METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING A SUPPORTING SURFACE REGION IN AN IMAGE

• US 20140119604A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: MAI, Fei, TAYLOR, Geoffrey Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60

Abstract

A method of detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera is disclosed. An object in the image is detected. One or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists are determined. A degree of confidence for each of the regions is determined. The degree of confidence indicates likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region. One or more of the regions are selected based on each corresponding degree of confidence. Similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions is determined. The supporting surface region is detected based on the determined similarity.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera, said method comprising:

detecting an object in the image;

determining one or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists;

determining a degree of confidence for each of the regions, the degree of confidence indicating likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region;

selecting one or more of the regions based on each corresponding degree of confidence;

determining similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions; and

detecting the supporting surface region based on the determined similarity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object is detected using statistical background modelling.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein regions are determined using watershed segmentation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the regions are determined using geodesic superpixel segmentation.

5. The method according claim 1, wherein the lower part of the object is determined as a lowest point on the object in the image.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the object is a point closest to a central vertical axis of the object on a strongest intensity edge above a lowest point on the object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the object is determined as a point on the object closest to a vertical vanishing point in the image.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering false footprints.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering out false footprints based on comparing patches of the image.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein false footprints are filtered out using static occlusion likelihood.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the degree of confidence for each of the regions is based on number of footprints detected in each region.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the similarity is determined based on colour distribution within each region.

13. An apparatus for detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

detect an object in the image,

determine one or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists,

determine a degree of confidence for each of the regions, the degree of confidence indicating likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region,

select one or more of the regions based on each corresponding degree of confidence,

determine similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions, and

detect the supporting surface region based on the determined similarity.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera that, said program comprising:

code for detecting an object in the image;

code for determining one or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists;

code for determining a degree of confidence for each of the regions, the degree of confidence indicating likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region;

code for selecting one or more of the regions based on each corresponding degree of confidence;

code for determining similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions; and

code for detecting the supporting surface region based on the determined similarity.

15. A system for detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera, said system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

detect an object in the image,

determine one or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists,

determine a degree of confidence for each of the regions, the degree of confidence indicating likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region,

select one or more of the regions based on each corresponding degree of confidence,

determine similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions, and

detect the supporting surface region based on the determined similarity.