IP Library Granted Patent US 9,165,208
Granted Patent B1
US 9,165,208 · App. 14/203,470 · Granted Oct 20, 2015

Robust ground-plane homography estimation using adaptive feature selection

Inventors: Changsoo S. Jeong (Rancho Palos, CA); Kyungnam Kim (Oak Park, CA); Yang Chen (Westlake Village, CA); Deepak Khosla (Camarillo, CA); Shinko Y. Cheng (Cupertino, CA); Lei Zhang (Torrance, CA); Alexander L. Honda (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
G06K9/4604
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,165,208
App. No.
14/203,470
Granted
Oct 20, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

Described is system and method for robust ground-plane homography estimation using adaptive feature selection. The system determines feature correspondences of an image that correspond with at least one moving object in each image in a set of images. Additionally, feature correspondences of the image that correspond with at least one above-ground object are determined in each image. Feature correspondences that correspond with each moving object in each image are excluded, and feature correspondences that correspond with each above-ground object in each image are excluded. Each image is divided into a plurality of sub-regions comprising features correspondences. The number of feature correspondences in each sub-region is limited to a predetermined threshold to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image. Finally, a ground-plane homography estimation between the set of images is generated.

Claims (81)

1. A system for homography estimation, the system comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions encoded thereon such that when the instructions are executed, the one or more processors perform operations of:

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one moving object in each image in a set of images;

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one above-ground object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each moving object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each above-ground object in each image in the set of images;

dividing each image in the set of images into a plurality of sub-regions comprising feature correspondences;

limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to a predetermined threshold to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images; and

generating a ground-plane homography estimation between the set of images by excluding the feature correspondences that correspond with moving and above-ground objects in the set of images and limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors further performs an operation of limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to an average, number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors further performs an operation of determining the average number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image, k, according to the following:

k

=

1

N

i

=

1

l

n

i

,

where N denotes the total number of feature correspondences in the image, n i denotes the number of feature correspondences on an i th sub-region, l is the total number of sub-regions in the image, and Σ denotes a summation.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein if the ratio of n i to N is greater than the predetermined threshold, then k feature correspondences are randomly selected from the number of feature correspondences on the i th sub-region for generating the ground-plane homography estimation between the images.

5. A computer-implemented method for homography estimation, comprising an act of causing a data processor to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory memory such that upon execution, the data processor performs operations of:

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one moving object in each image in a set of images;

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one above- ground object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each moving object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each above-ground object in each image in the set of images;

dividing each image in the set of images into a plurality of sub-regions comprising feature correspondences;

limiting. the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to a predetermined threshold to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images; and

generating a ground-plane homography estimation between the set of images by excluding the feature correspondences that correspond with moving and above-ground objects in the set of images and limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the data processor further performs an operation of limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to an average number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the data processor further performs an operation of determining the average number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image, k, according to the following:

k

=

1

N

i

=

1

l

n

i

,

where N denotes the total number of feature correspondences in the image, n i denotes the number of feature correspondences on an i th sub-region, l is the total number of sub-regions in the image, and Σ denotes a summation.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein if the ratio of n i to N is greater than the predetermined threshold, then k feature correspondences are randomly selected from the number of feature correspondences on the i th sub-region for generating the ground-plane homography estimation between the images.

9. A computer program product for homography estimation, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer having a processor for causing the processor to perform operations of:

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one moving object in each image in a set of images;

determining feature correspondences that correspond with at least one above-ground object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each moving object in each image in the set of images;

excluding feature correspondences that correspond with each above-ground object in each image in the set of images;

dividing, each image in the set of images into a plurality of sub-regions comprising feature correspondences;

limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to a predetermined threshold to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images; and

generating a ground-plane homography estimation between the set of images by excluding the feature correspondences that correspond with moving and above-ground objects in the set of images and limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to ensure that feature correspondences are evenly distributed over each image in the set of images.

10. The computer program product as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform an operation of limiting the number of feature correspondences in each sub-region to an average number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image.

11. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform an operation of determining the average number of feature correspondences of all sub-regions of the image, k, according to the following:

k

=

1

N

i

=

1

l

n

i

,

where N denotes the total number of feature correspondences in the image, n i denotes the number of feature correspondences on an i th sub-region, l is the total number of sub-regions in the image, and Σ denotes a summation.

12. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 , wherein if the ratio of n i to N is greater than the predetermined threshold, then k feature correspondences are randomly selected from the number of feature correspondences on the i th sub-region for generating the ground-plane homography estimation between the images.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jan 14, 2015
From: HRL LABORATORIES, LLC
To: DARPA
Reel/Frame 034762/0507 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2014
From: JEONG, CHANGSOO S.; KIM, KYUNGNAM; CHEN, YANG; KHOSLA, DEEPAK; CHENG, SHINKO Y.; ZHANG, LEI; HONDA, ALEXANDER L.
To: HRL LABORATORIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 032783/0725 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 61779989 · Mar 13, 2013