Novel Noncontrast-Based Edge Descriptor for Image Segmentation

We present an efficient video segmentation strategy based on new edge features to assist object-based video coding, motion estimation, and motion compensation for MPEG-4 and MPEG-7. The proposed algorithm utilizes the human visual perception to provide edge information. Based on the human visual perception, two edge features are introduced and described based on edge features from analysis of a local histogram. An edgeness function is derived to generate the edgeness information map by using the defined features, which can be thought as the gradient image. Then, an improved marker-based region growing and merging techniques are derived to separate the image regions. The proposed algorithm is tested on several standard images and demonstrates high efficiency for object segmentation