US 2003/0198382 A1 · Apparatus and method for removing background on visual

Abstract

A background removal apparatus comprises a color normalization module that normalizes an original image, and an image segmentation module that segments the normalized image into several segmented regions. A background mesh generation module simulates the variation of pixel colors in background and generates an interpolated background mesh. A comparison module compares the normalized image and the interpolated background mesh to form a background mask by extracting the coherent regions between them. A refinement module uses a refined rule to determine a final background mask, and a background removal module through which a pure foreground image is obtained. The apparatus combines the efficiency of both color and spatial clustering, and improves the capabilities of current image segmentation method to perform background removal.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus for removing the background of visual content, said apparatus comprising:

a color normalization module normalizing an original image;
an image segmentation module segmenting said normalized image into a segmented image;
a background mesh generation module simulating the variation of pixel colors in the background of said normalized image and generating an interpolated background mesh;
a comparison module comparing said normalized image with said interpolated background mesh to generate a background mask, said background mask being formed by identifying and extracting coherent regions between said normalized image and said interpolated background mesh;
a refinement module generating a refined background mask according to said segmented image and said background mask;
and
a background removal module generating a foreground image by masking out background from said original image according to said refined background mask.

4 more elements

A method for removing the background of visual content, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) normalizing the color of an original image to form a normalized image;
(b) segmenting said normalized image to form a segmented image;
(c) simulating the variation of pixel colors in the background of said original image and generating an interpolated background mesh;
(d) generating a background mask by comparing said normalized image and said interpolated background mesh, said background mask being formed by locating and extracting coherent regions between said normalized image and said interpolated background mesh;
(e) generating a refined background mask according to said background mask and said segmented image;
and
(f) generating a foreground image by masking out background from said original image according to said refined background mask.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for removing background on visual

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for removing background on visual

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18