Patent ID: 7171393

Claim:
A method for solving a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) defined by a group of variables and constraints applicable to the variables, the method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a first state corresponding to a first set of values of the variables; (b) selecting a hop distance within a state space of the variables responsively to a random distance selection criterion; (c) choosing a second state corresponding to a second set of the values of the variables, such that the second state is separated from the first state by the hop distance; (d) comparing a first cost, determined by applying the constraints to the first set of the values of the variables, to a second cost, determined by applying the constraints to the second set of the values of the variables; (e) if the second cost is closer than the first cost to meeting a condition indicative that the constraints are satisfied, redefining the first state to correspond to the second set of the values of the variables; (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) until the second cost meets the condition, whereby the second set of the values of the variables represents a solution of the CSP, wherein the variables are characteristic of features of an image containing visual information; and (g) identifying an object in the image based on the features, responsively to the second set of the values of the variables.