Method and system for searching for images based on color and shape of a selected image
View Patent ↗A method and system that allows a user to find images using a query by example is disclosed. Images similar to the selected image are retrieved based on color or shape. Each clip in a clip catalog is assigned a color metric and a wavelet, i.e., shape, metric. The selected clip is also assigned a color metric and a wavelet metric. Those clips that are most similar based on either the wavelet metric or the color metric are returned to the user.
1. A method for computing a color signature for an image comprising:
(a) blurring the image, the image including a source image;
(b) converting the image to a standard color space;
(c) accumulating pixels in a plurality of color buckets;
(d) computing a percentage of pixels covered by each bucket;
(e) finding a plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage; and
(f) encoding the plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage and their coverage values.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein blurring the image is performed using a 3×3 kernel.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the standard color space is HSV.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage is about 5 buckets.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ignoring colors with a percentage coverage below a threshold value.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a color cross correlation matrix includes weight factors to be applied to exact color matches and matches of similar colors.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein color matches are exact color matches.
8. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method recited in any one of claims 1 – 7 .
9. A system for computing a color signature for an image comprising:
(a) a processing unit; and
(b) a storage medium coupled to the processing unit, the storage medium storing program code implemented by the processing unit for:
(i) blurring the image, the image including a source image;
(ii) converting the image to a standard color space;
(iii) accumulating pixels in a plurality of color buckets;
(iv) computing a percentage of pixels covered by each bucket;
(v) finding a plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage; and
(vi) encoding the plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage and their coverage values.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein blurring the image is performed using a 3×3 kernel.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the standard color space is HSV.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of buckets with the largest percentage coverage is about 5 buckets.
13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising ignoring colors with a percentage coverage below a threshold value.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein a color cross correlation matrix includes weight factors to be applied to exact color matches and matches of similar colors.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein color matches are exact color matches.