Patent ID: 7304650

Claim:
A video object clipping method comprising: storing, in a storage unit, a plurality of sequential original images representing a substantially constant movement of a to-be-clipped object and a plurality of prepared reference alpha images representing a plurality of sequential reference images representing a substantially constant movement of a reference object; determining a criteria original image and a criteria reference alpha image from the original images and the reference alpha images; determining a deformation parameter by deforming the criteria reference alpha image to correspond to the criteria original image, the deformation parameter representing at least one of a parallel movement of the original object, a scaling of the original object and a rotation of the original object; deforming remaining ones of the reference alpha images according to the determined deformation parameter to generate output alpha images corresponding to the original images, wherein determining the deformation parameter includes determining the deformation parameter based on matching of the criteria original image with the criteria reference alpha image; generating a first differential image between the criteria original image and a past image of the sequential original images; generating a second differential image between the criteria original image and a future image of the sequential original images; detecting a position of the object based on a logical multiplication image obtained by subjecting pixel values of the first differential image and the second differential image to a logical multiplication; and performing a phase matching by finding one of the reference alpha images which is nearest in time to the criteria sequential image based on a detection result.