Patent ID: 8712154

Claim:
A method of dividing an image into a plurality of superpixels, each superpixel comprising a plurality of pixels of the image, the method comprising calculating, by a processor, an initial set of weights, each weight being associated with a pair of pixels of the image, using a measure of similarity between neighbouring pixels; calculating, by the processor, from the initial set of weights a resultant set of weights for pairs of pixels in the image separated by less than a threshold distance, wherein calculating the resultant set of weights comprises calculating, by the processor, a weight for a first pixel and a second pixel as the sum over third pixels of the product of the initial weight between the first pixel and a third pixel with the initial weight between that third pixel and the second pixel; calculating, by the processor, a value of each weight to a power coefficient; and normalising the set of weights to the power coefficient such that the set of all weights of a pixel sum to one; comparing, by the processor, the initial set of weights and the resultant set of weights to check for convergence to a converged set of weights; and grouping, by the processor, the pixels into superpixels using the converged set of weights.