IP Library Granted Patent US 10,198,821
Granted Patent B2
US 10,198,821 · App. 16/106,717 · Granted Feb 5, 2019

Automated tattoo recognition techniques

Inventors: Darrell Hougen (Littleton, CO); Peter Zhen-Ping Lo (Mission Viejo, CA)
Assignee: MorphoTrak, LLC
G06T7/11G06K9/00G06K9/3241G06K9/4642G06K9/627G06K9/66G06T7/0002G06T7/337G06T7/35G06T7/73G06T7/90
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,198,821
App. No.
16/106,717
Granted
Feb 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a computer-implemented method is capable of automatically segmenting and detecting a tattoo within an image. An image may be initially obtained. A block coverage pattern that identifies multiple blocks within the obtained image may be determined. A set of processing operations may then be performed for each block. The processing operations may include calculating a plurality of statistical features. A confidence score reflecting a likelihood that at least a portion of the block includes a predetermined graphical attribute associated with tattoos may be calculated. A subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score greater than a predetermined threshold value may be identified. A portion of the image that includes one or more blocks from among the subset of the multiple blocks may then be determined to correspond to a tattoo.

Claims (68)

1. A method performed by one or more computers, the method comprising:

obtaining an image;

obtaining block pattern data identifying multiple blocks within the image, the block pattern data comprising (i) a two-dimensional array of overlapping blocks for the image, each block within the two-dimensional array corresponding a particular region within the obtained image, and (ii) a subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying a predetermined threshold value;

identifying candidate tattoo regions of the image based on the subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying the predetermined threshold;

processing one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions; and

determining, based on processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions, that the image includes a tattoo.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confidence scores for each block included in the subset of multiple blocks represents a likelihood that at least a portion of a corresponding block includes a predetermined graphical attribute associated with tattoos.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises an average confidence score for blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have an average confidence score that exceeds a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have a number of blocks that exceeds a threshold number of blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of pixels included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining, based on the number of pixels included in the candidate regions, whether the image includes a partial tattoo or a full tattoo.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining whether the image includes a partial tattoo or a full tattoo comprises:

determining that at least one of the candidate tattoo regions has a number of pixels that exceeds a threshold number of pixels; and

based on determining that at least one of the candidate tattoo regions has a number of pixels that exceeds a threshold number of pixels, determining that the image includes a partial tattoo.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a shape that is identified as being included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises determining that two or more regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape; and

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining that the image includes a single tattoo based on determining that two or more regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a shape that is identified as being included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises determining that none of the regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape; and

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining that the image includes multiple tattoos based on none of the regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape.

9. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an image;

obtaining block pattern data identifying multiple blocks within the image, the block pattern data comprising (i) a two-dimensional array of overlapping blocks for the image, each block within the two-dimensional array corresponding a particular region within the obtained image, and (ii) a subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying a predetermined threshold value;

identifying candidate tattoo regions of the image based on the subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying the predetermined threshold;

processing one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions; and

determining, based on processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions, that the image includes a tattoo.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the confidence scores for each block included in the subset of multiple blocks represents a likelihood that at least a portion of a corresponding block includes a predetermined graphical attribute associated with tattoos.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises an average confidence score for blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have an average confidence score that exceeds a threshold value.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have a number of blocks that exceeds a threshold number of blocks.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of pixels included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining, based on the number of pixels included in the candidate regions, whether the image includes a partial tattoo or a full tattoo.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the image includes a partial tattoo or a full tattoo comprises:

determining that at least one of the candidate tattoo regions has a number of pixels that exceeds a threshold number of pixels; and

based on determining that at least one of the candidate tattoo regions has a number of pixels that exceeds a threshold number of pixels, determining that the image includes a partial tattoo.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a shape that is identified as being included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises determining that two or more regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape; and

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining that the image includes a single tattoo based on determining that two or more regions from among the candidate tattoo regions includes a portion of the same shape.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an image;

obtaining block pattern data identifying multiple blocks within the image, the block pattern data comprising (i) a two-dimensional array of overlapping blocks for the image, each block within the two-dimensional array corresponding a particular region within the obtained image, and (ii) a subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying a predetermined threshold value;

identifying candidate tattoo regions of the image based on the subset of the multiple blocks of the image that have a respective confidence score satisfying the predetermined threshold;

processing one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions; and

determining, based on processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions, that the image includes a tattoo.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the confidence scores for each block included in the subset of multiple blocks represents a likelihood that at least a portion of a corresponding block includes a predetermined graphical attribute associated with tattoos.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises an average confidence score for blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have an average confidence score that exceeds a threshold value.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of blocks included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

processing the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises identifying regions from among the candidate tattoo regions that have a number of blocks that exceeds a threshold number of blocks.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein:

the one or more attributes of each of the candidate tattoo regions comprises a number of pixels included in a particular candidate tattoo region;

determining that the image includes a tattoo comprises determining, based on the number of pixels included in the candidate regions, whether the image includes a partial tattoo or a full tattoo.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Oct 12, 2023
From: MORPHOTRAK, LLC
To: IDEMIA IDENTITY & SECURITY USA LLC
Reel/Frame 065190/0104 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2018
From: HOUGEN, DARRELL; LO, PETER ZHEN-PING
To: MORPHOTRAK, LLC
Reel/Frame 046719/0282 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15262379 · Sep 12, 2016
Related Publication 20180357768A1 · Dec 13, 2018
Cited By (4)
US 12,201,797 US 12,390,627 US 12,465,739 US 12,539,407