Methods for discriminating moving objects in motion image sequences

• US 20090175502A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovation Asset Collective
• Original Assignee: Tandent Vision Science, Inc.
• Inventors: Bushell, Steven Joseph, Friedhoff, Richard Mark, Maxwell, Bruce Allen
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/215 Motion-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/28 Quantising the image, e.g. histogram thresholding for discrimination between background and foreground patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/422 for representing the structure of the pattern or shape of an object therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for classifying pixel values in a motion sequence of images. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of determining spectral information relevant to the sequence of images, and utilizing the spectral information to classify a pixel as one of background, shadow and object.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. Automated, computerized method for tracking an object in a motion sequence of images, comprising the steps of:

determining motion pixels from the motion sequence of images;

calculating Nth order tokens as a function of the motion pixels; and

identifying motion of an object as a function of the Nth order tokens.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying motion of an object as a function of the Nth order tokens is carried out as a function of comparison of spectral ratios and reflectance ratios between Nth order tokens of separate instances of motion pixels, in separate images of the motion sequence of images.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the Nth order tokens comprise second order tokens.

21. A computer system comprising:

a CPU; and

a memory storing a motion sequence of images;

the CPU arranged and configured to execute a routine to determine motion pixels from the motion sequence of images, calculate second order tokens as a function of the motion pixels and identify motion of an object as a function of the second order tokens.