System for using three-dimensional models to enable image comparisons independent of image source

A method for identifying an object that is independent of the source used to derive the image of said object, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a two-dimensional reference image having a given texture content;
• (b) sampling at least one image of an object to be identified wherein the sampled image is not compatible with the given texture content of said two-dimensional reference image;
• (c) processing said two-dimensional reference image to generate a corresponding estimated three-dimensional reference model;
• (d) processing said sampled image to generate a corresponding estimated three-dimensional model of the object to be identified;
• and
• (e) implementing at least one identification process to identify said object, said identification process employing data from said estimated three-dimensional models.

A method for creating a three-dimensional facial model based at least in part on an image of part of a face, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a two-dimensional image of part of a face;
• (b) processing said two-dimensional image of part of a face to generate a three-dimensional image of said part of face;
• and
• (c) processing said three-dimensional image of said part of said face using symmetry to generate a full three-dimensional facial model.

A system for identifying an object based at least in part on a two-dimensional reference database including two-dimensional images of a plurality of objects, the system comprising:

• (a) a three-dimensional model reference database, containing a plurality of estimated three-dimensional models, wherein each estimated three-dimensional model is derived from a corresponding two-dimensional images from the two-dimensional reference database;
• (b) an image-sampling device configured for sampling at least one image of a real scene including the object of interest;
• and
• (c) a processing system, including at least one processor, operationally connected to said three-dimensional model reference database, and operationally connected to said image-sampling device, said processing system configured to implement at least one identification process to identify said object.

A system for generating a three-dimensional model reference database by processing two-dimensional images to generate a corresponding estimated three-dimensional model for each of the two-dimensional images, the system comprising:

• (a) a two-dimensional reference database including two-dimensional images of a plurality of objects;
• and
• (b) a processing system including at least one processor, operationally connected to said two-dimensional reference database, configured to:
• (i) process said two-dimensional images to generate said corresponding estimated three-dimensional model for each of said objects;
• and
• (ii) store data representative of said estimated three-dimensional models in said three-dimensional model reference database.

A system for identifying an object that is independent of the source used to derive the image of said object, the system comprising:

• (a) a two-dimensional reference image having a given texture content;
• (b) an image-sampling device configured for sampling at least one image of an object to be identified, wherein the texture content of the sampled image is not compatible with the given texture content of said two-dimensional reference image;
• and
• (c) a processing system including at least one processor, operationally connected to said image-sampling device configured to:
• (i) process said two-dimensional reference image to generate a corresponding estimated three-dimensional reference model;
• (ii) process said sampled image to generate a corresponding estimated three-dimensional model of the object to be identified;
• (iii) implement at least one identification process to identify said object, said identification process employing data from said estimated three-dimensional models.

A system for creating a three-dimensional facial model based at least in part on an image of part of a face, the system comprising:

• (a) a two-dimensional image of part of a face;
• (b) a processing system including at least one processor, configured to:
• (i) process said two-dimensional image of part of a face to generate a three-dimensional image of said part of face;
• and
• (ii) process said three-dimensional image of said part of face using symmetry to generate a full three-dimensional facial model.