Determining a rectangular box encompassing a digital picture within a digital image
First Claim
1. In a computer system, a method for automatically determining a rectangular bounding box of an object represented in a digital image without user interaction, the rectangular bounding box having a base side and three other sides, the digital image having a contrast point, the method comprising the steps of:
- processing the digital image to determine a set of the contrast points for locating pixels corresponding to a perimeter of the object;
deriving a set of lines from the set of the contrast points for locating the base side and the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box;
determining a position and a slope of the base side corresponding to a first line from the set of lines, a largest number of the contrast points from the set of the contrast points being located on the first line; and
determining the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box based on the position and the slope of the first line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An invention for determining a rectangular bounding box encompassing a photograph or object(s) represented within a digital image is disclosed. The rectangular bounding box is determined irrespective of the device used to acquire the digital image. First a set of contrast points is derived; these contrast points representing changes in the characteristics of a pixel from that of a traversed neighbor. After ordering the contrast points according to their radial angle around a central reference point, a list of lines is generated by selecting two points separated by q positions in the ordered list of contrast points. If the four lines generated the most often roughly form a rectangle, then they correspond to the sides of the rectangular bounding box. Else, the line with the highest count is used as a base side of the rectangular bounding box. The slopes of the other sides are readily calculated as they are either perpendicular and parallel to base side, and their positions are then determined with reference to the other lines in the list. Once the rectangular bounding box has been determined, the digital photograph is extracted, or a high-resolution scan is performed and the digital photograph is readily extracted from this new high-resolution image based on the corresponding position and size of the rectangular bounding box.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a computer system, a method for automatically determining a rectangular bounding box of an object represented in a digital image without user interaction, the rectangular bounding box having a base side and three other sides, the digital image having a contrast point, the method comprising the steps of:
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processing the digital image to determine a set of the contrast points for locating pixels corresponding to a perimeter of the object; deriving a set of lines from the set of the contrast points for locating the base side and the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box; determining a position and a slope of the base side corresponding to a first line from the set of lines, a largest number of the contrast points from the set of the contrast points being located on the first line; and determining the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box based on the position and the slope of the first line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16)
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12. In a computer system, a method for automatically determining a rectangular bounding box of an object represented in a digital image without user interaction, the rectangular bounding box having a base side and three other sides, the digital image having a contrast point, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) processing the digital image to determine a set of the contrast points for locating pixels corresponding to a perimeter of the object; (b) deriving a set of lines from the set of the contrast points for locating the base side and the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box, including the steps of; (i) removing duplicate contrast points from the list of the contrast points, (ii) calculating a central reference point based on the set of the contrast points, (iii) determining a radial angle for each of the contrast points based on its location with respect to a reference coordinate system whose origin is the central reference point, (iv) ordering the list of contrast points by the radial angle of each of the contrast points, (v) deriving a new line for an every two points separated by a separation number of elements, and (vi) adding the new line to the set of lines; (c) determining a position and a slope of the base side corresponding to a first line from the set of lines, a largest number of the contrast points from the set of the contrast points being located on the first line; (d) determining the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box based on the position and the slope of the first line; and (e) adjusting the sides of the rectangular bounding box so that a minimum percentage of the points in the set of contrast points are contained within the rectangular bounding box. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:
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processing a digital image to determine a set of contrast points for locating pixels corresponding to a perimeter of an object represented in the digital image; deriving a set of lines from the set of contrast points for locating a base side and three other sides of a rectangular bounding box; determining a position and a slope of the base side corresponding to a first line from the set of lines, a largest number of the contrast points from the set of contrast points being located on the first line; and determining the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box based on the position and the slope of the first line. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. In a computer system, a method for automatically determining a rectangular bounding box of an object represented in a digital image without user interaction, the rectangular bounding box having a base side and three other sides, the digital image having a contrast point, the method comprising the steps of:
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processing the digital image to determine a set of the contrast points for locating pixels corresponding to a perimeter of the object; deriving a set of lines from the set of the contrast points for locating the base side and the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box, whereby each line is associated with a weight; and determining the positions and slopes of the base side and the three other sides of the rectangular bounding box based on four lines from the set of lines which have the greatest weights associated with them. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification