Region extraction apparatus, region extraction method and computer readable recording medium

• US 6,542,639 B2
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Itoh, Takashi, Shiohara, Morito, Konoshima, Makiko, Tada, Atsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Application Number:
  US09/137,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20020076108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 382/199, 382/209, 382/217, 382/218, 382/266, 382/164, 382/165, 382/256, 382/296, 382/297, 382/298, 345/144, 345/470, 348/415.1, 348/414.1
• US Class Current: 382/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/248 involving reference images or patches

Abstract

A region extraction apparatus for extracting a desired region from a moving image, includes a region specifying unit for specifying contour points of a region which is to be extracted, a template creating unit for creating a template of the region which is to be extracted based on the contour points of the region specified by the region specifying unit, a template matching unit for matching the template created by the template creating unit and the moving image, and a template correcting unit for correcting the template depending on a matching result obtained by the template matching unit.

Claims

1. A region extraction apparatus for extracting a desired region from a moving image, comprising:

region specifying means for specifying contour points of a region which is to be extracted from a desired frame of the moving image;

template creating means for creating a template of the region which is to be extracted by searching a vicinity of the contour points of the region specified by said region specifying means, based on color information of the region which is to be extracted;

template matching means for matching the template created by said template creating means and a region which is to be extracted from another frame of said moving image, by successively searching an edge of the template; and

template correcting means for correcting the template depending on parallel displacement positions, rotation angles and/or magnifications of a matching result obtained by said template matching means, by successively generating a template corresponding to the other frame of said moving image.

2. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said region specifying means specifies color signal information of each of the specified contour points to indicate said color information.

3. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template creating means comprises:

edge extracting means for extracting edge points from a region in a vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying means; and

template extracting means for connecting the edge points extracted at each of the contour points by said edge extracting means and for extracting a closed region defined by the connected edge points as the template.

4. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said edge extracting means comprises:

edge point detecting means for detecting edge points having an edge intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined value in the region in the vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying means; and

edge point extracting means for extracting, as edge points which are to be extracted, edge points approximating the contour points from the edge points detected by said edge point detecting means.

5. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template matching means obtains the matching result by judging whether a contour part of the template falls inside or outside a contour part of the region which is to be extracted.

6. A computer readable recording medium which stores a program for causing a computer to extract a desired region from a moving image, comprising:

region specifying means for making the computer specify contour points of a region which is to be extracted from a desired frame of the moving image;

template creating means for making the computer create a template of the region which is to be extracted by searching a vicinity of the contour points of the region specified by said region specifying means, based on color information of the region which is to be extracted;

template matching means for making the computer match the template created by said template creating means and a region which is to be extracted from another frame of said moving image, by successively searching an edge of the template; and

template correcting means for making the computer correct the template depending on parallel displacement positions, rotation angles and/or magnifications of a matching result obtained by said template matching means, by successively generating a template corresponding to the other frame of said moving image.

7. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said region specifying means makes the computer specify color signal information of each of the specified contour points to indicate said color information.

8. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said template creating means comprises:

edge extracting means for making the computer extract edge points from a region in a vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying means; and

template extracting means for making the computer connect the edge points extracted at each of the contour points by said edge extracting means and for making the computer extract a closed region defined by the connected edge points as the template.

9. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8, where in said edge extracting means comprises:

edge point detecting means for making the computer detect edge points having an edge intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined value in the region in the vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying means; and

edge point extracting means for making the computer extract, as edge points which are to be extracted, edge points approximating the contour points from the edge points detected by said edge point detecting means.

10. The computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said template matching means makes the computer obtain the matching result by judging whether a contour part of the template falls inside or outside a contour part of the region which is to be extracted.

11. A method of extracting a desired region from a moving image, comprising:

specifying contour points of a region which is to be extracted from a desired frame of the moving image;

creating a template of the region which is to be extracted by searching a vicinity of the contour points of the specified region, based on color information of the region which is to be extracted;

matching the template and a region which is to be extracted from another frame of said moving image, by successively searching an edge of the template; and

correcting the template depending on parallel displacement positions, rotation angles and/or magnifications of a matching result obtained by said template matching, by successively generating a template corresponding to the other frame of said moving image.

12. The region extraction method as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the matching result is obtained by judging whether a contour part of the template falls inside or outside a contour part of the region which is to be extracted.

13. A region extraction apparatus extracting a desired region from a moving image, comprising:

a region specifying unit specifying contour points of a region which is to be extracted from a desired frame of the moving image;

a template creating unit creating a template of the region which is to be extracted by searching a vicinity of the contour points of the region specified by said region specifying unit, based on color information of the region which is to be extracted;

a template matching unit matching the template created by said template creating unit and a region which is to be extracted from another frame of said moving image, by successively searching an edge of the template; and

a template correcting unit correcting the template depending on parallel displacement positions, rotation angles and/or magnifications of a matching result obtained by said template matching unit, by successively generating a template corresponding to the other frame of said moving image.

14. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said region specifying unit specifies color signal information of each of the specified contour points to indicate said color information.

15. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said template creating unit comprises:

an edge extracting unit extracting edge points from a region in a vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying unit; and

a template extracting unit connecting the edge points extracted at each of the contour points by said edge extracting unit and extracting a closed region defined by the connected edge points as the template.

16. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said edge extracting unit comprises:

an edge point detecting unit detecting edge points having an edge intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined value in the region in the vicinity of each of the contour points specified by said region specifying unit; and

an edge point extracting unit extracting, as edge points which are to be extracted, edge points approximating the contour points from the edge points detected by said edge point detecting unit.

17. The region extraction apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said template matching unit obtains the matching result by judging whether a contour part of the template falls inside or outside a contour part of the region which is to be extracted.