Spatial image index and associated updating functionality
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, using a physical image matching system, of performing a search based on a query image, comprising:
- receiving a query image;
receiving location information which indicates a location that is associated with the query image;
identifying a bounding region associated with the location, based on the location information;
identifying, using an index, a set of candidate reference images that match the query image and the bounding region;
performing verification analysis to identify at least one final matching image, selected from among the candidate reference images, that successfully matches the query image, the verification analysis includingmapping non-quantized features based on the query image into additional quantized features, andmapping points in the query image to corresponding points in the at least one final matching image by applying a geometric model that transforms each point in the query image into a corresponding point in the at least one final matching image; and
updating the index to include at least one image information entry that corresponds, respectively, to the at least one final matching image that successfully matches the query image.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image matching system is described for finding reference images that match a query image. The image matching system performs this operation in expeditious fashion by restricting the matching to a bounding region; the bounding region, in turn, may be associated with a location at which the query image may have been captured. In addition, the image matching system provides various mechanisms that expedite adding new reference images to an image index, to thereby provide a re-enforced learning mechanism of the image matching system.
90 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method, using a physical image matching system, of performing a search based on a query image, comprising:
-
receiving a query image; receiving location information which indicates a location that is associated with the query image; identifying a bounding region associated with the location, based on the location information; identifying, using an index, a set of candidate reference images that match the query image and the bounding region; performing verification analysis to identify at least one final matching image, selected from among the candidate reference images, that successfully matches the query image, the verification analysis including mapping non-quantized features based on the query image into additional quantized features, and mapping points in the query image to corresponding points in the at least one final matching image by applying a geometric model that transforms each point in the query image into a corresponding point in the at least one final matching image; and updating the index to include at least one image information entry that corresponds, respectively, to the at least one final matching image that successfully matches the query image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22)
-
-
11. An index updating module, implemented by physical data processing functionality, comprising:
one or more processing devices programmed to provide; a receiving module configured to receive image information entries corresponding to a plurality of corresponding new images to be added to an index; a distribution module configured to distribute the image information entries to image buckets; a forwarding module configured to; determine whether any image bucket has received a bucket set comprising a predetermined number of image information entries by counting a number of entries in each respective bucket; and upon any image bucket having received the predetermined number of image information entries, forward the bucket set provided by the image bucket to at least one associated index server that updates a portion of the index based on the bucket set; and a relationship management module that updates information indicating potential relationships between pluralities of images, based on a presence of a bridging picture that establishes a nexus between the pluralities. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
12. The index updating module of wherein the new images to be added to the index correspond to query images that have been previously determined to match at least one reference image, identified by the index.
-
17. A computer usable storage device storing thereon computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing an image matching system when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:
-
logic configured to receive a query image; logic configured to resolve a bounded region; logic configured to identify least one final matching image, using an index, based on the query image and the resolved bounded region, each final matching image associated with an image information entry, the identifying including mapping non-quantized features based on the query image into additional quantized features, and mapping points in the query image to corresponding points in the at least one final matching image by applying a geometric model that transforms each point in the query image into a corresponding point in the at least one final matching image; and logic configured to update the index, for each final matching image, to include the image information entry, the query image being captured in a capture session in which plural query images are captured, and wherein said logic configured to update is configured to update the index prior to capture of a next query image among the plural query images. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 23)
-
-
24. A method, using a physical image matching system, of performing a search based on a query image, comprising:
-
resolving a bounding region, based on location information that indicates a location that is associated with a received query image, the bounded region surrounding the location that is associated with the received query image; identifying, using an index, a set of candidate reference images that match the query image and the bounding region; selecting at least one of the identified candidate reference images as a final matching image that successfully matches the query image, by mapping non-quantized features based on the query image into additional quantized features, and mapping points in the query image to corresponding points in the at least one final matching image by applying a geometric model that transforms each point in the query image into a corresponding point in the at least one final matching image; and updating the index to include at least one image information entry that corresponds, respectively, to the at least one final matching image that successfully matches the query image.
-
Specification