Image recognition method and apparatus

• US 20060034490A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Yasunobu, Morishita, Akira, Mihara, Isao, Doi, Miwako
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

An image recognition apparatus has an image capture section for capturing a range image, an image deformation section for deforming the range image captured by the image capture section, and a recognition section for recognizing the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing the deformed image obtained by the image deformation section, and a new range image captured by the image capture section.

Claims

1. An image recognition method comprising:

obtaining a deformed image by deforming a captured range image; and

recognizing three-dimensional motion of an object in the range image by comparing the obtained deformed image with a newly captured range image.

29. An image recognition method according to claim 1, wherein the deformed image is a rotated deformed image.

30. An image recognition method according to claim 1, wherein the deformed image is moved in parallel.

31. An image recognition method according to claim 1, wherein the deformed image is contracted by rotation.

38. An image recognition method according to claim 1, wherein the capturing includes capturing the object to generate the range image based on a spatial intensity distribution of light reflected by the object.

2-8. -8. (canceled)

9. An image recognition apparatus comprising:

an image capture unit configured to capture a range image;

an image deformation unit configured to deform the range image captured by said image capture unit; and

a recognition unit configured to recognize three dimensional motion of an object by comparing a deformed image obtained by said image deformation unit and a new range image captured by said image capture unit.

32. An image recognition apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the deformed image is a rotated deformed image.

33. An image recognition apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the deformed image is moved in parallel.

34. An image recognition apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the deformed image is contracted by rotation.

39. An image recognition apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image capture unit is configured to capture the object to generate the range image based on a spatial intensity distribution of light reflected by the object

10-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An article of manufacture comprised of a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code means that implements computer-readable program code means for recognizing an image, comprising:

computer-readable program code means for making a computer capture a range image;

computer-readable program code means for making the computer deform the range image captured by the image capture means; and

computer-readable program code means for making the computer recognize the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing a deformed image obtained by the image deformation means and a new range image captured by the image capture means.

35. An article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein the deformed image is a rotated deformed image.

36. An article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein the deformed image is moved in parallel.

37. An article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein the deformed image is contracted by rotation.

40. An article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein the computer-readable program code means for making the computer generate the range image includes code means for making the computer generate the range image based on a spatial intensity distribution of light reflected by the object.

28. (canceled)