Method for segmenting a video image into elementary objects
First Claim
1. A method for segmenting a video image based on elementary objects, comprising, with regard to at least one elementary object delimited by a natural contour of the video image, the steps of:
- defining, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object;
defining, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from a neighbouring node;
subjecting, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation, by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies the non-blocking condition and in halting any nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object.
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Abstract
A starting contour is defined surrounding around an elementary object delimited by a natural contour in a video image. On the basis of the starting contour, an original active contour is defined, formed by a set of nodes distributed on this starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to this starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating this node from a neighbouring node. With regards to a set of reference values representative of the contour of this object, the active contour is subjected to a convergent deformation under a blocking condition, by displacing at least one of the nodes of the original active contour toward the natural contour of the elementary object to generate a current active contour iteratively subjected to this convergent deformation.
10 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for segmenting a video image based on elementary objects, comprising, with regard to at least one elementary object delimited by a natural contour of the video image, the steps of:
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defining, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object; defining, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from a neighbouring node; subjecting, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation, by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies the non-blocking condition and in halting any nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of segmenting a video image based on elementary objects, wherein at least one elementary object is delimited by a natural contour of the video image, the method comprising:
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defining by a computing device, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object; defining by the computing device, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from another node of the set of nodes; and subjecting by the computing device, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation, by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies a non-blocking condition and in halting any nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus configured to segment a video image based on elementary objects, wherein at least one elementary object is delimited by a natural contour of the video image, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a data store coupled to the processor, and having stored therein computer-implemented application programs that if executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the following actions; defining, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object; defining, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from another node of the set of nodes; and subjecting, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation, by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies a non-blocking condition and in halting any nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An article of manufacture comprising:
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non-transitory computer-readable media; and instructions encoded thereon and configured to cause an apparatus, when the instructions are executed by a processor of the apparatus, to segment a video image based on elementary objects, wherein at least one elementary object delimited by a natural contour of the video image, and wherein segmenting a video image includes; defining, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object; defining, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from another node of the set of nodes; and subjecting, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation, by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies a non-blocking condition and in halting any nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A system configured to segment a video image based on elementary objects, wherein at least one elementary object is delimited by a natural contour of the video image, the system comprising:
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means for defining, around the elementary object, a starting contour arbitrarily and completely surrounding said elementary object; means for defining, on the basis of said starting contour, an original active contour, formed by a set of nodes distributed on the starting contour, each node being formed by a point belonging to the starting contour and by an elastic energy function representative of the distance separating the node from another node of the set of nodes; and means for subjecting, with regard to a set of reference values representing the natural contour of said elementary object, said original active contour to a convergent deformation by displacing toward the natural contour of the elementary object at least one of the nodes of the original active contour, so as to generate a current active contour, the current active contour being subjected iteratively to said convergent deformation to generate distinct successive current active contours as long as said displacement satisfies a non-blocking condition and in halting nodal displacement of said current active contour otherwise, generating a final current active contour substantially reproducing the natural contour of said elementary object.
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Specification