Image feature extractor, an image feature analyzer and an image matching system

• US 6,243,492 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kamei, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/517,317
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 382/197, 382/209, 382/219, 382/115, 382/203, 382/204, 382/113, 382/116, 382/124, 382/125, 382/126, 382/127, 382/309, 382/190, 382/278, 382/252
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/48 by mapping characteristic values of the pattern into a parameter space, e.g. Hough transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification

Abstract

For providing an efficient image pattern matching system, an image feature extractor (11) of the invention comprises a feature vector extraction means (101) for extracting a feature vector from the pattern image, a quality index extraction means (106) for extracting quality index information of the pattern image, an error distribution information storing means (105) wherein error distribution information representing correlation between error distribution of the feature vector and the quality index information is prepared, and a confidence attribution means (107) for obtaining confidence estimation information referring to the error distribution information retrieved with the quality index information. The image feature analyzer (51) prepares the errors distribution information. An image feature matching system collates feature information of an image pattern extracted by the image feature extractor (11) by comparing it to registered feature information.

Claims

1. An image feature matching system for collating a pattern image making use of a feature information data set of the pattern image including a feature vector of the pattern image and confidence information of the feature vector attributed to each component of the feature vector;

said image feature matching system comprising;

a database section wherein the feature information dataset of each of a plurality of pattern images is registered; and

a matching section for collating the pattern image by discriminating accordance/discordance of the feature information data set of the pattern image to each of the feature information data set registered in said database section according to distance between two feature vectors each included in respective feature information data set calculated in consideration of the confidence information of the two feature vectors.