Patent Document ID: 20060078156
Application ID: 10522469
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of segmenting a first image feature ( 214 ) in a first video image from an adjacent second image feature ( 216 ) in the first video image, the first image feature ( 214 ) having plural pixels with respective values of an image property substantially being in a first range of values and having motion relative to the second image feature ( 216 ) between the first video image and a second video image, and the second image feature ( 216 ) having plural pixels with respective values of the image property substantially being in a second range of values being different from the first range of values, the method comprising; dividing the first video image into blocks of pixels; estimating motion vectors ( 218 - 230 ) for the respective blocks of pixels; segmenting the first video image into a first group of connected blocks of pixels ( 204 C) and a second group of connected blocks of pixels ( 206 C) by classifying the blocks of pixels on basis of the motion vectors ( 218 - 230 ) of the respective blocks of pixels; and succeeded by segmenting the first image feature ( 214 C) from the second image feature ( 216 C) by means of a pixel-based segmentation of a portion of the blocks of pixels of the first and second group of connected blocks of pixels ( 204 C, 206 C), which have been determined to be positioned at a border between the first and second group of connected blocks of pixels ( 204 C, 206 C), on basis of the respective values of the image property.