Range-cued object segmentation system and method
First Claim
1. A method of processing an image of a visual scene, comprising:
- a. receiving or determining a range-map image of the visual scene, wherein said range-map image comprises a first plurality of points, each point of said first plurality of points comprises a first coordinate and a second coordinate of a corresponding portion of a corresponding physical element within said visual scene, said first coordinate either corresponds or is related to a down-range coordinate of said visual scene, and said second coordinate either corresponds or is related to a cross-range coordinate of said visual scene;
b. determining at least one region-of-interest within said visual scene, wherein said at least one region-of-interest comprises a second plurality of said points that are clustered with respect to distance in a space of first and second coordinates responsive to a corresponding distance threshold, said second plurality is less than or equal in number to said first plurality, and said space of first and second coordinates either corresponds or is related to a space of down-range and cross-range coordinates;
c. determining a corresponding relatively-central location of said second plurality of said points of said at least one region-of-interest, wherein said relatively-central location comprises a corresponding first coordinate and a corresponding second coordinate, said corresponding first coordinate either corresponds or is related to a corresponding down-range coordinate of said visual scene, and said corresponding second coordinate either corresponds or is related to a corresponding cross-range coordinate of said visual scene;
d. receiving the image of said visual scene, wherein said image comprises a first plurality of pixels organized in an image space as an array of columns and rows, each column of said array of columns and rows being identified by a corresponding X image coordinate, and each row of said array of columns and rows being identified by a corresponding Y image coordinate;
e. determining a location of said relatively-central location with respect to corresponding said X and Y image coordinates; and
f. determining locations of a plurality of edge points of a portion of said image corresponding to an object associated with a corresponding said at least one region-of-interest, wherein each edge point of said plurality of edge points corresponds to an outer boundary of said object along a radial search path extending from said relatively-central location along a corresponding outwardly-oriented direction, said outer boundary is distal relative to said relatively-central location, each said edge point of said plurality of edge points comprises corresponding coordinates in said image space, and said plurality of edge points provide for discriminating said object.
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Abstract
Objects in a range map image are clustered into regions of interest responsive to range as determined from either a separate ranging system or from a top-down transformation of a range map image from a stereo vision system. A relatively-central location of each region of interest is transformed to mono-image geometry, and the corresponding portion of an associated mono-image is searched radially outwards from the relatively-central location along a plurality of radial search paths, along which the associated image pixels are filtered using an Edge-Preserving Smoothing filter in order to find an edge of the associated object along the radial search path. Edge locations for each of the radial search paths are combined in an edge profile vector that provides for discriminating the object.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of processing an image of a visual scene, comprising:
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a. receiving or determining a range-map image of the visual scene, wherein said range-map image comprises a first plurality of points, each point of said first plurality of points comprises a first coordinate and a second coordinate of a corresponding portion of a corresponding physical element within said visual scene, said first coordinate either corresponds or is related to a down-range coordinate of said visual scene, and said second coordinate either corresponds or is related to a cross-range coordinate of said visual scene; b. determining at least one region-of-interest within said visual scene, wherein said at least one region-of-interest comprises a second plurality of said points that are clustered with respect to distance in a space of first and second coordinates responsive to a corresponding distance threshold, said second plurality is less than or equal in number to said first plurality, and said space of first and second coordinates either corresponds or is related to a space of down-range and cross-range coordinates; c. determining a corresponding relatively-central location of said second plurality of said points of said at least one region-of-interest, wherein said relatively-central location comprises a corresponding first coordinate and a corresponding second coordinate, said corresponding first coordinate either corresponds or is related to a corresponding down-range coordinate of said visual scene, and said corresponding second coordinate either corresponds or is related to a corresponding cross-range coordinate of said visual scene; d. receiving the image of said visual scene, wherein said image comprises a first plurality of pixels organized in an image space as an array of columns and rows, each column of said array of columns and rows being identified by a corresponding X image coordinate, and each row of said array of columns and rows being identified by a corresponding Y image coordinate; e. determining a location of said relatively-central location with respect to corresponding said X and Y image coordinates; and f. determining locations of a plurality of edge points of a portion of said image corresponding to an object associated with a corresponding said at least one region-of-interest, wherein each edge point of said plurality of edge points corresponds to an outer boundary of said object along a radial search path extending from said relatively-central location along a corresponding outwardly-oriented direction, said outer boundary is distal relative to said relatively-central location, each said edge point of said plurality of edge points comprises corresponding coordinates in said image space, and said plurality of edge points provide for discriminating said object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An object detection system, comprising:
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a. a ranging system, wherein said ranging system provides for generating a range-map image of a visual scene, wherein said range-map image comprises a first plurality of points, each point of said first plurality of points comprises a first coordinate and a second coordinate of a corresponding portion of a corresponding physical element within said visual scene, said first coordinate either corresponds or is related to a down-range coordinate of said visual scene, and said second coordinate either corresponds or is related to a cross-range coordinate of said visual scene; b. an imaging system, wherein said imaging system provides for generating an image of said visual scene; and c. at least one processor, wherein said at least one processor provides for; i. determining at least one region-of-interest within said range-map image with respect to a top-down coordinate system; ii. determining a corresponding relatively-central location of said at least one region-of-interest with respect to said top-down coordinate system; iii. determining a corresponding location of said relatively-central location within said image; and iv. radially searching a portion of said image surrounding said relatively-central location along a plurality of radial search paths extending from said relatively-central location so as to locate an edge boundary of an object within said portion of said image, wherein each different radial search path of said plurality of radial search paths is at a corresponding different outwardly-oriented direction. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification