Picture recognition apparatus and method

• US 20010038714A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Masumoto, Daiki, Nagata, Shigemi, Kitagawa, Hiroki, Sashida, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 6,888,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/7557 based on appearance, e.g. active appearance models [AAM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships

Abstract

The variations in appearance of an object caused by the variations in a capturing environment are estimated to be modeled, and the object model thus obtained is previously registered in a database. Picture information of an object to be a recognition target is input, and the input picture information is matched with the previously registered object model. The similarity with respect to the registered object model is determined, and the type of the object to be a recognition target is output, which is determined to be most similar among the registered object models. Information of a plurality of pictures captured by changing the relative position and posture of an object is input, and the variations in appearance of an object caused by the possible variations in a capturing environment are estimated to be modeled based on the input information of a plurality of pictures.

Claims

1. A picture recognition apparatus, comprising:

an object modeling execution part for estimating variations in appearance of an object caused by variations in a capturing environment and modeling the object;

an object model registering part for previously registering the object model obtained in the object modeling execution part in a database;

a picture information input part for inputting picture information of an object to be a recognition target;

a similarity determining part for matching the input picture information with the object model previously registered in the object model registering part, and determining a similarity with respect to the registered object model; and

an object recognizing part for outputting a type of the object to be a recognition target determined to be most similar among the registered object model,

wherein, in the object modeling execution part, information of a plurality of pictures captured by changing a relative position and posture of the object with respect to the fixed picture information input part is input, and variations in appearance of the object caused by possible variations in a capturing environment are estimated to be modeled based on the input information of a plurality of pictures.

2. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein a Lambertian reflection model is assumed as surface characteristics of the object to be a recognition target.

3. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein, in the picture information input part, a portion including the object to be a recognition target is cut out from a picture, and the object to be a recognition target is modeled using the cut out portion.

4. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein, in the picture information input part, a characteristic small region in the object to be a recognition target is selected from a picture, and the object to be a recognition target is modeled based on information included in the selected small region and arrangement information of the small region.

5. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are separately modeled based on the input picture information.

6. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are separately modeled based on the input picture information.

7. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are separately modeled based on the input picture information.

8. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are separately modeled based on the input picture information.

9. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are modeled together based on the input picture information.

10. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are modeled together based on the input picture information.

11. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are modeled together based on the input picture information.

12. A picture recognition apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein, in the object modeling execution part, variations in appearance caused by variations in a posture of the object and variations in appearance caused by variations in illumination conditions are modeled together based on the input picture information.

13. A picture recognition method, comprising:

estimating variations in appearance caused by variations in a capturing environment and modeling the object;

previously registering the obtained object model in a database;

inputting picture information of an object to be a recognition target;

matching the input picture information with the previously registered object model to determine a similarity with respect to the registered object model; and

outputting a type of the object to be a recognition target determined to be most similar among the registered object models,

wherein information of a plurality of pictures captured by changing a relative position and posture of the object is input, and variations in appearance of the object caused by possible variations in a capturing environment are estimated to be modeled based on the input information of a plurality of pictures.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer, the program comprising:

estimating variations in appearance caused by variations in a capturing environment and modeling the object;

previously registering the obtained object model in a database;

inputting picture information of an object to be a recognition target;

matching the input picture information with the previously registered object model to determine a similarity with respect to the registered object model; and

outputting a type of the object to be a recognition target determined to be most similar among the registered object models,

wherein information of a plurality of pictures captured by changing a relative position and posture of the object is input, and variations in appearance of the object caused by possible variations in a capturing environment are estimated to be modeled based on the input information of a plurality of pictures.