US5963272A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for generating a reference image from an image sequence
Assignee: Sarnoff Corp
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Filing: 1996-10-30
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Granted: 1999-10-05
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Expires: 2016-10-30
Abstract
Abstract A locally-adaptive method and apparatus for constructing a reference image containing only the background from an image sequence containing moving or temporarily-stationary objects. Specifically, the apparatus contains a sample mask selector and a reference updater. The selector generates a mask which is used by the updated to perform updating of a reference image using only portions of the input image that contain background imagery. The updater enhances the masking function using a statistical analysis to avoid updating pixels using non-background imagery.
Inventors
- 👤 Lambert Ernest Wixson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:24
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/07; H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/20; H04N19/23; H04N19/50; H04N19/503; H04N19/507; H04N7/00; H04N7/18; H04N7/188
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
Apparatus for generating and updating a reference image from a sequence of images representing a scene comprising: a sample mask selector for generating, in response to a first image and a second image in said sequence of images, a sample mask for controlling reference image generation; and a reference updater for updating select portions of a reference image in response to said first image and said sample mask, where said sample mask defines the portions of said reference image to be updated.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus for generating and updating a reference image from a sequence of images representing a scene comprising: a sample mask selector for generating, in response to a first image and a second image in said sequence of images, a sample mask for controlling reference image generation; and a reference updater for updating select portions of a reference image in response to said first image and said sample mask, where said sample mask defines the portions of said reference image to be updated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sample mask permits the reference image to be updated with information in said first image at locations containing background information of said scene.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of generating and updating a reference image from a sequence of images representing a scene comprising the steps of: generating, in response to a first image and a second image in said sequence of images, a sample mask for controlling reference image generation; and updating select portions of a reference image in response to said first image and said sample mask, where said sample mask defines the portions of said reference image to be updated.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of generating and updating a reference image from a sequence of images representing a scene comprising the steps of: generating, in response to a first image and a second image in said sequence of images, a sample mask for controlling reference image generation; and updating select portions of a reference image in response to said first image and said sample mask, where said sample mask defines the portions of said reference image to be updated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said sample mask permits the reference image to be updated with information in said first image at locations containing background information of said scene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said generating step further comprises the step of detecting locations in said sequence of images having changes followed by no change over a predefined duration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of determining a true background value for each reference image pixel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of: maintaining a true reference image and a potential reference image; generating a coherence measure for each pixel in said true reference image and a coherence measure for each pixel in said potential reference image; when the coherence measure of a pixel in the potential reference image exceeds the coherence measure of a pixel in the true reference image, replacing a pixel value of the pixel in the true reference image with a pixel value of the pixel in the potential reference image; and using the true reference image as the reference image.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-04 | 2003-04-05 | 2003-10-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-04 | 2007-04-05 | 2007-10-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-04 | 2011-04-05 | 2011-10-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |