Patent ID: 7054491

Claim:
An image processing system comprising: a plurality of image feature detectors, wherein each image feature detector within the plurality of image feature detectors detects a set of distinct image features in at least one of a first plurality of images, wherein the first plurality of images comprises images of a scene that were captured from different physical locations whose physical location is not known a priori; a plurality of initial image correlators, wherein each initial image correlator within the plurality of initial image correlators is communicatively coupled with at least one of the image feature detectors within the plurality of image feature detectors, with each initial image correlator within the plurality of initial image correlators determining a respective first correspondence of distinct image features within at least two images of the first plurality of images, the plurality of initial image correlators thereby determining a plurality of correspondences; a final image correlator, separate from the plurality of initial image correlators, for determining a final correspondence of distinct image features detected in a second plurality of images by processing the first set of distinct image features, the second set of distinct image features, and the plurality of correspondences; and a communications interface communicatively coupling each of the plurality of initial image correlators to the final image correlator in order to communicate the first set of distinct image features, the second set of distinct image features, and the first correspondence from each of the plurality of initial image correlators to the final image correlator, and wherein each inital image correlator computes a first likely match set of distinct image features that is determined to have a maximum average strength of correspondence based at least in part on a total number of matching neighbor distinct image features for each match of the first likely match set.