%0 Generic %1 benezra2000system %A Ben-Ezra, Moshe %A Peleg, Shmuel %B PCT Patent %D 2000 %I World Intellectual Property Organization %K IR UV keying segmentation tv %N WO 00/79779 A2, PCT1lB00/00896 %T System and Method for Differentiating between Image Foreground and Background in an Image based on an Invisible Keying Signal %X Arrangements are described for differentiating between image foreground and background in an image based on an invisible keying signal, in particular, different polarization characteristics in the light represention the foreground and background. This facilitates, for example, generating of a matte that is useful in separating the foreground from the background which can allow for substituting a background from a different image with the foreground in a composite image. In particular, image recording studio systems are described for generating images that can be processed to provide a matte useful in separating foreground objects from a background. In one image recording studio, foreground objects are illuminated from in front (that is, towards a camera) by non-polarized light, and polarized light is provided as a back light. In another image recording studio, both foreground objects and a background screen are illuminated from in front by polarized light; for that studio, the surface of the background screen is selected to be such as, when light is reflected therefrom, to maintain the polarization characteristics of the reflected light, but surfaces of the foreground objects are selected to depolarize light reflected therefrom. In both cases, the images are recorded for, for example, processing to generate a matte useful in segregating the foreground objects from the background objects. A matte generation system useful in generating a matte from images recorded by the image recording studio systems is also described. In one matte generating system, an image recorded by the image recording studio system may be divided into light and dark images, either by the matte generation system itself or the image recording studio system. In the light image, the background appears relatively light, and, in the dark image, the background appears relatively dark, with the foreground objects appearing approximately the same intensity in both images. The matte generation system generates a matte in relation to the absolute brightness as between the light and dark images, in one embodiment employing a non-linear sigmoid function.

@patent{benezra2000system, abstract = {Arrangements are described for differentiating between image foreground and background in an image based on an invisible keying signal, in particular, different polarization characteristics in the light represention the foreground and background. This facilitates, for example, generating of a matte that is useful in separating the foreground from the background which can allow for substituting a background from a different image with the foreground in a composite image. In particular, image recording studio systems are described for generating images that can be processed to provide a matte useful in separating foreground objects from a background. In one image recording studio, foreground objects are illuminated from in front (that is, towards a camera) by non-polarized light, and polarized light is provided as a back light. In another image recording studio, both foreground objects and a background screen are illuminated from in front by polarized light; for that studio, the surface of the background screen is selected to be such as, when light is reflected therefrom, to maintain the polarization characteristics of the reflected light, but surfaces of the foreground objects are selected to depolarize light reflected therefrom. In both cases, the images are recorded for, for example, processing to generate a matte useful in segregating the foreground objects from the background objects. A matte generation system useful in generating a matte from images recorded by the image recording studio systems is also described. In one matte generating system, an image recorded by the image recording studio system may be divided into light and dark images, either by the matte generation system itself or the image recording studio system. In the light image, the background appears relatively light, and, in the dark image, the background appears relatively dark, with the foreground objects appearing approximately the same intensity in both images. The matte generation system generates a matte in relation to the absolute brightness as between the light and dark images, in one embodiment employing a non-linear sigmoid function.}, added-at = {2012-01-04T17:22:18.000+0100}, author = {Ben-Ezra, Moshe and Peleg, Shmuel}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2538264f67327d9f2a56b096f117c5a33/vonolfen}, booktitle = {PCT Patent}, day = 28, interhash = {47a24b6f12f77021ff59591a0948eb5b}, intrahash = {538264f67327d9f2a56b096f117c5a33}, keywords = {IR UV keying segmentation tv}, month = dec, number = {WO 00/79779 A2, PCT1lB00/00896}, publisher = {World Intellectual Property Organization}, timestamp = {2012-01-04T17:23:18.000+0100}, title = {System and Method for Differentiating between Image Foreground and Background in an Image based on an Invisible Keying Signal}, year = 2000 }