Patent ID: 8494297

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for determining one or more symmetries in an image comprising a plurality of pixels, comprising: performing by a computer: automatically determining a symmetry value for each of the plurality of pixels in the image, wherein the symmetry value indicates a strength of one or more symmetries in the image for the respective pixel with respect to one or more other pixels in the image, and wherein automatically determining the symmetry value for each of the plurality of pixels in the image comprises: determining a symmetric pixel for an axis of symmetry for each of the plurality of pixels; and determining a respective difference between an area around each of the plurality of pixels and an area around the corresponding symmetric pixel, wherein the area around each of the plurality of pixels includes at least the respective pixel, and wherein the area around the corresponding symmetric pixel includes at least the corresponding symmetric pixel; and storing the symmetry value for each of the pixels in a symmetry map, wherein the symmetry map stores the symmetry value for each pixel in the image as a feature of the respective pixel, and wherein each symmetry value is dependent on the respective difference.