Foreground / background separation in digital images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising:
- using a processor-based digital image acquisition device including a processor programmed by processor-readable code embedded within one or more digital storage media;
providing a first map comprising two or more regions within a main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic;
comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic;
providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of said main digital image, wherein said providing a subject profile comprises;
determining at least one region of said main digital image including a subject'"'"'s face;
determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and
defining said subject profile as comprising said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation;
and wherein the method further comprises;
comparing one or more of said one or more regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more of said one or more regions intersect with said subject profile; and
designating one or more of said one or more of said one or more regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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Abstract
A method for providing improved foreground/background separation in a digital image of a scene is disclosed. The method comprises providing a first map comprising one or more regions provisionally defined as one of foreground or background within the digital image; and providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of the digital image. The provisionally defined regions are compared with the subject profile to determine if any of the regions intersect with the profile region. The definition of one or more of the regions in the map is changed based on the comparison.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for providing separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising:
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using a processor-based digital image acquisition device including a processor programmed by processor-readable code embedded within one or more digital storage media; providing a first map comprising two or more regions within a main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of said main digital image, wherein said providing a subject profile comprises; determining at least one region of said main digital image including a subject'"'"'s face; determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and defining said subject profile as comprising said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises; comparing one or more of said one or more regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more of said one or more regions intersect with said subject profile; and designating one or more of said one or more of said one or more regions as a foreground region based on said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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21. An apparatus for providing improved separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising a processor and one or more processor-readable media for programming the processor to control the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
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acquiring a main digital image; providing a first map comprising one or more regions provisionally defined as one of foreground or background within said main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies between foreground and background distances in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of said main digital image, wherein said providing a subject profile comprises; determining at least one region of said image including a subject'"'"'s face determining a orientation of said at least one face within said main image; and defining said subject profile as comprising said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises; comparing at least one of said one or more provisionally defined regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said at least one of said one or more provisionally defined regions intersect with said profile region; and changing in said map a designation of one or more of said at least one of said one or more provisionally defined regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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26. An apparatus for providing improved separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image, comprising a processor and one or more processor-readable media for programming the processor to control the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
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acquiring a main digital image; providing a first map comprising one or more regions within said main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile that comprises a stored shape or luminance distribution, or both, said subject profile not being acquired from a previous image of substantially a same scene as said main digital image, for comparison with said one or more regions; comparing one or more of said one or more regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more of said one or more regions intersect with said subject profile, wherein said comparing comprises; determining at least one region of said image including a subject'"'"'s face; determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and comparing said subject profile with said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises designating one or more of said one or more of said one or more regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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27. An apparatus for providing improved separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising a processor and one or more processor-readable media for programming the processor to control the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
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acquiring a main digital image; providing a first map comprising one or more face regions within a main digital image; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile that comprises a stored face region having a relative size next to a second feature, said subject profile not being acquired from a previous image of substantially a same scene as said main digital image, for comparison with said one or more face regions within said main digital image; comparing said relative size of said stored face region next to said second feature with that of said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more face regions intersect with said subject profile, wherein said comparing comprises; determining at least one region of said main digital image including a subject'"'"'s face; determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and comparing said subject profile with said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises; designating at least one of said one or more regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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28. An apparatus for providing improved separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising a processor and one or more processor-readable media for programming the processor to control the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
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acquiring a main digital image; providing a first map comprising one or more regions within a main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of said main digital image, wherein said providing a subject profile comprises; determining at least one region of said main digital image including a subject'"'"'s face; determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and defining said subject profile as comprising said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises; comparing one or more of said one or more regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more of said one or more regions comprise a shape or luminance distribution, or both, that matches that of said subject profile; and designating one or more of said one or more of said one or more regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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29. An apparatus for providing improved separation between foreground and background regions in a digital image of a scene, comprising a processor and one or more processor-readable media for programming the processor to control the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
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acquiring a main digital image; providing a first map comprising one or more approximately relatively still regions within said a main digital image, each having one or more pixels with a common characteristic; comparing values of a second characteristic of the one or more pixels that varies in accordance with a known relationship to the common characteristic; providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of said main digital image, wherein said providing a subject profile comprises; determining at least one region of said main digital image including a subject'"'"'s face; determining an orientation of said at least one face within said main digital image; and defining said subject profile as comprising said at least one face region including the subject'"'"'s face and a respective region below said face region including at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s neck or shirt, or both, in said main digital image in accordance with said orientation; and wherein the method further comprises; comparing said one or more approximately relatively still regions with said subject profile to determine if any of said one or more approximately relatively still regions intersect with said subject profile; and designating at least one of said one or more of said approximately relatively still regions as a foreground region based on said comparison.
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Specification