Video comparison using color histograms

• US 9,639,772 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M
• Application Number:
  US14/875,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/48 Matching video sequences

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for video comparison using color histograms are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein to compare video sequences include determining a color histogram corresponding to an input video sequence based on color values of pixels sampled from a plurality of video frames of the input video sequence. Such disclosed example methods also include adjusting the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence based on a first reference color histogram corresponding to a first reference video sequence different from the input video sequence to determine an adjusted color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence. Such disclosed example methods further include comparing the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram to determine whether the first reference video sequence matches the input video sequence.

Claims

1. A method to compare video sequences, the method comprising:

determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, a color histogram corresponding to an input video sequence based on color values of pixels sampled from a plurality of video frames of the input video sequence;

adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence based on a first reference color histogram corresponding to a first reference video sequence different from the input video sequence to determine an adjusted color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram to determine whether the first reference video sequence matches the input video sequence.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the color histogram includes:

multiplying bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence by a scale factor to determine scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

determining bin values of the adjusted color histogram based on the scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and bin values of the first reference color histogram.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the determining of the bin values of the adjusted color histogram includes determining a respective bin value of a first bin of the adjusted color histogram to be a smaller of a respective scaled bin value of a corresponding first bin of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and a respective bin value of a corresponding first bin of the first reference color histogram.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the scale factor is adjustable.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the pixels are selected at specified horizontal and vertical coordinates from selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence are selected randomly from the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the comparing of the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram includes:

determining differences between bin values of the adjusted color histogram and corresponding bin values of the reference color histogram;

summing the differences to determine a comparison metric; and

determining whether the comparison metric meets a threshold.

8. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

determine a color histogram corresponding to an input video sequence based on color values of pixels sampled from a plurality of video frames of the input video sequence;

adjust the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence based on a first reference color histogram corresponding to a first reference video sequence different from the input video sequence to determine an adjusted color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

compare the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram to determine whether the first reference video sequence matches the input video sequence.

9. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein to adjust the color histogram, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

multiply bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence by a scale factor to determine scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

determine bin values of the adjusted color histogram based on the scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and bin values of the first reference color histogram.

10. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein to determine the bin values of the adjusted color histogram, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine a respective bin value of a first bin of the adjusted color histogram to be a smaller of a respective scaled bin value of a corresponding first bin of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and a respective bin value of a corresponding first bin of the first reference color histogram.

11. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein the scale factor is adjustable.

12. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the pixels are selected at specified horizontal and vertical coordinates from selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

13. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence are selected randomly from the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

14. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein to compare the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine differences between bin values of the adjusted color histogram and corresponding bin values of the reference color histogram;

sum the differences to determine a comparison metric; and

determine whether the comparison metric meets a threshold.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a histogram generator to determine a color histogram corresponding to an input video sequence based on color values of pixels sampled from a plurality of video frames of the input video sequence; and

a histogram comparator to;

adjust the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence based on a first reference color histogram corresponding to a first reference video sequence different from the input video sequence to determine an adjusted color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

compare the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram to determine whether the first reference video sequence matches the input video sequence.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein to adjust the color histogram, the histogram comparator is to:

multiply bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence by an adjustable scale factor to determine scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence; and

determine bin values of the adjusted color histogram based on the scaled bin values of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and bin values of the first reference color histogram.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein to determine the bin values of the adjusted color histogram, the histogram comparator is to determine a respective bin value of a first bin of the adjusted color histogram to be a smaller of a respective scaled bin value of a corresponding first bin of the color histogram corresponding to the input video sequence and a respective bin value of a corresponding first bin of the first reference color histogram.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the pixels are selected at specified horizontal and vertical coordinates from selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence are selected randomly from the plurality of video frames of the input video sequence.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein to compare the adjusted color histogram and the first reference color histogram, the histogram comparator is to:

determine differences between bin values of the adjusted color histogram and corresponding bin values of the reference color histogram;

sum the differences to determine a comparison metric; and

determine whether the comparison metric meets a threshold.