Patent US6876999B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6876999B2
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US
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Methods and apparatus for extraction and tracking of objects from multi-dimensional sequence data
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 2001-04-25
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Granted: 2005-04-05
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Expires: 2021-04-25
Abstract
Abstract An object tracking technique is provided which, given: (i) a potentially large data set; (ii) a set of dimensions along which the data has been ordered; and (iii) a set of functions for measuring the similarity between data elements, a set of objects are produced. Each of these objects is defined by a list of data elements. Each of the data elements on this list contains the probability that the data element is part of the object. The method produces these lists via an adaptive, knowledge-based search function which directs the search for high-probability data elements. This serves to reduce the number of data element combinations evaluated while preserving the most flexibility in defining the associations of data elements which comprise an object.
Inventors
- 👤 Matthew L. Hill
- 👤 Yuan-Chi Chang
- 👤 Chung-Sheng Li
- 👤 Vittorio Castelli
- 👤 Lawrence David Bergman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:20
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T7/00; G06T7/20; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/20; G06V10/24; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/912; Y10S707/913; Y10S707/915; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A computer-based method of segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the method comprising the steps of: generating an optimized search function; applying the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and applying a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A computer-based method of segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the method comprising the steps of: generating an optimized search function; applying the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and applying a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimized search function is generated based on a randomly selected portion of data elements from the set of data elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the optimized search function further comprises the step of evaluating two or more search functions to determine which one of the two or more search functions substantially meets a particular match function criterion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the two or more search functions is unoptimized.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the two or more search functions are selected from a catalog of candidate search functions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the optimized search function further comprises the step of employing a learning algorithm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the learning algorithm comprises adaptively mutating one or more search functions during the generation of the optimized search function.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the adaptive mutation of one or more search functions comprises random mutation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein random mutation of a search function comprises randomly adjusting one or more parameters associated with the search function.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the learning algorithm comprises combining two or more search functions during the generation of the optimized search function.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimized search function prunes the search space by determining, given at least one data element, one or more lists of data elements in the set of data elements which are likely to be part of an object to which the at least one data element belongs.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of determining whether a candidate data element from the data set is placed in one of the one or more lists is based on the at least one given data element and the candidate data element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the set of data elements and the match function is provided by a user.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of data elements comprises unstructured image data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor operative to: (i) generate an optimized search function; (ii) apply the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and (iii) apply a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor operative to: (i) generate an optimized search function; (ii) apply the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and (iii) apply a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the optimized search function is generated based on a randomly selected portion of data elements from the set of data elements.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein generating the optimized search function further comprises evaluating two or more search functions to determine which one of the two or more search functions substantially meets a particular match function criterion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the two or more search functions is unoptimized.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the two or more search functions are selected from a catalog of candidate search functions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein generating the optimized search function further comprises employing a learning algorithm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the learning algorithm comprises adaptively mutating one or more search functions during the generation of the optimized search function.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the adaptive mutation of one or more search functions comprises random mutation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein random mutation of a search function comprises randomly adjusting one or more parameters associated with the search function.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the learning algorithm comprises combining two or more search functions during the generation of the optimized search function.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the optimized search function prunes the search space by determining, given at least one data element, one or more lists of data elements in the set of data elements which are likely to be part of an object to which the at least one data element belongs.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein determining whether a candidate data element from the data set is placed in one of the one or more lists is based on the at least one given data element and the candidate data element.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the set of data elements and the match function is provided by a user.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the set of data elements comprises unstructured image data.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
111 words
An article of manufacture for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the article comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of: generating an optimized search function; applying the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and applying a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
111 words
An article of manufacture for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the article comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of: generating an optimized search function; applying the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and applying a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
142 words
An object tracking system for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the system comprising: at least one processor operative to: (i) generate an optimized search function; (ii) apply the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and (iii) apply a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects; and memory, coupled to the at least one processor, for storing at least one of the set of data elements to be segmented and the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
142 words
An object tracking system for segmenting a set of data elements into one or more groups of data elements representing one or more objects, the system comprising: at least one processor operative to: (i) generate an optimized search function; (ii) apply the optimized search function to the data elements of the set of data elements so as to prune a search space associated with the set of data elements; and (iii) apply a match function to the pruned search space so as to segment the set of data elements into the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects; and memory, coupled to the at least one processor, for storing at least one of the set of data elements to be segmented and the one or more groups of data elements representing the one or more objects.
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