# US 12,008,795 B1 · Methods and arrangements for configuring object localizers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,795 B1 - Document ID: US12008795B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/827,365 - Filed: 2022-05-27 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-28 - Assignees: Digimarc Corporation - Applicants: Digimarc Corporation - Inventors: Adnan M. Alattar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008795B1 ## CPC - G06V 10/255: {Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes} - G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes} - G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes} - G06T 1/005: {Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant} - G06V 10/50: by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis - G06V 10/507: {Summing image-intensity values; Histogram projection analysis} - G06T 2201/0065: Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract The present technology relates to image signal processing. One aspect of the present technology involves analyzing reference imagery (e.g., depicting a conveyor belt) gathered by a camera system to determine which parts of an image frame offer higher probabilities of—relative to other image parts—containing content items. Image blocks representing localized content items can be provided to a signal detector to decode a signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing method of distinguishing content items from a conveyor belt comprising: for an M×N pixel block within an image frame representing the conveyor belt and content items, where both M and N are positive integers, identifying a center portion of the M×N pixel block, and dividing the center portion into a plurality of sub-blocks; for each sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks, determining an average or mean pixel value representing the sub-block, updating a histogram with the determined average or mean pixel value, the histogram representing a spatial location including the sub-block across multiple image frames, determining a histogram peak pixel value and providing a keep-out interval around the peak pixel value; determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, based on whether a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval; and providing the M×N pixel block to the detector based on a result of said determining. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 in which said determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, is based on: i. whether at a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval, or ii. if the M×N block is from the first K image frames analyzed, where K comprises a positive integer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image processing method of claim 2 in which K comprises a number of image frames equal to or between 32-256 image frames. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 in which the plurality of sub-blocks comprises 16 sub-blocks, and said determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, is based on whether at least 10 out of the 16 sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 in which the keep out interval comprises an interval bounded in the white and dark direction between 1-20% of the peak pixel value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 further comprising updating the keep-out interval every 32-256 image frames. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 further comprising purging histogram values every 128-1024 image frames. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing method of claim 1 in which the peak pixel value represents the conveyor belt. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image processing method of claim 8 in which a pixel value outside of the keep out interval represents a content item. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more electronic processors, cause said one or more electronic processors to perform the following acts: for an M×N pixel block within an image frame representing a conveyor belt and content items, where both M and N are positive integers, identifying a center portion of the M×N pixel block, and dividing the center portion into a plurality of sub-blocks; for each sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks, determining an average or mean pixel value representing the sub-block, updating a histogram with the determined average or mean pixel value, the histogram representing a spatial location including the sub-block across multiple image frames, determining a histogram peak pixel value and providing a keep-out interval around the peak pixel value; determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, based on whether a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval; and providing the M×N pixel block to the detector based on a result of said determining. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 in which said determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, is based on: i. whether at a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval, or ii. if the M×N block is from the first K image frames analyzed, where K comprises a positive integer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 in which K comprises a number of image frames equal to or between 32-256 image frames. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 in which the plurality of sub-blocks comprises 16 sub-blocks, and said determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, is based on whether at least 10 out of the 16 sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 in which the keep out interval comprises an interval bounded in the white and dark direction between 1-20% of the peak pixel value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising updating the keep-out interval every 32-256 image frames. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions that when executed by said one or more electronic processors cause said one or more electronic processors to perform the following act: purging histogram values every 128-1024 image frames. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium method of claim 10 in which the peak pixel value represents the conveyor belt. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 in which a pixel value outside of the keep out interval represents a content item. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: a camera system to capture a plurality of image frames depicting a conveyor belt and content items conveyed by the conveyor belt: for an M×N pixel block an image frame captured by said camera system, where both M and N are positive integers, means for identifying a center portion of the M×N pixel block and dividing the center portion into a plurality of sub-blocks; for each sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks, means for determining an average or mean pixel value representing the sub-block, means for updating a histogram with the determined average or mean pixel value, the histogram representing a spatial location including the sub-block across multiple image frames, mean for determining a histogram peak pixel value and providing a keep-out interval around the peak pixel value; means for determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, based on whether a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval; and means for communicating the M×N pixel block to the detector based on a result of said determining. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 in which said means for determining whether the M×N pixel block should be provided to a detector for encoded signal detection, is based on: i. whether at a majority of sub-blocks have an average or mean pixel value outside of the keep out interval, or ii. if the M×N block is from the first K image frames analyzed, where K comprises a positive integer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the peak pixel value represents the conveyor belt, and in which a pixel value outside of the keep out interval represents a content item.