SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIDEO OBJECT IDENTIFICATION

• US 20090022405A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hugh Griffin
• Original Assignee: Hugh Griffin
• Inventors: Griffin, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/199
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/46 Descriptors for shape, contour or point-related descriptors, e.g. scale invariant feature transform [SIFT] or bags of words [BoW]; Salient regional features colour feature extraction G06V10/56
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/752 Contour matching

Abstract

A video object identification system used to identify an object, to locate its position in the view, and to determine its angular orientation. It digitizes a field of image view and subdivides the viewed area into a grid pattern of small cells. It then encodes the angle of a tangent line segment within each cell (when present) at the boundary of objects in the view. It determines rate-of-curvature of the boundary to develop a linear signature for the object. The system breaks the linear signature into segments that can be normalized to be constant regardless of the scale of the image. It then generates identification numbers to identify the object through a mathematics process. The system utilizes pipeline processing to the point where the results are applied to a microprocessor. The microprocessor analyzes a stored image field of view in encoded format to determine object perimeter cell locations (a chaining process). It then traces this perimeter addressing the stored image field to recover processed differential angles and to control the development of a linear signature sequence. The mathematics process performed creates a first number representing the length of straight segments and creates a second number representing the degree of curvature of curved segments. The combination of the two numbers provides a high probability of unique identification of an object. The numbers are compared with established numbers of a template for identification of an object. A unique feature number of an object is established for the template. This feature is located on the chained object by segment comparison and the relative angular orientation, compared to the template orientation, is then determined.

Claims

1. Apparatus for identification of a video image object comprising:

means for digitizing a video image;

means for digital image processing to obtain encoded object edge data segments including the angle tangent to the object edge segments;

means for storing encoded object edge data;

means for accessing the stored object edge data by a microprocessor;

means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter;

means for accessing the angular rate of change of the object perimeter by a microprocessor;

means for the microprocessor to process the angular rate of change to identify an object.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for digital image processing also includes means to link segments of the tangent angle to form an object perimeter.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter include a means to improve the rate of change accuracy.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means to improve the rate of change accuracy include a span of segments between two differential angle measurements.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the span can be any number greater than one.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the span is two.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the span is at least three.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the span is four.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter produces a recognizable linear signature of an object when the object perimeter is traced.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the means for the microprocessor to process the angular rate of change to identify an object include means to exaggerate the features of the linear signature for improved uniqueness of an object.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the means to exaggerate the features of the linear signature include the generation of two or more numbers for object identification.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the predetermined linear signature of a known object has two or more numbers recorded which produce object identification when compared.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the numbers recorded for the known object include characteristics that identify its most unique feature.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for comparison of the tangent angle of the most unique feature with that of the object being evaluated whereby the angular displacement between the known object and the object being evaluated is provided.

15. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the means for the microprocessor to process the angular rate of change include means to subdivide the linear signature into multiple segments.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the means to subdivide the linear signature include predetermined criteria based upon features of the linear signature.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the each of the multiple segments produced by the means to subdivide the linear signature has its features exaggerated for object identification.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the features exaggerated produce numbers that are summed for object identification.

19. Apparatus for identification of a video image object comprising:

means for digitizing a video image;

means for digital image processing to obtain encoded object edge data segments including the angle tangent to the object edge segments;

means for accessing the encoded object edge data by a microprocessor;

means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter;

means for accessing the angular rate of change of the object perimeter by a microprocessor;

means for the microprocessor to process the angular rate of change to identify an object.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the means for digital image processing also includes means to link segments of the tangent angle to form an object perimeter.

21. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter include a means to improve the rate of change accuracy.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the means to improve the rate of change accuracy include a span of segments between two differential angle measurements.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the span can be any number greater than one.

24. Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the span is four.

25. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the means for determining angular rate of change of an object perimeter produces a recognizable linear signature of an object when the object perimeter is traced.

26. A method for identification of a video image object comprising the steps of:

receiving a first video image from a video device;

digitizing said first video image to generate a second video image;

calculating encoded object edge data segments based on said second video image including the angle tangent to the object edge segments using a digital video processor, wherein said object edge segments makeup an object perimeter;

calculating angular rate of change data based on said object perimeter;

matching said angular rate of change data to one of a plurality of know object templates to identify an object.

27. The method of claim 27, wherein angular rate of change data is a recognizable linear signature of an object when its perimeter is traced.