IP Library Granted Patent US 9,317,776
Granted Patent B1
US 9,317,776 · App. 14/205,349 · Granted Apr 19, 2016

Robust static and moving object detection system via attentional mechanisms

Inventors: Alexander L Honda (Sunnyvale, CA); Deepak Khosla (Camarillo, CA); Yang Chen (Westlake Village, CA); Kyungnam Kim (Oak Park, CA); Shinko Y. Cheng (Cupertino, CA); Lei Zhang (Torrance, CA); Changsoo S. Jeong (Rancho Palos, CA)
Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
G06K9/6202G06T7/408G06T7/602
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,317,776
App. No.
14/205,349
Granted
Apr 19, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

Described, is a system for object detection via multi-scale attentional mechanisms. The system receives a multi-band image as input. Anti-aliasing and downsampling processes are performed to reduce the size of the multi-band image. Targeted contrast enhancement is performed on the multi-band image to enhance a target color of interest. A response map for each target color of interest is generated, and each response map is independently processed to generate a saliency map. The saliency map is converted into a set of detections representing potential objects of interest, wherein each detection is associated with parameters, such as position parameters, size parameters, an orientation parameter, and a score parameter. A post-processing step is applied to filter out false alarm detections in the set of detections, resulting in a final set of detections. Finally, the final set of detections and their associated parameters representing objects of interest is output.

Claims (41)

1. A system for object detection via attentional mechanisms, the system comprising:

one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions encoded thereon such that when executed, the one or more processors perform operations of:

receiving a multi-band image as input, the multi-band image having a size;

performing an anti-aliasing process and a downsampling process to reduce the size of the multi-band image;

performing targeted contrast enhancement on the multi-band image to enhance at least one target color of interest;

generating a response map for each target color of interest;

processing each response map independently through a saliency process to generate at least one saliency map;

converting the at least one saliency map into a set of detections representing potential objects of interest, wherein each detection in the set of detections is associated with a plurality of parameters selected from the group consisting of: position parameters, size parameters, an orientation parameter, and a score parameter;

filtering the set of detections in a post-processing process to reduce false alarms, resulting in a final set of detections; and

outputting the final set of detections and their associated plurality of parameters representing objects of interest.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the post-processing process receives, as input, a confidence function which takes each detection in the set of detections and its associated plurality of parameters and outputs a probability of acceptance for further processing for each detection.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the score parameter is a value which indicates the detection's strength or confidence in the saliency map.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the saliency process is a spectral residue saliency process.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of detecting stationary and moving objects of unknown type from the multi-band image.

6. A computer-implemented method for object detection via attentional mechanisms, 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:

receiving a multi-band image as input, the multi-band image having a size;

performing an anti-aliasing process and a downsampling process to reduce the size of the multi-band image;

performing targeted contrast enhancement on the multi-band image to enhance at least one target color of interest;

generating a response map for each target color of interest;

processing each response map independently through a saliency process to generate at least one saliency map;

converting the at least one saliency map into a set of detections representing potential objects of interest, wherein each detection in the set of detections is associated with a plurality of parameters selected from the group consisting of position parameters, size parameters, an orientation parameter, and a score parameter;

filtering the set of detections in a post-processing process to reduce false alarms, resulting in a final set of detections; and

outputting the final set of detections and their associated plurality of parameters representing objects of interest.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the post-processing process receives, as input, a confidence function which takes each detection in the set of detections and its associated plurality of parameters and outputs a probability of acceptance for further processing for each detection.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the score parameter is a value which indicates the detection's strength or confidence in the saliency map.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the saliency process is a spectral residue saliency process.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the data processor further performs an operation of detecting stationary and moving objects of unknown type from the multi-band image.

11. A computer program product for object detection via attentional mechanisms, 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:

receiving a multi-band image as input, the multi-band image having a size;

performing an anti-aliasing process and a downsampling process to reduce the size of the multi-band image;

performing targeted contrast enhancement on the multi-band image to enhance at least one target color of interest;

generating a response map for each target color of interest;

processing each response map independently through a saliency process to generate at least one saliency map;

converting the at least one saliency map into a set of detections representing potential objects of interest, wherein each detection in the set of detections is associated with a plurality of parameters selected from the group consisting of: position parameters, size parameters, an orientation parameter, and a score parameter;

filtering the set of detections in a post-processing process to reduce false alarms, resulting in a final set of detections; and

outputting the final set of detections and their associated plurality of parameters representing objects of interest.

12. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the post-processing process receives, as input, a confidence function which takes each detection in the set of detections and its associated plurality of parameters and outputs a probability of acceptance for further processing for each detection.

13. The computer program product as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the score parameter is a value which indicates the detection's strength or confidence in the saliency map.

14. The computer program product as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the saliency process is a spectral residue saliency process.

15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform an operation of detecting stationary and moving objects of unknown type from the multi-band image.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jan 14, 2015
From: HRL LABORATORIES, LLC
To: DARPA
Reel/Frame 034762/0876 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2014
From: HONDA, ALEXANDER L.; KHOSLA, DEEPAK; CHEN, YANG; KIM, KYUNGNAM; CHENG, SHINKO Y.; ZHANG, LEI; JEONG, CHANGSOO S.
To: HRL LABORATORIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 032783/0646 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61779179 · Mar 13, 2013
Provisional Application 61779143 · Mar 13, 2013