Abstract: A method and system for segmenting a plurality of images. The method comprises the steps of segmenting the image through a novel clustering technique that is, generating a composite depth map including temporally stable segments of the image as well as segments in subsequent images that have changed. These changes may be determined by determining one or more differences between the temporally stable depth map and segments included in one or more subsequent frames. Thereafter, the portions of the one or more subsequent frames that include segments including changes from their corresponding segments in the temporally stable depth map are processed and are combined with the segments from the temporally stable depth map to compute their associated disparities in one or more subsequent frames. The images may include a pair of stereo images acquired through a stereo camera system at a substantially similar time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating an image capture device are provided. The method includes capturing one or more of a single or Multiview image set by the image capture device, detecting one or more calibration features in each set by a processor, initializing each of the one or more calibration parameters a corresponding default value, extracting one or more relevant calibration parameters, computing an individual cost term for each of the identified relevant calibration parameters, and scaling each of the relevant cost terms. The method continues with combining all the cost terms once each of the calculated relevant cost terms have been scaled, determining if the combination of the cost terms has been minimized, adjusting the calibration parameters if it is determined that that the combination of the cost terms has not been minimized, and returning to the step of extracting one or more of the relevant calibration parameters.

Abstract: A method and system for calibrating a lens. The method includes defining a plurality of omni-symmetrical regions within the lens, determining one or more localized lens parameters associated with each of the plurality of omni-symmetrical regions, and defining a localized set of calibration parameters for each of the plurality of omni-symmetrical region. The localized set of calibration parameters may then be employed in a computational image application.

Abstract: A novel disparity computation technique is presented which comprises multiple orthogonal disparity maps, generated from approximately orthogonal decomposition feature spaces, collaboratively generating a composite disparity map. Using an approximately orthogonal feature set extracted from such feature spaces produces an approximately orthogonal set of disparity maps that can be composited together to produce a final disparity map. Various methods for dimensioning scenes and are presented. One approach extracts the top and bottom vertices of a cuboid, along with the set of lines, whose intersections define such points. It then defines a unique box from these two intersections as well as the associated lines. Orthographic projection is then attempted, to recenter the box perspective. This is followed by the extraction of the three-dimensional information that is associated with the box, and finally, the dimensions of the box are computed. The same concepts can apply to hallways, rooms, and any other object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating an image capture device are provided. The method includes capturing one or more of a single or Multiview image set by the image capture device, detecting one or more calibration features in each set by a processor, initializing each of the one or more calibration parameters a corresponding default value, extracting one or more relevant calibration parameters, computing an individual cost term for each of the identified relevant calibration parameters, and scaling each of the relevant cost terms. The method continues with combining all the cost terms once each of the calculated relevant cost terms have been scaled, determining if the combination of the cost terms has been minimized, adjusting the calibration parameters if it is determined that that the combination of the cost terms has not been minimized, and returning to the step of extracting one or more of the relevant calibration parameters.

Abstract: A novel disparity computation technique is presented which comprises multiple orthogonal disparity maps, generated from approximately orthogonal decomposition feature spaces, collaboratively generating a composite disparity map. Using an approximately orthogonal feature set extracted from such feature spaces produces an approximately orthogonal set of disparity maps that can be composited together to produce a final disparity map. Various methods for dimensioning scenes and are presented. One approach extracts the top and bottom vertices of a cuboid, along with the set of lines, whose intersections define such points. It then defines a unique box from these two intersections as well as the associated lines. Orthographic projection is then attempted, to recenter the box perspective. This is followed by the extraction of the three-dimensional information that is associated with the box, and finally, the dimensions of the box are computed. The same concepts can apply to hallways, rooms, and any other object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for segmenting an image are provided. The method may include the steps of clustering pixels from one of a plurality of images into one or more segments, determining one or more unstable segments changing by more than a predetermined threshold from a prior of the plurality of images, determining one or more segments transitioning from an unstable to a stable segment, determining depth for one or more of the one or more segments that have changed by more than the predetermined threshold, determining depth for one or more of the one or more transitioning segments, and combining the determined depth for the one or more unstable segments and the one or more transitioning segments with a predetermined depth of all segments changing less than the predetermined threshold from the prior of the plurality of images.

Abstract: A method and system for segmenting a plurality of images. The method comprises the steps of segmenting the image through a novel clustering technique that is, generating a composite depth map including temporally stable segments of the image as well as segments in subsequent images that have changed. These changes may be determined by determining one or more differences between the temporally stable depth map and segments included in one or more subsequent frames. Thereafter, the portions of the one or more subsequent frames that include segments including changes from their corresponding segments in the temporally stable depth map are processed and are combined with the segments from the temporally stable depth map to compute their associated disparities in one or more subsequent frames. The images may include a pair of stereo images acquired through a stereo camera system at a substantially similar time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating an image capture device are provided. The method includes capturing one or more of a single or Multiview image set by the image capture device, detecting one or more calibration features in each set by a processor, initializing each of the one or more calibration parameters a corresponding default value, extracting one or more relevant calibration parameters, computing an individual cost term for each of the identified relevant calibration parameters, and scaling each of the relevant cost terms. The method continues with combining all the cost terms once each of the calculated relevant cost terms have been scaled, determining if the combination of the cost terms has been minimized, adjusting the calibration parameters if it is determined that that the combination of the cost terms has not been minimized, and returning to the step of extracting one or more of the relevant calibration parameters.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are provided to determine an occurrence of a first user indication and determine a plurality of Points of Interest (POI) corresponding to the first user indication, and to determine an occurrence of a second user indication and responsively determine a narrowed POI from the plurality of POIs. An action corresponding to the narrowed POI and the first and/or second user indication is determined and effected.

Abstract: A method and system for calibrating a lens. The method includes defining a plurality of omni-symmetrical regions within the lens, determining one or more localized lens parameters associated with each of the plurality of omni-symmetrical regions, and defining a localized set of calibration parameters for each of the plurality of omni-symmetrical region. The localized set of calibration parameters may then be employed in a computational image application.

Abstract: A method and system for dimensioning an object are provided. A system for dimensioning an object includes a camera associated with a dimensioning device for acquiring an image of a scene including an object to be dimensioned, and a display associated with the dimensioning device for displaying the scene acquired by the camera. A first indicator is displayed on the display indicative of a first desired position of the object to be dimensioned, and a second indicator is displayed on the display indicative of a second desired position of the object to be dimensioned. A processor is provided for receiving the scene acquired by the camera, the first indicator, and the second indicator, and for determining one or more dimensions of the object to be dimensioned.

Abstract: A user, such as the driver of a vehicle, to retrieve information related to a point of interest (POI) near the vehicle by pointing at the POI or performing some other gesture to identify the POI. Gesture recognition is performed on the gesture to generate a target region that includes the POI that the user identified. After generating the target region, information about the POI can be retrieved by querying a server-based POI service with the target region or by searching in a micromap that is stored locally. The retrieved POI information can then be provided to the user via a display and/or speaker in the vehicle. This process beneficially allows a user to rapidly identify and retrieve information about a POI near the vehicle without having to navigate a user interface by manipulating a touchscreen or physical buttons.

Abstract: Multiview calibration is essential for accurate three-dimensional computation. However, multiview calibration can not be accurate enough because of the tolerances required in some of the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters that are associated with the calibration process, along with fundamental imperfections that are associated with the manufacturing and assembly process itself. As a result, residual error in calibration is left over, with no known methods to mitigate such errors. Residual error mitigation is presented in this work to address the shortcomings that are associated with calibration of multiview camera systems. Residual error mitigation may be performed inline with a given calibration approach, or may be presented as a secondary processing step that is more application specific. Residual error mitigation aims at modifying the original parameters that have been estimated during an initial calibration process.

Abstract: A gesture control system includes a processor, the processor in communication with a plurality of sensors. The processor is configured to perform the steps of detecting, using the plurality of sensors, a gesture in a volume occupied by a plurality of occupants, analyzing a prior knowledge to associate the gesture with one of the plurality of occupants, and generating an output, the output being determined by the gesture and the one of the plurality of occupants.

Abstract: A method and system for calibration parameter validation. The method includes performing a camera calibration generating a calibration result, applying a coarse pass-fail criteria to the calibration result and rejecting the camera if the calibration result does not pass the coarse pass fail-criteria. The method further includes applying a fine pass-fail criteria based upon at least information stored at a central repository to the calibration result if the calibration result passes the coarse pass-fail criteria, rejecting the camera if the calibration result does not pass the fine pass fail-criteria, accepting the camera if the calibration result passes the fine pass fail-criteria, and entering the calibration result into the central repository. The information stored at the central repository includes key performance indicator/key performance metric information for one or more measured parameters of the calibration result.

Abstract: A gesture control system includes a processor, the processor in communication with a plurality of sensors. The processor is configured to perform the steps of detecting, using the plurality of sensors, a gesture in a volume occupied by a plurality of occupants, analyzing a prior knowledge to associate the gesture with one of the plurality of occupants, and generating an output, the output being determined by the gesture and the one of the plurality of occupants.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are provided to determine an occurrence of a first user indication and determine a plurality of Points of Interest (POI) corresponding to the first user indication, and to determine an occurrence of a second user indication and responsively determine a narrowed POI from the plurality of POIs. An action corresponding to the narrowed POI and the first and/or second user indication is determined and effected.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are provided to determine an occurrence of a first user indication and determine a plurality of Points of Interest (POI) corresponding to the first user indication, and to determine an occurrence of a second user indication and responsively determine a narrowed POI from the plurality of POIs. An action corresponding to the narrowed POI and the first and/or second user indication is determined and effected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for segmenting an image are provided. The method may include the steps of clustering pixels from one of a plurality of images into one or more segments, determining one or more unstable segments changing by more than a predetermined threshold from a prior of the plurality of images, determining one or more segments transitioning from an unstable to a stable segment, determining depth for one or more of the one or more segments that have changed by more than the predetermined threshold, determining depth for one or more of the one or more transitioning segments, and combining the determined depth for the one or more unstable segments and the one or more transitioning segments with a predetermined depth of all segments changing less than the predetermined threshold from the prior of the plurality of images.