Determining a class associated with an image

• US 8,620,078 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd.
• Inventors: Chapleau, Sylvain, Paquin, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, UTPAL D
• Application Number:
  US12/836,555
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 382/173, 382/177, 382/321
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/153 using recognition of characters or words

Abstract

The technology is directed to determining a class associated with an image. In some examples, a method determines the class associated with an image. The method can include determining a segmentation score for an image segment based on a comparison of the image segment and a region of an image. The region of the image can be associated with the image segment. The method further includes determining a confidence score for the image segment based on the segmentation score and a classification score. The classification score can be indicative of a similarity between the image segment and at least one class. The method further includes determining a class associated with the image based on the confidence score. The method further includes outputting the class associated with the image.

Claims

1. A method for determining a class associated with an image, the method comprising:

determining a segmentation score for an image segment based on a comparison of the image segment and a region of an image, the region of the image associated with the image segment;

determining a confidence score for the image segment based on the segmentation score and a classification score, the classification score indicative of a similarity between the image segment and at least one class;

determining a class associated with the image based on the confidence score;

outputting the class associated with the image;

determining a second segmentation score for a second image segment based on a comparison of the second image segment and a second region of the image, the second region of the image associated with the second image segment; and

determining a second confidence score for the second image segment based on the second segmentation score and a second classification score, the second classification score indicative of a similarity between the second image segment and at least one class.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the class associated with the image further comprises determining the class associated with the image based on the confidence score and the second confidence score.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the image segment based on a first segmentation of the image; and

generating the second image segment based on a second segmentation of the image, the second image segment associated with the region of the image associated with the image segment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the image segment and the second image segment based on segmentation of substantially distinct regions of the image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing pixels of the image segment with pixels of the region of the image to form the comparison of the image segment and the region of an image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the classification score indicative of the similarity between the image segment and the at least one class.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the at least one class based on a comparison of the image segment with a plurality of classes, each of the plurality of classes associated with a character.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the image from an image acquisition device;

binarizing the image to form a binarized image; and

segmenting the binarized image based on objects within the binarized image to form the image segment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the class associated with the image further comprising determining the class associated with the image based on the confidence score by comparing the confidence score to a threshold value.

10. A system for determining a class associated with an image, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a segmentation score module, using the one or more processors, configured to determine a segmentation score for an image segment based on a comparison of the image segment and a region of an image, the region of the image associated with the image segment;

a confidence score module, using the one or more processors, configured to determine a confidence score for the image segment based on the segmentation score and a classification score, the classification score indicative of a similarity between the image segment and at least one class;

a class determination module, using the one or more processors, configured to determine a class associated with the image based on the confidence score;

a class output module, using the one or more processors, configured to output the class associated with the image;

the segmentation score module, using the one or more processors, further configured to determine a second segmentation score for a second image segment based on a comparison of the second image segment and a second region of the image, the second region of the image associated with the second image segment; and

the confidence score module, using the one or more processors, further configured to determine a second confidence score for the second image segment based on the second segmentation score and a second classification score, the second classification score indicative of a similarity between the second image segment and at least one class.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the class determination module, using the one or more processors, further configured to determine the class associated with the image based on the confidence score and the second confidence score.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a segmentation module, using the one or more processors, configured to:

generate the image segment based on a first segmentation of the image; and

generate the second image segment based on a second segmentation of the image, the second image segment associated with the region of the image associated with the image segment.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a segmentation module, using the one or more processors, configured to generate the image segment and the second image segment based on segmentation of substantially distinct regions of the image.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising the segmentation score module, using the one or more processors, further configured to compare pixels of the image segment with pixels of the region of the image to form the comparison of the image segment and the region of an image.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a classification score module, using the one or more processors, configured to determine the classification score indicative of the similarity between the image segment and the at least one class.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a classification score module, using the one or more processors, configured to determine the at least one class based on a comparison of the image segment with a plurality of classes, each of the plurality of classes associated with a character.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an image acquisition module, using the one or more processors, configured to receive the image; and

a segmentation module, using the one or more processors, configured to;

binarize the image to form a binarized image; and

segment the binarized image based on objects within the binarized image to form the image segment.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising the class determination module, using the one or more processors, further configured to determine the class associated with the image based on the confidence score by comparing the confidence score to a threshold value.