Image processing

• US 9,940,655 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Europe BV (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lang, Mikael Carl, Porter, Robert Mark Stefan, Prayle, Paul Edward, Beresford, Ratna, Thorpe, Jonathan Richard, Williams, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US15/002,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 382305, 705 261- 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7335 Graphical querying, e.g. query-by-region, query-by-sketch, query-by-trajectory, GUIs for designating a person/face/object as a query predicate end-user interface involving hot spots associated with the video H04N21/4725; end-user interface for selecting a Region of Interest H04N21/4728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7847 using low-level visual features of the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/10 Segmentation; Edge detection motion-based segmentation G06T7/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/143 involving probabilistic approaches, e.g. Markov random field [MRF] modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/45 using co-occurrence matrix computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/457 by analysing connectivity, e.g. edge linking, connected component analysis or slices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour

Abstract

An image processing method includes partitioning an image under test to form a plurality of contiguous image segments having similar image properties, deriving feature data from a subset including one or more of the image segments, and comparing the feature data from the subset of image segments with feature data derived from respective image segments of one or more other images so as to detect a similarity between the image under test and the one or more other images.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

a storage medium configured to store captured image data;

a display;

a user interface configured to receive a section of an area of an image from the image data when the image data is output to the display;

circuitry configured to

partition the image into image segments including at a least one segment corresponding the selected area of the image, each segment representing set of pixels having similar properties; and

derive a representation of at least the segment corresponding to the selected area of the image, the representation comprising quantized image data; and

a network interface configured to

transmit the representation of the segment corresponding the selected area of the image; and

receive data indicative of a purchasable article or service representing a match to a reference representation associated with a at least one purchasable article or service, wherein

the circuitry is configured to interpret the received data and output for display purchase details of the purchasable article or service.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein

the match is determined when a threshold of similarly between the representation of the segment and the reference representation exceed a predetermined threshold.

3. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein

the representation comprises quantized image color data.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein

the representation comprises feature data representing quantized image color data and other properties of the segment.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein

the purchase details include data indicative of a price and a purchase control, and

the purchase control is executable in response to the user control.

6. A method comprising:

storing captured image data;

receiving a selection of an area of an image from the image data when the image data is displayed by a display;

partitioning the image into image segments including at a least one segment corresponding to the selected area of the image, each segment representing set of pixels having similar properties;

deriving a representation of at least the segment corresponding the selected area of the image, the representation comprising quantized image data;

transmitting the representation of the segment corresponding the selected area of the image;

receiving data indicative of a purchasable article or service representing a match to a reference representation associated with a at least one purchasable article or service; and

interpreting the received data and outputting for display purchase details of the purchasable article or service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the match is determined when a threshold of similarly between the representation of the segment and the reference representation exceed a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein

the representation comprises quantized image color data.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein

the representation comprises feature data representing quantized image color data and other properties of the segment.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein

the purchase details include data indicative of a price and a purchase control, and

the method further comprises executing the purchase control in response to the user control.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein

the reference representation is indicative of features of segments of a reference image.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein

the purchase details include a hyperlink for the purchasable article or hyperlink.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 6.

14. A method comprising:

receiving first images and associated hyperlinks corresponding to purchasable items or services;

deriving reference feature data from the first images and storing the feature data on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in association with the hyperlinks;

receiving feature data representing segments of second images via a network connection; and

comparing, by a computer, the received feature data with reference feature data, and where a similarity between the received feature data with the reference feature data is within a comparison threshold

providing the hyperlinks associated with the reference feature data via a network connection; and

receiving compensation dependent upon whether a user selects the hyperlinks provided via a network connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the first images are received via the network connection.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein

the deriving includes deriving reference feature data representing segments of the first images.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein

the reference feature data represents segments of the first images, and

the comparing includes comparing the feature data representing the segments of the second image with the reference feature data representing segments of the first images.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein

the comparing includes comparing the feature data representing segments of the second image with the reference feature data representing segments of the first images.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein

at least one of the hyperlinks associated with the reference feature data is a hyperlink for purchasing a product or service associated with the reference feature data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

the compensation is dependent upon whether the user purchases the product or service upon selecting the hyperlink for purchasing the product or service.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein

at least one of the hyperlinks associated with the reference feature data is a hyperlink for processing a click-through payment for purchasing a product or service associated with the reference feature data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the compensation is dependent upon whether the user purchases the product or service upon selecting the hyperlink for processing the click-through payment for purchasing the product or service associated with the reference feature data.

23. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media including computer program code, which when executed by an information processing system, cause the information processing system to execute the method of claim 14.