Image retrieval
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for retrieving an image from an image database, comprising:
- capturing a first image of a printed photograph against a background using an image input device;
determining a boundary of the printed photograph from the background in the first image, using a processor, comprising;
capturing a second image of the background without the printed photography using the image input device;
determining differences between the first and the second images, the differences defining a region;
determining a perimeter of the region; and
determining boundary lines from the perimeter, the boundary lines defining the boundary of the printed photograph from the background in the first image, said determining boundary lines comprising;
performing Hough Transformation to detect the boundary lines from the perimeter;
invalidating a boundary line when the boundary line is too close to a corresponding edge of the first image, the boundary line is substantially parallel to the corresponding edge, and a confidence in the boundary line'"'"'s subtense is high; and
searching for another boundary line to replace the boundary line after said invalidating;
cropping the printed photograph from the first image to form a third image of the printed photograph; and
matching the third image with a fourth image in the image database.
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Abstract
A method for searching an image database includes capturing an image of a photograph and a background, determining a boundary of the photograph in the image, cropping the photograph from the image, correcting the perspective of the photograph, compensating colors of the photograph, and matching the photograph with an image in the image database.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for retrieving an image from an image database, comprising:
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capturing a first image of a printed photograph against a background using an image input device; determining a boundary of the printed photograph from the background in the first image, using a processor, comprising; capturing a second image of the background without the printed photography using the image input device; determining differences between the first and the second images, the differences defining a region; determining a perimeter of the region; and determining boundary lines from the perimeter, the boundary lines defining the boundary of the printed photograph from the background in the first image, said determining boundary lines comprising; performing Hough Transformation to detect the boundary lines from the perimeter; invalidating a boundary line when the boundary line is too close to a corresponding edge of the first image, the boundary line is substantially parallel to the corresponding edge, and a confidence in the boundary line'"'"'s subtense is high; and searching for another boundary line to replace the boundary line after said invalidating; cropping the printed photograph from the first image to form a third image of the printed photograph; and matching the third image with a fourth image in the image database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15)
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11. A method for searching an image database, comprising:
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capturing a first image of a printed photograph against a background using an image input device; determining a boundary of the printed photograph from the background in the first image, using a processor; cropping the printed photograph from the first image to form a second image of the printed photograph; compensating colors of the second image of the printed photograph, said compensating colors comprising performing color constancy to the second image of the printed photograph, said performing color constancy comprising transforming the second image of the printed photograph using an inverse homography matrix to approximate RGB values of the second image under a first lighting condition; and matching the second image with a third image in the image database. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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- 16. The method of 15, wherein said determining a boundary, said cropping, said rotating, said resizing, and said matching are performed by the server computer.
Specification