Structured comparison of objects from similar images

• US 7,720,258 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Ullmann, Peter Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US11/341,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/107, 382/115, 382/116, 382/117, 382/118, 382/162, 382/168, 382/199, 382/289, 382/297, 382/209, 382/218, 348/94, 348/154, 348/155, 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/231.99, 348/207, 348/231.6, 348/362, 348/129, 348/161, 348/169, 348/179, 348/414.1, 348/417.1, 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/7, 715/723, 715/796, 715/806
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/28 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. by averaging or distorting; Generating dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/772 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. averaging or distorting patterns; Generating dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions

Abstract

Associating subimages is disclosed. A first set of one or more subimages associated with a first image and a second set of one or more subimages associated with a second image are received. It is determined that a first subimage of the first set corresponds to a second subimage of the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the first subimage. The first subimage and the second subimage are associated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first set of one or more subimages associated with a first image and a second set of one or more subimages associated with a second image;

determining, using a processor, that a first subimage of the first set corresponds to a second subimage of the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the first subimage in the first image, including by;

dividing the first image into a first grid; and

dividing the second image into a second grid, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage occupy corresponding elements of the first grid and the second grid;

associating the first subimage with the second subimage using the processor; and

displaying the first subimage in a first region of a display and the second subimage in a second region of the display, wherein the position of the first subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the second subimage within the second region.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage are substantially aligned.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein associating includes saving metadata that indicates the first subimage corresponds to the second subimage.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first subimage includes an occurrence of a face.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first subimage includes at least one of the following:

an object detected from the first image, an object automatically detected from the first image, or a portion of the first image selected by a user.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the spatial information includes a dimension and/or one or more coordinates.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining is further based at least in part on an automatic matching process.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining includes determining which subimage of the first set is located closest to the second subimage of the second set.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining includes selecting a reference image based at least in part on the number of subimages in the first set.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further including displaying the first image.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein there is at most a one to one correspondence between subimages in the first set and subimages in the second set.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first subimage is displayed in a position in the first region that is in accordance with the first subimage'"'"'s location in the first image.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further including:

determining, using the processor, that a third subimage of the first set does not correspond to any subimage in the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the third subimage in the first image; and

displaying the third subimage in the first region of the display and an empty space in the second region of the display, wherein the position of the third subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the empty space within the second region.

14. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

receive a first set of one or more subimages associated with a first image and a second set of one or more subimages associated with a second image;

determine that a first subimage of the first set corresponds to a second subimage of the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the first subimage in the first image, including by;

dividing the first image into a first grid; and

dividing the second image into a second grid, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage occupy corresponding elements of the first grid and the second grid;

associate the first subimage with the second subimage; and

display the first subimage in a first region of a display and the second subimage in a second region of the display, wherein the position of the first subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the second subimage within the second region.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first subimage includes at least one of the following:

an object detected from the first image, an object automatically detected from the first image, or a portion of the first image selected by a user.

16. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage are substantially aligned.

17. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first subimage is displayed in a position in the first region that is in accordance with the first subimage'"'"'s location in the first image.

18. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with further instructions to:

determine, using the processor, that a third subimage of the first set does not correspond to any subimage in the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the third subimage in the first image; and

display the third subimage in the first region of the display and an empty space in the second region of the display, wherein the position of the third subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the empty space within the second region.

19. A computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a first set of one or more subimages associated with a first image and a second set of one or more subimages associated with a second image;

determining that a first subimage of the first set corresponds to a second subimage of the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the first subimage in the first image, including by;

dividing the first image into a first grid; and

dividing the second image into a second grid, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage occupy corresponding elements of the first grid and the second grid;

associating the first subimage with the second subimage; and

displaying the first subimage in a first region of a display and the second subimage in a second region of the display, wherein the position of the first subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the second subimage within the second region.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the spatial information includes a dimension and/or one or more coordinates.

21. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer program product includes computer instructions for determining by selecting a reference image based at least in part on the number of subimages in the first set.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the first subimage and the second subimage are substantially aligned.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the first subimage is displayed in a position in the first region that is in accordance with the first subimage'"'"'s location in the first image.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for:

determining, using the processor, that a third subimage of the first set does not correspond to any subimage in the second set based at least in part on spatial information associated with the position of the third subimage in the first image; and

displaying the third subimage in the first region of the display and an empty space in the second region of the display, wherein the position of the third subimage within the first region substantially matches the position of the empty space within the second region.