Method and device for displaying or searching for object in image and computer-readable storage medium

1. A method of representing an object appearing in an image or a sequence of images, by processing signals corresponding to the image, the method comprising:

deriving a plurality of peak coordinate values of a curvature scale space (CSS) representation of the object by smoothing an outline of the object in a plurality of stages starting from an arbitrary point on the outline, and

ordering the peak co-ordinate values of the CSS representation on the basis of peak height values of the plurality of peak co-ordinates, the peak height values corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ordering includes generating a representation of the outline that is independent of a starting point on the outline.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ordering includes ordering the peak height values starting from the greatest value.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said ordering includes ordering the peak height values in decreasing size.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ordering includes ordering the peak height values starting from the smallest value.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

producing a descriptor from said ordering of the peak height values, and

storing the descriptor.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said storing includes storing the descriptor in a database.

8. A apparatus arranged to implement a method as claimed in claim 1 .

9. A computer system programmed to operate according to a method as claimed in claim 1 .

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable procedures for implementing a method as claimed in claim 1 .

11. A method for representing an object appearing in an image, comprising:

identifying at least one object outline;

determining a curvature scale space representation for said outline, by smoothing the outline in a plurality of stages, to generate peak coordinates for the curvature scale space representation; and

ordering said peak coordinates based on peak height value, corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline, to generate a shape descriptor for said outline.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

storing said shape descriptor as a description for said object in a memory.

13. A method for representing an object appearing in an image, comprising:

identifying at least one object outline;

determining a curvature scale space representation for said outline, by smoothing the outline in a plurality of stages, to generate peak coordinates for the curvature scale space representation; and

ordering said peak coordinates, by selecting highest peak value and associated highest peak coordinates and ordering remaining peak coordinates in decreasing peak height, to generate a shape descriptor for said outline wherein said highest peak value and other peak values corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

storing said shape descriptor as a description for said object in a memory.

15. A method for representing an object appearing in an image, comprising:

identifying at least one object outline;

determining a curvature scale space representation for said outline, by smoothing the outline in a plurality of stages, to generate peak coordinates for the curvature scale space representation; and

ordering said peak coordinates, by selecting highest peak value and associated peak coordinates and ordering remaining peak coordinates in relation to x-coordinate values by shifting x-coordinates of the remaining peak coordinates in relation to x-coordinate associated with said highest peak value, to generate a shape descriptor for said outline wherein said highest peak value and other peak values corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

storing said shape descriptor as a description for said object in a memory.

17. A method for representing an object appearing in an image, comprising:

identifying at least one object outline;

determining a curvature scale space representation, by smoothing the outline in a plurality of stages, for said outline to generate a plurality of curves representative of said outline;

determining peaks and associated peak coordinates for said plurality of curves; and

ordering said peak coordinates, by selecting highest peak value and associated peak coordinates and shifting the x-coordinate associated with said highest peak value to a value of zero, and ordering remaining peak coordinates in relation to x-coordinate values by shifting x-coordinates of the remaining peak coordinates in relation to said shifted x-coordinate associated with said highest peak value, to generate a shape descriptor for said outline wherein said highest peak value and other peak values corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline.

18. A method for representing an object appearing in an image, comprising:

identifying at least one object outline;

determining a curvature scale space representation, by smoothing the outline in a plurality of stages, for said outline to generate peak coordinates for the outline curvature scale space representation, wherein said peak coordinates are determined using a plural stage filter that produces derivative curves representative of said outline by convolving said object outline; and

ordering said peak coordinates, by selecting highest peak value and associated highest peak coordinates and ordering remaining peak coordinates in decreasing peak height, to generate a shape descriptor for said outline wherein said highest peak value and other peak values corresponding to a parameter used for smoothing the outline.