IP Library Granted Patent US 9,202,137
Granted Patent B2
US 9,202,137 · App. 14/260,966 · Granted Dec 1, 2015

Foreground object detection from multiple images

Inventors: Luca Bertelli (Santa Barbara, CA); Dennis Strelow (San Jose, CA); Sally A. Goldman (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Google Inc.
G06K9/6202G06K2009/6213
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 9,202,137
App. No.
14/260,966
Granted
Dec 1, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining a salient region of an image is disclosed. For a plurality of different saliency cue functions, a single saliency value is calculated for each pixel in a plurality of adjacent pixels in an image using the saliency cue function, wherein one of the saliency cue functions is based on whether the pixel is in a region of the image whose colors contrast with the region's background and another of the saliency cue functions is based on a foreground and background color models of the image. A classifier is used to calculate a combined single saliency value for each pixel based on the single saliency values for the pixel. The salient region of the pixels is determined with a subwindow search based on the combined single saliency values.

Claims (26)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying sample regions that each include a plurality of adjacent pixels of an image;

calculating, for pixels in the sample regions and by one or more processors, a foreground saliency value of the pixel based, at least in part, on a conditional probability that the pixel is a foreground pixel based on a foreground color model and a conditional probability that the pixel is a background pixel based on a background color model;

using a classifier to calculate a respective combined saliency value for each pixel based on the foreground saliency value for the pixel and a saliency value for at least one different saliency cue function wherein the classifier is trained on training image and corresponding saliency values and wherein the respective combined saliency value for each of the training images comprise saliency values for a plurality of respective pixels in the training image; and

determining, by one or more processors, a salient region of the pixels with a subwindow search based on the respective combined saliency values in a rectangle that maximizes a sum of combined saliency values of pixels in the rectangle and a complement of the combined saliency values of the pixels in the rectangle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the classifier is a support vector machine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the saliency cue functions is based on whether the pixel is in a region of the pixels whose colors contrast with the region's background and another of the saliency cue functions is based on foreground and background Gaussian mixture models.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising segmenting the plurality of adjacent pixels into super-pixels and using a super-pixel algorithm process to determine the region including the pixel that has the highest difference with its background.

5. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatus cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying sample regions that each include a plurality of adjacent pixels of an image;

calculating, for pixels in the sample regions, a foreground saliency value of the pixel based, at least in part, on a conditional probability that the pixel is a foreground pixel based on a foreground color model and a conditional probability that the pixel is a background pixel based on a background color model;

using a classifier to calculate a respective combined saliency value for each pixel based on the foreground saliency value for the pixel and a saliency value for at least one different saliency cue function wherein the classifier is trained on training images and corresponding saliency values, and wherein the respective combined saliency value for each of the training images comprise saliency values for a plurality of respective pixels in the training image; and

determining a salient region of the pixels with a subwindow search based on the respective combined saliency values in a rectangle that maximizes a sum of combined saliency values of pixels in the rectangle and a complement of the combined saliency values of the pixels in the rectangle.

6. The computer storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the classifier is a support vector machine.

7. The computer storage medium of claim 5 , wherein one of the saliency cue functions is based on whether the pixel is in a region of the pixels whose colors contrast with the region's background and another of the saliency cue functions is based on foreground and background Gaussian mixture models.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations further comprising segmenting the plurality of adjacent pixels into super-pixels and using a super-pixel algorithm process to determine the region including the pixel that has the highest difference with its background.

9. A system comprising:

a data storage device storing instructions; and

one or more data processing apparatus that interact with the data storage device and execute instructions that cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operation comprising:

identifying sample regions that each include a plurality of adjacent pixels of an image;

calculating, for pixels in the sample regions, a foreground saliency value of the pixel based, at least in part, on a conditional probability that the pixel is a foreground pixel based on a foreground color model and a conditional probability that the pixel is a background pixel based on a background color model;

using a classifier to calculate a respective combined saliency value for each pixel based on the foreground saliency value for the pixel and a saliency value for at least one different saliency cue function wherein the classifier is trained on training images and corresponding saliency values, and wherein the respective combined saliency value for each of the training images comprise saliency values for a plurality of respective pixels in the training image; and

determining a salient region of the pixels with a subwindow search based on the respective combined saliency values in a rectangle that maximizes a sum of combined saliency values of pixels in the rectangle and a complement of the combined saliency values of the pixels in the rectangle.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the classifier is a support vector machine.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein one of the saliency cue functions is based on whether the pixel is in a region of the pixels whose colors contrast with the region's background and another of the saliency cue functions is based on foreground and background Gaussian mixture models.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations further comprising segmenting the plurality of adjacent pixels into super-pixels and using a super-pixel algorithm process to determine the region including the pixel that has the highest difference with its background.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 2, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044334/0466 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2014
From: BERTELLI, LUCA; STRELOW, DENNIS; GOLDMAN, SALLY A.
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 033057/0491 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 12618538 · Nov 13, 2009
Provisional Application 61114446 · Nov 13, 2008
Related Publication 20150169989A1 · Jun 18, 2015