Method for objects segmentation in video sequences by object tracking and user assistance

• US 20040140994A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chieteuk Ahn, Jae Gark Choi, Jin Suk Kwak, Munchurl Kim, Myoung H.O. Lee
• Original Assignee: Chieteuk Ahn, Jae Gark Choi, Jin Suk Kwak, Munchurl Kim, Myoung H.O. Lee
• Inventors: Ahn, Chieteuk, Lee, Myoung Ho, Kim, Munchurl, Choi, Jae Gark, Kwak, Jin Suk
• Application Number:
  US10/734,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/174 involving the use of two or more images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/215 Motion-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding

Abstract

A video object segmentation method is disclosed in the present invention. This video object segmentation method is for correctly segmenting video objects. In the video object segmentation method, the video objects to be firstly appeared in a video sequence are segmented in manual or semi-manual, and then the consecutive video frames is automatically segmented by an object-tracking based on the moving of the primarily segmented video object. In other words, the video object segmentation method applicable to a video system, comprises a first step of primarily segmenting objects existing in a frame of video sequence manually or semi-manually; and a second step of automatically segmenting the objects within the consecutive frames. This video object segmentation method can be adapted to a video system.

Claims

1. A video object segmentation method applicable to a video system, comprising the steps of:

a) primarily segmenting objects existing in a frame of a video sequence manually or semi-manually; and

b) automatically segmenting the objects within a video sequence including the primarily segmented object.

2. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

c) determining whether any scene change is made between consecutive frames or any new object other than the primarily segmented object appears within the video sequence being automatically segmented, when repeatedly performing the step b) for consecutive frames; and

d) repeatedly performing the first step, if the answer of the step of determining is positive.

3. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

e) examining the quality of automatically segmented results, if there is no scene change between consecutive frames and any new object other than the primarily segmented object does not appear within the video sequence being automatically segmented;

f) performing the second step, if the quality of automatically segmented results is satisfactory; and

g) repeatedly performing the first step, if the quality of automatically segmented results is not satisfactory.

4. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first step of primarily segmentation is made by segmenting the objects within the frame in completely manual using an user interface tool.

5. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first step of primarily segmentation is made by segmenting the object within the frame in semi-manual, such that, if the user designates manually a rough boundary line of the object within the frame, then the object within the frame is automatically segmented based on the designation-related information and an image segmentation information.

6. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second step of automatically segmentation comprises the step of:

tracking the object region in the current frame to which the primarily segmented video object in the previous frame is moved, so as to segment the object within the frame of the consecutive frames.

7. The video object segmentation method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the image segmentation information is a spatial information including a brightness information and a color information.