IP Library Granted Patent US 9,830,710
Granted Patent B2
US 9,830,710 · App. 14/970,580 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Systems and methods for hair segmentation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,830,710
App. No.
14/970,580
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes receiving an image comprising a human head from an imaging device. Further, the method includes grouping one or more pixels of the image into one or more super pixels. Furthermore, the method includes generating a polar coordinate grid for the image, wherein the polar coordinate grid comprises one or more grid points. Additionally, the method includes labeling the one or more grid points as one of a face region, a hair region, and a background region based on tiered structure constraint. The method also includes labeling the one or more super pixels as one of the face region, the hair region, and the background region based on the one or more labels of the one or more grid points. Further, the method includes transmitting a notification comprising the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels.

Claims (50)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, with at least one processor, an image comprising a human head;

determining a center of the human head in the image;

grouping one or more pixels of the image into one or more super pixels;

generating a polar coordinate grid corresponding to the image, wherein the polar coordinate grid comprises one or more grid points and wherein the polar coordinate grid originates from the center of human head;

labeling the one or more grid points as corresponding to one of a face region, a hair region, and a background region based on a tiered structure constraint;

labeling the one or more super pixels as corresponding to one of the face region, the hair region, and the background region based on the one or more labels of the one or more grid points; and

transmitting a notification comprising the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tiered structure constraint indicates that the hair region is located between the face region and the background region in the image.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a lower boundary and an upper boundary of the hair region based on the one or more grid points and the tiered structure constraint.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the lower boundary and the upper boundary of the hair region based on a dynamic programming algorithm.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the lower boundary and the upper boundary of the hair region sequentially or contemporaneously.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping the one or more pixels of the image into the one or more super pixels based on at least one of a color, a texture, and a shape of the one or more pixels.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a labelled image based on the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels; and

visualizing the labelled image.

8. A segmentation device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication subunit configured to receive an image comprising a human head from a camera;

a super pixel subunit communicatively coupled with the communication subunit and configured to group one or more pixels of the image into one or more super pixels;

a polar subunit communicatively coupled with the super pixel subunit and configured to generate a polar coordinate grid corresponding to the image, wherein the polar coordinate grid comprises a plurality of grid points;

a labeling subunit communicatively coupled with the polar subunit and configured to:

label each of the plurality of grid points as corresponding to one of a face region, a hair region, and a background region based on a tiered structure constraint;

label the one or more super pixels as corresponding to one of the face region, the hair region, and the background region based on the one or more labels of the plurality of grid points; and

a notification subunit communicatively coupled with the labeling subunit and configured to transmit a notification comprising the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels, wherein one or more of the communication subunit, the super pixel subunit, the polar subunit, the labeling subunit, and the notification subunit are executable by the at least one processor, wherein the polar subunit is further configured to:

determine a density of the one or more super pixels in the image:

determine a center of the human head in the image; and

generate the polar coordinate and based on the density of the one or more super pixels in the image.

9. The segmentation device of claim 8 , wherein the tiered structure constraint indicates that the hair region is located between the face region and the background region in the image.

10. The segmentation device of claim 8 , wherein the labeling subunit is further configured to determine a lower boundary and an upper boundary of the hair region based on the plurality of grid points and the tiered structure constraint.

11. The segmentation device of claim 10 , wherein the labeling subunit is further configured to determine the lower boundary and the upper boundary of the hair region based on a conditional random field and a dynamic programming algorithm.

12. The segmentation device of claim 10 , wherein the labeling subunit is further configured to determine the lower boundary and the upper boundary of the hair region sequentially or contemporaneously.

13. The segmentation device of claim 8 , wherein the super pixel subunit is further configured to group the one or more pixels of the image into one or more super pixels based on at least one of a color, a texture, and a shape of the one or more pixels.

14. The segmentation device of claim 8 , wherein the tiered structure constraint labels each of the plurality of grid points as the face region, the hair region, or the background region based on an order along a ray connecting a subset of the plurality of grid points.

15. A system, comprising:

an imaging device configured to generate an image comprising a human head, wherein the imaging device comprises a camera;

a segmentation device communicatively coupled to the imaging device and comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication subunit configured to receive the image from the imaging device;

a super pixel subunit communicatively coupled with the communication subunit and configured to group one or more pixels of the image into one or more super pixels;

a polar subunit communicatively coupled with the super pixel subunit and configured to generate a polar coordinate grid corresponding to the image based on a density of the one or more super pixels in the image, wherein the polar coordinate grid comprises one or more grid points;

a labeling subunit communicatively coupled with the polar subunit and configured to:

label the one or more grid points as corresponding to one of a face region, a hair region, and a background region based on a tiered structure constraint;

label the one or more super pixels as corresponding to one of the face region, the hair region, and the background region based on the one or more labels of the one or more grid points; and

a notification subunit communicatively coupled with the labeling subunit and configured to transmit a notification comprising the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels,

wherein one or more of the communication subunit, the super pixel subunit, the polar subunit, the labeling subunit, and the notification subunit are executable by the at least one processor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the labeling subunit is further configured to determine a lower boundary and an upper boundary of the hair region based on the one or more grid points and the tiered structure constraint.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the labeling subunit is further configured to determine the lower boundary and the upper boundary of the hair region sequentially or contemporaneously.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the notification subunit is further configured to generate a labelled image based on the one or more labels of the one or more super pixels.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a display device configured to visualize the labelled image.

Assignments (5)
QUITCLAIM ASSIGNMENT Recorded Sep 18, 2025
From: EDISON INNOVATIONS LLC
To: BLUE RIDGE INNOVATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 072938/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2025
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 070636/0815 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 26, 2025
From: GE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSING, LLC
To: DOLBY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 070643/0907 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: DOLBY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSING, LLC
To: EDISON INNOVATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 070293/0273 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2015
From: TU, PETER HENRY; CHEN, JIXU; YU, YANG
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 037300/0772 →