System and method of three-dimensional image capture and modeling

A method for identifying a silhouette contour of an object that is depicted within an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the silhouette contour of the object comprised of a group of pixels which describe one contour of the object's shape, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image which depicts the background but not the object;
• b. locating one pixel which does not describe the object;
• c. moving sequentially through the light intensity values of the pixels of the image to locate a first pixel which describes the object, that pixel being a first pixel in a cluster of pixels which describe the object;
• and
• d. identifying from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster.

A method for identifying a contour of an object depicted in an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the silhouette contour of the object comprised of a group of pixels which describe one contour of the object's shape, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image which depicts the background but not the object;
• b. locating one pixel which does not describe the object;
• c. moving sequentially through the values of the pixels of the image to locate a first pixel which describes the object that pixel being a first pixel in a cluster of pixels which describe the object;
• and
• d. identifying from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster.

A method for creating a polygonally shaped silhouette contour of an object depicted in an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the polygonally-shaped silhouette contour of the object comprising the vertices of a polygon shape which describe one contour of the object, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image in which is depicted the background but not the object;
• b. locating a first pixel which describes the object that pixel being a pixel on the perimeter of a cluster of pixels which describe the object;
• c. identifying from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster;
• d. storing a list of those pixels which lie on the perimeter of the cluster;
• e. selecting from the list of pixels which lie on the perimeter of the cluster a set of pixels such that the edges of a polygon made from those pixels deviates by no more than a predetermined distance epsilon from the set of pixels which make up said perimeter of the cluster;
• and
• f. storing the selected set of pixels as the vertices of the silhouette contour polygon.

A computer-based system for identifying a silhouette contour of an object that is depicted within an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the silhouette contour of the object comprised of a group of pixels which describe one contour of the object's shape, the system comprising:

• a. a computer module for identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image which depicts the background but not the object;
• b. the computer module further comprised to locate one pixel which does not describe the object;
• c. the computer module further comprised to move sequentially through the light intensity values of the pixels of the image and locate a first pixel which describes the object, that pixel being a first pixel in a cluster of pixels which describe the object;
• and
• d. the computer module further comprised to identify from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster.

A computer-based system for identifying a contour of an object depicted in an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the silhouette contour of the object comprised of a group of pixels which describe one contour of the object's shape, the system comprising:

• a. a computer module for identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image which depicts the background but not the object;
• b. a computer module for locating one pixel which does not describe the object;
• c. a computer module for moving sequentially through the values of the pixels of the image to locate a first pixel which describes the object that pixel being a first pixel in a cluster of pixels which describe the object;
• and
• d. a computer module for identifying from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster.

A system for creating a polygonally shaped silhouette contour of an object depicted in an image, the image comprised of a plurality of pixels with each pixel containing a light intensity value that describes either the object or a background, the polygonally-shaped silhouette contour of the object comprising the vertices of a polygon shape which describe one contour of the object, the system comprising:

• a. an background subtraction module for identifying within the image a set of pixels which describe the object by comparing the light intensity value of the pixels of the image against the light intensity values of a second image in which is depicted the background but not the object;
• b. a cluster identification module for locating a first pixel which describes the object that pixel being a pixel on the perimeter of a cluster of pixels which describe the object, identifying from the point of said first pixel those other pixels of the cluster which lie on the perimeter of the cluster and storing a list of those pixels which lie on the perimeter of the cluster;
• and
• c. a polygon-shape building module for selecting from the list of pixels which lie on the perimeter of the cluster a set of pixels such that the edges of a polygon made from those pixels deviates by no more than a predetermined distance epsilon from the set of pixels which make up said perimeter of the cluster and storing the selected set of pixels as the vertices of the silhouette contour polygon.