Patent ID: 8160354
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a processor; a plurality of converters, functionally coupled to the processor, each converter to input an input image and to compute a potential as a measure of contrast in the input image for each of a plurality of units of the input image, each converter further to generate an output set including a ranked set of coordinates, the ranked set of coordinates containing a coordinate of each unit in the input image whose potential exceeds a first threshold, the set of coordinates being ranked based on potential; and a first plurality of observers, each observer to process independently the output set of each of the converters, each of the observers configured to recognize a different type of feature in the input image when a coordinate of a feature of the corresponding type is present in the output set of one or more of the converters, wherein each observer of the first plurality of observers is configured to,