IMAGE PROCESSING

• US 20100158362A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Porter, Robert Mark Stefan, Lang, Mikael Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5862 using texture

Abstract

An image processing method includes detecting statistical distribution of permutations of pixel properties amongst contiguous groups of a predetermined number of pixels in at least a portion of an image under test, so as to derive feature data in respect of the image under test, and comparing the feature data derived in respect of the image under test with feature data derived from at least respective portions of one or more other images so as to detect a similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting the statistical distribution of permutations of pixel properties amongst contiguous groups of a predetermined number of pixels in at least a portion of an image under test, so as to derive feature data in respect of at least that portion of the image under test; and

comparing the feature data derived in respect of the image under test with feature data derived from at least respective portions of one or more other images so as to detect a degree of similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the pixel properties are colour properties.

3. A method according to claim 2, comprising the step of:

before the detecting step, quantising the colour properties of pixels in at least the portion of the image under test.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising the steps of:

detecting contributions of pixel properties to quantised pixel property values; and

weighting the detected pixel property permutations in accordance with the detected contributions.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which the detecting step is operable to detect permutations of pixel properties amongst all possible contiguous groups of the predetermined number of pixels within at least the portion of the image under test.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which the predetermined number is two, so that the groups of pixels comprise pairs of adjacent pixels.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which the detecting step is arranged to generate occurrence frequency data in respect of possible permutations of group pixel properties, the method comprising the step of:

concatenating the occurrence frequency data to generate a feature vector.

8. A method according to claim 7, comprising the step of reducing the size of the feature vector by multiplying the feature vector by a random number matrix.

9. A method according to claim 7, comprising the step of reducing the size of the feature vector by principal component analysis.

10. A method according to claim 7, in which the step of comparing feature data comprises detecting a vector distance between the respective feature vectors.

11. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

deriving and/or populating a self organising map representation of a set of image data in accordance with the derived feature data.

12. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

grouping two or more images or image portions together if their feature data indicates greater than a predetermined degree of similarity.

13. Computer software comprising program code which, when executed on a computer, executes a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. A medium by which computer software according to claim 13 is provided.

15. A medium according to claim 14, the medium being a storage medium.

16. A medium according to claim 14, the medium being a transmission medium.

17. Image processing apparatus comprising:

a detector to detect the statistical distribution of permutations of pixel properties amongst contiguous groups of a predetermined number of pixels in at least a portion of an image under test, so as to derive feature data in respect of at least that portion of the image under test; and

a comparator to compare the feature data derived in respect of the image under test with feature data derived from at least respective portions of one or more other images so as to detect a degree of similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

18. Image capture apparatus comprising image processing apparatus according to claim 17.