EP1246085A2
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EP
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Event clustering of images using foreground/background segmentation
Assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
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Filing: 2002-03-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2022-03-18
Abstract
Abstract An event clustering method uses foreground and background segmentation for clustering images from a group into similar events. Initially, each image is divided into a plurality of blocks, thereby providing block-based images. Utilizing a block-by-block comparison, each block-based image is segmented into a plurality of regions comprising at least a foreground and a background. One or more luminosity, color, position or size features are extracted from the regions and the extracted features are utilized to estimate and compare the similarity of the regions comprising the foreground and background in successive images in the group. Then, a measure of the total similarity between successive images is computed, thereby providing image distance between successive images, and event clusters are delimited from the image distances.
Inventors
- 👤 Alexander C. Loui
- 👤 Matthieu Jeanson
- 👤 Zhaohui Sun
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:44
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V20/00; G06V20/10; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/50; G06F16/51; G06F16/58; G06F16/583; G06F16/5838
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
An event clustering method using foreground and
background segmentation for clustering images from a group into similar events,
said method including the steps of: (a) segmenting each image into a plurality of regions comprising at
least a foreground and a background; (b) extracting one or more features from the regions comprising the
foreground and background, said features including at least one of luminosity,
color, position and size of the regions; (c) utilizing the features to compute the similarity of the regions
comprising the foreground and background of successive images in the group; (d) computing a measure of the total similarity between successive
images, thereby providing a measure of image distance between successive
images; and (e) delimiting event clusters from the image distances, whereby the
event clusters include groups of images pertaining to the same events.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step (c)
utilizes the features to generate a distance measure that indicates the similarity or
dissimilarity between the regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein if a
predetermined number of regions formed in step (a) are each less than a
predetermined size, then a fixed region is generated for the foreground.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the group of
images are arranged in a chronological order and step (c) further utilizes the
features to estimate and compare the similarity of regions comprising foreground
and background in every other image in the group and step (d) computes a
measure of the total similarity between every other image, thereby providing
image distance between successive images and every other image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the group of
images are arranged in a chronological order and step (c) further utilizes the
features to estimate and compare the similarity of regions comprising foreground
and background in every other two images in the group and step (d) computes a
measure of the total similarity between every other two images, thereby providing
image distance between successive images and every other two images.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A computer storage medium having instructions stored
therein for causing a computer for perform the method of claim 1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
144 words
An event clustering method using foreground and
background segmentation for clustering images from a group into similar events,
said method including the steps of: (a) dividing each image into a plurality of blocks, thereby
providing block-based images; (b) utilizing a block-by-block comparison to segment each block-based
image into a plurality of regions comprising at least a foreground and a
background; (c) extracting one or more features from the regions comprising the
foreground and background, said features including at least one of luminosity,
color, position and size of the regions; (d) utilizing the features to compute the similarity of the regions
comprising the foreground and background of successive images in the group,
thereby leading to a measure of image distance between successive images; and (e) delimiting event clusters from the image distances, whereby the
event clusters include groups of images pertaining to the same events.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the block-by-block
comparison in step (b) comprises extracting one or more of said features
from the blocks, utilizing the features to compute the similarity of each block with
respect to its neighboring blocks, forming regions from similar blocks and
merging similar regions into a background and a foreground.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A computer storage medium having instructions stored
therein for causing a computer for perform the method of claim 7.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein if a
predetermined number of regions formed in step (b) are each less than a
predetermined size, then a fixed regions is generated for the foreground.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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