US 8,712,154 B2Granted

Image processing system and method

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsFrank Perbet, Atsuto Maki, Minh-Tri Pham, Bjorn Stenger, Oliver Woodford

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Abstract

A method dividing an image into plural superpixels of plural pixels of the image. The method calculates an initial set of weights from a measure of similarity between pairs of pixels, from which a resultant set of weights is calculated for pairs of pixels that are less that a threshold distance apart on the image. The calculation calculates a weight for a pair of pixels as the sum over a set of third pixels of the product of initial weight of the first pixel of the pair of pixel with the third pixel and the weight of the third pixel with the second pixel. Each weight is then subjected to a power coefficient operation. The resultant set of weights and the initial set of weights are then compared to check for convergence. If the weights converge, the converged set of weights is used to divide the image into superpixels.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of dividing an image into a plurality of superpixels, each superpixel comprising a plurality of pixels of the image, the method comprising

calculating, by a processor, an initial set of weights, each weight being associated with a pair of pixels of the image, using a measure of similarity between neighbouring pixels;
calculating, by the processor, from the initial set of weights a resultant set of weights for pairs of pixels in the image separated by less than a threshold distance, wherein calculating the resultant set of weights comprises
calculating, by the processor, a weight for a first pixel and a second pixel as the sum over third pixels of the product of the initial weight between the first pixel and a third pixel with the initial weight between that third pixel and the second pixel;
calculating, by the processor, a value of each weight to a power coefficient;
and normalising the set of weights to the power coefficient such that the set of all weights of a pixel sum to one;
comparing, by the processor, the initial set of weights and the resultant set of weights to check for convergence to a converged set of weights;
and
grouping, by the processor, the pixels into superpixels using the converged set of weights.

5 more elements

An image processing system for dividing image into a plurality of superpixels, each superpixel comprising a plurality of pixels of the image, the system comprising:

a processor operable to
calculate an initial set of weights, each weight being associated with a pair of pixels of the image, using a measure of similarity between neighbouring pixels;
calculate from the initial set of weights a resultant set of weights for pairs of pixels in the image separated by less than a threshold distance, by calculating a weight for a first pixel and a second pixel as the sum over third pixels of the product of the initial weight between the first pixel and a third pixel with the initial weight between that third pixel and the second pixel;
calculating a value of each weight to a power coefficient;
and normalising the set of weights to the power coefficient such that the set of all weights of a pixel sum to one;
compare the initial set of weights and the resultant set of weights to check for convergence to a converged set of weights;
and
group the pixels into superpixels using the converged set of weights.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/408,541Filed 29 Feb 2012
Priority: GB 1104909.523 Mar 2011
Published: US 2012/0251003 A14 Oct 2012
Granted: 29 Apr 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06T 7/11
Segmentation; Edge detection: region-based segmentation
G06F 18/2323
Non-hierarchical techniques: based on graph theory, e.g. minimum spanning trees [MST] or graph cuts
G06T 7/162
Segmentation; Edge detection: involving graph-based methods
G06T 7/187
Segmentation; Edge detection: involving region growing; involving region merging; involving connected component labelling