# US 2010/0166257 A1 · Method and apparatus for detecting semi-transparencies in video > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166257 A1 - Document ID: US20100166257A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/345,863 - Filed: 2008-12-30 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30 - Assignees: ATI Technologies ULC - Inventors: Gordon F. Wredenhagen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166257A1 ## CPC - G06V 20/635: {Overlay text, e.g. embedded captions in a TV programme} - G06V 20/40: in video content (extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A method and apparatus for detecting semi-transparencies in video is disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting semi-transparencies in a video image comprising: determining a variance between a plurality of pixel samples; applying a recursive computation to update a mean and the variance; generating a variance map; and generating a variance mask based upon the variance map. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: rejecting image regions that are above a variance threshold; and retaining for analysis image regions that are below the variance threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the threshold is one of user-defined or pre-defined. ### Claim 4 A method for detecting semi-transparencies in a video image comprising: applying a minimum maximum mask. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 further comprising: tracking a dynamic range of a pixel; and eliminating the pixel from further consideration if a diminished maximum dynamic range is attained. ### Claim 6 A method of semi-transparency detection in video comprising: applying at least one of a minimum-maximum mask, a variance mask, a persistence edge mask, a predefined region mask or a user defined mask. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising: determining if a pixel is part of a transparency via a voting scheme. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising normalization. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising: storing a first logo; correlating the stored logo with the detected semi-transparency; determining that a second logo is present if correlation exceeds a first threshold; and determining that the detected semi-transparency is a probable first logo if the correlation exceeds a second threshold and is a highest correlation. ### Claim 10 A semi-transparency detection apparatus comprising: a processor configured to determine the variance between a plurality of pixel samples; the processor further configured to apply a recursive computation to update a mean and the variance; the processor further configured to generate a variance map; and the processor further configured to generate a variance mask based upon the variance map. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The detection apparatus of claim 10 further comprising: the processor configured to reject regions of the variance mask that correspond to variance above a threshold; and the processor further configured to retain regions of the variance mask that correspond to variance below a threshold for further analysis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The detection apparatus of claim 10 wherein the threshold is any one of user-defined or configured. ### Claim 13 A semi-transparency detection apparatus comprising: a processor configured to apply a minimum maximum mask. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The detection apparatus of claim 13 further comprising: the processor configured to track a dynamic range of a pixel; and the processor further configured to eliminate the pixel from further consideration if a diminished maximum dynamic range is attained. ### Claim 15 A semi-transparency detection apparatus comprising: a processor configured to apply at least one of a minimum-maximum mask, a variance mask, a persistence edge mask, a predefined region mask or a user defined mask. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The detection apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: the processor further configured to determine if a pixel is part of a semi-transparency via a voting scheme. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The detection apparatus of claim 15 comprising: the processor further configured to perform normalization. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The detection apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: a memory configured to store a first logo; a processor configured to correlate the stored logo with the detected semi-transparency; the processor further configured to determine that a second logo is present if correlation exceeds a first threshold; and a processor further configured to determine that the detected semi-transparency is a probable first logo if the correlation exceeds a second threshold and is a highest correlation. ### Claim 19 A computer readable storage medium comprising: a first set of instructions adapted to create a processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement a second set of instructions, the second set of instructions comprising: a variance code segment for determining the variance between a plurality of pixel samples; a recursive computation code segment for applying a recursive computation to update a mean and the variance; a map generating code segment for generating a variance map; and a mask generating code segment for generating a variance mask based upon the variance map. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the first set of instructions or the second set of instructions are hardware description language (HDL) instructions.