Method and apparatus for identifying objects depicted in a videostream
First Claim
1. A method of identifying whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest comprising the steps of:
- receiving a plurality of image frames in an image processing apparatus wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device;
applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and
using said image processing apparatus to identify image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus for rapidly analyzing frame(s) of digitized video data which may include objects of interest randomly distributed throughout the video data and wherein said objects are susceptible to detection, classification, and ultimately identification by filtering said video data for certain differentiable characteristics of said objects. The present invention may be practiced on pre-existing sequences of image data or may be integrated into an imaging device for real-time, dynamic, object identification, classification, logging/counting, cataloging, retention (with links to stored bitmaps of said object), retrieval, and the like. The present invention readily lends itself to the problem of automatic and semi-automatic cataloging of vast numbers of objects such as traffic control signs and utility poles disposed in myriad settings. When used in conjunction with navigational or positional inputs, such as GPS, an output from the inventative systems indicates the identity of each object, calculates object location, classifies each object by type, extracts legible text appearing on a surface of the object (if any), and stores a visual representation of the object in a form dictated by the end user/operator of the system. The output lends itself to examination and extraction of scene detail, which cannot practically be successfully accomplished with just human viewers operating video equipment, although human intervention can still be used to help judge and confirm a variety of classifications of certain instances and for types of identified objects.
556 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of identifying whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest comprising the steps of:
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receiving a plurality of image frames in an image processing apparatus wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and using said image processing apparatus to identify image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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10. A method of identifying whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest comprising the steps of:
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receiving a plurality of image frames in an image processing apparatus wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; using said image processing apparatus to identify image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest; for each digitized image frame identified as having a region of interest; segmenting said frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments; identifying a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space; and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics.
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11. A method of identifying whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest comprising the steps of:
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receiving a plurality of image frames in an image processing apparatus wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; using said image processing apparatus to identify image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest; for each digitized image frame identified as having a region of interest; segmenting said frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments; identifying a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space; and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics; and utilizing morphology techniques to grow and erode said search space by adding or subtracting segments adjacent said search space until either said search space meets or fails to meet uniform criteria for a differentiable characteristic.
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19. An image processing apparatus for determining whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame buffer that stores digitized pixels of said plurality of digitized image frames wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; at least one filter operably connected to said frame buffer that generates a discrete output value in response to each pixel of each image frame, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and an image processor that identifies image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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28. An image processing apparatus for determining whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame buffer tat stores digitized pixels of said plurality of digitized image frames wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; at least one filter operably connected to said frame buffer that generates a discrete output value in response to each pixel of each image frame, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and an image processor that identifies image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest wherein the image processor further identifies segments of interest within each image frame identified as having a region of interest by segmenting said image frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments, searching through a search space of said segments to identify a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space, and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics.
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29. An image processing apparatus for determining whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame buffer tat stores digitized pixels of said plurality of digitized image frames wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; at least one filter operably connected to said frame buffer that generates a discrete output value in response to each pixel of each image frame, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest tat is unique to that filter; and an image processor that identifies image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest wherein the image processor further identifies segments of interest within each image frame identified as having a region of interest by segmenting said image frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments, searching through a search space of said segments to identify a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space, and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics and wherein the image processor utilizes morphology techniques to grow and erode said search space by adding or subtracting segments adjacent said search space until either said search space meets or fails to meet uniform criteria for a differentiable characteristic.
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36. A computer-readable storage media storing:
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at least one computer program that operates to identify whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest by; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and identifying image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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45. A computer-readable storage media storing:
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at least one computer program that operates to identify whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest by; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and identifying image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest wherein the computer program further operates by; for each digitized image frame identified as having a region of interest; segmenting said frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments; identifying a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space; and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics.
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46. A computer-readable storage media storing:
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at least one computer program that operates to identify whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest by; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and identifying image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest wherein the computer program further operates by; for each digitized image frame identified as having a region of interest; segmenting said frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments; identifying a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space; and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics wherein the expanding of said search space is accomplished by utilizing morphology techniques to grow and erode said search space by adding or subtracting segments adjacent said search space until either said search space meets or fails to meet uniform criteria for a differentiable characteristic.
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47. A computer-readable storage media storing:
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at least one computer program that operates to identify whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest by; applying at least one filter to each of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and identifying image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said plurality of image frames as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest wherein the computer program further operates by; for each digitized image frame identified as having a region of interest; segmenting said frame into a plurality of non-overlapping image segments; identifying a segment that exhibits a differentiable characteristic as a search space; and expanding said search space to include segments adjacent to said segment that exhibits the differentiable characteristics wherein said image portions having a region of interest are filtered after said identifying step.
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54. A method of identifying whether a plurality of image frames may contain a common object of interest comprising the steps of:
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receiving a plurality of image frames in an image processing apparatus wherein said plurality of image frames are generated by at least one imaging device; separating each image frame into at least two channels of data; applying at least one filter to each of said two channels of data of said plurality of image frames to generate a discrete output value, wherein each filter screens for a differentiable characteristic associated with an object of interest that is unique to that filter; and using said image processing apparatus to identify image portions from said plurality of image frames that exhibit said differentiable characteristic in response to a logical combination of said discrete output values for each of said at least one filter for said at least two channels of data as potentially having a region of interest representing the common object of interest.
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Specification