approximate model associated with the reference texture image to the fa\xe7ade modeling system.
23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a texture compositing component that generates a composite image from a sequence of images to provide at least a portion of the reference texture image.
24. The system of claim 23, further comprising an interface component that facilitates receiving at least one of subdivision refinement instructions, depth assignment instructions, or guiding instructions for generating the composite image.
25. The system of claim 21, the fa\xe7ade decomposition component further configured to merge at least a subset of the set of subdivided regions based at least in part on at least one of bilateral symmetry or repetitive patterns in the reference texture image.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A unit for preparation of a foamy beverage from a soluble product, the unit comprising:
a collecting device with a seat arranged to receive a disposable capsule containing the soluble product, with the capsule containing at least one inlet port for a diluting fluid introduced into the capsule, at least one outlet port for delivery of a beverage provided by thorough mixing of the soluble product and the diluting fluid, and a bottom wall; and
a throttling arrangement provided by an engaging surface of a plunger that is operatively associated with the outlet port of the capsule;
wherein the engaging surface of the plunger is positioned and arranged outside of the capsule before the diluting fluid enters into the capsule, with the throttling arrangement created as diluting fluid is urged to enter the capsule by expansion of the capsule bottom wall and by forcing the engaging surface of the plunger to snugly fit through the outlet port, thereby limiting the introduction of the plunger inside the capsule to the limited displacement of the bottom wall as a result of its deformation under pressure.
2. Unit according to claim 1 wherein the plunger extends into the capsule through the outlet port by no more than 3 mm of the plunger length.
3. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the plunger extends into the capsule by a maximum length of 2 mm from the capsule bottom wall.
4. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall is made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic material.
5. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is connected to a control mechanism that withdraws the plunger after the pressure in capsule has been maintained a sufficient time to enable soluble product and diluting fluid to properly mix together to form the beverage.
6. Unit according to claim 5, wherein the control mechanism operates after a pressure of at least 2 bars during a period of at least 5 seconds has been maintained in the capsule.
7. Unit according to claim 2 further comprising a control mechanism that retracts the plunger from the outlet port in order to enable the beverage formed by mixing of the soluble product and diluting fluid to fully drain from the capsule through the outlet port.
8. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaging surface that enters the capsule is positioned by contact with a supporting member having a surface of larger section than that of the outlet port, with the supporting member positioned on the capsule bottom wall.
9. Unit according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the supporting member has a dome shape to allow high shear force fluid discharge without blocking fluid flow.
10. Unit according claim 9, wherein the dome shape includes at least one channel of 0.01 to 1 square mm.
11. Unit according claim 8, wherein the dome shape includes a textured or roughened surface which forms random flow channels with the capsule bottom through which the beverage can flow.
12. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaging surface of the plunger has a section that is at least the same as or larger than that of the outlet port to form an interference fit between the outlet port and the plunger.
13. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the collecting device further comprises means for supporting the capsule fitted in the seat, with the supporting means arranged to maintain the engaging surface of the plunger outside the outlet port before the diluting fluid enters the capsule.
14. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaging surface of the plunger and the outlet port each have essentially the same sectional profile.
15. Unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaging surface of the plunger is substantially cylindrical.
16. A method for the preparation of a frothy beverage with a creamy or stable head of foam from a soluble product contained in a disposable capsule, wherein the capsule is fitted in the seat of a collecting device and wherein diluting fluid is conveyed into the capsule via an inlet port and is forced through a throttling arrangement, obtained by forcing a plunger through an outlet port of the capsule, wherein the throttling arrangement is carried out under the pressure of diluting fluid entering the capsule whereby dissolution of the soluble product in the diluting fluid is improved as less interaction or compaction of soluble product, in the solid state, occurs with the plunger.