Object Recognizer and Detector for Two-Dimensional Images Using Bayesian Network Based Classifier

摘要

A system and method for determining a classifier to discriminate between two classes—object or non-object. The classifier may be used by an object detection program to detect presence of a 3D object in a 2D image (e.g., a photograph or an X-ray image). The overall classifier is constructed of a sequence of classifiers (or “sub-classifiers”), where each such classifier is based on a ratio of two graphical probability models (e.g., Bayesian networks). A discrete-valued variable representation at each node in a Bayesian network by a two-stage process of tree-structured vector quantization is discussed. The overall classifier may be part of an object detector program that is trained to automatically detect many different types of 3D objects (e.g., human faces, airplanes, ears, etc.). Computationally efficient statistical methods to evaluate overall classifiers are disclosed. The Bayesian network-based classifier may also be used to determine if two observations (e.g., two images) belong to the same category. For example, in case of face recognition, the classifier may determine whether two photographs are of the same person. A method to provide lighting correction or adjustment to compensate for differences in various lighting conditions of input images is disclosed as well. As per the rules governing abstracts, the content of this abstract should not be used to construe the claims in this application.