Temporal smoothing of scene analysis data for image sequence generation

Abstract

A technique for temporal smoothing of results from a scene analysis process which creates a sequence of visually pleasing and acceptable images generated in whole or part from such results. The technique applies temporal smoothing across time-related sets of scene analysis results. The spatial smoothing can be applied at various steps in the process: to images in the original sequence, to intermediate or final results of scene analysis in either a pixel-oriented or geometric domain, or to the images generated in whole or part from the scene analysis results. In a preferred embodiment, different levels of smoothing are applied to different parts of the intermediate or final results. The differentiation can be done using image masks (for pixel-oriented results) or geometry selection techniques (for geometric results). This allows a higher level of smoothing in certain areas where the generated visual images will benefit from such additional smoothing, while avoiding over-smoothing in other areas where the smoothing would obscure critical details within the generated images.

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