Method and apparatus for image feature matching in automatic image stitching
AssigneeAdobe Systems Incorporated
InventorHailin Jin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for image feature matching in automatic image stitching processes. Embodiments may provide a computer-implemented method for performing a portion of an automatic image stitching process where feature correspondences are established between pairs of images. In embodiments, a computer-implemented image feature matching component may use a combination of one or more of heuristic techniques, information obtained from the user, file information related to the component images, and/or information obtained from previous feature matching iterations to narrow the number of images that are in a subset of component images to be compared for any given component image, and thus to narrow the number of pairs of component images on which image feature comparisons are performed.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- iteratively performing, by one or more computers:
- selecting a target image from a plurality of component images;
- selecting, according to one or more heuristics for selecting subsets of component images, a component image subset from among one or more subsets of the plurality of component images, wherein each component image subset includes one or more of the plurality of component images, and wherein the target image is not in a subset;
- comparing features of the target image to features of the component images in the one or more component image subsets starting at the selected component image subset until locating a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image according to respective features of the images or until all of the component image subsets have been searched;
- if said comparing locates a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, adding the target image to the component image subset;
- and
- if said comparing does not locate a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, forming a new component image subset that includes the target image;
- until all of the component images in the plurality of component images have been processed.
A system, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:
- iteratively perform:
- select a target image from a plurality of component images;
- select, according to one or more heuristics for selecting subsets of component images, a component image subset from among one or more subsets of the plurality of component images, wherein each component image subset includes one or more of the plurality of component images, and wherein the target image is not in a subset;
- compare features of the target image to features of the component images in the one or more component image subsets starting at the selected component image subset until locating a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image according to respective features of the images or until all of the component image subsets have been searched;
- if said comparing locates a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, add the target image to the component image subset;
- and
- if said comparing does not locate a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, form a new component image subset that includes the target image;
- until all of the component images in the plurality of component images have been processed.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
- iteratively performing:
- selecting a target image from a plurality of component images;
- selecting, according to one or more heuristics for selecting subsets of component images, a component image subset from among one or more subsets of the plurality of component images, wherein each component image subset includes one or more of the plurality of component images, and wherein the target image is not in a subset;
- comparing features of the target image to features of the component images in the one or more component image subsets starting at the selected component image subset until locating a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image according to respective features of the images or until all of the component image subsets have been searched;
- if said comparing locates a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, adding the target image to the component image subset;
- and
- if said comparing does not locate a component image subset that includes a component image that overlaps the target image, forming a new component image subset that includes the target image;
- until all of the component images in the plurality of component images have been processed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.