Patent ID: 6185318
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A system for determining a correspondence between two or more images, comprising:a computer having one or more central processing units (CPUs) and a memory;a first image stored in the memory, the first image having one or more first sets of one or more first points, one or more of the first points in each of the first sets located on a respective first curved line;one or more second images stored in the memory, the second image having one or more second sets of one or more second points, one or more of the second points in each of the second sets located on a respective second curved line;a reference point matcher, executed by the CPU, that determines a correspondence between a first reference point and a second reference point, the first reference point being one of the first points and the second reference point being one of the second points;a string representor, executed by the CPU, that represents the first image in as a first string of first tuples with a linear first order and represents the second image in as a second string of second tuples with a linear second order, each first tuple associated with one of the first points, each second tuple associated with one of the second points, the first tuples having first attributes determined by a first relationship between the first reference point and the respective first point, and the second tuples having second attributes determined by a second relationship between the second reference point and the respective second point, the first order being the same as the second order and the first relationship being the same as the second relationship; anda matcher that determines that the first and second image match using a score determined by a minimum cost of the combined incremental cost associated with each pair of first and second tuples.