Method and apparatus for motion estimation in image-sequences with efficient content-based smoothness constraint
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorAlexander Kobilansky
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Abstract
A motion estimation technique incorporates a smoothness constraint which is strengthened for reference regions characterized by an image property that is close to that of neighboring regions. Preferably, the image property should be a normalized figure to account for inherent variability distributed over the region.
Claims26
A method of calculating displacement vectors corresponding to respective reference image regions of a reference frame of an image-sequence, comprising the steps of:
- optimizing a function whose value depends on a closeness in value of each of said reference image region displacement vectors to values of adjacent ones of said reference image region displacement vectors;
- said function being more sensitive to said closeness in value when an image property of said each of said reference region displacement vectors is close in value to said adjacent ones and less sensitive to said closeness in value when an image property of said each of said reference region displacement vectors is close in value to said adjacent ones.
A method for calculating a smooth motion vector field of an image sequence, comprising the steps of:
- calculating displacement vectors for each of a plurality of image segments responsively to displacement vectors of a spatially-neighboring set of said plurality of image segments;
- said step of calculating being responsive to an image property of each of said neighboring set of image segments.
A medium holding program data, said program data defining a method for calculating a motion vector field of a image sequence stream, comprising the steps of:
- optimizing a function whose value depends on a closeness in value of each of said reference image region displacement vectors to values of adjacent ones of said reference image region displacement vectors;
- said function being more sensitive to said closeness in value when an image property of said each of said reference region displacement vectors is close in value to said adjacent ones and less sensitive to said closeness in value when an image property of said each of said reference region displacement vectors is close in value to said adjacent ones.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.