초록 ▼

Apparatus and an accompanying method for an iterative convolution filter for determining an image signature and which is particularly useful in a system for automatically classifying individual images, on a numerical basis, in, e.g., an image database, and, through a query-by-example paradigm, retri

Apparatus and an accompanying method for an iterative convolution filter for determining an image signature and which is particularly useful in a system for automatically classifying individual images, on a numerical basis, in, e.g., an image database, and, through a query-by-example paradigm, retrieving a desired image(s) therefrom. Specifically, a signature is computed for an image using multi-level (e.g. L levels) iterative convolution filtering, with pixel values for each color axis supplied as input to each filtering level being separately convolved with each one of a set of, e.g., K predefined kernels, each being, e.g., a derivative of a Guassian kernel, to yield an output image. Each of the output images, of which K.sup.L occur for each color axis, is either applied as input to the next filtering level or applied to a summer to yield a resultant sum over all pixel values in that particular output image. This sum becomes the value of a corresponding one of K.sup.L elements, for each color axis, in the signature.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] Apparatus, responsive to an input image, for generating a signature therefor and having a numeric value for each of a plurality of pre-defined characteristics present in the input image, the apparatus comprising:at least three successive convolution filters, responsive to the input

[ I claim:] [1.] Apparatus, responsive to an input image, for generating a signature therefor and having a numeric value for each of a plurality of pre-defined characteristics present in the input image, the apparatus comprising:at least three successive convolution filters, responsive to the input image, for producing through iterative convolution a final response image for each one of said pre-defined characteristics so as to yield a plurality of final response images, wherein each of said filters comprises:a convolver for separately convolving pixel values for each incoming image with each one of a plurality of predefined kernels to yield a corresponding one of a plurality of convolved images, said each incoming image for a first one of said filters being the input image, and for each subsequent filter being a different corresponding filter input image related to each separate convolved image produced by an immediately preceding one of said convolution filters; anda sum and normalizer for separately summing all pixel values in each one of the final response images produced by a last one of the convolution filters to yield a resultant sum and for normalizing the resultant sum by a total number of pixels in the final response image produced by the last filter so as to yield a value of a different corresponding one of the pre-defined characteristics.