Abstract: An image abstraction engine is provided to characterize scenes like typically found in an urban setting. Specifically buildings and manmade structures have certain characteristic properties that may be abstracted and compressed in a manner that takes advantage of those characteristic properties. This allows for a more compact and computationally efficient abstraction and recognition.

Abstract: A video visual and audio query system for quickly identifying video within a large known corpus of videos being played on any screen or display. In one embodiment, the system can record via a mobile phone camera and microphone a live video clip from the TV and transcode it into a sequence of frame-signatures. The signatures representative of the clips can then be matched against the signatures of the TV content in a corpus across a network to identify the correct TV show or movie.

Abstract: An image abstraction engine is provided to characterize scenes like typically found in an urban setting. Specifically buildings and manmade structures have certain characteristic properties that may be abstracted and compressed in a manner that takes advantage of those characteristic properties. This allows for a more compact and computationally efficient abstraction and recognition.

Abstract: A computer program and apparatus function to extract objects from a video by identifying regions to be tracked, tracking the regions across several frames, calculating motions of the regions, and identifying new regions to be tracked. Regions of a selected frame of the video that are appropriate for tracking are selected. Tracking of the identified regions is then performed across frames subsequent to the selected frame of the video. Motions of the identified regions are calculated, and new regions for tracking are identified.

Abstract: A method of extracting objects from a video includes the identification of regions to be tracked, tracking the regions across several frames, calculating motions of the regions, and identifying new regions to be tracked. Regions of a selected frame of the video that are appropriate for tracking are selected. Tracking of the identified regions is then performed across frames subsequent to the selected frame of the video. Motions of the identified regions are calculated, and new regions for tracking are identified.

Abstract: A video visual and audio query system for quickly identifying video within a large known corpus of videos being played on any screen or display. In one embodiment, the system can record via a mobile phone camera and microphone a live video clip from the TV and transcode it into a sequence of frame-signatures. The signatures representative of the clips can then be matched against the signatures of the TV content in a corpus across a network to identify the correct TV show or movie.

Abstract: An apparatus and software for processing an image reduces the number of pixels constituting the image by sequentially eliminating alternate rows and columns of pixels, the information represented by each pixel being eliminated (a “source” pixel) being redistributed into adjacent “destination” pixel locations. The redistribution is made in proportion to the similarity between the source and each destination pixel, e.g., similarity of color and/or luminance values.

Abstract: A method of processing an image reduces the number of pixels constituting the image by sequentially eliminating alternate rows and columns of pixels, the information represented by each pixel being eliminated (a “source” pixel) being redistributed into adjacent “destination” pixel locations. The redistribution is made in proportion to the similarity between the source and each destination pixel, e.g., similarity of color and/or luminance values.

Abstract: A method of extracting objects from a video includes the identification of regions to be tracked, tracking the regions across several frames, calculating motions of the regions, and identifying new regions to be tracked. Regions of a selected frame of the video that are appropriate for tracking are selected. Tracking of the identified regions is then performed across frames subsequent to the selected frame of the video. Motions of the identified regions are calculated, and new regions for tracking are identified.

Abstract: A computer program and apparatus function to extract objects from a video by identifying regions to be tracked, tracking the regions across several frames, calculating motions of the regions, and identifying new regions to be tracked. Regions of a selected frame of the video that are appropriate for tracking are selected. Tracking of the identified regions is then performed across frames subsequent to the selected frame of the video. Motions of the identified regions are calculated, and new regions for tracking are identified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for clustering data, particularly regarding an image, that constructs a graph in which each node of the graph represents a pixel of the image, and every two nodes represent neighboring pixels associated by a coupling factor. Block pixels are selected with unselected neighboring pixels coupled with a selected block to form aggregates. The graph is coarsened recursively by performing iterated weighted aggregation to form larger blocks (aggregates) and obtain hierarchical decomposition of the image while forming a pyramid structure over the image. Saliency of segments is detected in the pyramid, and by computing recursively, a degree of attachment of every pixel to each of the blocks in the pyramid. The pyramid is scanned from coarse to fine starting at the level a segment is detected, to lower levels and rebuilding the pyramid before continuing to the next higher level. Relaxation sweeps sharpen the boundaries of a segment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for clustering data, particularly regarding an image, that constructs a graph in which each node of the graph represents a pixel of the image, and every two nodes represent neighboring pixels associated by a coupling factor. Block pixels are selected with unselected neighboring pixels coupled with a selected block to form aggregates. The graph is coarsened recursively by performing iterated weighted aggregation to form larger blocks (aggregates) and obtain hierarchical decomposition of the image while forming a pyramid structure over the image. Saliency of segments is detected in the pyramid, and by computing recursively, a degree of attachment of every pixel to each of the blocks in the pyramid. The pyramid is scanned from coarse to fine starting at the level a segment is detected, to lower levels and rebuilding the pyramid before continuing to the next higher level. Relaxation sweeps sharpen the boundaries of a segment.