US6137910A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multiresolutional critical point filter and image matching using the same
Assignee: JBF PARTNERS Inc
•
Filing: 1999-11-03
•
Granted: 2000-10-24
•
Expires: 2019-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A multiresolutional filter called a critical point filter is introduced. This filter extracts a maximum, a minimum, and two types of saddle points of pixel intensity for every 2×2 (horizontal×vertical) pixels so that an image of a lower level of resolution is newly generated for every type of a critical point. Using this multiresolutional filter, a source image and a destination image are hierarchized, and source hierarchical images and destination hierarchical images are matched using image characteristics recognized through a filtering operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshihisa Shinagawa
- 👤 Tosiyasu Laurence Kunii
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:47
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/40; G06V10/44; G06V10/443; G06V10/46; G06V10/462; G06V10/70; G06V10/74; G06V10/75; G06V10/754; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/24; G06V30/248; G06V30/2504
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
An image matching method comprising: a first step of generating source hierarchical images each having a different resolution through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a source image; a second step of generating destination hierarchical images each having a different resolution through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a destination image; and a third step of matching the source hierarchical images and the destination hierarchical images.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
An image matching method comprising: a first step of generating source hierarchical images each having a different resolution through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a source image; a second step of generating destination hierarchical images each having a different resolution through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a destination image; and a third step of matching the source hierarchical images and the destination hierarchical images.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a mapping between an image of a certain level of resolution among the source hierarchical images and an image of the same level of resolution among the destination hierarchical images is determined in consideration of a mapping at another predetermined level of resolution.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the mapping is determined using the mapping at the predetermined level of resolution as a constraint.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the predetermined level of resolution is a coarser level than that at which the mapping is currently determined.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the predetermined level of resolution is one level coarser than that at which the mapping is currently determined.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein a mapping is first determined at a coarsest level of resolution, and then sequentially at finer levels of resolution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as defined-in claim 2, wherein the mapping is determined so as to satisfy Bijectivity conditions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as defined in claim 7, wherein a relaxation is provided to the Bijective conditions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A-method as defined in claim 8, wherein the relaxation is to allow a mapping to be retraction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the source hierarchical images and the destination hierarchical images are generated for each type of a critical point, and the mapping is computed for each type of a critical point.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as defined in claim 10, wherein a mapping is computed for a certain type of a critical point in consideration of a mapping which has already been obtained for another type of a critical point at the same level of resolution.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the mapping is computed under a condition that the mapping should be similar to the mapping which has already been obtained.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of evaluation equations are defined according to a plurality of matching evaluation items; the plurality of evaluation equations are combined so as to define a combined evaluation equation; and an optimal matching is searched while noting the neighborhood of an extreme of the combined evaluation equation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the combined evaluation equation is defined as a sum of the plurality of equation equations at least one of which has been multiplied by a coefficient parameter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of evaluation equations takes a smaller value for better evaluation, and the coefficient parameter is automatically determined so that a minimum of the combined evaluation equation becomes its smallest value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of evaluation equations takes a larger value for better evaluation, and the coefficient parameter is automatically determined so that a maximum of the combined evaluation equation becomes its largest value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the coefficient parameter is automatically determined by detecting the neighborhood of an extreme of one of the plurality of evaluation equations.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
101 words
A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the combined evaluation equation is defined as a linear sum of a first evaluation equation for a pixel value and a second evaluation equation for a pixel location; a value of the first evaluation equation is recorded when the combined evaluation equation takes a value which is in the neighborhood of an extreme while varying a coefficient parameter of at least the first evaluation equation; and the coefficient parameter is fixed when the first evaluation equation takes a value which is in the neighborhood of an extreme and is used in subsequent evaluations.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
An image matching method, wherein source hierarchical images each having a different resolution is generated through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a source image; destination hierarchical images each having a different resolution is generated through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a destination image; and the source hierarchical images and the destination hierarchical images are matched.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
59 words
An image matching method, wherein source hierarchical images each having a different resolution is generated through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a source image; destination hierarchical images each having a different resolution is generated through multiresolutional critical point filtering carried out to a destination image; and the source hierarchical images and the destination hierarchical images are matched.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-24 | 2004-04-24 | 2004-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-24 | 2008-04-24 | 2008-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-24 | 2012-04-24 | 2012-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |