Patent ID: 7079144
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A curve generating apparatus adapted for generating, from a correspondence point identified on a curve in a first frame, a curve in a second frame, wherein the curve in the first frame relates to an extracted feature in the first frame, the apparatus comprising: correspondence point detecting means for determining a correspondence point in the second frame corresponding to the correspondence point identified in the first frame; and curve generating means for generating a curve in the second frame passing through the correspondence point in the second frame, wherein the curve in the second frame represents an outline of the extracted feature in the second frame, wherein a picture image pursuit of the correspondence point identified on the curve in the first frame is used to determine the correspondence point in the second frame by determining analogousness between a first image portion including the correspondence point identified in the first frame and a second image portion including the correspondence point in the second frame by determining an absolute value sum of differences of respective pixel values within the first image portion and the second image portion, wherein the curve generating means is adapted so that, when the first frame is caused to be the frame at the time of start and a frame at the time of end is caused to be a third frame, it determines an interpolated curve by linear interpolation from the curve in the first frame and a curve in the third frame to deform this interpolated curve into the curve passing through the correspondence point, which is calculated by affine transformation, in the second frame, wherein the interpolative curve is determined by linear interpolation using a path search method, and wherein the path search method extracts a path that passes close to a portion of the curve having a higher gradient strength.