Image processing apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An object identification system for tracking a moving object in an image frame by analysis of an input signal, based upon user specified criteria for identifying such moving object, the object identification system comprising:
- an image processing system for generating a first output signal including information related to the user specified criteria regarding the moving object, the image processing system including a temporal processing unit for smoothing the input signal and, in turn, generating a first interim signal, a memory associated with the temporal processing unit, a delay unit for introducing a delay to the first interim signal, a spatial processing unit for receiving the first interim signal with the delay from the delay unit and producing a second interim signal, and a sequencing unit for processing the second interim signal and generating the first output signal; and
a histogram processor for processing the first output signal, received from the image processing system, and generating a second output signal containing information about the object in the image frame, the histogram processor including a histogram forming portion configured for receiving the first output signal and forming a histogram therefrom, a classifier for selecting the user specified criteria of a given pixel within the image frame for which the histogram is to be formed, a validation block for determining whether the given pixel within the image frame will be used in forming the histogram, and a key characteristics unit for computing key characteristics for the histogram, wherein the histogram forming portion receives the first output signal and, in cooperation with the classifier, the validation block, and the key characteristics unit, generates the second output signal identifying the moving object in the image frame.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for localizing an area in relative movement and for determining the speed and direction thereof in real time is disclosed. Each pixel of an image is smoothed using its own time constant. A binary value corresponding to the existence of a significant variation in the amplitude of the smoothed pixel from the prior frame, and the amplitude of the variation, are determined, and the time constant for the pixel is updated. For each particular pixel, two matrices are formed that include a subset of the pixels spatially related to the particular pixel. The first matrix contains the binary values of the subset of pixels. The second matrix contains the amplitude of the variation of the subset of pixels. In the first matrix, it is determined whether the pixels along an oriented direction relative to the particular pixel have binary values representative of significant variation, and, for such pixels, it is determined in the second matrix whether the amplitude of these pixels varies in a known manner indicating movement in the oriented direction. In each of several domains, histogram of the values in the first and second matrices falling in such domain is formed. Using the histograms, it is determined whether there is an area having the characteristics of the particular domain. The domains include luminance, hue, saturation, speed (V), oriented direction (D1), time constant (CO), first axis (x(m)), and second axis (y(m)).
14 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object identification system for tracking a moving object in an image frame by analysis of an input signal, based upon user specified criteria for identifying such moving object, the object identification system comprising:
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an image processing system for generating a first output signal including information related to the user specified criteria regarding the moving object, the image processing system including a temporal processing unit for smoothing the input signal and, in turn, generating a first interim signal, a memory associated with the temporal processing unit, a delay unit for introducing a delay to the first interim signal, a spatial processing unit for receiving the first interim signal with the delay from the delay unit and producing a second interim signal, and a sequencing unit for processing the second interim signal and generating the first output signal; and a histogram processor for processing the first output signal, received from the image processing system, and generating a second output signal containing information about the object in the image frame, the histogram processor including a histogram forming portion configured for receiving the first output signal and forming a histogram therefrom, a classifier for selecting the user specified criteria of a given pixel within the image frame for which the histogram is to be formed, a validation block for determining whether the given pixel within the image frame will be used in forming the histogram, and a key characteristics unit for computing key characteristics for the histogram, wherein the histogram forming portion receives the first output signal and, in cooperation with the classifier, the validation block, and the key characteristics unit, generates the second output signal identifying the moving object in the image frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An object identification system for tracking a moving object in an image frame by analysis of an input signal, based upon user specified criteria for identifying such moving object, the object identification system comprising:
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an image processing system for generating a first output signal including information related to the user specified criteria regarding the moving object, the image processing system being configured for performing temporal and spatial processing of the input signal for pixels in the image frame; and a histogram processor for processing the first output signal, received from the image processing system, and generating a second output signal containing information about the object in the image frame, the histogram processor including a histogram forming portion configured for receiving the first output signal and forming a histogram therefrom, a classifier for selecting the user specified criteria of a given pixel within the image frame for which the histogram is to be formed, a validation block for determining whether the given pixel within the image frame will be used in forming the histogram, and a key characteristics unit for computing key characteristics for the histogram, wherein the histogram forming portion receives the first output signal and, in cooperation with the classifier, the validation block, and the key characteristics unit, generates the second output signal identifying the moving object in the image frame. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification